Barack Obama promised the world but many of those promises have already been abandoned.
Shortly after the election we visited the BarackObama.com website and took note of the various promises he made throughout the campaign. Presumably, the programs that Barack Obama proposed were appealing to voters and helped secure his election in November.
Some of those promises, like Obama's goal of withdrawing from Iraq in 16 months, have already been abandoned. Others, such as weatherizing one million low-income homes each year, seemed improbable even at the time when they were made.
After Obama's first 100 days in office, we'll revisit this pile of promises and assign Obama a "grade" based on how close he is to achieving his stated goal. Until then, you can peruse this lengthy list, including Obama's proposed windfall profits tax (already jettisoned), his plan to expand AmeriCorps by 175,000 slots, his goal of reducing "extreme poverty" by 50 percent by 2015, and his goal of eliminating government programs that "don't work or are unnecessary."
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AMERICORPS
Obama promised to expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 slots, establish a Health Corps, a Clean Energy Corps, a Veterans Corps, and a Homeland Security Corps.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/
THE BUDGET: AGAINST RAISING THE FEDERAL DEBT LIMIT
Obama called efforts to raise the statutory debt limit "misguided."
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fiscal/
THE BUDGET: EARMARKS
"Obama and Biden will slash earmarks to no greater than year 1994 levels and ensure all spending decisions are open to the public."
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fiscal/
THE BUDGET: ELIMINATING UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS
Obama and Biden promised to eliminate programs that "don't work or are unnecessary."
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/fiscal/
THE BUDGET: LOWERING THE BUDGET DEFICIT
Obama promised that his tax plan coupled with his commitment to cut unnecessary spending would bring down the budget deficit.
http://www.barackobama.com/taxes/
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Obama said he would require all middle and high school students to do 50 hours of community service per year, and require 100 hours of community service in college.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/
CREDIT CARD BILL OF RIGHTS
Obama promised to implement a Credit Card Bill of Rights which would ban unilateral changes, apply interest rate increases only to future debt, prohibit interest on fees, prohibit universal defaults, and require "prompt and fair" crediting of cardholder payments.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
CREDIT CARD RATING SYSTEM
Obama said he would require credit card companies to display a new credit card rating on all application and contract materials.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
DISABILITIES
Barack Obama promised to make the US a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, fully fund IDEA, and hire an additional 100,000 federal employees with disabilities within five years.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities/
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf
ENERGY: CLEAN ENERGY
Obama said he would create five million new jobs by investing $150 billion in clean energy over the next ten years.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
ENERGY: ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Obama said he would reduce electricity demand 15 percent from projected levels by 2020, and weatherize at least one million low-income homes each year.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy_more#relief
ENERGY: FUEL ECONOMY
Obama promised to increase fuel economy standards four percent per year.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy_more#relief
ENERGY: HYBRID CARS
Obama promised to put one million Plug-In Hybrid cars on the road by 2015, and create a $7,000 tax credit for purchasing "Advanced Vehicles."
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
ENERGY: LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Obama promised to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/
ENERGY: RENEWABLE ENERGY
Obama said he would require 10 percent of electricity to be from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
THE ENVIRONMENT: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Obama promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
THE ENVIRONMENT: GREEN JOB CORPS
Obama promised to create an "energy-focused youth jobs program" to weatherize buildings.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/
FOREIGN POLICY: AFGHANISTAN
Obama promised to end the war in Iraq and "focus on the right battlefield in Afghanistan."
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/homeland_security/
FOREIGN POLICY: DARFUR
Obama promised to take immediate steps to end the genocide in Darfur.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/
FOREIGN POLICY: FOREIGN AID
Obama intends to cut "extreme poverty" in half by 2015, and promises to double foreign assistance to $50 billion to achieve that goal. Obama promised to spend at least $50 billion by 2013 for the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/
FOREIGN POLICY: IRAN
Obama said he would eliminate Iran's nuclear weapons programs through "tough, direct diplomacy."
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/homeland_security/
FOREIGN POLICY: IRAQ
Obama said he would "redeploy" combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/
FOREIGN POLICY: NATO
Obama said he would rally NATO members to contribute troops to collective security operations.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/
FOREIGN POLICY: NORTH KOREA
Obama said he would eliminate North's Korea nuclear weapons through "tough, direct diplomacy."
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/homeland_security/
FOREIGN POLICY: PEACE CORPS
Obama promised to double the Peace Corps to 16,000 by 2011.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/service/
HEALTH CARE
Obama pledged to sign universal health care legislation by the end of his first term, and claimed his plan would save the typical family up to $2,500 per year on medical expenditures.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf
HEALTH CARE: MEDICARE
Obama said he would close the "doughnut hole" in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/
HEALTH CARE: NURSE-FAMILY PARTNERSHIP
Obama promised to expand the Nurse-Family Partnership program to all low-income, first-time mothers, in order to assist 570,000 first-time mothers each year.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
HOMEOWNER OBLIGATION MADE EXPLICIT SCORE
Obama said he would create a Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit (HOME) score to provide potential borrowers with a simplified, standardized borrower metric for home mortgages.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
IMMIGRATION
Obama said he supported immigration reform that would require undocumented immigrants who are in "good standing" to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/
Obama said he would crack down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: AUTOMATIC WORKPLACE PENSIONS
Obama said he would require employers who do not currently offer a retirement plan to enroll their employees in a direct-deposit IRA account.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION
Barack Obama said he would work for the passage of the Fair Pay Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/civil_rights/Expand
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: Family and Medical Leave Act
Obama said he would reduce the threshold for which employers are covered from companies with 50 or more employees to those with 25 or more, allow parents up to 24 hours of leave to participate in their children's academic activies, and expand FMLA to cover leave for employees to address domestic violence.
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: MINUMUM WAGE
Obama promised to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by 2011, and to index it to inflation.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: SICK LEAVE
Obama promised to require employers to provide seven paid sick days per year, which could be taken on an hourly basis.
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/DisabilityPlanFactSheet.pdf
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT: UNIONS
Obama said he would advocate for the Employee Free Choice Act.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
LAW ENFORCEMENT: COPS PROGRAM
Obama said he would fully fund the COPS program to put 50,000 police officers on the street.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
LAW ENFORCEMENT: HATE CRIMES
Obama said he would work to pass the Matthew Shepard Act.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/civil_rights/
METHAMPHETAMINES
Obama "has a long record of fighting the meth epidemic" and will continue the fight to rid our communities of meth and offer support to help addicts heal.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/rural/
NATIONAL DEFENSE
Barack Obama will increase ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines, and create a Civilian Assistance Corps with 25,000 personnel.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/
NATIONAL SERVICE: CLASSROOM CORPS
Obama said he would create a new Classroom Corps to help teachers in underserved schools.
Link
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Obama set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and promised to stop the development of new nuclear weapons.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/foreign_policy/
PAYDAY LOANS
Obama promised a nation-wide cap on interest rates of 36 percent.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
POVERTY: PROMISE NEIGHBORHOODS
Obama said he would create 20 "Promise Neighborhoods" in cities that have high levels of poverty and crime and low levels of student academic achievement.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
SAVINGS
Obama said he would match 50 percent of the first $1,000 of savings for families that earn less than $75,000.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
SOCIAL SECURITY
Obama said he does not support uncapping the full payroll tax of 12.4 percent rate.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/seniors/
TAXES: AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT
Obama promised an American Opportunity Tax Credit worth $4,000 in exchange for community service, to ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/
TAXES: BUSH TAX CUTS
Obama promised to roll back the Bush tax cuts for Americans earning more than $250,000 per year. He promised to retain the estate tax at its 2009 level.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/
TAXES: CHILD AND DEPENDENT CARE TAX CREDIT
Obama said he would "reform" the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit by making it refundable and allowing low-income families to receive up to a 50 percent credit for their child care expenses.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
TAXES: EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT
Obama said he would increase the earned income tax credit.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
TAX POLICY: EMERGENCY ENERGY REBATE
Obama promised a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American Families.
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
TAX POLICY: MAKING WORK PAY TAX CUT
Obama proposed a "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/family/
TAX POLICY: MORTGAGE INTEREST TAX CUT
Obama promised a 10 percent universal mortgage credit.
http://origin.barackobama.com/issues/urban_policy/
TAX POLICY: TAX CUTS
Obama promised to cut taxes for 95 percent of workers and their families, $500 for workers and $1,000 for working couples. Obama promised that no family making less than $250,000 would see their taxes increase.
http://www.barackobama.com/taxes/
Obama promised to reduce revenues to below the levels that prevailed under Ronald Reagan (less than 18.2 percent of GDP).
http://www.barackobama.com/taxes/
Obama promised to eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 per year.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
TAXES: WINDFALL PROFITS TAX
Obama promised a "windfall profits tax" on "excessive oil company profits."
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/
TEACHER SERVICE SCHOLARSHIPS
Obama promised new "Teacher Service Scholarships" to cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education.
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/
Andrew. Great minds think alike. Phil
Random thoughts on the Inauural
1. As the peanut farmer was coming out I thought BHO can’t be any worst than him.
2. The fat lady sang before it was over.
3. Who were they shooting with that cannon? Dick Cheney maybe.
Obama said many things in his campaign. He tried to be all things to all people–the ultimate politician. The time is fast approaching for him to have a good taste of reality. But more important its time for all those Obama supporter to face reality and come down out of the clouds, I’ve never saw so many people fooled by the silver tongued orator. Obama—buckle up for a rough ride!
This would make a great poster, with spaces so one could write in the date the promise is broken. Though I disagree that Mr. Obama is in for a rough ride politically speaking. I predict that you will not see any negative press from his Bureau of Public Misinformation, formerly known as the US media. Dissent, even from his own left-wing side is to be suppressed because it cannot be allowed to interfere with the Messiah. Remember that Chris Mathews said after the election that his job is now to see that this is a successful Presidency. Not to investigate and report of course. So yes the promises will be broken, but nary a word will be said, or if there is, it’ll be another Clintonesque lie about really wanting to do “X”, but can’t because of his predecessor’s bad job.
His Party will go along en mass with his schemes because to do otherwise would displease their owner, Mr. Soros and then he’d buy a new Senator or Congressman the next time around and they’d have to find real jobs lobbying their former colleagues.
Thanks for reminding us of the bile he spewed while campaigning. This summary provides a neat way of keeping track as he back pedals his way through the presidency.
The hard part is trying to figure out who is rich enough to be soaked in the new tax scheme. First it was $250k (Obama), then $200k (Obama), then $150k (Biden). Finally, Bill Richardson, speaking BHO’s behalf, set it at $125k. Who knows where the number is now…I suspect the bottom line is that taxes are going to go up if you have any income at all.