Obama’s Dishonesty

Well, there’s this earmark thing.  Earmarks are spending for special projects inserted into a bill.  Here is what President Obama said about earmarks in his address to Congress:

Now, I'm proud that we passed a recovery plan free of earmarks -- (applause) -- and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities. 

Now it’s patently false that the “recovery plan” was free of earmarks, if you mean by that special projects loaded onto the bill.  But the ‘what we have done’ and ‘what we are going to do’ language leaves out what Obama was in fact doing right then: passing a bill that was crawling with earmarks.  Here’s Andrew Taylor at AP:

Obama, who swore off his own earmarks during last year's campaign after seeking them earlier in his Senate career, promised last year to force earmarks down to 1994 levels — when Democrats were ousted from their longtime congressional majorities.

Instead, according to an analysis by the GOP staff of the House Appropriations Committee, Obama is poised to sign a measure containing 7,991 earmarks totaling $5.5 billion. That's on top of $6.2 billion worth of pet projects passed last year when Congress adopted a bill bundling together the budgets for the Defense, Homeland Security and Veteran Affairs departments.

I predict that next year’s budget will reflect the fact that “our most important national promises” include a lot of spending on pork odor research and water taxis.  Now it can be argued that earmarks are an essential part of the legislative process.  But if that’s true, an honest President or candidate for the Presidency ought not to promise an end to them.  Obama’s talk of getting rid of earmarks is pure mendacity. 

And then there is this gem, from Yahoo News, Feb. 21st:

On Monday, Obama will try to snap Washington's collective mind-set back to fiscal restraint, just days after signing a record-breaking spending plan to stimulate the moribund economy. His afternoon-long "fiscal responsibility summit" at the White House is bound to set off sparks.

Wow.  Back to fiscal responsibility.  This, from a President who is planning on deficits of a trillion a year during his current term.  What in heaven’s name would a lack of fiscal irresponsibility look like?  Yahoo goes on:

Obama campaigned on promises to reduce health care costs, rein in prescription drug prices, modernize medical record-keeping and improve medical treatment and efficiency.

Yes-he-did.  Does he really care about reducing costs?  Well, one “member of his inner circle” clearly doesn’t think that this is part of the real agenda.  From Mike Allen at Politico:

“Even if we’re busting the budget, we’ve got to solve some of these problems,” said a member of his inner circle. “I’d rather live with a debt than have people go without health care.” 

Well, maybe this “inner circle member” has it all wrong.  But I am guessing this is a little truth seeping out from a crack in the wall. 

In his address to Congress, Obama said this:

As soon as I took office, I asked this Congress to send me a recovery plan by President's Day that would put people back to work and put money in their pockets.  Not because I believe in bigger government -- I don't. 

This guy, who doesn’t believe in big government, is going to expand government control of the GDP from the historical stable 20% to more than 30%.  Gods Damn, as they say on Battlestar Galactica, what would he do if he did believe in big government? 

Maybe this President is a visionary genius who will lead us to the Promised Land.  But if you are looking for honesty, you have at least four years to wait.  There isn’t an honest bone in his body. 

Comments

[Jim Lorenz]

Amen,but you have to admit he looks Maaavalous. We have to continue to bring this type of issue to the front hopefully to get people to look past the rhetoric and Washington double talk.

[Linda]

Personally I don't think he looks marvelous. He looks like an arrogant empty suit who needs a teleprompter to make a speech, and he grates on my ears like chalk on a chalkboard. Past the above, though, he scares me to death where he wants to take our country as far as wealth distribution, more gov't control over every aspect of our life, control of the media and what people are allowed to hear, naive and disrespectful foreign policy, reckless iresponsible spending, etc.

[Ranjusha]

Our Congress and Senate has taken advantage of WE THE PEOPLE for far to many years. There are Congressmen and Senators that have made their caerer as a Professional Politician. This is NOT what our founding Fathers have intended. There are a large number of Congressmen & Senators who have been in Office for 20, 30, 35, 40, even 50 years that have NOT done anything positive for their Constituents at all, but they have benefitted Financially. Additionally, the ONLY purpose for being in the Congress or Senate is to Enhance themselves by creating THE CHOSEN class and they believe they are ABOVE the LAWS they create. They have gotten very Arrogant, Complacent and SELF-SERVING for their OWN gain. THIS MUST BE STOPPED, WE MUST TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY AND DEMAND THAT THEY MUST SERVE WE THE PEOPLE .

[Mina]

let me get this, let me get this, you guys pay more for healthcare than any other notian on this planet & yet you don't have the best healthcare & about 30 million of your citizens don't have any form of health care. The private insurance are jacking up prices & making record profits year on year which you don't seem to object to. Your government want to reform this broken system and it seems some of you are ready to start a revolution. You guys are either brainwashed by foxnews or you need your heads examined

[Sudha]

Cmon Libro .show Cmon Libro .show me all of these vets on youtube that are so ovhelerwmingly happy with the VA hospital system ..Let's go .I'm waiting. Surely a man of your intelligence can find them for all of the youtube world to see????? Lets see. And Ummmm, if I were you, I'd redo my profile because, as it may come as a shocker .not all americans are pleased with medicare. You may want to, in future debates, eliminate the words all, always, never, everyone, everywhere .etc. Good luck.