I remember the day of November 4, 2008 like it was yesterday. I remember driving home from work, turning on the radio, and hearing John McCain giving his concession speech. I was practically in a state of shock. “Oh my God,” I thought. “He won. Obama actually won.” I arrived home and found my parents celebrating with several friends, watching coverage of the historical event on CNN. I remember feeling overwhelmed with joy. I voted for Obama. I volunteered for his campaign and I even donated my personal money to help him win. But aside from and more importantly than that, I believed with all my heart that he was dedicated to working for the best interests of the American people. I believed he was going to pick up the pieces left by the Bush Administration, and change this country for the better. I believed he was going to keep his promises. And I am sharing this with you because it helps explain why it has been so difficult for me to confront the reality that Obama has already abandoned several of those promises. I am sensitive to the fact that this information may be upsetting to you as well. In an effort to start slow and not overwhelm readers, I have decided to focus on three campaign promises for now:
#1:
When Obama campaigned for the Democratic presidential nomination in Manchester, N.H., on June 22, 2007, he announced his "Sunlight Before Signing" promise. He explained this promise by stating, “When there is a bill that ends up on my desk as the president, you the public will have five days to look online and find out what's in it before I sign it...so that you know what your government’s doing.” Personally, I liked this idea. I think a lot of people did. Bush signed numerous bills without informing the public, and I think people were relieved to hear a President say he would fill them in before passing a law. The truth is, Obama has passed several laws without allowing the public five days to review them. Among those bills was a 787 billion dollar economic stimulus package, signed one business day after it passed through Congress. Why was Obama in such a hurry to sign this bill. Well, he probably didn’t want to give the public time to ask, “Hey uh...where’s that 787 billion dollars coming from? Does the government have that kind of money?" (See "What is the Federal Reserve System?")
#2:
Obama promised that he would loosen the lobbyists’ grip on Washington, and that there would be no place for such people in his Administration. He told us, “I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists — and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not run my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president.” In reality, Obama’s campaign was well funded by lobbyists and his administration is full of lobbyists. They are the norm, not the exception. In fact, almost every person in Obama’s Cabinet is from Wall Street. You can view a complete listing of the Administration here. Do some research and learn about these people. They are, after all, running the country.
#3:
Because it was such an important election issue for so many people, I feel it is important to mention Iraq. It is obvious that many people were disgusted with the U.S. occupation and wanted our troops to come home. For a lot of us, it was his stance on the war that made Obama so appealing. He told us he opposed it from the start and he pledged to remove all combat troops from Iraq within 16 months of taking office. Yet now, not five months into his Presidency, those plans have changed. Now, Obama is embracing a conditions-based withdrawal that would leave up to 50,000 troops in Iraq until at least the end of 2011. He is also expanding our military presence in the Middle East, and has asked for an additional 96 billion dollars to fund the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I had high hopes for Obama, and it saddens me to see him abandon the very promises that got him elected. As upsetting as it is, I think it is crucial that we keep a watchful eye on this Administration. I think it is crucial that we ask questions and demand that those promises are kept. I mean, we all threw a shit fit when W. didn’t fulfill his campaign promises. Why should Obama get a pass?
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