Ever notice how folks like to harp on what the Obama administration hasn’t done? What about pointing out what the administration has accomplished?
Enter ObamaAchievements.com. Here’s what the site says their mission is:
This site is the preview version of our new Obama Achievements Center. It’s a work in progress and a labor of love — for our country.We’re building a crowd-sourced compilation of the achievements of the Obama administration, with documentation for each achievement linked to it.
In today’s frenzied media zones, far too much time has been spent putting the spotlight on complaints while significant achievements are either ignored, not reported, or minimized.
The Achievements
Determined to change the media narrative to finally include the good works of this administration, a group of Twitter users got together under Shoq’s leadership and compiled a list of the achievements and promises of the Obama administration, with documented links to every item. It will be updated on an ongoing basis, as this President accumulates more successes and lasting reforms.
Defining what an achievement is in any administration, is itself an interesting issue. We decided that we would define it broadly to include executive orders,important legislation, and significant initiatives or outcomes of any kind, both foreign and domestic. We worked hard to screen out minor or subjective items whenever we had agreement on them. As anyone can see from this very impressive list, they weren’t needed.
We are a team of about 100 volunteers dedicated to countering the constant negative drumbeat of our mainstream media. In the past two years, over 400 steps forward have been taken by the Obama administration, yet the media continues to focus on the negative.
And, the really good news is this: You’re encouraged to add to the list. Find out how here.
The site currently lists over 434 of the Obama administration’s accomplishments, which is pretty impressive given the fact that the “Party of No” does its best to block everything on the president’s agenda … and, for what? To protect its own political interests and position. And, for some reason, our president is still trying to work with these yahoos.
Now, I ask, what have you accomplished since late January 2009?
Here’s President Obama, in July of this year, talking about the gridlock in Washington:
And from the “Party of No.” To sum up, “I want Barack Obama to fail,” Rush Limbaugh.
This article appears in Aug 17-23, 2010.
Let’s see
Good looking liberal
Fat, ugly, conservative
My hypothesis has been holding up rather well.
What are you going on about?
I mean, what are you going on about Wes?
Would the following be considered “accomplishments” by the Obama administration?
Obama administration claims right to execute US citizens w/o charge or due process.
According to NYT, Obama has outdone predecessors in pursuing leak prosecutions. Ex: NSA employee Thomas Drake told reporter about corruption in awarding military contracts. Inquiries directed against Drake began during Bush years and Obama admin chose to indict Drake.
2006 Military Commissions Act allows for suspension of habeas corpus for US citizens and noncitizens and eliminates habeas corpus rights for anyone deemed by president to be an enemy combatant. Sept 2009: Obama quietly allowed continuation of this program.
June 2009. Director of Natl Intel Dennis Blair announced plans to transform Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program from pilot project to permanent budget item. Also establishes Reserve Officers’ Training Corps to train future intel officers in college classrooms. Identities of prospective officers would be kept secret from professors, univ administrators, or fellow students. Prospective officers would conduct covert missions in classrooms and on campus.
Oct 2009. Obama told Dept Justice (DOJ) attorneys to argue before San Fran Fed Dist Judge Walker that he should toss out the Shubert v Bush suit brought by Electronic Frontier Foundation. Suit challenges secret State driftnet surveillance of Americans’ electronic communications.
Wapo March 2010. White House Threatening to Veto 2010 Intelligence Authorization Bill over a provision that forces administration to increase number of lawmakers it informs about covert ops and other sensitive activities.
Obama health care reform is about health insurance not health care. It is based on failed Massachusetts reform model. Obama plan will require employers to provide coverage or pay special tax. Since tax will be less than paying premiums, many business may opt to pay penalty and drop insurance – especially small to medium sized companies. Those not covered by employer will be required to buy insurance under penalty of law. As seen with Massachusetts plan, people forced to buy plans that cost much but cover little. Those not poor enough to qualify for a subsidy often cannot afford to make co-pays nor deductible before insurance kicks in.
Healthcare reforms won’t kick in until after 2012 elections. LBJ had majority of seniors enrolled in Medicare w/i a year of it being passed – this being done in the pre-computerized days.
June 2009. Obama reached agreement with drug companies to cut price of medicine by 80 billion. Projected US spending on drugs for next 10 yrs is 3.6 trillion (source: HHS.gov, govt health stats). Obama’s deal with drug cos saves only 2% (80 billion out of 3.6 trillion). No surprise as Big Pharma and insurance companies had heavy hand in writing reform legislation.
Medicare and Medicaid will be seeing cuts to fund the subsidies to buy private insurance under the healthcare reform plan. On a similar scary note, Obama is repeating the Republican lie about Social Security being broke (It isn’t. Read Mark Weisbrot’s articles on SS for the real deal). His Loot and Kill Social Security, er, Deficit Reduction Commission, is made up of Social Security haters – and quite a few Republicans.
Get Yer War On
Obama touts removing combat troops from Iraq. This will still leave a large contingent of noncombat troops and Blackwater type contractors occupying Iraq indefinitely. There are already rumblings by Petreaus of not removing troops and from Iraqi military heads about Iraq troops not being ready to assume security duties. Feel free to bet money that: 1) some of the violence seen in Iraq is being fomented by US to justify remaining in Iraq indefinitely; and 2) Iraqi sources who said they weren’t ready to assume duties were reading from a US-produced script.
Obama repeating same lies from Bush era that Iran has nuclear weapons. This despite fact that US intel community including CIA, Army Military Intelligence, Def Intel Agency, NSA, don’t believe Iran has active nuclear weapons program based on their research and intel. As signatory of Non-Proliferation Treaty (under supervision of IAEA inspectors) Iran can lawfully engage in uranium enrichment (or nuclear fuel production). In addition, Iran is inspected constantly by IAEA. Shades of WMD lie fest all over again.
Drones dropped by US military in Pakistan and Afghanistan kill more civilians than terrorists which doesn’t curry favor with the natives to support US policy toward anything.
Afghanistan? To save time, I’ll just say, “see Vietnam war, along with Russia and Britain’s failed efforts to subjugate Afghanistan.
The banksters got the best end of the bailout with a no strings attached handout given to the same crooks who robbed the country blind.
The stimulus package was a finger-sized band aid applied to a gaping head wound. Instead of falling for bankster’s threats of bringing down economy if they didn’t get a key to the Treasury ATM (economy was in the toilet before and still is after they got $), those trillions should have gone to 1) a massive jobs program to build and repair infrastructure nationwide; 2) nationalization of banks to straighten them out, break them up (too big to fail is too big), sell them if deemed cost effective to do; 3) revamp and improve Medicare program that would include everyone and save companies millions of dollars in insurance premiums (insurers could still sell long term care, life, accidental death, and related plans); 4) a bailout for distressed homeowners that would stop foreclosures and allow homeowners to pay monthly mortgage amounts and interest rates that they originally signed up for.
The administration backed the 2009 Honduran coup that overthrew a democratically elected president. Said coup has the stench of US covert assistance all over it. Opponents of the coup and Honduran journalists are being violently suppressed by the new Honduran govt. Covert ops worldwide are as alive and kicking under Obama as they’ve been under any other administration.
Obama, the man with an African father, continues a foreign policy towards Africa that pillages that continent’s natural resources, suppresses political leaders who don’t kowtown to US military/corporate interests, imposes IMF/World Bank neoliberal loans that keep countries perpetually in debt, and foments civil strife to insure US military profiteers a fat bank account.
Obama had 2 chances to name a real liberal or progressive to the Supreme Court and didn’t even name ONE. Instead, he names two center right leaning corporatists to an already regressive, corporatist bunch.
As for conservatives holding up Obama’s “progressive” agenda – get a grip on reality you gullible Left posers. Obama never had a progressive agenda. If he did, his campaign team and his cabinet would not be chock full of warmongers, labor haters, free trade cheerleaders, and corporatist toadies.
My list trumps any so-called accomplishment submitted by you all-day suckers.
For anyone who wants to learn the real deal on our ruling and political classes, I suggest the following sources:
counterpunch.org
blackagendareport.com
rt.com (Max Keiser, Crosstalk highly recommened)
chris-floyd.com
tedrall.com
dissidentvoice.org
It’s sad we have to take on a second job of being our own journalists but it’s pointless to listen/watch/read the mis/dis/noninfo being proffered by mainstream media.