Quote:

---

Obama, the great disappointment?
The Miracle President hasn't actually accomplished much? Wrong
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist

I am here to report some good news. Times have changed. Things are not what they once were. Evolution has occurred, is occurring, just now occurred while you were reading this very sentence.

Did you feel it? Are you noticing? The new has fully arrived to replace the old, and the old is going to have to take a long nap under a tree and watch what happens while the new delves in even deeper and does the best it can under the circumstances.

There is much talk, for example, of the man known as President Obama, of his effect and impact so far, his supposed lack of marked accomplishment lo these first dozen months of this most historic and revolutionary of presidencies -- a period, by the way, I am absolutely convinced we will all look back on in 10 or 20 years and go, oh my God, there. Remember that? That was a time, wasn't it? We will sigh and smile and point at the historic pictures and say, dear God, how incredible that was. It was a difficult time, there was much acrimony and resistance, but it was amazing. And it changed everything.

But not so fast. Back here in the dwindling twilight of the '00s, there is much puling from the liberal left that Obama has not done nearly enough, quickly enough, that his list of accomplishments is no list at all and is more of a giant, infuriating shrug. Many are saying he's not all he's cracked up to be because he has yet to completely revolutionize every aspect of human life as we know it by instantly turning everything organic, curing all diseases and setting all gay military personnel free to romp in the fields of boot camp.

Where is the complete ideological overhaul of the entire federal government? Where is the Gandhi-like pacifism? Why are we sending 30K more troops to Afghanistan? What about my new job, my single-payer health care and my tiny car that runs on sunflowers and hemp popsicles? Indeed, rabid impatience has combined with impossible expectation to give many liberals a free ticket to the land of nonstop bitching. Alas.

Conversely, there is all manner of incoherent noise spewing like radioactive urine from the far right, a nonstop wail of childlike panic claiming that, because Obama behaves with unnerving calm, shakes hands with foreign dignitaries and doesn't seem interested in bombing everyone in a turban, he must be a socialist Muslim Nazi hell-bent on banning machine guns and killing all old Republicans in their sleep and replacing them with French-speaking hip-hop jazz musicians.

The good news is, both sides are wildly, fantastically, delightfully wrong. As Slate's Jacob Weisberg rightly points out ( http://www.slate.com/id/2236708/), Obama has had a very first good year indeed, spectacular even, far better than most in major media acknowledge (but they will, they will). In fact, assuming health care passes, Obama will have accomplished more in his first year than any president in the history of the world, ever.

That might be an exaggeration. But I'm OK with that, because the basic idea is something that needs to be declared a bit more loudly. Nearly everything Bush tore down and decimated and humiliated to its very core, Obama has either restored, is in the process of restoring, or is set to restore. Even Afghanistan appears to have a coherent framework now (we shall see). And that's just the beginning.

Make no mistake, it is not all wine and roses and classy poetry slams in the East Room. Personally, I'm far from the nice swoon for Obama that I experienced when he swept to miraculous, world-altering victory, a swoon born in large part from the nearly unbearable sense of relief that Bush was finally gone. My appreciation is now tempered with harsh reality, as well it should be.

Then again, during the campaign, Obama admitted this exact fact himself, saying he was sure to make mistakes, that you would not agree with every decision, that there would be more bad news before we got back to the good. What a jerk. Oh wait.

Regardless, I had an ambitious idea, way back at the beginning of Obama's term, to keep a loose, running catalog of all his accomplishments, every announcement and policy shift, legislative act and executive order I could find that either reversed a toxic Bush agenda item or put into motion a progressive idea he'd mentioned during the campaign, everything from science to emissions, stem-cell research to women's rights. As the stories came across the wires, I'd grab the link and keep a master list. Just to see.

Ha. It didn't take long before I realized the utter futility of this plan. I simply could not keep up. There were too many, coming too quickly. What's more, many of the changes were not widely reported, were not shouted by the White House by a president seeking applause or a boost in poll numbers from a mal-educated, reactionary "base" who wouldn't be happy until every Planned Parenthood clinic was burned down and Jesus' face was on the dollar bill and the Indy 500 was declared a national holiday. For example.

The good news is, others took up this noble task, have tracked most of Obama's rather stunning, unsung achievements and policy nudges to date. And those changes are voluminous. Here's just one handy list, a quick rundown of about 90 of Obama's more noteworthy accomplishments, right off the top ( http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/11/19/805925/-90-Accomplishments-of
-Pres.-Obama-Which-The-Media-Fails-to-Report). Can you read it and not be impressed? Or do you get stuck on those handful that you disagree with, personal hot buttons that negate and blinder everything else? Shame.

The amazing thing is, this list is far from complete. Obama has actually accomplished even more, and shows no signs of slowing down. The Washington Post just reported, for example, that the Obama administration is now beginning to ban all lobbyists -- hundreds if not thousands of longtime influence peddlers -- from serving on federal advisory panels. Did you know? Probably not. It didn't get much coverage.

Huh. That's funny. I'm out of room. When I started this piece, I intended to mention Obama only briefly, just one example in a larger list of evolutionary energies that was to include music and food, technology and cars, love and sex, all sorts of myriad evolutions taking place in my world and probably yours as we dance down this wayward road.

But somehow, as I delved in a bit more deeply, as I scanned those lists and noted all the changes in a single year, I found myself reenergized, invigorated, slapped awake at the new tone and direction, the sheer scale of all the changes, and how we are no longer the rogue macho cowboy laughingstock jackass of the world.

Sure, there's still a long way to go. Yes, we're still invading Afghanistan. Wall Street is still packed with jackals and demons. DOMA still exists. All is far from perfect. But times have changed indeed. Things are most definitely not what they once were. I can think of no better news to report.

---

Quote:

---

I am always being asked to grade Obama's presidency. In place of offering him a grade, I put together a list of his accomplishments thus far. I think you would agree that it is very impressive. His first six months have been even more active than FDRs or LBJs the two standards for such assessments. Yet, there is little media attention given to much of what he has done. Of late, the media is focusing almost exclusively on Obama's critics, without holding them responsible for the uncivil, unconstructive tone of their disagreements or without holding the previous administration responsible for getting us in such a deep hole. The misinformation and venom that now passes for political reporting and civic debate is beyond description.

As such, there is a need to set the record straight. What most impresses me is the fact that Obama has accomplished so much not from a heavy-handed or top-down approach but from a style that has institutionalized efforts to reach across the aisle, encourage vigorous debate, and utilize town halls and panels of experts in the policy-making process. Beyond the accomplishments, the process is good for democracy and our democratic processes have been battered and bruised in recent years.
Let me know if I missed anything in the list (surely I did).
Robert

Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending

Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices

Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women

Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq

Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB

Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information

Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier's family

The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act

Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible

Limits on lobbyist's access to the White House

Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration

Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date

Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren't even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan

Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research

Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research

New federal funding for science and research labs

States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards

Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect

Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools

New funds for school construction

The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out

US Auto industry rescue plan

Housing rescue plan

$789 billion economic stimulus plan

The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying

US financial and banking rescue plan

The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed

Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with the Geneva Convention standards

Better body armor is now being provided to our troops

The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010

Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols

Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic

Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions

Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office

Successful release of US captain held by Somali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast

Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles

Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales

Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government

Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children

Signed national service legislation; expanded national youth service program

Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones

Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions

Expanding vaccination programs

Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters

Closed offshore tax safe havens

Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals

Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back

Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry's predatory practices

Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources

Lower drug costs for seniors

Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings

Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel

Improved housing for military personnel

Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses

Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals

Increasing student loans

Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program

Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy

Established a new cyber security office

Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.

Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts

Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness

Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient

Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced

Improving benefits for veterans

Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration

Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud

The FDA is now regulating tobacco

Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules

Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports

Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons

Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive

Making more loans available to small businesses

Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare

Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court

Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans

Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000

Renewed loan guarantees for Israel

Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan

Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan

New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans

Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production

Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters

Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket

Held first Seder in White House

Attempting to reform the nation's healthcare system which is the most expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health insurance and millions more under insured

Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform

Has announced his intention to push for energy reform

Has announced his intention to push for education reform

Oh, and he built a swing set for the girls outside the Oval Office!

Quote:

---

The inclusion of this one casts suspicion on the actual implementation of the other 90.

---

Quote:

---

Because of President Bush’s determination to keep America safe after 9/11, the Bush doctrine was born. We would not wait to be attacked again. The United States would go on the offense and stop our enemies before they had a chance to kill us again.

---

Quote:

---

Liberated Afghanistan from the Taliban (Then why are we there?)

Liberated Iraq from Hussein

Captured Hussein

"Reorganized the Department of Justice and the FBI to focus on preventing terrorism." (we all know how that came about AND how it turned out!)

Created the National Counterterrorism Center

Captured Khalid Shaikh (sic) Mohammed

Enacted the USA PATRIOT Act

Secured Congressional approval of legislation allowing our intelligence community to effectively monitor foreign terrorist communications (...and illegally spy on American citizens)

Secured Congressional approval of the Military Commissions Act

Doubled the number of Border Patrol agents

Disrupted terrorist plots (when? where? which ones?)

Secured a commitment from North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program (???)

Persuaded (sic) Libya to disclose and dismantle all aspects of its WMD and advanced missile programs and renounce terrorism (???)

Withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (this is a GOOD thing??)

Dismantled the A.Q. Khan nuclear proliferation network

Halved the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile (THAT's cool!)

Held public schools accountable, through the No Child Left Behind Act (bwhahahahah--now recognized as a total failure)

Provided more than 40 million Americans with better access to prescription drugs through the market-based Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (ditto above)

Increased the size of college Pell Grants to an all-time high and nearly doubled support for the Pell Grant program

Created USA Freedom Corps following 9/11

"Levelled the playing field" for faith-based and community organizations

Reduced the number of homeless veterans by nearly 40 percent from 2001 to 2007

Helped make broadband access available in 99 percent of America’s zip codes (did HE do that?)

Created a new National Space Policy (hahahah--to keep us OUT of space?)

Killed the silly (sic) Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Reauthorized the Voting Rights Act and advanced civil rights (???)

Rescued more than 575 children from sexual exploitation, arrested and convicted thousands of suspects, and helped recover nearly 400 missing children since 2002 by strengthening the AMBER Alert program (did HE do that? Wow...575 children, and recovered 400 children from 2002-2008...impressive)

Outlawed partial birth abortion, ensured that every infant born alive is protected, established consequences for violence toward unborn children, and took steps to protect the rights of health care providers to act according to their conscience

First president to provided government funding for stem cell research while refusing to sanction the destruction of human life (uhhhhh...)

Prohibited foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive U.S. tax dollars for family planning from performing or actively promoting abortion

By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton’s policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act.

Appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and more than one-third of all active Federal judges, who will not legislate from the bench HUH?

---

Quote:

---

(Pell Grants) are now deemed so unprofitable that only a handfull of banks now make Pell grant money available. So, while he increased the size of the funding available to students, his method of funding them actually significantly limited their availablity.

When Pell grants were first introduced (by Senator Pell, of course), they financed about 60% oof the cost of a year in college; they now fund a little less than 33% of the average yearly cost of a college education.

Actually, the first funding of stem cell research by the federal government was done in 1993 by President Clinton, coming out of the National Institute of Health Revitalization Act. Congress overrode this 2 years later by passing what was known as the Dickey Ammendment which outlawed Federal funding of stem cell research. President Bush vetoed a law that would overturn the Dickey ammendment. When he agreed to fund stem cell research, that you point out as an accomplishment, he actually limted funding to 16 stem cell “lines” that were already in existence; not to new lines.

Secured a commitment from North Korea to end its nuclear arms program – So did President Clinton, only to have PRK renege when they wanted attention or more concessions. Read the paper lately? They’ve already renounced the deal they made with Bushco.

Secured Congressional Approval of the Military Commissions Acts to bring terrorists to justice – Only to have it ruled unconstitutional THREE times by the Supreme Court, where it stands now (2004, 2006, 2008).

There are some very positive items on your list that Bushco should get kudos for, like the amount of AIDS preventative foreigh aid to Africa, No Child left behind, and a few more. But when you make list that’s simply a Karl Rove type propganda statment, it tarnishes the whole list.

---

Quote:

---

Helped save millions of lives through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative

Committed $350 million over five years to treat more than 300 million people suffering from seven neglected tropical diseases and became the first, and largest, contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

Provided more than $16 billion for global food aid and more than $10 billion for disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts worldwide since 2001 (8 years = 26 billion for humanitarian efforts...$3.25 billion per year. wow--lower case "w")

rovided [sic] more than $6.5 billion to repair and improve our national parks, launched the National Parks Centennial Initiative, and established the Preserve America Initiative with First Lady Laura Bush to protect our cultural and natural heritage

Enacted the Do Not Call List, which 145 million Americans have utilized to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls

---

Quote:

---

The president listed what he sees as environmental accomplishments during his administration.

1. "Since 2001, air pollution has dropped by 12%. The strictest air quality standards in American history are now in place – as are strong regulations on power plant and diesel engine emissions.”

2. "More than 3.6-million acres of wetlands have been protected, restored or improved."

3. "Millions of acres of vital natural habitat have been conserved on farms."

4. “More than 27-million acres of federal forest have been protected from catastrophic wildfires."

5. "The maintenance backlog in our National Parks has been reduced."

6. “More than 11,000 abandoned industrial brownfields are on their way back to productive use."

7. “We’ve had a new focus on cleaning debris from our oceans."

8. “Popular recreational fish like striped bass and red drum are gaining new protection. And new marine protected areas are helping improve the health of our fisheries off the southeast coast."

---

Quote:

---

* Attacked and took over two countries.

* Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.

* Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.

* First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.

* First president in US history to enter office with a criminal record.

* First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in US history.

* After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in US history.

*Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in US history.

* Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in US history.

* Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.

* Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in US history.

* Presided over the biggest energy crises in US history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.

* Presided over the highest gasoline prices in US history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.

* Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.

* Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.

* Dissolved more international treaties than any president in US history.

* Had the most secretive and un-accountable Presidency of any in US history.

* Members of his cabinet are the richest of any administration in US history. (the 'poorest' multi-millionaire, Condoleeza Rice has an Exxon oil tanker named after her).

* Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.

* First president in US history to order a US attack and military occupation of a sovereign nation.

* First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the human rights commission.

* First president in US history to have the United Nations remove the US from the elections monitoring board.

* Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in US history.

* Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.

* Withdrew from the World Court of Law.

* Refused to allow inspectors access to US prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.

* First president in US history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 US elections).

* All-time US (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.

* Biggest life-time campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).

* Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in US history.

* First president in US history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.

* First president to run and hide when the US came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)

* First US president to establish a secret shadow government.

* Took the biggest world sympathy for the US after 911, and in less than a year made the US the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in US and world history).

* With a policy of 'dis-engagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.

* First US president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view his presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.

* First US president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the US than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.

* Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.

* Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated US law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.

* Failed to fulfill pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive'.

* Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capital building.

* In the 18 months following the 911 attacks, successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.

* Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in US history.

* Entered office with the strongest economy in US history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.

---

Quote:

---

* Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.

* Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12 month period.

* Set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips than any other president in US history.

* In his first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.

* Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12 month period.

* Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.

* Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in US history.

* In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the US has ever been since the civil war.

---