Hope: President Obama

THE SPEECH HEARD AROUND THE WORLD:

On the campaign trail, candidate- Senator Barack Obama ran on the "Yes We Can" theme. That together "we" as Americans could accomplish much. He had the support of Democrats, Independents and yes, Republicans.

He also said, that the kind of change we seek will not come easy, because the status quo extends beyond party and they are fighting with the same old tactics that divide and distract us from solving the problems that people face. "We're up against decades of bitter partisanship that cause politicians to demonize their opponents instead of coming together".

"Change will take time, there will be setbacks and false starts and sometimes we'll make mistakes, but as hard as it may seem, we cannot lose hope."

With all the opposition that President Obama faced during his first term, he managed to slowly keep the country moving forward at a time when things looked so desperate. And through these hard times, the country managed to cut back and still survive. Things got better for many and yes, worst for some, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The unemployment numbers have gone down, tax cuts that will help the hard working Americans have been extended and construction is up. The economy is improving ever so slowly, but it is improving.

Candidate Obama made 506 Promises: Some are listed below.

• To increase the Veterans Administration budget to recruit and retain more mental health professionals.

• To pass health care reform, so that all Americans will have medical care.

• To pass financial reform.

• To pass immigration reform.

• To create an Advanced Manufacturing Fund to invest in peer-reviewed manufacturing processes

• To require economic justification for tax changes.

• To establish a credit card bill of rights.

• To expand loan programs for small businesses

• To close the "doughnut hole" in Medicare prescription drug plan.

• To require insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions.

• To expand eligibility for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP).

• To fully fund the Veterans Administration.

• To direct military leaders to end war in Iraq.

• To begin removing combat troops from Iraq.

• To not set up any permanent bases in Iraq.

• To strengthen and expand military exchange programs with other countries.

• To make U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional on anti-terror efforts.

• To give a speech at a major Islamic forum in the first 100 days of his administration.

• To establish an Energy Partnership for the Americas

And the list goes on.

HOW MANY PROMISES DID HE KEEP?

October 2011--- Of 506 promises that the Presidential candidate made, the President kept 190; was working on 112 and compromised on 72 to keep moving forward, the GOP stalled 49 of them and several were not rated.

All this in under four years and with opposition at every turn. He said it wouldn't be easy and there would be those that would be divisive and pushing distraction and yet he has fought for and passed his campaign promises to the American people.

ISN'T THAT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VOTED FOR? "Yes we did."

HOW MANY PROMISES HAS THE GOP KEPT?

The GOP made many promises in the "Pledge to America" and other quick write ups to get the vote. They kept 9 promises, compromised on 1, are working on 14 and had 5 stalled.

Who do you want working for you?

• Expanding Child/dependent care credit;
• Require publicly traded financial partnerships to pay corporate income tax;
• Close loopholes in the corporate tax deductibles of CEO pay;
• Create a mortgage interest tax credit for non-itemizes;

1. Forbid companies in bankruptcy from giving executive bonuses;

2. Require health care providers to report preventable medical errors;

3. Modernize public health buildings;

4. Provide $50B by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS;

5. Appoint federal-level coordinator to oversee all federal autism efforts;

6. Sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;

7. Amend the Medicare "homebound" rule to allow some travel without loss of benefits;

8. Dedicate more resources to fight employment discrimination against military reservists; and the list goes on.

Go to www.politifact.com to see the entire list and see who's blocking these efforts.

How are the GOP working for you?

Promises the GOP are working on:

• Stall the democrats plans until election time in hopes that the people will be angry with them and vote more Tea Party candidates in.
• Keep, combatants in Guantanamo Bay.
• Military Justice for foreign terrorists.
• Cap & Trade: Saving money for the rich.

Promises they've broken:

• Transparency: Publish the text of a Bill 3 days prior to a vote in the House.

In four years, one must question, what has the GOP done to help the economy? If the above is any indication of what they are for, it's business as usual. Save taxes for the rich and avoid any issues that would allow them to be questioned on their principal views on how to fix the economy. Simply sticking to Tea Party issues for re-election purposes will not get the American people back on their feet.

The closer it got to election time the president once again began being attacked for doing the right thing. The tax deal that was agreed upon between the GOP and the President has come at a cost. The president made the decision to protect the needs of the American people, while giving in to the Republican stronghold of giving the "rich" their tax cuts and creating a huge increase of our "deficit". Instead of seeing the Republicans as obstructionist and supporters of increasing the deficit to accommodate their wealthy supporters, Americans took to bashing the president. Seeing once again the glass as empty instead of half full.

As in battle, decisions have to be made that are best for the whole in spite of the few. Now Americans are upset, once again, with the decisions that the president has made, calling him weak. Could doing the right thing be weak or was it really showing great strength when the president, knowing that the American people would be callus and angry; to continue to fight for them and their needs anyway? The jobs bill was being condemned by the GOP. The president took to the road for support, the GOP had chosen rhetoric once again and offered very few if any solutions to get people back to work, that didn't include free rides and tax cuts for the wealthy and little for the working class citizens.

It's always easiest to condemn than it is to accept and support.

WHILE IT'S THE DEMOCRATS THAT CONSTANTLY POINT OUT THAT THEY INHERITED THE DEBT FROM GEORGE BUSH AND THE REPUBLICANS THAT SUGGEST THE PRESIDENT OWN UP TO IT AND FIX IT. IT'S HARD TO FIX SOMETHING WHEN THE OPPOSITION STANDS IN THE WAY INSTEAD OF WORKING TOGETHER.

Let us not forget that just prior to the election of President Obama, 2008 alone: Then President Bush, signed the following bills:

1. $151.7 billion economic stimulus bill.

2. $162 billion war fund

3. $630 billion stop gap funding bill.

4. $700 billion financial crisis bill to help "troubled" financial institutions.

It's easy to spin political rhetoric, but the facts are the facts.

If the presidency were a boxing match, the President would have been KO'd a long time ago, according to naysayers. However, when the GOP and the DEMS alike, saw Obama as defeated after the mid-term elections. Obama was working on the rope-a-dope and getting his second wind.

He made a deal with the GOP on tax cuts, saving those on unemployment and preventing a tax hike.

• He negotiated a free trade agreement with South Korea (our allies).

• The Senate approved the nuclear treaty START with Russia, which was a top priority for the president.

• Signed into law, the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, finally allowing "all" Americans, without discrimination because of sexual orientation to openly serve their country.

• He has also expressed his sadness at the failure of the DREAM ACT, but has said it is not dead. He will work on broader immigration overhaul and take it to the public.

This is Obama the President, explains why he was voted the "Most Admired Honors" for the third year in a row. How amazing in such a divisive election year, to still have had the overall respect of the American people.