Take a tally

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Okay, here we go. All kept promises (almost) in less than two years, in the midst of the worst crisis in 80 years, and against the most horrible opposition ever:

*

1. Create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes.

2.  Increase minority access to capital.

3. Require economic justification for tax changes.

4. Implement “Women Owned Business” contracting program.

5. Change standards for determining broadband access.

6. Establish a credit card bill of rights.

7.  Expand loan programs for small businesses.

8. Extend and index the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch.

9. Close the “doughnut hole” in Medicare prescription drug plan.

10. Expand the Senior Corps volunteer program.

11. Require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.

12. Give tax credits to those who need help to pay health premiums.

13. Require large employers to contribute to a national health plan.

14. Require children to have health insurance coverage.

15.  Expand eligibility for Medicaid.

16. Expand eligibility for State Children’s Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP).

17.  Require health plans to disclose how much of the premium goes to patient care.

18. Establish an independent health institute to provide accurate and objective information.

19. In non-competitive markets, force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care.

20. Eliminate the higher subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans.

21. Expand funding to train primary care providers and public health practitioners.

22. Increase funding to expand community based prevention programs.

23. Reinstate executive order to hire an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years.

24. Increase the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals.

25. Fully fund the Veterans Administration.

26. Assure that the Veterans Administration budget is prepared as ‘must-pass’ legislation.

27. Expand the Veterans Administration’s number of “centers of excellence” in specialty care.

28. Appoint a special adviser to the president on violence against women.

29. Fully fund the Violence Against Women Act.

30. Direct military leaders to end war in Iraq.

31. Begin removing combat brigades from Iraq.

32. No permanent bases in Iraq.

33. Send at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan.

34. Strengthen and expand military exchange programs with other countries.

35. Make greater investment in advanced military air technology.

36. End the abuse of supplemental budgets for war.

37. Make U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional on anti-terror efforts.

38. Give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration.

39. Allocate Homeland Security funding according to risk.

40. Create a real National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

41.  Increase funding for local emergency planning.

42. Stand down nuclear forces to be reduced under the Moscow Treaty.

43. Appoint a White House Coordinator for Nuclear Security.

44. Initiate a grant and training program for law enforcement to deter cyber crime.

45. Improve relations with Turkey, and its relations with Iraqi Kurds.

46. Launch an international Add Value to Agriculture Initiative (AVTA).

47. Create a rapid response fund for emerging democracies.

48. Grant Americans unrestricted rights to visit family and send money to Cuba.

49. Restore funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program.

50. Establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas.

51. Expand the Nurse-Family Partnership to all low-income, first-time mothers.

52. Release presidential records.

53. Require new hires to sign a form affirming their hiring was not due to political affiliation or contributions.

54. Provide affordable, high-quality child care.

55. Recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession.

56. Reduce subsidies to private student lenders and protect student borrowers.

57. Encourage water-conservation efforts in the West.

58. Increase funding for national parks and forests.

59. Increase funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

60. Expand Pell grants for low-income students.

61. Remove more brush, small trees and vegetation that fuel wildfires.

62. Push for enactment of Matthew Shepard Act, which expands hate crime law to include sexual orientation and other factors.

63. Restore funding to the EEOC and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

64. Reform mandatory minimum sentences.

65. Fully fund the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).

66. Establish ‘Promise Neighborhoods’ for areas of concentrated poverty.

67. Create an artist corps for schools.

68. Add another Space Shuttle flight.

69. Increase spending to prepare for longer space missions.

70. Establish school programs to highlight space and science achievements.

71. Establish special crime programs for the New Orleans area.

72. Rebuild schools in New Orleans.

73. Fund a major expansion of AmeriCorps.

74. Appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer.

75. Provide grants to early-career researchers.

76. Work to overturn Ledbetter vs. Goodyear.

77. Create a national declassification center.

78. Create new financial regulations.

79. Increase funding for land-grant colleges.

80. Ban lobbyist gifts to executive employees.

81. Sign health care bill into law by the end of the first term.

82. Create new criminal penalties for mortgage fraud.

83. Raise fuel economy standards.

84.  Invest in all types of alternative energy.

85.  Enact tax credit for consumers for plug-in hybrid cars.

86. Create a ‘Green Vet Initiative’ to promote environmental jobs for veterans.

87. Create job training programs for clean technologies.

88. Require states to provide incentives for utilities to reduce energy consumption.

89.  Invest in public transportation.

90. Equalize tax breaks for driving and public transit.

91. Double federal spending for research on clean fuels.

92. Increase funding for the Environmental Protection Agency.

93. Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits.

94. Reverse restrictions on stem cell research.

95. End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

 

Source

135 thoughts on “Take a tally”

  2. Bu, bu, but he should’ve done all of that SOONER! And none of that stuff counts because it wasn’t exactly how Pual Krugman, Ed Schultz or Cenk Uygur wanted it!

  3. Heh, you’re right. According to those folks, he’s a failed President.

    According to me, I think that he’s jumped a building in a single bound!

  4. Looks like Start will go through and also 9/11, so he is getting close to that magic #100…but he is such a failure for not hitting it last year.
    I am pleased that the senate is finally approving so many of his judges.

  9. BBBBBUT I haven’t gotten my Obama Pony that he promised, he’s a failure! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

    Primary him!!!! XD

  11. What a difference between our president and the opposition party. Their agenda is all negative (cut taxes, regulation, and get government out) where President Obama is all about smart government making life better for everyone in ways that individuals and corporations can’t. It is all about creating the conditions in which we can flourish. So much flies under the radar in the focus on the outrage of the day.
    Thanks BWD for the info: I’ve bookmarked the page.

  16. What a list of accomplishments? So much of which goes unnoticed under the radar. Emphasizing the long game, President Obama is methodically and steadily getting things done for the American people. This is what governing looks like. He’s making government cool again.

  17. At this point in his term, Bush had tax cuts, No Child Left Behind, and had pushed through the Patriot Act Homeland Security, and war with Iraq based on 9/11 fears.

    Clinton had Family and Medical Leave, the Brady Bill, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and NAFTA.

    Compared a president to his contemporaries, not to imagination-land.

  18. Thanks, BWD for posting what’s been done to date. It’s just a reminder that to get the rest done we’re going to have to work really hard for his re-election, as well as, bringing back bigger Democratic majorities. 50 State Strategy, here we come — again ;-).

  19. Oh my goodness – I actually snorted when I read this. Excellent! But sadly, this is something I wouldn’t be surprised to hear or read from the Professionals amongst us.

  21. Yep Ladyhawke…So much of it will not be recognized until he is long gone and that’s fine by him, he just wants to help, the GOP can have the fame.

    I prefer my gov’t cool, not drowning in the bathtub!

  24. BWD,

    I’ve perused the list several times. We need to add the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Law to the list, too. Please excuse me ahead of time if it’s already on the list and I missed it. I think that since the conservatives worked so hard to defeat it, it should be on the list.

  25. That’s an impressive list. Frankly, I never thought that much would be possible given the degree of opposition/archaic nature of the Senate, so in that sense, the President has very much exceeded the expectations of this progressive.

    This is how change comes in the USA. The President has set us on a good path with much to build on in the future.

  27. START ratification isn’t looking good. All the Republican amendments that would force starting over are failing but only with 60 votes for the block. Ratification needs 67 votes, meaning seven folks voting FOR the amendments to start over would then need to vote to ratify, when voting against START tomorrow would cause the start-over (which they are voting for when voting for the amendments).

    Regarding the list it’s damn impressive. The next two years will be much tougher domestically with a split Congress and so many Dem seats up in the Senate (23 Dem vs 10 GOP), including many Conservadems like Conrad, Nelson, Webb, McCaskill, Tester, Lieberman.

  28. Yes,accomplishments on promises but if all his accomplishments are listed eg the South Korea Trade Deal, saving the auto industry, handling the BP mess the number of things he has done are amazing.
    Pres Obama is one of the most hard-working and brilliant Presidents the USA has had IMHO.

  29. I wouldn’t associate votes for the amendment with votes for the treaty itself. Remember DADT repeal got a couple of more votes in final passage than the cloture vote was. It’s all a political game – they know the amendments are going to lose, so voting for them doesn’t have any really bad effect. Voting against the treaty would kill the treaty, which would look very bad since just about every Republican not in Congress, including W., have come out in support of it.

  30. There were only 32 yes votes for the amendment leaving 8 votes unaccounted for.
    Any idea what’s up with those 8? Were they absent or some absent and others did not vote?

  31. I’m not nearly as optimistic on START. GOP isn’t going to supply nine votes – they’re too busy playing games. The McCain and Risch amendments that would have forced scrapping it and starting over were defeated, but only by 60 votes against. Any ratification would need all of those 60, plus seven more votes from folks that voted FOR the amendments that would have forced starting over.

    Why would these folks vote to start over on the amendments and then turn around and vote to ratify the next vote?

    These treaties usually pass with 80+ votes, the fact that 67 are not near secured yet is very telling and very worrisome.

  34. All of the amendments (I think) have been on the Preamble to the Treaty and not the Treaty itself, so I think the Treaty is safe and will get the votes. The pubs are just doing their usual posturing so as not to give the President his immediate success. Too many VIPs have been saying it is vital to sign it. I have faith that this vote will come out OK and I hope that vote is tomorrow evening. The rest of the world would like to see this done asap.

  36. As I said in another thread, I’m worried too. They want revenge for DADT. They want to WIN something. They had a victory on the funding bill but it’s still not enough for them.

    I think they want to wait till January for START. They probably have every intention to ratify it but they don’t want it on the list of accomplishments of the most successful Congress in decades. And they will make a few changes in the treaty, because they want to undermine President Obama’s prestige in the world.

    Good thing that President Obama has good relations with Russia. He probably has had some phone conversations with the russians about the stupid and cynical opposition he faces at home.

    If the GOP thinks they’re undermining President Obama internationally, they should not be so sure. What happened at the NATO summit just after the mid-terms should give them a clue. The international community is not interested in seeing a party of lunatics return to power in the USA. They’ll help President Obama as much as they can.

  37. Praying that START passes. The hypocrisy and lust for power of the rethugs knows no bounds.

    OT comment about the No Labels group that was mentioned on the last thread. Saw Joe Scumbag and Mark McKinnon on Meet the Press touting this group. (My cowardly senator Evan Bayh is a member.)Again, in my view, this was formed in an effort to seize power.

    First of all, bipartisanship is what fueled candidate Obama’s campaign and what drew folks from all walks to him. And we know this is how President Obama governs. This No Labels group is just trying to steal this from him.

    Second, I’ve heard this McKinnon shill boast about that fact that he will always be a republican in his approach to government. So how can he sincerely say he’s about putting labels aside? He can’t. He’s a hypocrite.

    Third, this No Labels garbage is just another rethug scam. They’re trying to fool and confuse the public because they know being a rethug is toxic. They see the approval President Obama is getting from Americans for continuing to be willing to listen to all sides and for being willing to compromise.

    So they’re trying to steal this just like they’re still trying to steal the change mantra.

    They have no original ideas and are all about greed, money and power. They do not care about this country. Not at all.

    We need to continue to expose these No Labels frauds. Scumbag bashes the president every chance he gets; is that being bipartisan?

    Hypocrites all of them.

    Sorry for the rant; just wanted to put in my two cents.

  38. “I think that he’s jumped a building in a single bound!”

    *formal announcement* Me and this super truthful sentence is getting married. I love it so much. 🙂

  40. It’s a new Republican construct to replace the teabaggers. They see that fad fading out as folks are tired of the hyper-partisanship, so now they’re starting this gimmick to try and pull votes away from President Obama.

    Scarborough is a hyper-partisan, defends the GOP at every turn unless it’s ridiculously agregious. But because he’s on MSNBC, the liberal Fox, he pretends he’s some moderate.

  44. Totally agree. The GOP elite is searching for a way to get to power without their far-right fringe. And conservative democrats are falling into the trap.

    And the far-left, clueless as ever, will continue to bash President Obama 24/7 and give help to this new “conservative” party.

    It’s important to wake people up about this danger. Letters to the editors in local and national papers, and LOTS and LOTS of comments in the blogosphere.

    I wish Rachel gets on this.

  47. Wow !! An amazing list of accomplishments !!! But what else can be expected of someone who will go down as of the greatest Presidents in the modern era!!

    Thanks for the awesome list!! You constantly out do yourself BWD!!! 🙂

  48. Sorry, bwd, this is too FUCKING LONG!!! It’s Sunday, for God’s sake!!!!

    LOL!!!

    How blind, crazy, hatefilled and STOOPID does a person have to be to believe this president has done ANY harm or hurt this country in ANY way? How about just the OPPOSITE. What chumps Obama haters are!

  49. The hypocrisy of voting against cloture and then voting for the bill has never stopped republicans in the past. They will often agree to vote with the party on preliminary votes but are much more likely to vote their own way when a bill actually makes it to the floor. So, even if they appear to be united against something in the preliminary stages, enough will break ranks on the final vote, especially those in vulnerable seats/states like MA, ME, IL, etc. There will be a lot of backroom pressure from non-elected republicans to vote for the treaty as well – former secretaries of state, military officials, etc. I haven’t given up hope on START yet.

  50. Yes, I think they are frightened at the beast they unleashed with Palin and tea party. Now they are trying to woo independents with this new group. But, I doubt it will work. Independents don’t tend to be as politically tuned in as partisans and won’t be paying attention to these guys. Partisans won’t like them because they won’t stick to the party lines. I see this as yet another attempt to rebrand the GOP that will go nowhere just like all their other attempts.

  51. First of all, it was President Obama who first spoke of “no Red states versus Blue state, and no Democrats vs Republicans.” So they are stealing his ideas, only they are using it for their own stealth promotion of the TEAPUBLICAN PARTY. But like all other SCAMS, including the Teabigotparty, this “No Labels” nonsense will not succeed.

    As the saying goes, “A bad cause seldom fails to betray itself.”

  52. I agree. And their motives are no good. They simply want to see a good President defeated in 2012, and he will not be defeated with their stupid scams.

  53. That list is why it is so amazing that there is so much talk about how “failed” this presidency is and how much anger and outrage is ginned up. There is no basis for the left anger when you look at the accomplishments that have been made. I do think that there are some who have cynically decided to attack this president in order to get attention. And it succeeds only because of the financial anxiety a deep recession has caused. But as the economy improves, these arguments won’t convince people who are feeling more secure and it will begin to be embarrassing to be associated with the baseless whining. I expect the attacks to ramp up as those pushing this lose more and more people in a desperate attempt to draw people back. Then they will attempt to pivot to supporting the accomplishments and pretend that they were never really attacking the president in the first place when that doesn’t work.

  54. I think you are right overseasgranny. All these Amendments are just time-wasting attempts to stick it to President Obama. They have no real justification for voting against the Treaty, particularly when they voted almost unanimously in favor during previous administrations.

  55. Russia is aware of the hatred this President faces in his home country. I recall during the most recent Wikileaks dump, the Russian media was a pushing a conspiracy theory that the cables were leaked solely to embarrass President Obama and not for any other reason.

  56. I think you’re predicted their trajectory correctly lilaf1.

    In addition to insecurity fueled by the economy and those who seek the spotlight I think there is a subset who are scared to place their anger where it belongs, at the feet of the Republicans.

  57. And watch the criticism when he leaves for vacation in Hawaii, a vacation he put off until Congress recesses.

  58. You know what this list will mean in 10, 20, 50 years??

    Remember all of the wondeful personal stories we heard about how Sen. Ted Kennedy’s work (often done quietly) made a huge impact on their lives…that is what this list will manifest into over time.

    I wish more people in Congress took their job that seriously.

    Cheers to the Long Game!

  60. Stellar Diary, BWD! Thanks for all you do here to keep the positive information coming.

  61. In 2years!!!!!!!!!!!! What will the next 6 bring!!!!! Unbelievable list……..I’m so proud!

  62. Agreed, Hope. I see some wolves in sheep clothing. Joe Scarborough is a Republican to the core. There is nothing middle of the Road about him. Notice the make up of that group, as reported by Frank Rich? I suspect they will soon enlist Tavis Smiley and Cornel West.

    go figure.

  63. I’m finished with them. Some things I can accept and deal with, others I can’t, and disrespecting the president by calling him names is one of them. Although I don’t use the word, I’ve been called “nigger” and other derogatory things in my lifetime more than once, so I don’t doubt that some of them have said the same thing about the president. I didn’t/don’t deserve it, and neither does he.

  64. Im going to be bold and say he is going to have success in Afghanistan. I always believed when he first ran that he would be the one to catch bin laden. He is already making a difference. Education in Afghanistan has increased dramatically.

  65. This list is not complete without adding the enormous progress made in government relations with the Tribal Nations. Native Americans are regaining trust in the U.S. government. This is an outstanding achievement of President Barack Obama – “one who helps people across the land”.

  68. You know what I think we already have the votes for the START Treaty and this is why JM is looking for this amendment to save face after spending the last week bashing this Treaty.

    My gut is he will vote for this Treaty in the end.

    But he is still a big ole crotchety jerk!

  69. I agree looking today i think it will pass. He is embarrassed by his outburst about DADT. He has to make his self important.

  70. Thank you BWD. Take a Tally is damn right. I have constantly felt that the left did more to damage Obama then the right ever did. I’m proud of President Obama and you to BWD, for being his fierce advocate.

  72. Ha !! How surprising…

    I commented on START a couple of times today. There are more than one scenario, but all of them are centered on one objective from the GOP: signing the treaty but try to gain some political advantage from it. As it is right now, the republicans look like assholes. So either they wait till january or they sign it now. But in doing so, they make an amendment who they’ll trumpet as essential and will try to look like heroes. Damn, they’re good at politicking.

  74. This is indeed good news. McAss know it covers the area he is worried about, but he just has to make trouble for President Obama. He just has to feel like Obama is bending to his will. He just wants to make sure that Obama is still That One. Who could ever forget that debate?

    I am keeping my fingers crossed on this.

    As to the list, Holy Moly. Thanks BWD.

  76. Thanks for that information and it is interesting to hear that 5 Republican Senators did not vote. Senator Ron Wyden was probably not there prepping for his prostate cancer surgery tomorrow (hope that goes well for him).
    Maybe Sen Manchin is still at the Xmas Party that revented him attending the vote on DADT so who else missed it?
    We need to get this done.

  77. Wasn’t there a “Unity ’08” effort that “No Label” seems eerily similar to? ‘No Label’ probably has done a bit of find/replace editing for dates and name switching with the old Unity ’08 emails, blabbing points etc, but I think they have the same moms and dads pretty much. And in between, the Tea Party. Talk about a s**t sandwich.

  78. President Obama has done so much for our nation and all the head lines are twisted to negative narrative. I practically stopped watching “news” many years ago AND may be wrong but I read a whole bunch to try to figure out what’s going on.
    Thru it all though, I have found out that President Obama is one of the BEST Presidents that I have witnessed in my life time.
    Do I have to admit that I love President Obama at the risk that my husband will read this B/C he loves BWD and the FLOTUS would….. I have to say that I love the whole Obama family plus the O’Biden’s too! I love these two brave men and the two brave women right in front of them!

  80. Well he may be able to add this one as well:

    New York’s Dem senators see breakthrough on 9/11 healthcare bill

    “Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) announced Sunday that they have struck a deal with Senate Republicans to pass a 9/11 healthcare bill, one of the last items remaining on the lame-duck schedule.”

    http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/134433-new-york-senators-see-breakthrough-on-911-healthcare-bill

    They just need to make time to get it voted on before this Senate and the House recess this year.

  81. LOL..well that’s the longest Xmas party I’ve ever heard of. They must have run out of food and drink by now. Well perhaps still enough rum to go for another 24 hrs.

  82. That’s great news:) Hopefully, they’ll get it done right after START, and right before Christmas.

  83. You are a Goddess, BWD. First you name yourself after a D*O*G, then you might have a cute Aussie accent. More importantly – this blog 🙂 🙂 🙂 For all we know you might have 78 kids and work 150 hours at a non-blogging job. And FINALLY, you crack me up – “ways we’re yet to make up.” Laughter is divine!

  85. Well, it looks like gilibrand and Shumer got a dela on the 9/11 bill, just now. It will be reduced to 6.2 billion and will be paid for. then it will go back to HOUSE for final approcal.
    But what about my START treaty? The Pubs do not want to bring it up for cloture vote!~
    Is this going to pass the filibuster? JEESH!

  86. AP: That’s enough good news for you, Barack Obama. New census numbers mean Bad News For Obama. Although the story contains some significant facts, such as population shift from blue states to red, I thought the timing was interesting, coming immediately after a big uptick in Obama accolades. And why does every story have to relate back to Obama. It seems almost every single news story is told with Obama in mind. I do think the country is obsessed with him. And sorry AP, no matter what tricks Repubs try with redistricting etc., lots of people have learned to never underestimate him.

  87. It’s number 62 on the list – I accidentally posted that in response to someone else . .

  88. BWD,
    first i have to say that it is a blessing to find someone so passionate and loyal to President Obama. i had to leave DK for the same reasons you did, (although you are the only reason that i continued to go there for so long…) i feel like i am home on your site and i have no need to look further! thank you for giving me a place to go’til 2012 and beyond!

    p.s.
    I THINK I LOVE YOU! ;-D

  90. Treaty ratification requires two-thirds of those present and voting, which might be less than 67 if some of the Republicans are MIA . .

  91. A deal? They struck a *deal*?! With the Republicans?! Gillibrand may be out as she can no longer be considered a purist. Bad, bad form to deal with the other side aisle!

    (apology for the snark)

  93. Well, one significant population shift, which everyone expected and got, was losing two districts in New York to Florida. But Florida succeeded in voting for laws that force the Florida legislature to draw the new districts in ways that will defeat gerrymandering, and keep the districts so they relate to the population. They’ll still probably be red districts, but they won’t be safe red districts.

  94. That’s because they wanna get the “chicken littles” started bright and early for Monday morning. It’s their way of controlling the conversation. Get Dems worrying about the next thing so we can’t celebrate our victories.

  102. They’re going to have to change the name “lame duck” session after all the achievements these past weeks!

  105. I’ve thought that.

    I couldn’t believe that people would be naive as to think Assange was doing this to whistle blow, and not for his own fame and fortune. I wonder if he’s gotten more trouble than he anticipated.

  107. On one hand I can understand the concern about wanting to be sure that we don’t turn into what places like KOS have with simply going on the attack against any and all things that they put out. On the other hand, although I feel that places like Kos have really blown an opportunity to be an ultimately positive organizing force by spending the last two years attacking their own allies instead of keeping after Republicans, I feel that any misinformation that they stir up does need to be confronted head on because it’s to the point where their surrogates are going on what are supposed to be liberal-friendly shows and trying to poison more and more people against the Administration.

    I do feel that when they are out there we need to immediately be responding on message boards, twitter, and such pushing back against this as much a we do any right-wing talking points. It’s a shame that we have to split our energies defending on two fronts, but I feel that’s what it’s come to as both the right and left extremists have doubled down on trying to make sure that nothing positive that this Administration does is given any credit whatsoever.

  108. I am sorry but this cartoon is simplistic and does not fairly reflect the accomplishment of this President. May be it’s funny to you but it reinforces the stereotype that Obama supporters are irrational people who “don’t care” about the President’s failings. May be the cartoonist is trying to balance his prior cartoon hitting the PL. Unfortunately, this is what is wrong with the media: their preoccupation with false equivalencies! I support President Obama for his accomplishments in such areas as: saving the country from drifting into the second Great depression; saving the Auto Industry; strong financial reforms that included strong consumer protection measures; withdrawing combat troops from Iraq; Supporting and fully funding the needs of our veterans; Appointing two highly qualified women to the U.S. Supreme court;guiding through Congress the passage of the repeal of DADT law; working tirelessly for the START treaty to lessen the dangers of nuclear war. Any objective observer would give President high marks for his achievements in just two years of his presidency.

  110. Also, as noted elsewhere that the “shift” is likely baby boomers from the more populous the Northeast/Midwest retiring to warmer states, as well as, people moving for work. That said, this could be an indication that states/districts normally red, may turn purple, especially if the baby boomers are typical in that they’re primarily Democrats or moderate Republicans. But totally agree, that he’s proven time and time again not to underestimate him.

  111. Seems like it could pass without McCain, so I suspect this is a face saving move more than anything.

    I mean of Corker, Alexander, Bennett and Gregg voted against Risch Amendment, and five others didn’t vote, including Kirk and Voinovich, along with Luger, Snowe, Collins, Brown, Murkowski the votes should be there as long as all the Dems are on board (seems some did vote for Risch amendment though??).

    So they let McCain save face, and he probably brings a few more votes with him – McCain, Graham and Kyl at least, and President Obama gets a stronger bi-partisan vote for START.

  112. I don’t see it that way. I think this is just going to allow McCain to save face. I think the White House has the votes, but if thy can shake loose more by letting McCain pretend he’s relevant to give the passage a stronger bi-partisan vote then why not?

    McCain can try and trumphet it as his doing all he likes, but the reporting will be Obama’s START will get close to 80 votes.

  114. If it’s fully paid for, I’d pay for it out of the Defense Budget. I mean it was an act of war they were rsponding to.

  116. RinaX,

    I completely agree. We must fiercely confront misinformation and untruths about this President and his administration. I personally think that it is absolutely necessary to call out liars by documenting the evidence to support our claims. Equally important, in my opinion, is pointing out the naivety of those who do not understand the complexity of the legislative process and the limitation of Presidential power. We must demand that this President be judged under the same standards applied to other Presidents. For Example: the Great FDR compromised with Southern “Dixiecrats” in passing the Social Security Act that excluded Agricultural and domestic workers. JFK, who had the support of over 80% African American voters, waited three years before he submitted the Civil Rights Act. Likewise, the new found hero of the “purist” progressives, LBJ was a majority leader in the Senate and during his tenure he never sponsored any Civil Rights Legislation. We should never forget that it was the Civil Rights marches and protest,s and possibly the assassination of JFK, that
    made it possible for Congress to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Realist and pragmatic progressives must aggressively challenge the false meme promoted by the “purist” progressives who believe in instant gratification and are bent on promoting revisionist history. Even Abraham Lincoln, regarded by many historians as a great president, was willing to compromise on slavery in order to save the union.

  117. BWD, how dare you put up this small lil list. Plus, out of everything he passed, I can point to 1% out of each thing that I dont like. He is an aweful Pres!!! He only does what he said he would do. He doesn’t even try to break his promises, dang nabbit!!!! I love politicians as my Pres. this actually doing stuff is getting old. I want to bring back the good ol days of pretending to do stuff!!!!

  118. My latest letter to Majority Leader Reid:

    Good evening Majority Leader Reid,

    I realize that I write these letters to you and it is highly likely you will never see them, let alone consider my requests.

    Be that as it may, my requests have been singularly focused on one issue – the tyranny of the minority in the US Senate.

    That tyranny of the minority is the result of an UnConstitutional Senate procedure – one that can be remedied by you or any other Senator calling a point of order on cloture and a simple majority of Senators voting. An appropriate vote does not only enable moving to an actual vote on the legislation at hand, it sets a precedent that remedies the tyranny of the minority.

    Today we learn the Senator McConnell has decided to play gross politics with START. Not a surprise since Senator McConnell has been the chief obstructionist in the US Senate for 4 years.

    But, in opposing START he transcends even his rank partisan and intentionally destructive behavior – he opposes an essential National Security treaty, one supported by countless former Republican Leaders, the Joint Chiefs, the Intelligence Community, and many others simply because he wants to try, yet again, to damage to President Obama.

    His, and his partisan Republican colleagues, have been motivated by one and only one objective since Nov 2008 – destroy the Obama Presidency even if it means destroying America.

    With his opposition to START he now proves he will go to extreme ends to meet that objective.

    START is absolutely essential – as you know.

    So, I suggest you inform Senator McConnell that you are bringing, tomorrow, the Omnibus Appropriations Bill to cloture and that you intend to invoke the Constitutional Option, crush the tyranny of the minority, and pass it. You will then proceed to bring DREAM, DISCLOSE, and numerous other pieces of legislation to a vote since cloture will not be available to the obstructionist Republicans. And, you will keep the Senate in session until the last minute of the current Congress.

    Announce to the American People that you are taking these actions because Senator McConnell was willing to jeopardize the security of the USA and you and your responsible colleagues decided to stop him and rectify as much of the other damage he has caused these past four years as you possibly can.

    Make the notion of ‘lame duck session of Congress’ mean something that it has never meant before – a session in which the politically dangerous and lame were prevented from doing any more damage.

    Thank you,
    Bob

  119. LOL!!!

    The Christmas Party excuse. I’ve got to remember to use that at work next time, even in July. Ha!

  120. Exactly right! We are not supposed to stop worrying about and fearing them. It is a tried and true tactic of bullies.

  121. I am guessing that the Far Left and Far Right will criticize his Christmas plans as well.
    We will hear how he left DC with his family to spend the holidays with family and friends. He will be accused of not working on Christas Day. Remember last year how some went beserk because he spent Christmas in Hawaii.

    It is so wacky how it was fine for Bush to spend more than half his presidency in Crawford Texas but it is not Ok for President Obama to ever leave the White House.

  122. My friend is studying Russian at a local university and she has become friends with some professors from Russia. She also corresponds with a number of Russians currently living there. The Russian American community here in this country, from what she is hearing, is very supportive of President Obama. They like him and so do the Russian people.

  123. hello like minded BWD as usual you are the best may God bless you especially this season of christmas now concerning the population movement it could end up with two results in my humble opinion 1 more people moving to red state thereby giving the GOP an advantage or obama voters moving in to take over the state hence guys there something happening right before our face 2012 is going to be interesting and about the start treaty wish and am praying so hard that it passes i means that much to me lov you guys have a merry christmas

  124. To which the RW response will be:

    “Of course he did, he works with him!!!”

    or

    “He did it just to make G.Dub look bad!!!”

    and from The Left will be:

    “What took him so long? LBJ, Truman, FDR, and any number of real Ds would have found him sooner!!!”

  125. Well, duh, charities and stores and stuff have “Christmas in July” events. It’s perfectly conceivable that the snowflake sweaters can be brought out for parties too.

  126. All the while acting like they don’t know he’s from there. He happens to be from paradise. They should learn to deal.

  130. Incredibly well-said. There has been a tired and counterfactual slogan about POTUS’ supporters as brainless cultists since the primaries. I remember a smirking newsperson approaching a POTUS supporter during that time period and asking him to explain his choice. He received a detailed, reasoned, highly factual discussion of POTUS’ platform and likely governing style.

    It’s telling that there is such an effort to falsely equate us with anti-POTUS partisans who substitute strawmen and slogans for analysis.

  132. Evan Bayh is so full of shit…

    The guy is pure unadulterated slime…

    He is trying his darndest to climb to relevance and to somehow run for president…

    He will fail and woefully too…

    And to be sure, even if it means setting aside my rosary beads and my staunch catholic faith, and getting some serious voodoo going, Evan Bayh will fail at any and everything he touches or ventures into…

  134. I just love how the Obama supporter is black. I guess we are the only ones who appreciate and recognize the achievements of this President.

    /sarcasm.

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