Barack Obama: An “Accomplishment Free Zone”
Written by Brandon Henak on February 20, 2008 – 10:17 am - Welcome, if you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed or subscribe to our email newsletter. Thanks for visiting!
This video is a great example of exactly what I have been talking about. Barack supporters are high on “hope” and “change” but, they cannot name a single accomplishment from their chosen savior’s almost non-existent record.
HT: Hotline on Call
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Tags: Barack Obama, No Experience
Posted in 2008 Election Coverage |
February 20th, 2008 at 11:01 am
How does one man’s inability to name Obama’s accomplishments translate to all Barack supporters being unable to name his accomplishments?
February 20th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Fair enough Evan. You start.
Name Barack’s accomplishments- ready…. go!
February 20th, 2008 at 11:19 am
It’s not that one man can’t name his accomplishments, it’s that nobody can name his accomplishments. Namely, to do so would be impossible because aside from being elected to what amounted to an uncontested position, he has none that are relevant to being leader of the country, the government, and the military.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Great clip.
This state senator isn’t the only one who can’t name any accomplishments… Obama can’t name any either:
In his victory speech after the Iowa primary he said, “I’ll be a president who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American, the same way I expanded health care in Illinois, by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get the job done.”
However, as this story (http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=107493) from one of IL’s largest papers points out, there isn’t statewide healthcare in IL…. so this “accomplishment” that Obama himself is touting doesn’t even exist!
February 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I figured that’d be your response.
Here are a few off the top of my head.
In Illinois he helped increase the minimum wage, instituted an income-tax credit, expanded health insurance for children and passed the interrogation reform bill. In the US Senate he co-sponsored the Ethics Reform bill with Feingold, a immigration reform bill with McCain and the ethanol tax credit bill with a Republican senator whose name is escaping me.
I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but these are the ones I’m most familiar with. And it doesn’t include his community activism before he got elected to the IL legislature.
Now I’m sure you disagree with these policies, and that’s fine, but they exist.
February 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Oh, I forgot the Lugar-Obama Nuclear Non-proliferation/reduction act.
Like I said, those are just a few.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Evan-
These aren’t accomplishments. Most of them never became law or he was one in a crowd of cosponsors. He voted “present” in the Illinois state legislature when anything contentious came up and he moved with the liberal crowd so much he was rated the most liberal senator this year.
Please give me some examples of real leadership, areas where Barack has “united” for “change”.
He has had the opportunity in the IL senate and the US Senate and he hasn’t changed anything, he is the status quo liberal. Why should we expect anything different if he is in the White House?
February 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Ah, the “present” thing. That is such a phony attack that has been debunked repeatedly. So, I’ll just move on…
I don’t really see how expanding health insurance for children, enacting welfare reforms, increasing the minimum wage, leading on ethics reform, immigration reform, nuclear non-proliferation, ethanol tax credits, etc… are not accomplishments (the last 3 of which were co-sponsored by Republicans).
What exactly is your definition of “accomplishment”?
What exactly is your definition of “accomplishment”?
February 20th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Weird. I don’t know why that last line got repeated.
Anyway, I may take some flack for “plagiarism” but here is a more complete list I’m “borrowing” from a poster over at TPM.
– Graduated first black president of Harvard Law Review having won trust and support of conservative members.
– Passed over 600 high-money law firm offers to work for civil rights practice at fractional pay.
– Added health insurance for 20,000 children, welfare reforms, earned-income tax credits, and increased minimum wage in Illinois.
– Reformed death-penalty cases, requiring that interrogations be video-recorded. Passed Illinois Senate 58-0. Signed into law by Illinois governor who first opposed Obama’s bill. Obama succeeded by building consensus with conservative opposition.
– Opposed Iraq war publicly, long before invasion. Accurately depicted it as of undetermined length, undetermined cost, undetermined objective, with a great likelihood of civil war breaking out.
– Expanded program to locate and dismantle stray Russian WMD with Republican Senator Lugar.
– Passed major ethics and lobbying reform bill with Russ Feingold, insisting upon tougher restrictions around gifts, meals, etc. And extended the interval preventing exiting congress members from moving directly into lobbyist positions.
– Cosponsored Secure Orderly Immigration Act by John McCain. Passes Senate 62-36. Makes undocumented persons who have been here 5+ years only allowed to stay and apply for citizenship if they pay back-taxes, learn English, and have no criminal record.
– Many aisle-crossing bi-partisan solutions throughout 10 years of senate experience (8 state, 2 federal).
– 100% approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood. National Education Association gives him an “A” on their most recent scorecard.
– In Illinois State Senate sponsored 780 bills, 280 were signed into law.
– In first year as US Senator, sponsored 152 bills and resolutions, and cosponsored 427 more.
– Designated US Senate point person on ethics by Speaker Harry Reid.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
If Obama is going to run on his record with ethics, I have two words for everyone:
Tony Rezko.
Get ready to hear them. A lot.
February 20th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
You see, this is what I am talking about. The vast majority of the items on your list are personal accomplishments, not legislating experience. not experience leading in our government.
“– Many aisle-crossing bi-partisan solutions throughout 10 years of senate experience (8 state, 2 federal).”
Name one….
“– Opposed Iraq war publicly, long before invasion. Accurately depicted it as of undetermined length, undetermined cost, undetermined objective, with a great likelihood of civil war breaking out.”
How is this an accomplishment? We are winning over there now and it is making America a safer place. He isn’t talking about this so much now that the surge is working….
“– Cosponsored Secure Orderly Immigration Act by John McCain. Passes Senate 62-36. Makes undocumented persons who have been here 5+ years only allowed to stay and apply for citizenship if they pay back-taxes, learn English, and have no criminal record.”
It was not signed into law (although this site makes it sound like it was), and he was in a crowd of cosponsers, not an author like McCain-Kennedy.
“– Passed over 600 high-money law firm offers to work for civil rights practice at fractional pay.”
Many politicians do this.
This a great attempt at a testimony for a good guy but, it does nothing to back up the rhetoric he throws out every day about uniting and change.
He is a dangerous empty suit who happens to be a good salesman selling America on harmful, economically damaging policies.
February 20th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Considering the state of both the ethics and and immigration policies in this country, that isn’t much of an accomplishment.
– “100% approval rating from the League of Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood. National Education Association gives him an “A” on their most recent scorecard.”…this does not show much for reaching across the aisle. These all tend to be very democratic organizations. Thus as the most liberal senator, these are pretty much expected.
Evan from your point of view, after 3+ years in the Senate…Of all these bills he’s led, what is his one biggest accomplishment? Clearly most the people on this site don’t see one, so I was curious what your take is.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
“My accomplishment is bigger than your accomplishment!”
“My presidential candidate can beat up your presidential candidate! NANANANANA.”
It’s like watching kindergartners beat each other up on the playground.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
We are having a reasoned debate on the accomplishments of two candidates, K. That’s one of the things that is great about our country, we debate ideas and experience in order to choose the best leaders.
When one leader, Barack Obama, is all rhetoric and no experience, it needs to be highlighted.
February 20th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
“all rhetoric and no experience”? Really? Then all of us here have negative political experience, if Obama’s work in community organizing, the IL Senate, and the US Senate count for 0. Be serious.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Brandon,
What exactly is it you need to satisfy your requirements for experience and accomplishment? You were such a big supporter for Thompson so why don’t you point out some of the big accomplishments that made him such a perfect candidate.
Love,
your girlfriend
February 20th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
hey,
I’m currently sitting in the Atlanta airport waiting for a plane (typing oj my iPhone) and dont currently have the capibilities for a extensive response, and won’t until I’m back in town on Monday. In lieu of a response, I’d direct you to the 3rd entry on andrew Sullivan’s blog (”the daily dish” - written by someone else, andrew is on vacation) that lists in great detail obama’s record of accomplishments.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
I’m not going to jump in with anything substantive right now, but I want to give Allie a high-five. Great question to ask. Let’s see what Mr. Henak has to say.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
What Brandon is getting at is not that Obama hasn’t done anything… its that Obama hasn’t led on anything. What bills has he sponsored? Does he have any experience that would translate to executive material? This is the problem when someone from Congress or the Senate runs for President. Right now there is an “idolization” of Obama because he’s a great speaker and is promising exactly what people want to hear– none of which is realistic. All of it would be watered down significantly and stamped to hide what it actually does– its the Democrat way.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I would say people look at Obama has such a great candidate, because he sincerely believes in helping everyone. He is not showing favoritism to one group. As for his lack of “experience”, I say let time tell us. Obama is a unique candidate that may accomplish way more than even his most die hard fans can imagine. Or he could be a flop, but I believe he should be given a shot to show us what he can do.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Thompson’s resume
# Chairman of the International Security Advisory Board of the Department of State currently; a high-level panel charged with evaluating long-term threats to U. S. security
# Served on the US-China Economic Review Commission
# AEG Scholar specializing in Diplomatic Relations and Foreign Intelligence
# Special Counsel to both the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations under President Reagan
# Member of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, which has jurisdiction over, among other things, international trade
# Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
# Member of the National Security Working Group, which observes and monitors executive branch negotiations with foreign governments
# Member of the American Enterprise Institute for Policy Research, studies national security and intelligence, with a focus on China, North Korea, and Russia
# Member of the U. S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
# U.S. Senate Finance subcommittee- Member, International Trade
Important Proposals, bills and Inclusions Introduced while in the Senate:
# Nuclear Proliferation Act
# Aviation Security Bill Amendment
# Homeland Security Workforce Act
# Homeland Security Education Act
# Thompson Amendment to the National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act
# The Federal Emergency Procurement Flexibility Act
# The Government Information Security Reform Act (GISRA)
# The Thompson Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act
# The Truth in Regulation Act
# The Thompson Amendment Requiring Stricter Performance Standards for Aviation Security
# The China Regulation Act
# co authored the Homeland Security Act
In closing:
“Fred Thompson has, over his career, much better defined federalism than almost anybody else in Washington. He is one of very few people voting against feel-good popular legislation that was not the proper domain of the federal government.”
-Pat Toomey, President of the Club for Growth
And Fred Thompson said exactly what his record demonstrates. Obama does not. For an example of his explicit hiposcrisy see this piece:
The task requires independent ideas, and Obama has few. If you examine his agenda, it is completely ordinary, highly partisan, not candid and mostly unresponsive to many pressing national problems.
By Obama’s own moral standards, Obama fails. Americans “are tired of hearing promises made and 10-point plans proposed in the heat of a campaign only to have nothing change,” he recently said. Shortly thereafter he outlined an economic plan of at least 12 points that, among other things, would:
• Provide a $1,000 tax cut for most two-earner families ($500 for singles).
• Create a $4,000 refundable tuition tax credit for every year of college.
• Expand the child-care tax credit for people earning less than $50,000 and “double spending on quality after-school programs.”
• Enact an “energy plan” that would invest $150 billion in 10 years to create a “green energy sector.”
Whatever one thinks of these ideas, they’re standard goody-bag politics: something for everyone. They’re so similar to many Clinton proposals that her campaign put out a news release accusing Obama of plagiarizing. With existing budget deficits and the costs of Obama’s “universal health plan,” the odds of enacting his full package are slim.
A favorite Obama line is that he will tell “the American people not just what they want to hear but what we need to know.” Well, he hasn’t so far. Consider the retiring baby boomers. A truth-telling Obama might say: “Spending for retirees — mainly Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — is already nearly half the federal budget. Unless we curb these rising costs, we will crush our children with higher taxes. Reflecting longer life expectancies, we should gradually raise the eligibility ages for these programs and trim benefits for wealthier retirees. Both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for inaction. Waiting longer will only worsen the problem.”
Instead, Obama pledges not to raise the retirement age and to “protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries.” This isn’t “change”; it’s sanctification of the status quo. He would also exempt all retirees making less than $50,000 annually from income tax. By his math, that would provide average tax relief of $1,400 to 7 million retirees — shifting more of the tax burden onto younger workers. Obama’s main proposal for Social Security is to raise the payroll tax beyond the present $102,000 ceiling.
February 21st, 2008 at 7:08 am
Brandon-
You should probably link right to the post op-ed if you’re going to quote it so extensively, esp as it is so in line with your argument.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:09 am
I did, it’s linked under “this link” above. I took a portion and pasted it in though because people don’t like to click through.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am
Sorry, the link didn’t work for me. I thought of you when I read the op-ed though.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:43 am
In case others have problems with the link, here it is again:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021902336.html
February 21st, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Oh Brandon… if only Fred Thompson was on his way to nomination. I bet you’d write a pro-Thompson article everyday. I’m telling ya, you should have been his campaign manager.