Forum Post: Willard Says Barack Obama began his presidency "with an apology tour."
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 19, 2012, 6:26 p.m. EST by bensdad
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Mitt will be apologizing his entire term because the only jobs he'll create are low paying crap jobs that you can't even pay your bills with.
So trevormenic is correct. Obama=Romney.
More romnesiac lies
Obama began his first year in the presidency with increasing a war in Afghanistan.
True ^
Obama Romney - both warmongers.
That was one of the few campaign promises he kept.
Obama’s Top 25 Accomplishments
I may not think everything Obama has done is ideal.
I may think some things Obama has not done should have been done.
If you have opinions and beliefs such as :
……Obama is not an American / Obama can control gas prices / Obama is a Muslim -
don’t waste your time reading the following facts
If you have opinions and beliefs such as :
……koch, fox, alec, beck, heritage, rush are good news sources
don’t waste your time reading the following facts
If you have opinions and beliefs such as :
……evolution is a “theory”, Noah put the kangaroos back in Australia, Bush is not a war monger
don’t waste your time reading the following facts
If you believe that, during the last 5 years, that
……Bain Romney or Cotton Mather Santorum has helped America
don’t waste your time reading the following facts
By Paul Glastris, Ryan Cooper, and Siyu Hu
Passed Health Care Reform: After five presidents over a century failed to create universal health insurance, signed the Affordable Care Act (2010). It will cover 32 million uninsured Americans beginning in 2014 and mandates a suite of experimental measures to cut health care cost growth, the number one cause of America’s long-term fiscal problems.
Passed the Stimulus: Signed $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 to spur economic growth amid greatest recession since the Great Depression. Weeks after stimulus went into effect, unemployment claims began to subside. Twelve months later, the private sector began producing more jobs than it was losing, and it has continued to do so for twenty-three straight months, creating a total of nearly 3.7 million new private-sector jobs.
Passed Wall Street Reform: Signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (2010) to re-regulate the financial sector after its practices caused the Great Recession. The new law tightens capital requirements on large banks and other financial institutions, requires derivatives to be sold on clearinghouses and exchanges, mandates that large banks provide “living wills” to avoid chaotic bankruptcies, limits their ability to trade with customers’ money for their own profit, and creates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (now headed by Richard Cordray) to crack down on abusive lending products and companies.
Ended the War in Iraq: Ordered all U.S. military forces out of the country. Last troops left on December 18, 2011.
Began Drawdown of War in Afghanistan: From a peak of 101,000 troops in June 2011, U.S. forces are now down to 91,000, with 23,000 slated to leave by the end of summer 2012. According to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the combat mission there will be over by next year.
Eliminated Osama bin laden: In 2011, ordered special forces raid of secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in which the terrorist leader was killed and a trove of al-Qaeda documents was discovered.
Turned Around U.S. Auto Industry: In 2009, injected $62 billion in federal money (on top of $13.4 billion in loans from the Bush administration) into ailing GM and Chrysler in return for equity stakes and agreements for massive restructuring. Since bottoming out in 2009, the auto industry has added more than 100,000 jobs. In 2011, the Big Three automakers all gained market share for the first time in two decades. The government expects to lose $16 billion of its investment, less if the price of the GM stock it still owns increases.
Recapitalized Banks: In the midst of financial crisis, approved controversial Treasury Department plan to lure private capital into the country’s largest banks via “stress tests” of their balance sheets and a public-private fund to buy their “toxic” assets. Got banks back on their feet at essentially zero cost to the government.
Repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”: Ended 1990s-era restriction and formalized new policy allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military for the first time.
Toppled Moammar Gaddafi: In March 2011, joined a coalition of European and Arab governments in military action, including air power and naval blockade, against Gaddafi regime to defend Libyan civilians and support rebel troops. Gaddafi’s forty-two-year rule ended when the dictator was overthrown and killed by rebels on October 20, 2011. No American lives were lost.
Told Mubarak to Go: On February 1, 2011, publicly called on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to accept reform or step down, thus weakening the dictator’s position and putting America on the right side of the Arab Spring. Mubarak ended thirty-year rule when overthrown on February 11.
Reversed Bush Torture Policies: Two days after taking office, nullified Bush-era rulings that had allowed detainees in U.S. custody to undergo certain “enhanced” interrogation techniques considered inhumane under the Geneva Conventions. Also released the secret Bush legal rulings supporting the use of these techniques.
Improved America’s Image Abroad: With new policies, diplomacy, and rhetoric, reversed a sharp decline in world opinion toward the U.S. (and the corresponding loss of “soft power”) during the Bush years. From 2008 to 2011, favorable opinion toward the United tates rose in ten of fifteen countries surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, with an average increase of 26 percent.
Kicked Banks Out of Federal Student Loan Program, Expanded Pell Grant Spending: As part of the 2010 health care reform bill, signed measure ending the wasteful decades-old practice of subsidizing banks to provide college loans. Starting July 2010 all students began getting their federal student loans directly from the federal government. Treasury will save $67 billion over ten years, $36 billion of which will go to expanding Pell Grants to lower-income students.
Created Race to the Top: With funds from stimulus, started $4.35 billion program of competitive grants to encourage and reward states for education reform.
Boosted Fuel Efficiency Standards: Released new fuel efficiency standards in 2011 that will nearly double the fuel economy for cars and trucks by 2025.
Coordinated International Response to Financial Crisis: To keep world economy out of recession in 2009 and 2010, helped secure from G-20 nations more than $500 billion for the IMF to provide lines of credit and other support to emerging market countries, which kept them liquid and avoided crises with their currencies.
Passed Mini Stimuli: To help families hurt by the recession and spur the economy as stimulus spending declined, signed series of measures (July 22, 2010; December 17, 2010; December 23, 2011) to extend unemployment insurance and cut payroll taxes.
Began Asia “Pivot”: In 2011, reoriented American military and diplomatic priorities and focus from the Middle East and Europe to the Asian-Pacific region. Executed multipronged strategy of positively engaging China while reasserting U.S. leadership in the region by increasing American military presence and crafting new commercial, diplomatic, and military alliances with neighboring countries made uncomfortable by recent Chinese behavior.
Increased Support for Veterans: With so many soldiers coming home from Iraq and Iran with serious physical and mental health problems, yet facing long waits for services, increased 2010 Department of Veterans Affairs budget by 16 percent and 2011 budget by 10 percent. Also signed new GI bill offering $78 billion in tuition assistance over a decade, and provided multiple tax credits to encourage businesses to hire veterans.
Tightened Sanctions on Iran: In effort to deter Iran’s nuclear program, signed Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act (2010) to punish firms and individuals who aid Iran’s petroleum sector. In late 2011 and early 2012, coordinated with other major Western powers to impose sanctions aimed at Iran’s banks and with Japan, South Korea, and China to shift their oil purchases away from Iran.
Created Conditions to Begin Closing Dirtiest Power Plants: New EPA restrictions on mercury and toxic pollution, issued in December 2011, likely to lead to the closing of between sixty-eight and 231 of the nation’s oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants. Estimated cost to utilities: at least $11 billion by 2016. Estimated health benefits: $59 billion to $140 billion. Will also significantly reduce carbon emissions and, with other regulations, comprises what’s been called Obama’s “stealth climate policy.”
Passed Credit Card Reforms: Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (2009), which prohibits credit card companies from raising rates without advance notification, mandates a grace period on interest rate increases, and strictly limits overdraft and other fees.
Eliminated Catch-22 in Pay Equality Laws: Signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, giving women who are paid less than men for the same work the right to sue their employers after they find out about the discrimination, even if that discrimination happened years ago. Under previous law, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the statute of limitations on such suits ran out 180 days after the alleged discrimination occurred, even if the victims never knew about it.
Protected Two Liberal Seats on the U.S. Supreme Court: Nominated and obtained confirmation for Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third woman to serve, in 2009; and Elena Kagan, the fourth woman to serve, in 2010. They replaced David Souter and John Paul Stevens, respectively.
do you have the courage to answer this questions: WHICH OF THESE ACHIEVEMENTS IS BAD FOR AMERICA? AND WHY?
and which one would have been better solved by the only other electable candidate?
Well then let me ask - why is the government spending over a "trillion dollars a year" on benefits programs.
If Obama did such a great job why is a trillion dollars being spent every year - think maybe the 47%ers might have something to do with it because they can't get a decent paying job and need government support?
Any democrat could have done those things.
It'd be nice to have one that isn't a warmonger that chose a VP that voted for the war in Iraq which they both voted to fund.
It'd be nice to have one that pushed for minimum wage increase or tried do something about the ever growing political prisoner system which has millions of non-violent civilians in jails and prisons because of laws he supports.
It'd be nice if he didn't have us in 6 years of scheduled war and ended the wars already. One that understood that drone strikes are not solving anything except giving Raytheon and Boeing CEO's more money.
Obama bad?
Obama Romney = Paid for by billions in private interests
resisting right wing war mongerers pressure to invade Iran not good?
Resisting?
Resisting would be not doing anything with Iran. Sanctions for what? A bogus lie about an alleged WMD program? They've been trying to call Iran a threat over potential WMD since the 80's.
"We can't let Iran obtain a Nuclear weapon" - Romney and Obama
Exactly! Nothing has changed. Except the right wing war mongers here and in Isreal were pressuring to invade Iran before the election and Pres Obama has resisted.
Get it?
I mean we haven't invaded have we?
So I ask is that not good?
Go read hr 4310 and watch Obama sign for it in december.
There is a warmongering process that is underway.
Military operations happening in the straight of Hormuz in preparation for war.
Lol. I got to about page 4 of 996 pages. I stopped reading where it said missle defense system for the east coast. Ok, screw the rest of the country I guess.
Whatever. I'm against invading Iran. As long as he keeps on resisting the right wing war mongerers I'll be happy.
And he ended the illegal right wing oil war in Iraq.
Isn't that good?
After he kept it alive for 3 years under his presidency and voted to fund it while he was in the Senate and then chose a VP that voted for it and funded it... sure call that awesome.
Keep thinking bombs and sanctions and hiring mercenary groups like black water are peace and resisting. That's your choice if you want to believe the MIC's propaganda. There is no WMD program in Iran. There wasn't one in Iraq. They're lying to you when they tell you Iran is a threat.
With the current plan for withdrawal in Afghanistan factored in it will be 6 years of war under Obama with at least 6 countries bombed under his presidency, you call that resisting and praise worthy?
You can keep telling yourself that's peace. It isn't.
So it is not good that Pres Obama ended Bushs illegal oil war in Iraq.?
Not funding it in the Senate would have been a better start.
Joining Dennis Kucinich to impeach Bush would have been even better. Why didn't Obama try to impeach Bush again?
It's pretty pathetic that a corrupt president like Bush senior was able to get even more troops out of Iraq within a year.... this clutz took 3.
Vkag doesnt deal in facts. He is here to disrupt, and does a damn good job of it too.
Yeah but it helps me practice my debate skills. Many people actually think the way he does.
He's currently trying to tell me that the use of private military/security contractors and spending on them is down. I showed him a document proving him wrong and his response was "yeah but that's from 2011 and it's wrong now."
He has one that to many times he get off on telling people they are wrong
he needs to give this forum a rest
Go watch cnn.!
LOL
I am against merc use! Pres Obama has cut use of Mercs in half in Iraq. He also cut merc use in Afghanistan (not wiithstanding your misleading out of date yr & half old partisan document)
I support the cuts to merc use. I believe Pres Obama WILL cut merc use entirely. I know the repubs will do the opposite!
Stockholm Syndrome.
Well I didn't lie. You passed off a 20 month old doc put out before the removal of all surge troops. You think that is a meaningful detail.
Your just pissed because you got caught in your weak attempt at dishonest propaganda.
Smoked your sorry debate challenged ass!!!!
LMFAO!!!
America’s troops may be returning home from Iraq, but contrary to President Obama’s assertion that “the tide of war is receding,” we’re far from done paying the costs of war. In fact, at the same time that Obama is reducing the number of troops in Iraq, he’s replacing them with military contractors at far greater expense to the taxpayer and redeploying American troops to other parts of the globe, including Africa, Australia and Israel. In this way, the war on terror is privatized, the American economy is bled dry, and the military-security industrial complex makes a killing—literally and figuratively speaking.
The war effort in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan has already cost taxpayers more than $2 trillion and could go as high as $4.4 trillion before it’s all over. At least $31 billion (and as much as $60 billion or more) of that $2 trillion was lost to waste and fraud by military contractors, who do everything from janitorial and food service work to construction, security and intelligence—jobs that used to be handled by the military. That translates to a loss of $12 million a day since the U.S. first invaded Afghanistan. To put it another way, the government is spending more on war than all 50 states combined spend on health, education, welfare, and safety.
Privatizing the War on Terror: America’s Military Contractors
By John W. Whitehead January 16, 2012
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/privatizing_the_war_on_terror_americas_military_contractors
may 2011
to this day Spending on Private Military/security contractors have tripled in Afghanistan since taking office... and they're still in Iraq
I deal in facts & opinions! I agree with Trev on 99% of his statements! His (and your) partisanship prevents you from acknowledging the fact the Pres has made some progress and would have/will do more if WE get repubs out of the way. How is that disruptive?
So it is not good that Pres Obama ended Bushs illegal oil war in Iraq.?
I guess your anti Obama partisanship prevents you from stating the obvious.
But let me dsay your right it would have been better if the things you listed happen. But they didn't!
So let's get over it. And deal with the reality that Pres Obama ended the war in Iraq!
That is good! He gets credit for that. And cutting Merc use & defense budget.
Are those things good?
He has murdered thousands of innnocent civilians and is still murdering civlians with drone strikes to this day and is still occupying Afghanistan.
Obama does not deserve praise... he deserves a jail cell with Bush.
You want to praise 6 years of scheduled war and 6 countries bombed under Obama? Go ahead. I do not praise 3 years of a war and I do not praise 6 years of guaranteed scheduled war either.
Still using organizations like Black Water to this day and defense spending is up in comparison to Bush. Almost 60% of federal discretionary spending this year is "defense" spending. . Definitely no praise from me.
I can read your Rutherford institute document but please by aware.
I AM AGAINST MERC USE!
The Rutherford institute is a conservative org, Whitehead represented Paula Jones, and your new "evidence" is almost a year old and certainly was released before the removal of all surge troops in Afghanistan.
So it is partisan, & inaccurate.
You can do better. Or maybe you can't, because any honest assessment would show this Pres is doing the right thing by cutting merc use. Repubs would increase merc use.
Aaaaaah Ha ha ha ha ha.
I kicked your sorry ass again didn't I?
Our only disagreement is your refusal to recognize the real reduction/improvment in the US military use under Pres Obama.
Replace war mongering conservatives w/peace loving progressives & protest against war & rights violations.
LMFAO!
Loser?
Check out and comment on my new post. It's a link to a great report by the Rutherford Institute.
It's about how expensive the privatizing of the military is becoming. It's from this year.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/privatizing-the-war-on-terror-americas-military-co/
You're document is almost 2 years old! And it clearly states we have cut the use of PSC's in Iraq by half.
The comment you quoted does not state we are using more than before.
I imagine 20 months ago immediately after the Afghan surge there may have been an increase but we have since removed all the surge forces and begun the reduction of the remaining troops/mercs.
Not really very clever though finding an old document that might indicate some increase. But it is dishonest. And it does not represent the current realities.
We have removed all the surge forces, signed a withdrawal agreement to end Afghan war and that is progress.
No?
You are a moron who denies fact.
Pres Obama has cut the number of mercs in half. Those cuts!
False. Show me the carfax
Spending on private military/security contractors has gone up under Obama
I gave you a factual respectful critique of your not very clever effort to offer an old pre withdrawal document as evidence.
Your resorting to name calling betrays the impotence of your arguments.
As such, consider yourself dispatched, & dismissed.
You lose because you have left facts & embraced childish insults.
Loser? LMFAO
You are a moron who denies fact.
No more for you.
You can show your evidence 1st. trev old boy.
I'm comfortable with my opinion. And I KNOW this Pres is cutting def bud, merc use and will cut more.
Repubs would increase both!
Your opinion is different than fact.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40835.pdf
As of March 31, 2011, there were more than 28,000 private security contractor personnel in Afghanistan and Iraq, representing 18% of DOD’s total contractor workforce in those two countries. Since December 2009, the number of PSC personnel in Afghanistan has exceeded the number in Iraq.
In Afghanistan, as of March 2011, there were 18,971 private security contractor personnel working for DOD, the highest number since DOD started tracking the data in September 2007. The number of PSC personnel in Afghanistan has more than tripled since June 2009.
Go do some research before you start making up lies VQ.
So you support ending merc use. Me too! As such I support the cuts Pres Obama has made.
Are you against the cuts cause they ain't enough? Or because you didn't get everything you want?
Military budget should be cut by 50%. Pres Obama has only cut it a fraction. over the objection of the right wing war mongers. Pres would've cut it more and will cut defense & merc use more if right wing hawks get out of the way.
That is where WE come in. We must replace war mongering conservatives with peace loving progressives & protest against all war and defense spending.
You don't beat up the guy making cuts and fighting for more.
Unless you really don't want cuts and just wanna beat up Pres Obama.
What cuts?
He's still using them in Iraq and Afghanistan
Pres Obama has cut the defense budget, Merc use, and has plans to cut more.
Isn't that good? Shouldn't we support efforts to cut these things?
I do not support the use of hired private guns. Especially when they have a track record of rape and murder.
Almost 60% federal discretionary spending is defense spending this year.
thanks for reminding me of the maturity level of the old generation
are you sure you're all there in the head from reading your comments you remind me of someone who has aspergers
it football day i dont need to watch the news
Hey, ageism not okay.
sarcasm or no
You're insulting me because of my age?
Nothing of substance? just insults.?
Loser?
no im pointing out the fact you are not very mature for someone who should be a lot more mature
but i have learned a lot about you and why you think the way you think.
Who doesn't come from a prideful family?
"Pride, in the name of love"
sure but i come from an old prideful family its natural
Wow. Your parents should be very proud of you.
Peace!
they are very proud of me and i am very proud of them
Figured everything out?
You're so perceptive.huh?
If you do say so yourself.
Not everything but the persona in which you are putting out to everyone here
That does not count future wars in places like Iran and who knows where else.
The smart money is on 8 years of war under Obama.
I agree. We for sure know it will be at least 6. And these people want to praise that?
Increasing the killing by American forces in Afghanistan good?
Increasing Afghan Killing - Bad!
Reducing surge forces in Afghan Good!
Cutting back military oerations in afghan Good!
Agreeing to finally end the Afghan war. Good!
Resisting right wing war mongers pressure to invade Iran not good?
Repubs were talking smack about Iran months ago but they've stopped. They may be having a "careful what you wish for" moment.
Nah repubs were pressuring right up until the UN speeches when Isreal finally caved in.
They need the endless war on terror to feed the MIC, to justify the defense increases, to keep the people scared.
Gotta end that propaganda in order to end thewar on terror.
Well, I tell you what... he didn't apologize to me.
Bowing to mysoginist kings. Apologizing to Egyptians. Groping the Queen of England.