Submitted by Harriet…
Here’s an opinion piece by Chuck Green who writes “Greener Pastures” for the Denver Post Aurora Sentinel…one of the more liberal papers in the country. Additionally, Mr. Green is a lifelong Democrat…so this is rather a stunning piece…
Obama is victim of Bush’s failed promises!
Barack Obama is setting a record-setting number of records during his first term in office:
Largest budget ever. Largest deficit ever. Largest number of broken promises ever.
Most self-serving speeches ever. Largest number of agenda-setting failures ever. Fastest dive in popularity ever!
Wow! Talk about change.
Just over two years ago, fresh from his inauguration celebrations, President Obama was flying high. After one of the nation’s most inspiring political campaigns, the election of America ‘s first black president had captured the hopes and dreams of millions. To his devout followers, it was inconceivable that a year later his administration would be gripped in self-imposed crisis.
Of course, they don’t see it as self-imposed. It’s all George Bush’s fault !
George Bush, who doesn’t have a vote in congress and who no longer occupies
The White House, is to blame for it all.
He broke Obama’s promise, to put all bills on the White House web site for five days before signing them.
He broke Obama’s promise, to have the congressional health care negotiations broadcast live on C-SPAN.
He broke Obama’s promise, to end earmarks.
He broke Obama’s promise, to keep unemployment from rising above 8 percent.
He broke Obama’s promise, to close the detention center at Guantanamo in the first year.
He broke Obama’s promise, to make peace with direct, no precondition talks with America ‘s most hate-filled enemies during his first year in office, ushering in a new era of global cooperation.
He broke Obama’s promise, to end the hiring of former lobbyists into high White House jobs.
He broke Obama’s promise, to end no-compete contracts with the government.
He broke Obama’s promise, to disclose the names of all attendees at closed
White House meetings.
He broke Obama’s promise, for a new era of bipartisan cooperation in all matters.
He broke Obama’s promise, to have chosen a home church to attend Sunday services with his family by Easter.
Yes, it’s all George Bush’s fault! President Obama is nothing more than a puppet in the never-ending failed Bush administration.
If only George Bush wasn’t still in charge, all of President Obama’s problems would be solved. His promises would have been kept, the economy would be back on track, Iran would have stopped its work on developing a nuclear bomb and would be negotiating a peace treaty with Israel . North Korea would have ended its tyrannical regime, and integrity would have been restored to the federal government.
Oh, and did I mention what it would be like, if the Democrats, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, didn’t have the heavy yoke of George Bush around their necks? There would be no ear marks, no closed-door drafting of bills, no increase in deficit spending, no special-interest influence (unions), no vote buying ( Nebraska, Louisiana ).
If only George Bush wasn’t still in charge, we’d have real change by now.
All the broken promises, all the failed legislation and delay (health care reform, immigration reform) is not President Obama’s fault or the fault of the Democrat-controlled Congress. It’s all George Bush’s fault !
Take for example the attempt of Eric Holder, the president’s attorney general, to hold terrorists’ trials in New York City . Or his decision to try the Christmas Day underpants bomber as a civilian.
Two disastrous decisions.
Certainly those were bad judgments based on poor advice from George Bush!
Need more proof?
You might recall when Scott Brown won the election to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts, capturing “The Ted Kennedy Seat”, President Obama said, Brown’s victory was the result of the same voter anger that propelled Obama into office in 2008. People were still angry about George Bush and the policies of the past 10 years. And they wanted change.
Yes, according to the president, the voter rebellion in Massachusetts , was George Bush’s fault.
Therefore, in retaliation, they elected a Republican to the Ted Kennedy seat, ending a half-century of domination by Democrats. It is all George Bush’s fault !
Will the failed administration of George Bush ever end, and the time for hope and and change ever arrive ???
Will President Obama ever accept responsibility for something / anything?
(Chuck Green is a veteran Colorado journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Denver Post.)
It’s Bush’s Fault!
Obama is George Bush! Different Head. Why do you think that the Repooplicans cant get a good candidate? They have one! It Brock Obama!
Harriet I think Mr. Green is a little upset…no?
But he is exactly right. Obama has failed to keep campaign promises. I would submit that he never intended to keep many of them anyway. This is not a man who governs; this is a man who advocates, resdistributes, picks winners and losers, and plays to the camera as “coolest president ever”.
A high note: Bin Laden was taken out on his watch…after making the Seal team wait, thumbs twiddling, for sixteen hours. But even this is clouded by the quick disposal of the body at sea. Was that the best way to handle it? There are differing opinions.
In fact the long list of failures in the article is terrible but doesn’t include Fast and Furious, the harrassment of Gibson Guitar, lawsuits filed against the state of Arizona over an immigration law that members of the Supreme Court have stated only enforce and reflect federal law. It doesn’t note “legislating” new punishing regs through the EPA or using the Labor Board to usurp corporate decision making. It doesn’t include wasted “stimulus” money which was spent to prop up public sector unions, kicking the underlying problem down the road. It doesn’t include GIVING ownership in GM to unions and screwing bond holders in the deal. It doesn’t include robbing Medicare to pay for Obamacare. It doesn’t include the projected explosion in the cost of Obamacare compared to the number used to sell the program. It doesn’t include higher premiums and cost after promising those would go down. It doesn’t include the tax that will kick in next year for those making a profit over $200K if they sell their home…the list goes on!
Tina, No he did not include everything. I did not think that was his intent, I read his column as simply a sarcastic “Bush’s Fault” I thought it well done.
I agree…I just can’t help being just as cynical! I gor a lot of friends that are really hurting…the lack of jobs for young people has me disturbed but what they will pay in future really has me steamed! Debt that can be managed because of healthy debt to GDP rates I can tolerate (reluctantly)…debt that surpasses GDP and gets us a downgrade from our triple A rating is unconscionable!
I can’t believe we are going to defend George Bush. Talk about the worst presidency in American history and the destruction of the Republican party. How anyone anywhere can say Bush was a Republican is beyond me.
Obama is 4 more years of that disaster. He even kept the same corrupt thieves in charge of the Fed and Treasury. Bernanke is Bush’s boy. But it doesn’t help when under Bush Republicans had no problem saying we didn’t need to pay for two wars and the Bush tax cuts, and now Republicans want to fight every single time to the death over middle class tax cuts and now student loan interest rates. The only place they can ever come up with cuts is social programs but they can’t do a single thing with job creation and have never considered a defense contractor cut in their lives.
Obama sucks big time. But Romney has nothing to offer us. Zero. This is the most hopeless I have ever felt at election time and the only thing keeping me going is the down ballot elections. We can start locally to make a difference and just hope Obama doesn’t screw us up worse.
The Republican Party is a BIG TENT party. We have members as liberal as Richard Lugar and as conservative (Libertairian) as Ron Paul. It is absolutely wrongheaded to claim that Barack Obama fits anywhere under this tent.
Defending the nation is the ONLY power specifically given to the federal government. Expenditures on national defense, appropriate, pale in comparison to all of the money spent every year, year after year, on programs that, according to the Constitution, should be born by the people or their local or state governments.
The war in Iraq WAS paid for. The unsustainable social programs, the huge bureaucracy to manage all of them, the bloated benefits packages of employees, and waste and fraud in many of the programs is what creates the massive debt we continue to rack up year after year. The Rx drug program Bush put in place was the ONLY program that came in under budget because he was able to put free market principles in the legislation. Zero deficit spending occurred under that plan. If we adopted the Ryan budget some of these same principles might begin to take the pressure off of the unsustainability of other social programs.
Obamas wasteful stimulus spending has pushed our debt up faster than any president in our history. In three+ years he has increased our debt by nearly $4 trillion. Bush took eight years to spend as much BUT also governed so the economy was good (more tax revenue flowing to government) and unemployment relatively low despite a recession, 911, the war, and natural disasters. The GDP to debt ratio was average…deficit spending on par with former presidencies.
Our republic was founded and our Constitution written so that change would be difficult. IF YOU EXPECT BIG CHANGES FROM GOVERNMENT YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED AND ANGRY ALL OF THE TIME. It isn’t going to happen. It has happened by crooked means under the Democrats in the past three years. Obama has adopted less than ethical means to change our country, in definace of constitutional principles. “Transformation” sucks!
That will not be the way republicans govern. Change won’t happen fast or easily but if you are willing to support policies that move us back in the direction of solvency, a robust economy, and reforms to social programs that make them work without bankrupting the country, there’s a chance something positive will get done. Romney, and more republicans in Congress can deliver this workable condition.
Save America or sit on the sidelines and pout. the other alternative will complete the transformation to a socilaist nation in perpetuity.
Tina: “The Republican Party is a BIG TENT party.”
*guffaws*
Funny, just today Mitt Romney’s spokesman resigned because of anti-gay Republicans whose tents just aren’t big enough to accept gay people in their party.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/exclusive-richard-grenell-hounded-from-romney-campaign-by-anti-gay-conservatives/2012/05/01/gIQAccGcuT_blog.html
Your party’s tent is getting smaller and smaller.
Chris, you left out the updates, how come?
“UPDATE (3:10 p.m.): The Romney camp has now responded via campaign manager Matt Rhoades: We are disappointed that Ric decided to resign from the campaign for his own personal reasons. We wanted him to stay because he had superior qualifications for the position he was hired to fill.
UPDATE (3:50 p.m.): Right Turn has learned from multiple sources that the senior officials from the Romney campaign and respected Republicans not on the campaign contacted Ric Grenell over the weekend in an attempt to persuade him not to leave the campaign. Those were unsuccessful.”
So major republicans tried to keep him on board, but he didn’t want to be a distraction with the media hot on his story, so he felt it best to step down for now. Too bad…damned liberal media!.
Chris I bet you were hoping this situation would be worse than it really was and it would stand as a glaring example (in your eyes) of the terrible bigots that make up the republican party…sorry, but ain’t goin to happen in the real world.
Jack, I understand that some in Romney’s camp did try to keep him on. I didn’t mean to leave that out, but I don’t think it disproves my point. Rubin–herself a Romney supporter–points to a few different influential conservatives who wanted Grenell out simply because he was gay, and she makes a strong case that this was the reason. And this is hardly surprising, giving the GOP’s other issues with gay people. Joseph Farah dropped Ann Coulter from a World Net Daily event because he thought she was too friendly to gays. Ann Coulter! If she’s not far right enough on social issues, then I just don’t know what’s going on in the world.
Your party has a huge problem when it comes to equal rights for gay Americans. I’m not even talking about gay marriage–I think that’s an issue that reasonable people can disagree on without being bigots. But look at the reaction of most Republicans to the repeal of DADT. There are no good reasons to support that draconian, arbitrary and stupid law, and yet Republicans no less prominent than Rick Santorum took the stage to warn us about how “damaging” and “destructive” letting gays openly serve their country would be. That’s disgusting to me.
I’m not sure what you mean by saying that the liberal media was after Grenell. In the article, Jennifer Rubin points to members of the conservative media, which she herself is a part of, as being responsible. There was apparently some criticism from liberals towards Grenell for some statements he made that might have been sexist, but that’s clearly not why he quit.
Im very sorry this man, who is an expert in foreign affairs, was apparently uncomfortable to the point of wanting to leave the campaign. Unfortunately social issues are part of public and political discourse these days. Given the emotional energy around this issue it is particularly important for all people working on campaigns to conduct themselves with care and consideration.
I wish this gentleman well wherever he lands.
This incident does not change the fact that the Republican Party is a big tent party. There are many wonderful gay men and women who find the republican philosophy matches their own and they are made welcome by most Republicans. Differences of opinion on social issues are just thatdifferences of opinion. Usually we can respectfully agree to disagree. Michael Medved expresses his opinion very well without being nasty or hateful.
Both parties have their zealots. An example of particularly bad behavior by a leftist gay man occurred just a few days ago. His talk was supposed to be about bullying but he almost immediately went vicious, using profanity and mocking the Bible. This was a talk aimed at high school students:
http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/gay-conservatives-condemn-dan-savages-christian-bullying.html
Gay people aren’t the only people in the world who are mistreated, mocked, or bullied.
“This incident does not change the fact that the Republican Party is a big tent party.”
Oh, yes … Tinay … it does.
You know what it is? If the monied elite hopes to continue holding political power, what with the exposure of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the election of legions of Tea Party doofusses … the corporatocracy will have to form a third party!
I love it.
Richard Grenell served under John Bolten at the UN, which puts him high on my list of competent foreign policy experts. I can see why Romney wanted him on his team.
According to Byron York (link below), Mr. Grenell had not yet joined the Romney campaign so it wasn’t Romney staffers that were making Grenell uncomfortable as was implied by liberal bloggers (And Jennifer Rubin). In fact several of them called him to encourage him to change his mind and join the campaign. Romney assured him that he would not be “hidden away” in the campaign as was suggested.
The intolerant loud mouth on the Republican side that may have been at the heart of Grenell’s discouragement followed Romney at a Republican event. He also bashed Mormans and others in his speech and Romney took exception to his rhetoric.
Mr. Grenell is, according to York, an activist for gay marriage. It is plausable that he was being pressured politcally from gay rights groups. The idea of him being “hidden away” would certainly be something they might suggest.
Mr. Grenell is so far, and to his credit, mum on the subject. Five stars for him.
“The Curious resignation Of Richard Grenell,” by Byron York
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/curious-resignation-richard-grenell/515226
Tina: “This incident does not change the fact that the Republican Party is a big tent party. There are many wonderful gay men and women who find the republican philosophy matches their own and they are made welcome by most Republicans.”
It’s true that there are gay Republicans, and gay-friendly Republicans. I admire these people, and I wish they would speak out more. I especially like Megan McCain, who bravely speaks out about many issues despite ugly reactions from people such as Glenn Beck, who has mocked her for her weight (even though she is by all reasonable standards a gorgeous woman). I hope she represents the future of the Republican party.
However, the largest voices in your party at the moment frequently make bigoted statements and support unequal treatment. Rick Santorum, who was until recently one of the top two candidates for the Republican nomination for the presidency, has said several times that he thinks states should be allowed to make gay sex a crime. I can’t count how many right-wing talkers and politicians condemned the repeal of DADT and used bigoted language to talk about gay people while doing so. Michael Medved, who you bring up in your comment, once said that the movie “Happy Feet” was corrupting the youth with a gay agenda. Really?
And this isn’t just about gays. Influential Republicans frequently employ racist stereotypes in their analysis of issues. Rush Limbaugh brings up Barack Obama’s race constantly, even when it is totally irrelevant to the subject at hand, and uses stereotypes to talk about him and his wife. Coulter has also used racial stereotypes frequently (though I have to give her some props for standing by her support of GOProud).
There’s a reason that most minority voters are much more likely to vote Democrat. And it is not because, as you and other Republicans have so charmingly put it, they have been brainwashed into becoming “slaves of the Democrat plantation.” And telling them that isn’t exactly a great sales pitch, by the way.
As for Dan Savage, I admire some of what he’s done, such as the “It Gets Better” project, but I find many of his tactics horrendous. As little as I care for Rick Santorum, what Savage did to his name was wrong, juvenile and completely unfair. And it sounds like he behaved like a bigoted jerk in front of those kids. I honestly don’t understand why any high school would invite him–IMO, there are far better people to talk to students about bullying and homophobia, people who don’t too often descend into bullying themselves.
But I wasn’t talking about “bad behavior,” I was talking about the specific problem of exclusivity in your party, which used to pride itself on being a “big tent.” It’s true that sometimes certain liberals make negative, even bigoted comments about Christianity. But so far, this hasn’t cause a huge exodus of Christians from the party. Catholics especially are still more likely to vote Democrat. I think my party is the true Big Tent party these days.
“The intolerant loud mouth on the Republican side that may have been at the heart of Grenell’s discouragement followed Romney at a Republican event.”
Are you talking about Bryan Fischer, the head of the American Family Association? Regardless of who you mean, I have to give you credit–this is the first time ever that I remember seeing you acknowledge that “intolerant loud mouths” even exist on the Republican side. Thank you for acknowledging that.
Chris, the truth of it is, if you believe in small government, a government run by the people, a government that only takes care of the judicial issues that can’t be handled at the state level, then the social issues don’t factor in. Things like Gay Marriage, Abortion, become individual decisions that priests and doctors are allowed to personally consider and decide for themselves what they want to do. If there is a religion that decides Gay marriage is right with God, they should be allowed to perform those Gay marriages, court rooms also should be able to perform those Gay marriages if the Judges feel it is right with them. If there is a religion who does not feel that Gay marriage is right with God, then they should not be forced to perform those marriages. That’s the wonderful thing about small government it makes more room for everyone to have personal choice, and there are enough people in the USA that I believe you will always be able to find a doctor, a judge, or any kind of practitioner that holds similar values to your own and who is willing to do what you want them to.
Bree: “court rooms also should be able to perform those Gay marriages if the Judges feel it is right with them.”
Bree, that’s not just “small government.” The idea that any individual judge should be free to make a legal decision because they “feel it is right with them” would lead to total chaos.
I think your heart is in the right place, but–forgive my bluntness–what you’re proposing is a libertarian fantasy land that has no relation to reality. For example, you’re ignoring that marriage comes with a ton of benefits from the federal government. Gay couples are currently unable to obtain these benefits, for completely arbitrary reasons. They are being unfairly discriminated against. Even in states where same-sex marriage is legal, married gay couples still cannot receive federal benefits because of the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act.
Perhaps in your ideal version of small government, there would be no such thing as federal marriage benefits. I have heard libertarians argue that, instead of allowing gay marriage, the government should get out of the marriage business entirely. But this proposal is completely unrealistic. Married couples in America are never going to voluntarily give up these benefits. So the only way to ensure equality is to ensure that gay couples can enjoy these benefits as well.
Gay couples can and do have marriage ceremonies performed by sympathetic churches, and churches which do not approve of homosexuality can and do refrain from blessing same-sex ceremonies. That will continue to be the case once same-sex marriage is federally legalized. Churches weren’t forced to perform interracial marriages after miscegenation bans were struck down, so it doesn’t follow that churches will be forced to perform same-sex weddings in the future. A wedding does not a marriage make.
The fact is that this is an issue that must be resolved on the federal level. The federal government is currently discriminating against gays and lesbians for no rational reason. This discrimination must be stopped, and it will be stopped as more and more people realize that there is nothing inherently wrong with gay people.
But changes to the law are necessary, just as they were necessary to end legalized racial discrimination. It’s naive to say that marginalized people will always be able to find someone who will meet their needs. Look at how that worked under Jim Crow laws. The Civil Rights Act asserted that businesses could no longer choose to discriminate on the basis of race, and this law was crucial in the fight against racism. This was not an issue that could be left to the free market or local governments to figure out amongst themselves; those forces failed totally in fighting racism. This issue required federal intervention, and we’re better off today for it. The same is true for discrimination against the LGBT community.
Bree thank you for expressing the bottom line so well. I have said on more than one occasion that most people who believe in small government also believe in handling problems themselves and minding their own business. They realize that people have differing opinions and life styles and prefer a live and let live atmosphere.
It’s difficult to remain in that sphere when social issues and every problem on earth is seen as something that must be handled through the federal government. I don’t know your age but I can tell you that a number of us that have been pushed and shoved on these issues for a few decades are tired (and willing to fight) of the constant barrage of legislation, taxation, regulation, and forced acceptance of values that we do not share by virtue of lost speech or being targeted as insensitive and bigoted.
Small government requires greater self-governance and discipline for survival and civil society. Any ideas about how we get there?
I remember when Bill Clinton left the white house with a scandle on his heels and a budget surplus of billions of dollars alast to have yet another Bush come in and destroy that faster than a new No Limit Visa card at Macy’s….
the republicans want to do away with the middle class and they (the working middle class) thinks they are safe… Nope — Mitt will tear this government down like he is “Running” Bain Capital again… We know he has not been to blame for the out sourcing and bankrupcy of American businesses and lost jobs and pensions…
the last 4 years agenda for the GOP is that of throwing Obama programs under the buss… Don’t pay any attention to that Anti-Christ behind the curtin…Just key your eyes on the Great Oz and Follow the Yellow Brick Road…where ever it is going…Good by to the Middle Class….
Reborn republican that saw the demise of the GOP for a few Elites in this country… shame on you GOP