MISCELLANEOUS
- Oct 6, 2009 - For the first time in 18 years, the Dalai Lama is visiting Washington this week without stopping by to see the U.S. president. Tibet’s exiled religious leader — was ignored President Obama in favor of communist China.
F: In nearly nine months in office, President Obama has found time to meet with Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and Vladimir Putin. But he brushed aside the Dalai Lama, a peaceful religious leader who has long been a friend to the U.S. and an advocate of human rights for China's six million Tibetans.
- Oct 2, 2009 - President Obama fails with the 2016 Olympics Chicago bid. Obama took a big risk with an enormous Olympic campaign. The campaign resulted with an early exit for Chicago. Instead Rio de Janeiro got the nomination. Critics immediately decried Obama's visit to Copenhagen, the first time a U.S. president made such an in-person appeal saying is costed US taxpayers $1.2 million dollars. The International Olympic Committee’s rejected Chicago’s bid for the 2016 summer Olympics and left the White House struggling to explain why Obama had risked his prestige by flying to Copenhagen to make a personal plea for his hometown’s bid.
F: President Obama's failure in his personal quest to send the 2016 Olympics to Chicago was a stunning setback for a president who has enjoyed a pop star reception abroad. Obama put his international rock star status to the test but failed miserably. Like at home, his status is fading quickly.
- July 1 , 2009 - President Obama signed into law The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), or better known as "Cash for Clunkers". It was a government funded program that spent nearly $3 billion and was intended to provide economic incentives to U.S. residents to purchase a new, more fuel efficient vehicle when trading in a less fuel efficient vehicle. The program was designed to provide stimulus to the economy by boosting auto sales, while putting safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the roadways. After running out of money, Cash for Clunkers ended on Monday, August 24 th at 8:00 PM Eastern time. The final report by the Transportation Department showed that Cash for Clunkers generated nearly 690,114 vouchers (new car sales) and ended under its $3 billion budget by spending $2.88 nillion.
D: One good aspect of this program was that the average fuel economy of a clunker was 15.8 mpg, compared to 25.4 mpg for the car that replaced it—a 61% improvement. However, there are some problems with "Cash for Clunkers". First, one must ask, will this program be the new mortgage crises in America? It convinced many people to buy a new car and take on a new expense they normally would not have. How many of these buyers really can afford a new car? Have they overlooked their budget by jumping into an agreement just so they could get that initial credit of up to $4500? Second, what about the car buyers who bought new cars before the program was put into place? They get no $4500 credit. It does not seem fair to all. Third, this is just another government spending program paid for by the taxpayers money, many taxpayers who do not benefit from the program. Fourth, having so many perfectly running older cars removed from the road could have an adverse impact on the lower income Americans by reducing the supply of cheap used cars. Finally, some of the older vehicles being turned in have better gas mileage than the new vehicles that they are replacing them (i.e. people trading in mid sized cars for new SUVs). In addition to these problems, a growing number of auto dealers are now complaining about the lack of reimbursement they were promised from the government. Many dealers have laid out from $100,000 to upwards of $1 million or more" on the clunkers program but have not received the money yet.
- July 29, 2009 - President Obama single handedly propelled a local Cambridge, MA police arrest into a nationwide firestorm. He found himself in a race relations debacle when commenting on an incident that took place where Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in response to a home burglary 911 call. After being asked about the case during his health care press conference Obama responded by saying "I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two that he Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home"
F: Obama's first mistake was getting involved in a local state issue. It is almost unprecedented to see the President of the United States get involved in such a case. Many assume Obama did so because Gates is a friend of the President. Obama's second mistake was making an ill informed comment without knowing all the facts. Even though admitting in his own words he did not see all the facts he still made it clear what his opinion was. The self proclaimed "post racial president" played racial politics by making an incorrect public accusation against a white police officer. In doing so, Obama offended police departments (as well as many Americans) across the country, many who came to the defense of their fellow comrade. So Obama quickly had to play damage control in more ways then one as he saw his approval ratings affected negatively. Obama never publicly apologized but instead said he "could of calibrated those words differently". The end result was to have " a beer" with the parties involved. However, the female 911 caller was not invited. The facts of the case has now been made to the public. A Portuguese woman made a 911 call because she saw two unidentified men breaking into her neighbor's house. This was after a burglary attempt was made at the same house not too long before this incident. She never mentioned that the men were black during the 911 call. (if she did mention they were black she would have been accurate, not a racist). The Cambridge police department simply did their job by responding to the call. When approached by the police, Henry Gates Jr reacted by saying "your momma" to the police and resisting their initial request to show his proper ID. Instead he claimed they were harassing him because he was black. At this time Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct. The charges were later dropped. A simple explanation by Gates was all that was needed to avoid such a confrontation. This was not first time Gates acted inappropriately towards an officer of the law. Gates received a speeding ticket in 1984 outside of Richmond and the notation on the ticket was "uncooperative" and displayed a "bad attitude.". Many raise the point that if the police did not respond to the 911 call , Gates and others others still would have called the police racists for not acting on protecting a black man's house. Sadly the Portuguese 911 female caller who was just being a concerned citizen, was also accused of being a racist by many before they, like Obama, took the time to learn all the facts.
- June 22, 2009 - -- President Barack Obama signed into law the nation's toughest anti-smoking law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unprecedented powers to regulate tobacco products. Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA will be able to ban labels on cigarettes such as "low tar" and "light," outlaw candy flavorings, and order companies to reduce nicotine in tobacco products. The law also requires large graphic warnings on cartons of cigarettes. The FDA can now regulate what goes into tobacco products, make those ingredients public, and prohibit marketing campaigns, particularly those that target children.
A: We give Obama credit here and give him a high grade. This is one of the very few times where it is necessary the government intervene. Like illegal drugs, cigarettes are highly addictive because they contain nicotine. Smoking is an epidemic in America in more ways then one. They are the leading cause of deaths, litter, fires and infringement on rights of non-smokers in America and across the world. Based on these statistics, it is a wonder how they are still legal. An estimated 43.4 million US adults were current smokers in 2007 (the most recent year for which numbers are available). According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, and Cancer.org smoking kills an estimated 440,000 Americans each year which averages out to nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. That is more than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. In addition to deaths, cigarettes cause massive amounts of litter. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America (and the world). It is estimated that several billion cigarette butts are littered in America every year (and several trillion worldwide). That's billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places every single day. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate tow and they can take decades to degrade. Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most picturesque setting, but the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment. Cigarettes are also the cause of many fires in America. In fact, an estimated 800 Americans die each year from fires caused by cigarette smoking.
- May 26, 2009 - President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court, aiming to make good on his promise to bring "empathy" to the court by naming a liberal with a compelling life story who would be its first Hispanic justice. Judge Sotomayor would replace Justice David Souter, a George H.W. Bush nominee who became a reliable vote in the court's liberal block. She likely would echo his positions on divisive issues including abortion, affirmative action and gun control.
C: It has come to no surprise to many that Obama has picked a minority for this position. Congratulations to Sonia Sotomayor for having the chance to become the first Hispanic justice in American history. This pick by Obama, praised by many, makes the Hispanic community proud and gives American minority citizens confidence and hope. However, this pick does not come without controversy. As with every Supreme Court nominee pick, Sotomayor is being scrutinized by the opposition party, in this case Conservatives and Republicans. They question whether Obama simply picked Sotomayor just because she is a liberal and minority or because she is truly qualified. Sotomayor does have a solid record of experience. But she has also brought controversy to herself by stating some very questionable remarks. In 2005 a video from Duke University Ms. Sotomayor proclaiming the "court of appeals is where policy is made." leaving many to believe she may use the Supreme Court to make law, not interpret it. In a 2001 lecture at the University of California-Berkeley, Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." ...something that if a white judge said would most likely lose his/her job. Another questionable decision on race made by Sotomayor was when she was part of a three-judge panel that rejected an appeal by white firefighters from New Haven., Conn., who contended that they were victims of racial discrimination when they were denied promotions. They had scored well on a test, but the city decided against using the scores because it feared it might be sued since the results meant no blacks would be promoted.
- March 31, 2009 - President Obama has broken his "5 day pledge" campaign promise. He has received criticism for not living up to the new era of transparency. The president's campaign commitment stated "As president, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days." The Obama campaign also stated “Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them,”
C- : It is true some of the bills that Obama signed into law could have been considered as an emergency bill but certainly not all of them. Within his first week in office, Obama broke this campaign promise by signing into law the Lilly Ledbetter Bill before the bill had been posted for the full 5 day period. In fact of the first 9 bills he has signed to date, 6 of them had not been posted for the full 5 day period on the White House web.
F: In nearly nine months in office, President Obama has found time to meet with Hugo Chavez, Daniel Ortega and Vladimir Putin. But he brushed aside the Dalai Lama, a peaceful religious leader who has long been a friend to the U.S. and an advocate of human rights for China's six million Tibetans.
- Oct 2, 2009 - President Obama fails with the 2016 Olympics Chicago bid. Obama took a big risk with an enormous Olympic campaign. The campaign resulted with an early exit for Chicago. Instead Rio de Janeiro got the nomination. Critics immediately decried Obama's visit to Copenhagen, the first time a U.S. president made such an in-person appeal saying is costed US taxpayers $1.2 million dollars. The International Olympic Committee’s rejected Chicago’s bid for the 2016 summer Olympics and left the White House struggling to explain why Obama had risked his prestige by flying to Copenhagen to make a personal plea for his hometown’s bid.
F: President Obama's failure in his personal quest to send the 2016 Olympics to Chicago was a stunning setback for a president who has enjoyed a pop star reception abroad. Obama put his international rock star status to the test but failed miserably. Like at home, his status is fading quickly.
- July 1 , 2009 - President Obama signed into law The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), or better known as "Cash for Clunkers". It was a government funded program that spent nearly $3 billion and was intended to provide economic incentives to U.S. residents to purchase a new, more fuel efficient vehicle when trading in a less fuel efficient vehicle. The program was designed to provide stimulus to the economy by boosting auto sales, while putting safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the roadways. After running out of money, Cash for Clunkers ended on Monday, August 24 th at 8:00 PM Eastern time. The final report by the Transportation Department showed that Cash for Clunkers generated nearly 690,114 vouchers (new car sales) and ended under its $3 billion budget by spending $2.88 nillion.
D: One good aspect of this program was that the average fuel economy of a clunker was 15.8 mpg, compared to 25.4 mpg for the car that replaced it—a 61% improvement. However, there are some problems with "Cash for Clunkers". First, one must ask, will this program be the new mortgage crises in America? It convinced many people to buy a new car and take on a new expense they normally would not have. How many of these buyers really can afford a new car? Have they overlooked their budget by jumping into an agreement just so they could get that initial credit of up to $4500? Second, what about the car buyers who bought new cars before the program was put into place? They get no $4500 credit. It does not seem fair to all. Third, this is just another government spending program paid for by the taxpayers money, many taxpayers who do not benefit from the program. Fourth, having so many perfectly running older cars removed from the road could have an adverse impact on the lower income Americans by reducing the supply of cheap used cars. Finally, some of the older vehicles being turned in have better gas mileage than the new vehicles that they are replacing them (i.e. people trading in mid sized cars for new SUVs). In addition to these problems, a growing number of auto dealers are now complaining about the lack of reimbursement they were promised from the government. Many dealers have laid out from $100,000 to upwards of $1 million or more" on the clunkers program but have not received the money yet.
- July 29, 2009 - President Obama single handedly propelled a local Cambridge, MA police arrest into a nationwide firestorm. He found himself in a race relations debacle when commenting on an incident that took place where Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley arrested Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. in response to a home burglary 911 call. After being asked about the case during his health care press conference Obama responded by saying "I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two that he Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home"
F: Obama's first mistake was getting involved in a local state issue. It is almost unprecedented to see the President of the United States get involved in such a case. Many assume Obama did so because Gates is a friend of the President. Obama's second mistake was making an ill informed comment without knowing all the facts. Even though admitting in his own words he did not see all the facts he still made it clear what his opinion was. The self proclaimed "post racial president" played racial politics by making an incorrect public accusation against a white police officer. In doing so, Obama offended police departments (as well as many Americans) across the country, many who came to the defense of their fellow comrade. So Obama quickly had to play damage control in more ways then one as he saw his approval ratings affected negatively. Obama never publicly apologized but instead said he "could of calibrated those words differently". The end result was to have " a beer" with the parties involved. However, the female 911 caller was not invited. The facts of the case has now been made to the public. A Portuguese woman made a 911 call because she saw two unidentified men breaking into her neighbor's house. This was after a burglary attempt was made at the same house not too long before this incident. She never mentioned that the men were black during the 911 call. (if she did mention they were black she would have been accurate, not a racist). The Cambridge police department simply did their job by responding to the call. When approached by the police, Henry Gates Jr reacted by saying "your momma" to the police and resisting their initial request to show his proper ID. Instead he claimed they were harassing him because he was black. At this time Gates was arrested for disorderly conduct. The charges were later dropped. A simple explanation by Gates was all that was needed to avoid such a confrontation. This was not first time Gates acted inappropriately towards an officer of the law. Gates received a speeding ticket in 1984 outside of Richmond and the notation on the ticket was "uncooperative" and displayed a "bad attitude.". Many raise the point that if the police did not respond to the 911 call , Gates and others others still would have called the police racists for not acting on protecting a black man's house. Sadly the Portuguese 911 female caller who was just being a concerned citizen, was also accused of being a racist by many before they, like Obama, took the time to learn all the facts.
- June 22, 2009 - -- President Barack Obama signed into law the nation's toughest anti-smoking law that gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unprecedented powers to regulate tobacco products. Under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA will be able to ban labels on cigarettes such as "low tar" and "light," outlaw candy flavorings, and order companies to reduce nicotine in tobacco products. The law also requires large graphic warnings on cartons of cigarettes. The FDA can now regulate what goes into tobacco products, make those ingredients public, and prohibit marketing campaigns, particularly those that target children.
A: We give Obama credit here and give him a high grade. This is one of the very few times where it is necessary the government intervene. Like illegal drugs, cigarettes are highly addictive because they contain nicotine. Smoking is an epidemic in America in more ways then one. They are the leading cause of deaths, litter, fires and infringement on rights of non-smokers in America and across the world. Based on these statistics, it is a wonder how they are still legal. An estimated 43.4 million US adults were current smokers in 2007 (the most recent year for which numbers are available). According to the U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, and Cancer.org smoking kills an estimated 440,000 Americans each year which averages out to nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. That is more than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined. In addition to deaths, cigarettes cause massive amounts of litter. In fact, cigarettes are the most littered item in America (and the world). It is estimated that several billion cigarette butts are littered in America every year (and several trillion worldwide). That's billions of cigarettes flicked, one at a time, on our sidewalks, beaches, nature trails, gardens, and other public places every single day. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate tow and they can take decades to degrade. Not only does cigarette litter ruin even the most picturesque setting, but the toxic residue in cigarette filters is damaging to the environment. Cigarettes are also the cause of many fires in America. In fact, an estimated 800 Americans die each year from fires caused by cigarette smoking.
- May 26, 2009 - President Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court, aiming to make good on his promise to bring "empathy" to the court by naming a liberal with a compelling life story who would be its first Hispanic justice. Judge Sotomayor would replace Justice David Souter, a George H.W. Bush nominee who became a reliable vote in the court's liberal block. She likely would echo his positions on divisive issues including abortion, affirmative action and gun control.
C: It has come to no surprise to many that Obama has picked a minority for this position. Congratulations to Sonia Sotomayor for having the chance to become the first Hispanic justice in American history. This pick by Obama, praised by many, makes the Hispanic community proud and gives American minority citizens confidence and hope. However, this pick does not come without controversy. As with every Supreme Court nominee pick, Sotomayor is being scrutinized by the opposition party, in this case Conservatives and Republicans. They question whether Obama simply picked Sotomayor just because she is a liberal and minority or because she is truly qualified. Sotomayor does have a solid record of experience. But she has also brought controversy to herself by stating some very questionable remarks. In 2005 a video from Duke University Ms. Sotomayor proclaiming the "court of appeals is where policy is made." leaving many to believe she may use the Supreme Court to make law, not interpret it. In a 2001 lecture at the University of California-Berkeley, Sotomayor said, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." ...something that if a white judge said would most likely lose his/her job. Another questionable decision on race made by Sotomayor was when she was part of a three-judge panel that rejected an appeal by white firefighters from New Haven., Conn., who contended that they were victims of racial discrimination when they were denied promotions. They had scored well on a test, but the city decided against using the scores because it feared it might be sued since the results meant no blacks would be promoted.
- March 31, 2009 - President Obama has broken his "5 day pledge" campaign promise. He has received criticism for not living up to the new era of transparency. The president's campaign commitment stated "As president, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days." The Obama campaign also stated “Too often bills are rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them,”
C- : It is true some of the bills that Obama signed into law could have been considered as an emergency bill but certainly not all of them. Within his first week in office, Obama broke this campaign promise by signing into law the Lilly Ledbetter Bill before the bill had been posted for the full 5 day period. In fact of the first 9 bills he has signed to date, 6 of them had not been posted for the full 5 day period on the White House web.
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