Barack Obama Scorecard - Promises Not Kept

Some of the campaign promises have been "forgotten about" or have been killed by Congress. To be fair many of these have more to do with congress than the president, but some cannot be attributed anywhere else.

There are a grand-total of seven broken promises. Three that can be directly assigned to the office of president and the other four more firmly resting on the shoulders in congress.

These include:

• End income tax for seniors making less than $50,000: There has been no mention of this particular campaign promise and it appears to have been forgotten about.
  
  One for Congress & Barack Obama.
  

• Allow five days of public comment before signing bills: The promise was a five day "cooling off period" that would allow the public to review a bill before it was signed into law. However, Obama signed "The Credit Card Bill of Rights" two days after congress passed it.
  
  One for Barack Obama
  

• Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials: Political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be not be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employment. This restriction goes back two years of employment. Additionally, once a federal employee has left an appointment the former employee wlll not be able to lobby the administration they worked for.
  
  In fact recusals have been accepted rather than a hard restriction. e.g. persons working for the government have been allowed to recuse themselves rather than being "let go." Other former lobbyists have been given "waivers" which allow them to serve.
  
  One for Barack Obama.
  

• Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs: This particular campaign promise never got any "traction" in the senate and now appears to be dead.
  
  One for Congress.
  

• Allow penalty-free hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts in 2008 and 2009: Obama and Biden called for legislation that would allow withdrawals of 15%. However, congress has never introduced such a bill and it now appears that they never will.
  
  One for Congress.
  

• Recognize the Armenian genocide: Though Barack Obama visited Turkey recently he avoided using the word "genocide" while there. Obama did say: "I have consistently stated my own view of what occurred in 1915, and my view of that history has not changed." He did not, however, use the specific word "genocide." Please note that 44 of the 50 states officially recognize the Armenian genocide. I think it's an important distinction, but in a way the President not recognizing it doesn't make that much difference.
  
  One for Barack Obama.
  

• Negotiate health care reform in public sessions televised on C-SPAN: Barack Obama stated: "I'm going to have all the negotiations around a big table. We'll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators. Insurance companies, drug companies -- they'll get a seat at the table, they just won't be able to buy every chair. But what we will do is, we'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN..."
  
  However, many negotiations regarding health care reform have been held behind closed doors. It should be noted that these negotiations have been congressional not presidential.
  
  One for Congress & Barack Obama.

• Pass a Comprehensive Health Care Reform Bill: Barack Obama asked congress for and strongly advocated a comprehensive health-care reform bill. Many provisions of the bill with strong support never passed, others decreed a mandate that may be unconstitutional, and no public option is offered. Now federal judge(s) are challenging the provision that requires Americans to buy insurance. The net result is only a partial victory.
  
  One for Congress & Barack Obama