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Obama Administration

2009-10-26T03:04:18Z

WillJergens:

The '''Obama Administration''' is the Executive Department portion of the U.S. government under [[liberal]], [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] President [[Barack Hussein Obama]]; it began on January 20, 2009 for a term of four years. It is also awesome. AAAWwwwww yyyeeeeaaahhhh. [[File:Obama-poll.jpg|thumb|330px|Excitement for Obama was very high before people understood his plans; enthusiasm has plunged as criticism becomes sharper and strong opponents grow more numerous than strong supporters]] President Obama had a bad summer of 2009, as his popularity slumped, his party weakened and opportunities for celebrating achievements happened. Contentious town-hall meetings attacked the injustice of his health care proposals, unemployment grew, the stimulus did not stimulate, Democrats bickered more than usual, grim forecasts of failure came from his generals in Afghanistan, dark suspicions circulated regarding his motives for speaking to schoolchildren; accused of socialism, he was branded in Congress as a liar. He was criticized first for not making his case, and then for overexposure, as he deliberately put into the shadows everyone in his cabinet. Obama’s inexperience in domestic and foreign affairs worsened his troubles. Nothing worked right--he was embarrassed by winning the Nobel Peace Prize before any of his goals had been accomplished.

Expectations of a Republican revival, a wild pipe-dream in the spring, became more realistic as the party led in the gubernatorial election in Virginia, and the Democrats continued in disarray in New York, Texas and California. Conservatives discovered the secret of organizing mass public rallies, while Obama's famous 2008 grass roots network remains strangely silent. Optimistic conservatives predicted that it will soon be 1994 in America again.

==Economic Policy==
The Obama administration is currently following what fiscal conservatives and libertarians call [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]]. Economists debate in August 2009 whether or not the recession has hit bottom and when the overall economy will start moving up again; the consensus is that unemployment will remain high into 2010.

===Historical backdrop===
The gravest crisis it faces is the [[Recession of 2008]], with the economy spiraling downward. Moving fast, the House on Jan. 28 passed an [[economic stimulus]] package‎ of $819 billion in new spending and tax increases, despite unanimous Republican opposition. A revised bill passed the Senate with three Republican votes. A compromise bill known as the "[[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]" is now law, providing for $789 billion in tax cuts and new spending. Democrats claim it will prevent 3-4 million jobs from disappearing, but economists are unsure how to measure the impact it will have. <ref>see [http://www.freemarketproject.org/articles/2009/20090224125726.aspx Conservative commentary]</ref>

Detroit spread gloom on Feb. 17 as GM starkly warned of impending bankruptcy unless it gets more aid. By August, both Chrysler and GM had entered bankruptcy, and come out again in much smaller size, as they closed a fourth of their dealerships, slashed wage rates, and paid off bondholders with 29 cents on the dollar. Chrysler was given away free to Fiat of Italy, which acquired ownership without investing any money. Meanwhile the parts makers, which employ more workers than the Big Three automakers, verged on disaster and begged for federal billions. The "cash for clunkers" program proved very popular, bringing people back to deserted dealerships at a cost of $3 billion.

===2010 Budget===
Congress by party line votes in late April passed the budget Obama had proposed in late February. It calls for $3.4 trillion in new spending, not counting the $787 billion in stimulus spending approved in February, nor the trillions in loan guarantees to banks. The new budget allocates $1.2 trillion for defense, and an additional $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nondefense spending will increase by 8% or $40 billion. The budget will allow the Obama health plan--which has not been written--to move through Congress on a fast track without risk of filibuster. The Bush tax cuts are extended, and some new cuts added for lower income Americans. However the federal income tax on individuals over $200,000 will rise from 35% to 39.6%.

The Tax Foundation says that 44% of all tax filers will have no tax liability and most of those will get a check from the government, especially from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)<ref> EITC is a conservative idea first proposed by Milton Friedman, enacted under Republican presidents Ford and Reagan.</ref> and credits for college tuition and child care. The ''Wall Street Journal'' noted about Obama's plan that, "Once upon a time we called this 'welfare'". <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122385651698727257.html</ref>

The Budget assumes a federal deficit of $1.75 trillion for 2009, or 12.3% of GDP--the highest deficit in percentage terms since World War II. By 2013, the hypothetical deficit will drop to $533 billion but then will begin to climb again. The budget includes an additional $250 billion for more rescues of the financial markets by purchasing toxic assets on the banking sector's books.

The budget reorders national priorities to provide national health care, shift the energy economy away from oil and gas, and raise the federal spending on schools.

[[Image:Budget-cbo.jpg|thumb|250px|left]] The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Obama plans will raise the national debt far more than Obama says. The CBO says the Obama plan will cause total deficits over the next ten years of $9.3 trillion, compared to Obama's estimate of "only" 7 trillion. That is in addition to the current national debt of $11.2 trillion and rising. The annual GDP by contrast is about $15 trillion and falling.<ref> Jackie Calmes, "New Deficit Forecast Casts Shadow on Obama Agenda," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/washington/21deficit.html?th&emc=th ''New York Times'' Mar. 20, 2009]</ref> Senator Jedd Gregg says that Obama's budget will double the national debt in five years and triple it in ten. <ref>http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/mar/25/judd-gregg/judd-gregg-says-obamas-budget-doubles-national-deb/</ref>

To reverse global warming, Obama has proposed a carbon [[cap and trade]] system, which will raise energy prices for families and businesses, with rebates to most families. It will cost an extra $645 billion between 2012 and 2019, which will result in higher prices. Rep. John Boehner said, "Let's just be honest and call it a carbon tax that will increase taxes on all Americans who drive a car, who have a job, who turn on a light switch, pure and simple."<ref>see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123566843777484625.html comment from conservative newspaper]</ref>

The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is conservative Democrat [[Kent Conrad]] of [[North Dakota]], a deficit hawk who said he is "very uncomfortable with the build-up of debt" and urged Obama to make good on his promise to overhaul federal retirement and health-care programs. Conrad called for "more discipline on the spending side."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/28/AR2009022801960.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'' Mar. 1, 2009]</ref>

===Optimism or Pessimism?===
The Obama Administration is basing its domestic policies on the assumption of a rapid economic recovery, that will generate the tax revenue needed to fund permanent new spending program in areas such as health care and greening the economy. It assumes that the rich will recover enough of their investments to pay new taxes--right now tax collections are falling sharply as investments turn sour. Administration forecasts are more optimistic than private sector forecasts, which see a 25% chance of a '''Second Great Depression'''. Both parties agree that stimulus spending is needed to deal with the recession but Congress is unlikely to approve permanent new spending programs unless the economy improves, since a large number of conservative Democrats have been recently elected who may vote with Republicans to keep down spending and deficits.<ref> Peter S. Goodman, "Sharper Downturn Clouds Obama Spending Plans," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/business/economy/28recession.html?_r=1&th&emc=th ''Washington Post'' Feb. 27, 2009]</ref>

===Obama's policies problematic, say economists and public===
In the view of 51 mostly conservative economists polled by the ''Wall Street Journal'' in July 2009, the Obama administration's economic performance is problematic. President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner both got an average grade of 70 out of 100 for their handling of the financial crisis, but those grades varied widely.<ref>Obama scored 59 in March 2009, Geithner 51, and Bernanke 71. See Phil Izzo, "Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades From Economists," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123671107124286261.html ''Wall Street Journal'' March 11, 2009]</ref> Former President Bush and ex-Treasury chief Paulson received average grades of 50 and 60, respectively, when economists were asked how they handled the crisis while in office. By contrast, Fed chairman Bernanke scores much better, with an average grade of 85; in addition 93% of respondents said he should be reappointed by Obama when Bernanke's term expires early next year.<ref>Phil Izzo, "Few Economists Favor More Stimulus," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124708099206913393.html ''Wall Street Journal'' July 10, 2009] </ref>

The economists are pessimistic about the economy, predicting it will shed another 2.8 million jobs over the next 12 months as the unemployment rate climbed to 9.5% in June 2009, and the GDP fell at an alarming -6.4% annual rate in the first quarter of 2009. Economists see a one-in-six chance that the U.S. will fall into a depression, defined as a decline in per-person GDP or consumption by 10% or more. They give equally poor marks to the efforts of other countries to end the recession.

The economists, however, were broadly supportive of the Federal Reserve. Over 85% agreed that its proliferating lending programs are well-designed, well-executed and helping the economy.

In June 2009 public opinion was favorable toward Obama personally, but increasingly dubious about his plans to overhaul health care, rescue the auto industry and close the prison at Guantánamo Bay. But with a positive job approval rating of 63% , Mr. Obama has the backing of Democrats and independents alike, even as Republicans turn negative, with only 23% supporting him. Support for Obama's foreign policies and terrorism policies remains high at 57-59%. Meanwhile the GOP weaknesses were glaring: the June poll found that the Republican Party is viewed favorably by only 28% of Americans, the lowest rating ever in a New York Times/CBS News poll. In contrast, 57% said that they had a favorable view of the Democratic Party.<ref> [Jeff Zeleny and Dalia Sussman, "Obama Poll Sees Doubt on Budget and Health Care [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/us/politics/18poll.html?th&emc=th ''New York Times'' June 17, 2009]</ref>
Billionaire [[Warren Buffett]], former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, and former Clinton Treasury Secretary [[Robert Rubin]] constituted Obama's transition team of Economic Advisers.<ref>[ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aSzNv81CYh0c Obama to Meet With Buffett, Daley, Economic Advisers], Bloomberg, Nov. 6 2008.</ref> Rubin has been sharply criticized for his role in the collapse of [[Citigroup]] which has taken $45 billion in federal bailout money.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0930738020090109 Robert Rubin quits Citigroup amid criticism], Reuters, Jan 9, 2009</ref> Buffett has since the inauguration been an outspoken critic of the administration's declared objective of not allowing "a crisis to go to waste" [http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/03/buffett_hits_obama_congress_on.html] and Obama's massive tax increase on the needy and those least able to afford it. [http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/buffett-cap-and-trade-is-a-regressive-tax/]

===Bailout Crisis ===
After spending over a trillion dollars in cash and guarantees (by Bush and Obama combined), the bailout of the financial system by October 2009 seems to have saved the banks but failed thus far to stimulate economic recovery. Obama started to decline in the polls, as independents and Republicans became increasingly critical. A firestorm of outrage swept the nation in March when it was learned that AIG insurance company, now 80% government owned, was paying $165 million in bonuses to the traders that had caused $60 billion in losses. Geithner was appointed to the Treasury largely on the basis of his work at the New York Fed, where his most important action was to design the bailout of AIG. Under Geithner's leadership it received $170 billion from the government.
[[Image:Toxic-assets.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Geithner plans to sell toxic assets to Wall Street]]
With major banks on the verge of failure, Treasury Secretary [[Timothy Geithner]] unveiled yet another massive bailout program in mid-February. Trillions would be spent to move toxic assets out of the banks, but few details were provided. The widespread reaction was very negative, and Geithner lost more of his credibility as a problem solver. Geithner finally came back with a plan on March 23 that will not need additional funding or approval by Congress. The Treasury will use $100 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), as well as new capital from private investors, in order to generate $500 billion in purchasing power to buy toxic loans and assets. The program could potentially expand to $1 trillion over time. In June many of the major banks started to repay their federal loans, as anxiety eased about their future.

[[Image:Jobs09q1.jpg|thumb|250px]] [[Image:Job-loss-09.jpg|thumb|250px|US job losses January 1-March 31, 2009]]

The Federal Reserve in June said conditions remained weak and even deteriorated in many regions of the country, with commercial real estate and labor markets in deep trouble. The Fed is not expecting a significant boost in economic activity in 2009. Despite costly federal efforts to restart credit markets, it remains very difficult for consumers and businesses to obtain loans.

===Health Care===

Congress is moving quickly to create a government insurance program that would compete with the private sector. Obama will attempt to pay for it with "$634 billion in new taxes on wealthy Americans". <ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-health-care26-2009feb26,0,1056744.story</ref> He claimed that "The cost of health care now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds", an argument conservatives dispute because people who are very sick lose their jobs and income which in turn causes the bankruptcy.<ref>http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenumbers/2009/03/medical-bankrup.html</ref> One such [[health care reform]] proposal would mandate private citizens to purchase health insurance under the threat of legal sanctions for failure to comply.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/02/senate-democrats-trim-cost-health-care/</ref> Critics have dubbed the proposal [[Gestapo care]].

Obama, however, has been unconvincing. Very few Americans see much advantage in his proposals, and everyone sees the high costs. He has partly dodged organized criticism by cutting deals with hospitals and drug companies, but he has not cut the deal with the public. Polls show his support on the health issue has slipped to 49% in mid-July, with 44% opposed. (By contrast, he had 57% approval on health issues in April).<ref> ''Washington Post'' July 20, 2009</ref> Conservative Democrats in Congress--who call themselves "[[Blue Dog Democrats]]"---have been reluctant to sign on to any proposal costing a trillion dollars over the next decade. The controversy has lowered Obama's overall approval rating to 59% in July, down six points in one month.
===Education===
The major education issues have yet to be addressed, but to the angst of liberal supporters, the administration's first proposals for school reform rely heavily on Bush-era ingredients and adds others that make unions gag. The y include standardized testing, school accountability, performance pay, and charter schools -- all of which are integral to the President's $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" grant competition to spur innovation. Liberals dislike all these new ideas. "It looks like the only strategies they have are charter schools and measurement," protested Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "That's Bush III."<ref> See [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092403197.html Nick Anderson, "Unions Criticize Obama's School Proposals as 'Bush III'", ''Washington Post'' Sept. 25, 2009]</ref>

==Foreign Policy==

===Guantanamo Bay===

On January 22, 2009 Barack Obama ordered the closing of the [[Guantanamo Bay]] detention camp within the year 2009. <ref>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=barack+obama+guantanamo+bay&aq=4&oq=Barack+Obama+g&aqi=g10</ref> However, he has received criticisms for having no plans over were the 248 terrorist suspects would go.

===Afghanistan War===
The [[Afghanistan War]] is the NATO operation in [[Afghanistan]], 2001 to the present, to destroy the [[Taliban]] and prevent the formation of a base for Islamic militants to attack American interests. President Obama has declared it to be the central front in the war on terrorism and has ordered a buildup of American troops to fight a stubborn insurgency led by the Taliban. He has doubled American forces and is supported by most Republicans, but is opposed by many liberal Democrats, who fear another quagmire like Vietnam. [[File:Af-UStroops.jpg|thumb|340px]]

Conditions have turned much worse in late summer, as the much heralded national election was marked by widespread fraud and pessimism is spreading. Increasingly the main justification for the war, now 8 years old, is to prop up the shaky regime in neighboring [[Pakistan]]. NATO commander [[Stanley McChrystal]] has requested 30,000-40,000 additional troops in Afghanistan. There has since been confusion over whether the Obama administration is prepared to increase troop levels.

===Iran===

During the [[2008 Presidential Election]] Barack Obama promised direct talks [[Iran]]ian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]], a staunch enemy of the [[United States]], who has called for [[Israel]] to be "wiped off the map," <ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070927213903/http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=200247</ref> and dismissed the [[Holocaust]] as a "myth." <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4529198.stm</ref> President Obama has supported Iran's nuclear program, which some argue is being used to develop weapons-grade material. <ref>http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_ok_iran_nukes/2009/04/06/200157.html</ref>

In 2009 Ahmadinejad was reelected to a second term after a controversial and disputed election. Charges of alleged voter fraud from the [[government]] resulted in massive protests in Iran and around the world. The government responded by violently suppressing the protesters, which has resulted of the deaths of an estimated 250 civilians. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/25/opposition-alters-tactics-to-avoid-protest-deaths/</ref> Unlike the leaders of most western countries, Obama has been criticized for not having more vocal support for the protesters.

===Iraq===

On February 27, 2009 President Obama announced a deadline to withdrawal combat troops from [[Iraq]] by August 2010. However, 35,000 to 50,000 troops known as a "transitional force" to defend "civilian intersts" will remain. In June 2009, U.S. troops began to pull out of Iraq's major cities<ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jKrTBxDcg3RzbLdAkUnob12YI4WwD9959L780</ref> while [[Halliburton]] continues to have a major presence. Likewise [[ Blackwater]], now known as Xe, has continued to receive government contracts from the [[Obama administration]] despite the President's pledge to cancel its contracts.

==Gay Rights==
Gays have complained that Obama has taken no action thus far. His supporters argue he will act when the time is right. A proclamation signed June 1st states <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/potus-honors-lgbt-pride-month-by-not-supporting-same-sex-marriage-while-cheney-disagrees.html POTUS Honors LGBT Pride Month by Not Supporting Same Sex Marriage, While Cheney Disagrees]</ref>

:Mentioning his administration’s international efforts to decriminalize homosexuality, the President said he would continue to
:''“support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans” -- enhancing hate crimes laws,''
:''supporting [[civil unions]], outlawing :discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing''
:''"[[Don't Ask, Don't Tell]]" policy for [[gays]] and [[lesbians]] in the armed services.''''

{{cquote|
“proud to be the first President to appoint openly [[LGBT]] candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration,”}}
<sub>-Barack Obama</sub>

==Secrecy==

[[Conservatives]] and some [[liberals]] are alarmed at the level of secrecy which the Obama administration has evidenced, after promising an "unprecedented level of openness in government." <ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0721/p09s06-coop.html</ref><ref>http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/white-house-wont-disclose-list-of-health-industry-visitors-but-promise-of-transparency-is-still-on-campaign-web-site/</ref><ref>http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/7/717546/-More-Immunity-Claims-on-Wiretapping-from-Obama-DOJ</ref><ref>http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/07/white-house-wont-say-who-prepared-sotomayor.html</ref>

Some critics see such secrecy less troubling than the extensive list of undisclosed or missing information about the President himself.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100613 </ref>

Conversely, the White house recently requested the public to report any "disinformation" about its proposed health plan. <ref> http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/</ref><ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2308048/posts?page=41#41</ref> Many conservatives see such as alarming, prompting a request by Texas Senator John Cornyn to cease its data collection.<ref>http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/08/cornyn_to_obama_stop_with_the.asp</ref>

==Senior Staff==
[[File:Rahm-emanuel.jpg|thumb|200px|Rahm Emanuel has Obama's ear]] [[Rahm Emanuel]], a former Congressman, has the central role of chief of staff; [[Robert Gibbs]] is press secretary; Gregory Craig is White House counsel; old Chicago hands [[Valerie Jarrett]] and David Axelrod are key policy and political advisors. Each is paid an annual $172,000.

==Cabinet==
Obama proceeded rapidly with cabinet choices. Obama has drawn heavily on [[Clinton Administration]] leaders to fill his Cabinet, along with Bush appointees Gates, Jones and Geithner. His national security team (Biden, Clinton, Gates, Jones) all supported the Iraq war, although Obama made opposition to the war central to his campaign. So far no leaders of the left-wing of the Democratic party have been appointed to any major position, which has stunned antiwar and left elements.

A growing failure of leadership emerged in the Treasury department in March, as it proved difficult to assemble a leadership team. Dozens of senior Treasury jobs are empty; apart from the Secretary, the first 3 names were sent to the Senate for confirmation on March 8 and two other top nominees withdrew their names. Secretary Geithner is overwhelmed with multiple major responsibilities without any senior officials in place. He does have about 50 informal aides. The result was poorly thought out proposals that won no support, and lengthy delays in responding to the increasingly serious financial crisis. Analysts debated whether the display of incompetence was due more to Geithner or the White House.

With a worldwide [[swine flu]] epidemic threatening, the Administration finally filled the job of Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 28. The flu epidemic petered out but policy initiative has been lagging because of the long delays in filling top posts.
===Cabinet Scandals===
[[Image:Cabinet09.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Scandal has already tainted the cabinet. [[Bill Richardson]] was nominated for Secretary of Commerce but had to withdraw when he became a party to a criminal investigation. The nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, [[Timothy Geithner]], was confirmed after a humiliating televised session in which he admitted not paying $34,000 in federal income taxes. [[Tom Daschle]] withdrew his nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services because he had avoided $140,000 in federal taxes over a period of years, and paid them only after he had been named to the cabinet.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/us/politics/31daschle.html?ref=us Robert Pear, "Use of Free Car Lands Tom Daschle in Tax Trouble," ''New York Times,'' Jan. 30, 2009] </ref>

Scandal also ruined the career of Nancy Killefer, nominated by President Obama to be the federal government's first chief performance officer. She too had evaded paying her taxes.

It was not a scandal but an embarrassment for Obama on Feb. 12, when New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg, who had agreed to join the cabinet as Secretary of Commerce, dropped out. Gregg cited irreconcilable differences, and observers pointed out that Obama's staff planned to take the 2010 Census out of the Commerce Department's jurisdiction, weakening the secretary and politicizing the census.

In July, [[Steven Rattner]], the czar for the auto industry, was forced to quit when it was discovered he was under investigation for paying million-dollar bribes to get state business in his previous job.

[[Eric Holder]] was appointed Attorney General. As Deputy Attorney General in the final days of the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton administration]], Holder was responsible for the pardons [[Weather Underground]] (WUO) [[terrorists]] [[Linda Evans]] and Susan Rosenberg who were serving life sentences for their roles in the murder of two police officers and a Brinks armoured guard in 1981.<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmM1OGM4OGRiNTI5NTIzOTFkMDAwMTJiNGFlYWFiZGI= ''Confirming Fears''], Editorial, National Review Online, November 19, 2008.</ref> President Obama has been criticized for his personal friendship with WUO founder [[Bill Ayers]].<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1278532,bill-ayers-barack-obama-book-111308.article Ayers: Obama was 'family friend'], Kara Spak and Abon Pallasch, Chicago SunTimes, November 13, 2008.</ref> Puerto Rican [[FALN]] terrorists likewise received pardons due to Holders efforts, as well as fugitive tax evader and Clinton donor, Mark Rich.<ref>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004457941_apholderobama.html?syndication=rss</ref> <ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0102/14/se.04.html</ref>

===Senate Scandals===

Even more damaging to liberal Democrats were scandals involving the Senate seats of Clinton and Obama himself. In New York Gov. [[David Paterson]] came to office in 2008 after a sex scandal forced the resignation of his predecessor. Paterson damaged himself and his Democratic party by dangling an appointment to Caroline Kennedy, who was unable to make up her mind. He finally rejected her and turned to the most conservative Democrat in the entire Northeast, Rep. [[Kirsten Gillibrand]]. She is a [[Blue Dog Democrat]] known for her defense of gun rights and opposition to the Obama stimulus package.

It was much worse in Illinois, after Gov. [[Rod Blagojevich]] (a Democrat) sought to sell the Obama seat. Obama refused to bargain, so Blagojevich tried to auction it off, and was caught in FBI wiretaps. He was arrested and will face criminal trial in federal court, and was promptly impeached by the state legislature, with all the conservatives and Republicans there unanimous in calling for his ouster. Before he was forced out, Blagojevich named a light-weight replacement, [[Roland Burris]]. Democrats in Washington at first promised they would keep Burris out because of his tainting by the governor's maneuvers; they relented and were forced to seat Burris.

Burris admitted in February that he lied under oath to the Illinois legislature about his contacts with Blagojevich. Calls have been made for a perjury investigation that may lead to Burris's expulsion from the Senate..<ref>Natasha Korecki and Dave McKinney, "Illinois lawmakers mull Burris perjury probe," [http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/illinois_lawmakers_mull_burris.html ''Chicago Sun-Times'' Feb. 14, 2009] </ref>

===Important Officials===
{|class=wikitable
!colspan=3|Important Officials
|-
|[[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]]||[[Joseph Biden]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Chief of Staff]]||[[Rahm Emanuel]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of State]]||[[Hillary Clinton]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of the Treasury]]||[[Timothy Geithner]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Energy]]||[[Steven Chu]]|||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Defense]]||[[Robert Gates]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]]||[[Eric Holder]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of the Interior]]||[[Ken Salazar]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Commerce]]||[[Gary Locke]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Health and Human Services]]||[[Kathleen Sebelius]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Veterans Affairs]]||[[Eric Shinseki]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Homeland Security]]||[[Janet Napolitano]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Office of Management and Budget|Budget Director]]||[[Peter Orszag]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Council of Economic Advisers]]||[[Christina Romer]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[National Economic Council]]||[[Lawrence H. Summers]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[National Security Advisor]]||[[James Jones]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[CIA Director]]||[[Leon Panetta]]|||Confirmed
|}

===Supreme Court===
[[File:Sotomeyr2.jpg|thumb|250px|Sotomayor's parents came from Puerto Rico; her mother was a WAC in the US Army in World War II]]

Obama got an early pick for the Supreme Court when liberal Justice David Souter retired. He quickly names Court of Appeals Judge [[Sonia Sotomayor]] in May 2009. She was born to a poor family of migrants from Puerto Rico, and after attending Princeton and Yale Law School made it to the top through very hard work. She is the first American of Puerto Rican descent named to a high office on the mainland and her nomination marked a watershed in the national recognition and acceptance of all Latinos.

==Czars==
The Obama administrations has more than 30 czars, who will oversee combined budgets totaling more than $1.7 trillion. <ref>[http://glennbeck.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/09/rise-of-the-czars/ Rise of the Czars], The Glenn Beck Blog, ''Fox News.com'', June 9th, 2009</ref> <ref>[http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/cavuto-czars-helm-suckers/ Czars at the Helm and We're the Suckers], Neil Cavuto, ''Fox Business.com'', June 05, 2009</ref>

Glenn Beck warns Obama's 'shadow government' is growing in size, power. [http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=5861557&referralPlaylistId=playlist] Glenn Beck has a discussion on Obama circumventing constitutional checks and balances. [http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=5862590&referralPlaylistId=f909db77f0ad31bbfd35cb7e6a04f50204809c04]

{|class=wikitable
!colspan=2|Czars
|-
|[[Border Czar]]||[[Alan Bersin]]
|-
|[[Car Czar]]||[[Steven Rattner]]
|-
|[[Cyber Czar]]||[[TBA]]
|-
|[[Drug Czar]]||[[Gil Kerlikowske]]
|-
|[[Economic Czar]]||[[Paul A. Volcker]]
|-
|[[Energy and Environment Czar]]||[[Carol Browner]]
|-
|[[Government Performance Czar]]||[[Jeffrey Zients]]
|-
|[[Great Lakes Czar]]||[[Cameron Davis]]
|-
|[[Green Czar]]||vacant|-
|-
|[[Health Czar]]||[[Nancy-Ann DeParle]]
|-
|[[Homeland Security Czar]]||[[John Brennan]]
|-
|[[Intelligence Czar]]||[[Dennis Blair]]
|-
|[[Pay Czar]]||[[Kenneth R. Feinberg]]
|-
|[[Regulatory Czar]]||[[Cass R. Sunstein]]
|-
|[[Science Czar]]||[[John Holdren]]
|-
|[[Technology Czar]]||[[Vivek Kundra]]
|-
|[[Urban Affairs Czar]]||[[Adolfo Carrion, Jr.]]
|-
|[[WMD Policy Czar]]||[[Gary Samore]]
|}

==Presidential Actions==
Presidential Actions (Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda and Proclamations) are listed on the White House website, on the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/PresidentialActions/ Presidential Actions] page.

*[[Executive order|Executive Orders]] are listed [[Obama Administration/Executive Orders|here]].
*Presidential Memoranda are listed [[Obama Administration/Presidential Memoranda|here]].
*Proclamations are listed [[Obama Administration/Proclamations|here]].

==See Also==
*[[Essay: Blow The Nomination]]
*[[Lobbyists ties to the Obama administration]]
*[[Muslim agenda of the Obama administration]]
*[[Obama doublespeak]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/01/obama-unveils-national-security-team/ Obama Unveils His National Security Team], Fox News, December 1, 2008

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category: Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:United States Government]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Corruption]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]

Hillary Rodham Clinton

2009-10-26T03:00:50Z

WillJergens:

{{Infobox person
|image=Hillary-6.jpg
|office=United States Secretary
|country=State
|term_start=January 21, 2009
|term_end=Present
|party=[[Democrat]]
|previous=Condoleezza Rice
|next=
|birth_date=October 26, 1947
|birth_place=Chicago, Illinois
|spouse=[[Bill Clinton]]
|religion=[[United Methodist Church]]
}}

'''Hillary Rodham Clinton''' (b. 1947) is the [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State of the United States]]. From 2001 to 2008 she was [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[New York]], and from 1993 to 2001 was [[First Lady]] of the United States while her husband [[Bill Clinton]] was president.

In 2000, Clinton ran for the New York Senate seat vacated by the [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]]. Backed by the White House, she obtained the Democratic nomination for this Senate seat, and then won easily against Republican Rick Lazio (who entered the race when [[Rudy Giuliani]] withdrew). She ran for the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008 - Primaries|2008 Democratic Presidential Candidacy]], winning more primaries than any woman in history. On June 7th, 2008 she conceded defeat to [[Barack Obama]] after a closely challenged campaign, although she did not release her delegates until the convention itself.

==Early Career==
==Early life==
She was born October 26, 1947, in Chicago in a middle class family. Her father Hugh Rodham operated a small business. He was born into a coal mining family in Pennsylvania, graduated from Penn State University, voted Republican and was known as a martinet. She grew up in Park Ridge, an upscale suburb of Chicago along with two older brothers. Hillary attended Maine East High School, where she was involved in many extracurricular activities, was active in the Methodist church, and worked for Republican campaigns as a Goldwater Girl. As a tenth-grader, she heard the Rev. Martin Luther King speak in person. In the eleventh grade, she was class vice-president. She attended Wellesley College, an elite woman's college near Boston and was elected class president in 1968.
===Goldwater Girl===

Speaking at [[Selma]], Alabama's First Baptist Church on the 42nd anniversary of the "bloody Sunday" freedom march Hillary Clinton declared: "As a young girl I had the great privilege of hearing [[Martin Luther King|Dr. King]] speak in Chicago. The year was 1963....[Dr. King] called on us, he challenged us that evening to stay awake during the great revolution that the [[civil rights]] pioneers were waging on behalf of a more perfect union." In her memoirs Hillary Clinton described herself in 1964 as "an active Young Republican" and "a [[Barry Goldwater|Goldwater]] girl, right down to my cowgirl outfit." Columnist [[Robert Novak]] observed, "As a politically attuned honor student, she must have known that Goldwater was one of only six Republican senators who joined [[Solid South|Southern Democratic]] [[segregation]]ists opposing the historic [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights act of 1964]] inspired by King."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertDNovak/2007/03/12/hillary,_king_and_goldwater Hillary, King and Goldwater], by Robert D. Novak, [[Townhall.com]], March 12, 2007.</ref>
===College===
Starting college as a Republican activist, she became a liberal by her senior year. During the summer of 1968, she participated (as a Republican) in Wellesley's Washington internship Program. where she worked as an intern in the office of [[Melvin Laird]], then congressman from Wisconsin, and attended the Republican convention in Miami as a [[Nelson Rockefeller]] supporter (he lost the nomination to [[Richard Nixon]]). She was the commencement speaker at her graduation from Wellesley in 1969, during which she argued forcefully against the war in Vietnam and said, "And the challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible." A photo and the report of her Wellesley commencement speech were featured in ''Life Magazine''.

==Early Career==
In 1969, she attended Yale law school, where she was one of only 27 women among 235 law students. On May 7, 1970, she addressed the League of Women Voters in Washington, a sign of her growing prominence. Always active in campus politics, she ended up becoming something of a communications facilitator, as she had been at Wellesley, between potentially radical student elements and the college administration during the era of extreme student unrest in 1970. She was written up on hometown and New England newspapers, and was interviewed on Irv Kupcinet's nationally syndicated TV talk show from Chicago. That summer, she worked in Washington for Marian Wright Edelman's Washington Research Project, where she conducted research on migrant children's health and education difficulties, especially in the South. Her subsequent studies at Yale were concentrated on how the law affected children. At Yale in 1971, she met Bill Clinton, her future husband, also a law student at Yale.

She graduated from Yale Law School (JD 1973) a year later than necessary, having remained an extra year to be near Bill. As a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund, she specialized in children's advocacy law. She married Bill on October 11, 1975; daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

===Arkansas===
As her husband built a political career in Arkansas as governor, she was a partner in the locally prestigious Rose Law Firm, 1976-1992. Nationally she continued her legal advocacy for children and chaired the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay.

During the 1970s and '80s, the Clintons invested in the Whitewater Development Corporation which later became the subject of a federal investigation, prosecutions and convictions. Jim and Susan McDougal, and then-Arkansas Governor Jim Guy Tucker were convicted of multiple counts of financial fraud, even though President Clinton testified for four hours for the defense.<ref>Once upon a Time in Arkansas, [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/clintondepo.html Transcript of Clinton's Sworn Deposition], PBS.</ref>

On the evening Bill Clinton lost his bid for a Congressional seat in 1974, Hillary is reported to have cursed out a Jewish aide using nasty words. <ref>Jerry Oppenheimer, ''State of a Union: Inside the Complex Marriage of Bill and Hillary Clinton'' (2000_ cites three witnesses to the incident. </ref>

===Legal Services Corporation===
Hillary Clinton was appointed by President [[Jimmy Carter]] to head the controversial [[Legal Services Corporation]] (LSC) in 1978 and remained on the Board til 1983. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/view.asp?action=viewArticle&aid=225 Thwarting the Will of Congress: How the Legal Services Corporation Evaded, Diluted, and Ignored Reform], Testimony of Kenneth F. Boehm before the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, House Judiciary Committee, February 28, 2002. </ref>
Under Hillary Clinton's leadership, the LSC began moving away from its legislated task of providing poor people with free lawyers and began an [[activist]] agenda to influence [[public policy]] through [[class action lawsuit]]s. One case involved bringing lawsuits to force New York's Transit Authority to hire [[heroin]] addicts. The LSC also violated its own rules by organizing political campaigns against a state referendum and against Ronald Reagan. <ref>Michael Barone , [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/michael/barone070899.asp ''Taking Hillary seriously], ''Jewish World Review'', July 8, 1999. </ref>

Hillary Clinton failed the District of Columbia [[Bar Exam]] in the 1970s.<ref>[http://mediamatters.org/items/200706010006 On Today, Bernstein omitted key fact in purported disclosure of Clinton's D.C. bar exam failure: It's not news], ''[[MediaMatters]]'' June 1, 2007. Retrieved from MediaMatters.org October 4, 2007.</ref>

== 1992 Presidential Campaign ==

===Raising taxes on foreign corporations===
In the final 72 hour election crunch of the [[1992 Presidential election]] at Hillary Clinton's behest, the issues were framed as "raising taxes on foreign corporations." Hillary Clinton alleged that the Bush/Quayle ticket, the [[Republican Party]], and the Reagan coalition wanted to grant foreign [[corporation]]s doing business in the [[United States]] massive tax cuts. The Clinton campaign promised to thwart these efforts and grant the American taxpayers a [[tax cut]].<ref>''The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House'', Bob Woodward, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1994. [http://www.mediaresearch.org/mediawatch/1994/watch19940801.asp]</ref>

The result in the first 100 days after Clinton Administration won a plurality was a massive tax cut for foreign corporations through [[NAFTA]] and a [[tax increase]] on the American people.<ref>[http://www.clintonmemoriallibrary.com/clint_econ.html William Jefferson Clinton Memorial Library]. On Aug. 10, 1993, the largest tax increase in history was signed into law, raising taxes by almost $280 billion over five years. "Instead of middle-class tax relief, President Clinton chose to include in his $241 billion tax plan higher federal gasoline taxes, tax hikes on Social Security recipients, and steep income tax hikes on small business owners. The President even tried unsuccessfully to institute a brand new $71 billion [[BTU energy tax]] that would have cost the typical family nearly $500 per year." ''The President's Forgotten Middle Class,'' Joint Economic Committee, Majority Staff, 3/22/96.</ref>

===Domestic Spying===

''The Hill'' magazine reported Hillary Clinton may have been involved in [[civil right]]s violations by monitoring [[illegal wiretap]]s and [[domestic spying]] on political opponents during the 1992 camapaign.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> After the revelations came to light in a book entitled, ''Her Way'' [http://www.amazon.com/Her-Way-Ambitions-Hillary-Clinton/dp/0316017426] by Don Van Natta Jr., an investigative reporter at the ''[[New York Times]]'', and Jeff Gerth, who spent 30 years as an investigative reporter at the paper, a [[Republican]] official remarked,
{{Cquote|it is rather unbelievable that [Hillary] Clinton would listen in to conversations being conducted by political opponents, but refuse to allow our intelligence agencies to listen in to conversations being conducted by [[terrorist]]s as they plot and plan to kill us.<ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-targeting-clinton-on-phone-call-snooping-2007-10-16.html GOP targeting Clinton on phone-call snooping], By Alexander Bolton, ''The Hill'', October 16, 2007.</ref> }}

== First Lady ==

During [[Bill Clinton]]'s presidency Hillary Clinton initially played an important role. Immediately after his [[inauguration]] in 1993, Hillary Clinton embarked on a [[radical]] program to create a national health care system. She headed a Health Care Task Force which submitted controversial and [[extremism|extreme]] proposals to revamp this health care, which constitutes about one sixth of the U.S. economy. She was sued by the [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] for violations of the [[Federal Advisory Committee Act]], and the trial judge ruled against her and the Clinton Administration. An appellate court reversed this ruling but remanded it for further proceedings, which ultimately resulted in disclosures to comply with the law.

Hillary Clinton's friend [[Vincent Foster]] supervised the defense of the litigation, but died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the controversy; the death was officially ruled a suicide. The extreme proposals were overwhelmingly rejected by [[United States Congress|Congress]]. Subsequently, the Republicans won a landslide victory in 1994, taking over both Houses of Congress.

The remainder of Hillary Clinton's tenure as First Lady was largely devoted to combating what she perceived as conspiracies. The Clinton [[White House]], wracked by multiple scandals, abruptly fired longtime members of the White House Travel Office, leading [[Congress]] to vote for a restoration of their benefits. At one point confidential tax records of Republican opponents were discovered in the White House, and no legitimate explanation was ever provided.

===Accusations of improper recruiting for Health Care Task Force ===
:''Main article: [[Clinton health care plan]]''
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires every panel that includes non-government employees to have open meetings.
In January 1993, the ''[[Washington Times]]'' reported the problems with Hillary Clinton's closed door [[Healthcare Task Force]] meeting and the former Watergate crusader ignoring a post-Watergate reform. Rep. Bill Clinger (R-Pa.) demanded that the closed meetings stop. In February the [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] (AAPS) sued. In March, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ruled the task force violated the FACA. The ''Washington Times'' revealed that many task-force members Clinton claimed as federal employees were not. When a list of 511 names was released, the Times noted the list "did not meet the [GAO] request for dates of employment, salaries and detailed backgrounds." <ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_8_18/ai_83699629 ''Enron vs. Hillary care: media double standard is at work''], Brent L. Bozell III, Insight on the News, March 4, 2002.</ref>

===Conspiracy Theories and Enemies List===
:''Main article: [[Vast right wing conspiracy theory]]
In 1995 there were approximately 1 million computers connected to the Internet. By the end of 1998, there were 50 million. In perspective, after the invention of television, it took more than 10 years before there were 50 million sets in the world. The same rise on the Internet took less than three years.<ref>[http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=14676 Hillary Clinton, conspiracy theorist], Joseph Farah, WorldNetDaily.com, February 11, 1999.</ref> This [[economic growth]] of the Internet Hillary Clinton branded as "a [[vast right-wing conspiracy]]." White House staffers were directed to write a report, at taxpayer expense, which included an enemies list of persons and organizations who subsequently endured IRS audits and harassment.<ref>Larry Klayman, WorldNetDaily 7/9/99. [http://www.alamo-girl.com/0311.htm]</ref>

In 2005, Clinton revived her campaign of Internet censorship under the guise of a vast right-wing conspiracy theory.{{fact}}

===Reaction to Monica Lewinsky scandal===

[[Dick Morris]] and [[Eileen McGann]]
said that Clinton "loudly defended Bill and arranged for attacks on [[Monica Lewinsky]] when she knew the complete and sordid truth." <ref>http://www.newsmax.com/morris/Hillary_Unmasked_morris/2008/02/29/76871.html</ref> As the full extent of the scandal became known, however, Clinton forgave her husband, and the two appear to once again have a trusting, love-filled relationship. <ref>[http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/06/09/tem_monlede09.html]</ref>

==Accusations of Stolen Gifts==
When the Clintons left the White House, they were accused of taking furniture that belonged not to them, but to the White House. It was explained that the movers "inadvertently' packed the wrong items. Most of the articles were quietly returned. <ref>"Clinton Shipped Furniture Year Ago," Washington Post, February 10, 2001.</ref>

== U.S. Senate ==

In 2001, one of Hillary Clinton's first acts as U.S. Senator was to introduce a bill to abolish the [[Electoral College]]. This received insufficient support. No major legislation has been credited to Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton was reported to be the biggest spender of any freshman senator in history.<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_7_54/ai_84454903 Hillary Clinton's spending of taxpayer money], ''[[National Review]], April 22, 2002.</ref>
[[Image:070917graveconcern-x.gif|right|thumb|400px]]

Since joining the Senate, Clinton has belonged to a conservative prayer group with the expressed purpose of "bringing Jesus back to Capitol Hill."<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/09/hillarys-prayer.html</ref> A few of her collaborators in the group include Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan) and Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa).

===FEC fined campaign for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions===

In January 2006 Hillary Clinton's New York Senate 2000 campaign was fined $35,000 for failing to accurately report $721,895 in contributions. <ref>[http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060126mur.html Federal Elections Commission] Press Release, January 26, 2006. </ref>

===Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction===

[[Hillary Clinton]] speaking on [[Saddam Hussein]]'s possession of [[Weapons of mass destruction]] said,
{{Cquote|I have to say that this is something that I have followed for a decade. If he [Saddam] were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. There may be progress, we may be destroying his missiles, there is no accounting for the [[Weapons of mass destruction|chemical and biological stocks]].<ref>[http://www.archive.org/details/HillaryClintonsviewsongoingtowarSaddamandWMDs Hillary Clinton's views on going to war, Saddam, and WMD]</ref>}}

Hillary Clinton further described the situation after weapons inspectors we're expelled during the time when America had two in the position of presidential leadership, "for the price of one."<ref>[http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CharlesKrauthammer/2007/11/02/two_for_the_price_of_one Two For the Price of One], By Charles Krauthammer, November 2, 2007.</ref>
{{Cquote|In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his [[nuclear]] program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to [[terrorist]]s, including [[al Qaeda]] members ... It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.<ref>[http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6390 Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), October 10, 2002]. Retrieved from Zmag.org December 4, 2007.</ref>}}

===Failure to reform earmark process===

The noted newspaper which covers legislative affairs, ''The Hill'', reported Hillary Clinton received more [[earmark]]s for Congressional [[pork barrel]] projects than only one other United States Senator. Reforming the earmark process had been among the Democrats top priorities in the [[110th Congress]], up until the time Democrats voted to rescind the rules aimed at reform that were passed in the first 100 hours of the new Congress in January. Ethics reform and the earmark process is widely attributed as the cause why Republicans lost control of both Houses of Congress after several members had been caught up in ethical scandals. ''The Hill'' reported Sen. Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total, much going to [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] contractors. <ref>[http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/clinton-can-boast-wealth-of-earmarks-2007-06-13.html Clinton can boast wealth of earmarks], By Roxana Tiron and Ilan Wurman, ''The Hill'', June 13, 2007.</ref>

===Voted against raising the minimum wage===

After voting to send troops to Iraq Hillary Clinton voted against funding the troops in Iraq. In May of 2007 Clinton voted against raising the minimum wage. <ref>[http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=12952&can_id=55463 Senate Concurrence on HR 2206] Title 8 Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, Record Vote Number 181, 05/24/2007. [http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_keyvote_member.php?cs_id=12952]</ref>

== 2008 Presidential campaign ==

===Alleged embellishment of career events===

{{quotebox|What is Mrs. Clinton doing? She is having the worst case of [[cognitive dissonance]] in the history of modern politics. She cannot come up with a credible, realistic path to the nomination. ... But she is a scrapper, a fighter, and she's doing what she knows how to do: scrap and fight. Only harder. So that she ups the ante every day. She helped Ireland achieve peace. She tried to stop NAFTA. She's been a leader for 35 years. She landed in Bosnia under siege and bravely dodged bullets. It was as if she'd watched the movie "[[Wag the Dog]]," with its fake footage of a terrified refugee woman running frantically from mortar fire, and found it not a cautionary tale about manipulation and politics, but an inspiration. - [[Peggy Noonan]] <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html</ref>}}

=== Hillary and Nixon ===

Hillary Clinton has often been compared to [[Richard Nixon]].<ref>[http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/11/nixon_1968_clinton_2008.html
Nixon 1968, Clinton 2008], By John Ellis, RealClearpolitics.com, November 21, 2007.</ref> Columnist Robert Novak reported in November 2007 that a Clinton agent was spreading the word that the Clinton campaign had [[scandal]]ous information about Senator [[Barack Obama]] but was not using it for purposes of party harmony. The nature of the alleged scandal was not revealed to the source of the item, a well known Democrat, who said he thought Clinton wanted to avoid a Clinton-Obama clash that would benefit a third candidate, presumably former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and Senator [[John Edwards]].<ref>Hillary's Nixonian TacticsAgainst Obama], by Robert Novak and Timothy P. Carney, ''Human Event'', 11/21/2007.</ref>

===Failure to condemn smear campaign===
Hillary Clinton failed to vote to condemn an unpopular smear campaign conducted by the [[radical]] [[leftist]] group [[MoveOn.org]].<ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-20-senate-condemn_N.htm</ref> The [[U.S. Senate]] voted 72-25 to condemn<ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297498,00.html Senate Votes to Condemn MoveOn for Ad Attacking General Petraeus], [[FOX News]], September 20, 2007.</ref> the unmitigated attack upon a respected career soldier. The [[U.S. House of Representatives]] one week later by an overwhelming [[bipartisan]] consensus of 341-79 expressed popular discontent with the groups tactics.<ref>http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/09/26/national/w095848D93.DTL</ref> A poll showed 58% of the American people expressed disapproval, with only 23% supporting<ref>http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/23_approve_of_moveon_org_petraeus_ad_58_disapprove</ref> debasement of the political dialog over a vitally important issue of national concern. Hillary Clinton was criticized by President [[George W. Bush]] for failing to take a stand against radical extremism in civic debate.

===Electability===
A big concern in the Hillary Clinton camp was whether or not she was electable. An Electability Poll undertaken in June of 2007, in which the participants are asked in no certain order, a list of candidates from both parties, whether they would vote for candidate X or prefer someone else. Recent polling has revealed, of all major presidential candidates from both parties, Hillary Clinton is the only candidate to whom a majority of 52% would not vote for, or would prefer someone else. <ref>[http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/06/28/248165.aspx Poll: Is Hillary Electable?], by Mark Murray, ''NBC News'', June 28, 2007. Retrieved from MSNBC.com June 29, 2007.</ref> The poll results show majorities would consider voting for all other major presidential candidates, or possible candidates, to avoid voting for her.

===Promises Made, Promises Broken===

In late August 2007 Senator [[Bill Nelson]] and other members of Florida's Congressional delegation protested the Democratic National Committee's scheme<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> to deprive Floridians of equal voting rights protection<ref>[http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_DEMOCRATIC_PRIMARY_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME Fla. Democrats warn of voting rights probe if state sanctioned], By Rasha Madkour, Associated Press, Aug 23, 2007. Retrieved from ''St. Petersburg Times'' August 24, 2007.</ref> in selection of delegates to the 2008 DNC Presidential nominating convention. A letter sent to DNC Chairman [[Howard Dean]], threatened legal action "to determine whether this could violate any state or [[federal law]]s governing and protecting individual [[Voting Rights Act|voting rights]].... It always has been a priority of our party to protect the rights of every eligible American to vote...We would hope the DNC will continue to honor this right."<ref>[http://www.nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ Letter from Florida Congressional Democrats to DNC Chairman Howard Dean], August 22, 2007. Retrieved from nelsonforsenate.com/feature/dean/ September 13, 2007.</ref> The move prompted Hillary Clinton to pledge not to campaign in Florida.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html?ex=1346472000&en=d7f7216c6188da2e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Clinton, Obama and Edwards Join Pledge to Avoid Defiant States], By Jeff Zeeleny, ''New York Times'', September 2, 2007.</ref> A week later she was campaigning in Florida.<ref>[http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/11/news/iowa/c07662f8adc84f9a8625735300091c7f.txt Candidates have events in Florida despite pledge], By Charlotte Eby, ''Sioux City Journal'', September 11, 2007.</ref>

===The Nuclear Option===
[[Barbara Olson]] in her 1990 book ''Hell to Pay'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0895262746/102-6782111-3076127?SubscriptionId=11NRD61HE570TCSR99R2]</ref> made a convincing case that the former Goldwater girl, raised in a Republican home, while working for the staff of the House Judiciary Committee preparing impeachment Articles against [[President Nixon]], studied Nixon very closely. Olson and others have now commented how Hillary Clinton built her political career by learning to think and act as Nixon did, and modeling herself after him. These writers cite instance after instance of such behavior. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45138 Hillary's Secret War], The plan to silence Internet journalists, Joseph Farah, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', July 6, 2005.</ref> When Democratic competitor [[Barack Obama]] made a public statement vowing not to use [[nuclear weapons]], Hillary Clinton shot back,
{{Cquote|I don't believe that any president should make any blanket statements with respect to the use or nonuse of nuclear weapons}}reflecting Nixon's thoughts in ''The Real War'' :
{{Cquote|[[Eisenhower]] said... "You should never let the enemy know what you will do, but it's more important that you never let the enemy know what you will not do." }}
Nixon referred to it as "the [[Madman theory]],"
{{Cquote|... statements that appear to rule out the use of force, while perhaps meant to be unprovocative, will in fact provoke an antagonist to push for more. ...we should not make statements that we will never launch a preemptive strike. Whether or not we would ever exercise that option, we should always leave open the possibility that in extreme circumstances we might. <ref>[http://nobsnews.blogspot.com/1996/10/real-war.html#hole_card ''The Real War''], Richard Nixon, Warner Books, May 1980, pgs. 253 - 260.</ref>}}

===Health Concerns===
Analyst [[Bay Buchanan]] suggests that
Hillary Clinton may suffer from a psychological condition and
that this should raise questions about her fitness for office. <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20699 Analysis of Hillary Reveals 'Clinical Narcissism',] by Ericka Andersen, ''Human Events'', 05/14/2007.</ref> A recent book entitled ''The Extreme Makeover of Hillary Rodham Clinton'' <ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Makeover-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/1596985070]</ref> examines the Senator's instability, incoherent speeches as both student and First Lady, casual disregard for the law, and ever-changing opinion on the [[Iraq war]]. <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20699 Analysis of Hillary Reveals 'Clinical Narcissism',] by Ericka Andersen, ''Human Events'', 05/14/2007.</ref>

These [[character flaw]]s, Buchanan writes, make Hillary overly dependent on [[guru]]s and outside experts, with no internal compass to guide her, displaying all the classic symptoms of “clinical narcissism.” The American Psychiatric Association describes this condition to include feelings of superiority, self-importance and “fantasies of unlimited success, fame or power.” The author further states, “We are not talking about self-infatuation, we are talking about a clinical condition that could make her dangerously ill-suited to become President and Commander in Chief.”

===Abuse of Mother Teresa===

Hillary Clinton was chastised by a [[Catholic]] Advocacy group for using an image of [[Mother Teresa]] in a campaign ad. Clinton continues to support abortion. <ref>[http://www.fidelis.org/gw3/articles-news/articles.php?CMSArticleID=1456&CMSCategoryID=10 Fidelis Covered by Catholic News Agency on Mother Teresa Video Controversy], ''Catholic News Agency,'' 05-18-2007.</ref> The U.S. Catholic-based advocacy group Fidelis, an organization working with people of faith to defend the [[sanctity of life]], [[traditional marriage]], and [[religious liberty]] rights, called for Hillary Clinton to remove the image of Mother Teresa from their campaign video. In a press release the group declared the video, narrated by her Bill Clinton,
{{Cquote|is wholly inappropriate, disrespectful and disturbing ...using an image of blessed Mother Teresa as a political tool, especially given their radically different views on abortion...Mother Teresa tirelessly fought to protect unborn children, while Hillary Clinton staunchly supports [[abortion]] on demand in all nine months of pregnancy, including [[partial birth abortion]] and [[taxpayer funding of abortion]]}}

When the image of Hillary and Mother Teresa appears in the video the former president is heard saying “Hillary, in effect, was the face of America … in India;” the video then cuts to a clip of the former first lady addressing the 1995 Beijing Conference where an effort was made to declare abortion a fundamental “human right.”

===PolitiFact Awards===
Hillary received a "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for saying Obama "basically threatened to bomb Pakistan."<ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/375/ Et tu, Clinton?</ref>

Hillary received a second "Pants on Fire" award from [[PolitiFact]] for this false statement to a Washington, D.C. crowd on March 17th, 2008. <ref> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/411/ Video shows tarmac welcome, no snipers</ref> {{cquote| I remember landing under sniper fire.}}

==Secretary of State==
After [[Barack Obama]] won the election, Hillary was widely speculated to be offered a role in the upcoming Obama Administration. On 1 December 2008 Obama announced that he was nominating Hillary to become his [[Secretary of State]], succeeding [[Condoleezza Rice]] in January 2009. Hillary touted her role as "Tough Smart Foreign Policy." It was later revealed by Mrs. Biden that Joe was first offered the Secretary of State position, an unintended swipe at Hillary. She would criticize the White House for delaying a key appointment to her staff saying, "White House vetting process as a "nightmare," "frustrating beyond words" and "ridiculous."

[[Mark Rudd]] of [[Progressives for Obama]] said of the appointment, "the mere mention of the names Hillary Clinton and [[Lawrence Summers]] alone conjure up a litany of horrendous [[right-wing]]ers appointed to top level positions.... On foreign policy and the wars and the use of the military there will be no change at all. That's what keeping Gates at the Pentagon and Clinton at State..." <ref>http://www.markrudd.com/?organizing-and-activism-now/lets-get-smart-about-obama-nov-2008.html</ref>

In June 2008, she injured herself in a fall. Important multilateral conferences in Europe had to be cancelled and she was unable to travel with Obama to Russia.

In July 2009, Bill Clinton won the release of Americans held hostage by [[North Korea]]. She was asked by a Congolese university student what her husband thought of international relations. She responded annoyed, "My husband is not secretary of state, I am," and "I am not going to be channeling my husband." Diplomats laughed when Clinton took umbrage at a Congolese questioner whom she took to be asking her husband's opinion but it later surfaced that the question had been mistranslated.

In addition, a U.S. senator flew to Burma to bargain for the release of yet another American. Also, envoys of the reclusive North Korean regime have come to the U.S. for a meeting privately with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. All this has America wondering if Hillary has been marginalized in her Obama Administration role.

===Inept Foreign Policy===
Foreign policy under the [[Obama Administration]] has an unknown or meaningless agenda and Hillary's role is shrouded in doubt. [[John Kerry]] recently returned from a diplomatic mission to [[Afghanistan]] and briefed Obama. Questions arose of Kerry replacing Clinton as Secretary of State, which he denied. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/22/secretary-kerry-senator-assures-afghan-mission-clintons-guidance/ Secretary Kerry? Senator Assures Afghan Mission Conducted Under Clinton's Guidance, FoxNews.com, October 22, 2009]</ref> Hillary Clinton was asked of her role and she replied with blaming the past administration with a policy she inherited. <ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/06/eveningnews/main5367884.shtml Hillary Clinton Interview Full Transcript, CBS News, October 6, 2009]</ref>

==See Also==
*[[Bill Clinton]]
*[[Hillary Clinton for President Exploratory Committee]]
*[[Freedom of Choice Act]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Hillary Clinton|Articles about '''Hillary Clinton''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Charles Schumer]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.thenation.com/doc/19990809/kaminer Hillary's No Liberal], Wendy Kaminer, ''The Nation'', July 22, 1999 (August 9, 1999 issue).

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

{{Liberalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clinton, Hillary Rodham}}

[[Category:Liberals]]
[[Category: United States Appointed Officials]]
[[Category:Former United States Senators]]
[[Category:Democratic Party]]
[[Category:First Ladies]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:2008 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]

Obama Administration

2009-10-26T02:57:49Z

WillJergens:

The '''Obama Administration''' is the Executive Department portion of the U.S. government under [[liberal]], [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] President [[Barack Hussein Obama]]; it began on January 20, 2009 for a term of four years. It is also awesome. [[File:Obama-poll.jpg|thumb|330px|Excitement for Obama was very high before people understood his plans; enthusiasm has plunged as criticism becomes sharper and strong opponents grow more numerous than strong supporters]] President Obama had a bad summer of 2009, as his popularity slumped, his party weakened and opportunities for celebrating achievements happened. Contentious town-hall meetings attacked the injustice of his health care proposals, unemployment grew, the stimulus did not stimulate, Democrats bickered more than usual, grim forecasts of failure came from his generals in Afghanistan, dark suspicions circulated regarding his motives for speaking to schoolchildren; accused of socialism, he was branded in Congress as a liar. He was criticized first for not making his case, and then for overexposure, as he deliberately put into the shadows everyone in his cabinet. Obama’s inexperience in domestic and foreign affairs worsened his troubles. Nothing worked right--he was embarrassed by winning the Nobel Peace Prize before any of his goals had been accomplished.

Expectations of a Republican revival, a wild pipe-dream in the spring, became more realistic as the party led in the gubernatorial election in Virginia, and the Democrats continued in disarray in New York, Texas and California. Conservatives discovered the secret of organizing mass public rallies, while Obama's famous 2008 grass roots network remains strangely silent. Optimistic conservatives predicted that it will soon be 1994 in America again.

==Economic Policy==
The Obama administration is currently following what fiscal conservatives and libertarians call [[Obama administration fiscal policy|ruinous fiscal policies]] and [[Obama administration monetary policy|reckless monetary policies]]. Economists debate in August 2009 whether or not the recession has hit bottom and when the overall economy will start moving up again; the consensus is that unemployment will remain high into 2010.

===Historical backdrop===
The gravest crisis it faces is the [[Recession of 2008]], with the economy spiraling downward. Moving fast, the House on Jan. 28 passed an [[economic stimulus]] package‎ of $819 billion in new spending and tax increases, despite unanimous Republican opposition. A revised bill passed the Senate with three Republican votes. A compromise bill known as the "[[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]]" is now law, providing for $789 billion in tax cuts and new spending. Democrats claim it will prevent 3-4 million jobs from disappearing, but economists are unsure how to measure the impact it will have. <ref>see [http://www.freemarketproject.org/articles/2009/20090224125726.aspx Conservative commentary]</ref>

Detroit spread gloom on Feb. 17 as GM starkly warned of impending bankruptcy unless it gets more aid. By August, both Chrysler and GM had entered bankruptcy, and come out again in much smaller size, as they closed a fourth of their dealerships, slashed wage rates, and paid off bondholders with 29 cents on the dollar. Chrysler was given away free to Fiat of Italy, which acquired ownership without investing any money. Meanwhile the parts makers, which employ more workers than the Big Three automakers, verged on disaster and begged for federal billions. The "cash for clunkers" program proved very popular, bringing people back to deserted dealerships at a cost of $3 billion.

===2010 Budget===
Congress by party line votes in late April passed the budget Obama had proposed in late February. It calls for $3.4 trillion in new spending, not counting the $787 billion in stimulus spending approved in February, nor the trillions in loan guarantees to banks. The new budget allocates $1.2 trillion for defense, and an additional $130 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Nondefense spending will increase by 8% or $40 billion. The budget will allow the Obama health plan--which has not been written--to move through Congress on a fast track without risk of filibuster. The Bush tax cuts are extended, and some new cuts added for lower income Americans. However the federal income tax on individuals over $200,000 will rise from 35% to 39.6%.

The Tax Foundation says that 44% of all tax filers will have no tax liability and most of those will get a check from the government, especially from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)<ref> EITC is a conservative idea first proposed by Milton Friedman, enacted under Republican presidents Ford and Reagan.</ref> and credits for college tuition and child care. The ''Wall Street Journal'' noted about Obama's plan that, "Once upon a time we called this 'welfare'". <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122385651698727257.html</ref>

The Budget assumes a federal deficit of $1.75 trillion for 2009, or 12.3% of GDP--the highest deficit in percentage terms since World War II. By 2013, the hypothetical deficit will drop to $533 billion but then will begin to climb again. The budget includes an additional $250 billion for more rescues of the financial markets by purchasing toxic assets on the banking sector's books.

The budget reorders national priorities to provide national health care, shift the energy economy away from oil and gas, and raise the federal spending on schools.

[[Image:Budget-cbo.jpg|thumb|250px|left]] The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the Obama plans will raise the national debt far more than Obama says. The CBO says the Obama plan will cause total deficits over the next ten years of $9.3 trillion, compared to Obama's estimate of "only" 7 trillion. That is in addition to the current national debt of $11.2 trillion and rising. The annual GDP by contrast is about $15 trillion and falling.<ref> Jackie Calmes, "New Deficit Forecast Casts Shadow on Obama Agenda," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/washington/21deficit.html?th&emc=th ''New York Times'' Mar. 20, 2009]</ref> Senator Jedd Gregg says that Obama's budget will double the national debt in five years and triple it in ten. <ref>http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2009/mar/25/judd-gregg/judd-gregg-says-obamas-budget-doubles-national-deb/</ref>

To reverse global warming, Obama has proposed a carbon [[cap and trade]] system, which will raise energy prices for families and businesses, with rebates to most families. It will cost an extra $645 billion between 2012 and 2019, which will result in higher prices. Rep. John Boehner said, "Let's just be honest and call it a carbon tax that will increase taxes on all Americans who drive a car, who have a job, who turn on a light switch, pure and simple."<ref>see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123566843777484625.html comment from conservative newspaper]</ref>

The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is conservative Democrat [[Kent Conrad]] of [[North Dakota]], a deficit hawk who said he is "very uncomfortable with the build-up of debt" and urged Obama to make good on his promise to overhaul federal retirement and health-care programs. Conrad called for "more discipline on the spending side."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/28/AR2009022801960.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'' Mar. 1, 2009]</ref>

===Optimism or Pessimism?===
The Obama Administration is basing its domestic policies on the assumption of a rapid economic recovery, that will generate the tax revenue needed to fund permanent new spending program in areas such as health care and greening the economy. It assumes that the rich will recover enough of their investments to pay new taxes--right now tax collections are falling sharply as investments turn sour. Administration forecasts are more optimistic than private sector forecasts, which see a 25% chance of a '''Second Great Depression'''. Both parties agree that stimulus spending is needed to deal with the recession but Congress is unlikely to approve permanent new spending programs unless the economy improves, since a large number of conservative Democrats have been recently elected who may vote with Republicans to keep down spending and deficits.<ref> Peter S. Goodman, "Sharper Downturn Clouds Obama Spending Plans," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/business/economy/28recession.html?_r=1&th&emc=th ''Washington Post'' Feb. 27, 2009]</ref>

===Obama's policies problematic, say economists and public===
In the view of 51 mostly conservative economists polled by the ''Wall Street Journal'' in July 2009, the Obama administration's economic performance is problematic. President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner both got an average grade of 70 out of 100 for their handling of the financial crisis, but those grades varied widely.<ref>Obama scored 59 in March 2009, Geithner 51, and Bernanke 71. See Phil Izzo, "Obama, Geithner Get Low Grades From Economists," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123671107124286261.html ''Wall Street Journal'' March 11, 2009]</ref> Former President Bush and ex-Treasury chief Paulson received average grades of 50 and 60, respectively, when economists were asked how they handled the crisis while in office. By contrast, Fed chairman Bernanke scores much better, with an average grade of 85; in addition 93% of respondents said he should be reappointed by Obama when Bernanke's term expires early next year.<ref>Phil Izzo, "Few Economists Favor More Stimulus," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124708099206913393.html ''Wall Street Journal'' July 10, 2009] </ref>

The economists are pessimistic about the economy, predicting it will shed another 2.8 million jobs over the next 12 months as the unemployment rate climbed to 9.5% in June 2009, and the GDP fell at an alarming -6.4% annual rate in the first quarter of 2009. Economists see a one-in-six chance that the U.S. will fall into a depression, defined as a decline in per-person GDP or consumption by 10% or more. They give equally poor marks to the efforts of other countries to end the recession.

The economists, however, were broadly supportive of the Federal Reserve. Over 85% agreed that its proliferating lending programs are well-designed, well-executed and helping the economy.

In June 2009 public opinion was favorable toward Obama personally, but increasingly dubious about his plans to overhaul health care, rescue the auto industry and close the prison at Guantánamo Bay. But with a positive job approval rating of 63% , Mr. Obama has the backing of Democrats and independents alike, even as Republicans turn negative, with only 23% supporting him. Support for Obama's foreign policies and terrorism policies remains high at 57-59%. Meanwhile the GOP weaknesses were glaring: the June poll found that the Republican Party is viewed favorably by only 28% of Americans, the lowest rating ever in a New York Times/CBS News poll. In contrast, 57% said that they had a favorable view of the Democratic Party.<ref> [Jeff Zeleny and Dalia Sussman, "Obama Poll Sees Doubt on Budget and Health Care [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/us/politics/18poll.html?th&emc=th ''New York Times'' June 17, 2009]</ref>
Billionaire [[Warren Buffett]], former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, and former Clinton Treasury Secretary [[Robert Rubin]] constituted Obama's transition team of Economic Advisers.<ref>[ http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aSzNv81CYh0c Obama to Meet With Buffett, Daley, Economic Advisers], Bloomberg, Nov. 6 2008.</ref> Rubin has been sharply criticized for his role in the collapse of [[Citigroup]] which has taken $45 billion in federal bailout money.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0930738020090109 Robert Rubin quits Citigroup amid criticism], Reuters, Jan 9, 2009</ref> Buffett has since the inauguration been an outspoken critic of the administration's declared objective of not allowing "a crisis to go to waste" [http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/03/buffett_hits_obama_congress_on.html] and Obama's massive tax increase on the needy and those least able to afford it. [http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/buffett-cap-and-trade-is-a-regressive-tax/]

===Bailout Crisis ===
After spending over a trillion dollars in cash and guarantees (by Bush and Obama combined), the bailout of the financial system by October 2009 seems to have saved the banks but failed thus far to stimulate economic recovery. Obama started to decline in the polls, as independents and Republicans became increasingly critical. A firestorm of outrage swept the nation in March when it was learned that AIG insurance company, now 80% government owned, was paying $165 million in bonuses to the traders that had caused $60 billion in losses. Geithner was appointed to the Treasury largely on the basis of his work at the New York Fed, where his most important action was to design the bailout of AIG. Under Geithner's leadership it received $170 billion from the government.
[[Image:Toxic-assets.jpg|thumb|300px|left|Geithner plans to sell toxic assets to Wall Street]]
With major banks on the verge of failure, Treasury Secretary [[Timothy Geithner]] unveiled yet another massive bailout program in mid-February. Trillions would be spent to move toxic assets out of the banks, but few details were provided. The widespread reaction was very negative, and Geithner lost more of his credibility as a problem solver. Geithner finally came back with a plan on March 23 that will not need additional funding or approval by Congress. The Treasury will use $100 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), as well as new capital from private investors, in order to generate $500 billion in purchasing power to buy toxic loans and assets. The program could potentially expand to $1 trillion over time. In June many of the major banks started to repay their federal loans, as anxiety eased about their future.

[[Image:Jobs09q1.jpg|thumb|250px]] [[Image:Job-loss-09.jpg|thumb|250px|US job losses January 1-March 31, 2009]]

The Federal Reserve in June said conditions remained weak and even deteriorated in many regions of the country, with commercial real estate and labor markets in deep trouble. The Fed is not expecting a significant boost in economic activity in 2009. Despite costly federal efforts to restart credit markets, it remains very difficult for consumers and businesses to obtain loans.

===Health Care===

Congress is moving quickly to create a government insurance program that would compete with the private sector. Obama will attempt to pay for it with "$634 billion in new taxes on wealthy Americans". <ref>http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-health-care26-2009feb26,0,1056744.story</ref> He claimed that "The cost of health care now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds", an argument conservatives dispute because people who are very sick lose their jobs and income which in turn causes the bankruptcy.<ref>http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenumbers/2009/03/medical-bankrup.html</ref> One such [[health care reform]] proposal would mandate private citizens to purchase health insurance under the threat of legal sanctions for failure to comply.<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/02/senate-democrats-trim-cost-health-care/</ref> Critics have dubbed the proposal [[Gestapo care]].

Obama, however, has been unconvincing. Very few Americans see much advantage in his proposals, and everyone sees the high costs. He has partly dodged organized criticism by cutting deals with hospitals and drug companies, but he has not cut the deal with the public. Polls show his support on the health issue has slipped to 49% in mid-July, with 44% opposed. (By contrast, he had 57% approval on health issues in April).<ref> ''Washington Post'' July 20, 2009</ref> Conservative Democrats in Congress--who call themselves "[[Blue Dog Democrats]]"---have been reluctant to sign on to any proposal costing a trillion dollars over the next decade. The controversy has lowered Obama's overall approval rating to 59% in July, down six points in one month.
===Education===
The major education issues have yet to be addressed, but to the angst of liberal supporters, the administration's first proposals for school reform rely heavily on Bush-era ingredients and adds others that make unions gag. The y include standardized testing, school accountability, performance pay, and charter schools -- all of which are integral to the President's $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" grant competition to spur innovation. Liberals dislike all these new ideas. "It looks like the only strategies they have are charter schools and measurement," protested Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "That's Bush III."<ref> See [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/24/AR2009092403197.html Nick Anderson, "Unions Criticize Obama's School Proposals as 'Bush III'", ''Washington Post'' Sept. 25, 2009]</ref>

==Foreign Policy==

===Guantanamo Bay===

On January 22, 2009 Barack Obama ordered the closing of the [[Guantanamo Bay]] detention camp within the year 2009. <ref>http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=barack+obama+guantanamo+bay&aq=4&oq=Barack+Obama+g&aqi=g10</ref> However, he has received criticisms for having no plans over were the 248 terrorist suspects would go.

===Afghanistan War===
The [[Afghanistan War]] is the NATO operation in [[Afghanistan]], 2001 to the present, to destroy the [[Taliban]] and prevent the formation of a base for Islamic militants to attack American interests. President Obama has declared it to be the central front in the war on terrorism and has ordered a buildup of American troops to fight a stubborn insurgency led by the Taliban. He has doubled American forces and is supported by most Republicans, but is opposed by many liberal Democrats, who fear another quagmire like Vietnam. [[File:Af-UStroops.jpg|thumb|340px]]

Conditions have turned much worse in late summer, as the much heralded national election was marked by widespread fraud and pessimism is spreading. Increasingly the main justification for the war, now 8 years old, is to prop up the shaky regime in neighboring [[Pakistan]]. NATO commander [[Stanley McChrystal]] has requested 30,000-40,000 additional troops in Afghanistan. There has since been confusion over whether the Obama administration is prepared to increase troop levels.

===Iran===

During the [[2008 Presidential Election]] Barack Obama promised direct talks [[Iran]]ian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]], a staunch enemy of the [[United States]], who has called for [[Israel]] to be "wiped off the map," <ref>http://web.archive.org/web/20070927213903/http://www.iribnews.ir/Full_en.asp?news_id=200247</ref> and dismissed the [[Holocaust]] as a "myth." <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4529198.stm</ref> President Obama has supported Iran's nuclear program, which some argue is being used to develop weapons-grade material. <ref>http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_ok_iran_nukes/2009/04/06/200157.html</ref>

In 2009 Ahmadinejad was reelected to a second term after a controversial and disputed election. Charges of alleged voter fraud from the [[government]] resulted in massive protests in Iran and around the world. The government responded by violently suppressing the protesters, which has resulted of the deaths of an estimated 250 civilians. <ref>http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/25/opposition-alters-tactics-to-avoid-protest-deaths/</ref> Unlike the leaders of most western countries, Obama has been criticized for not having more vocal support for the protesters.

===Iraq===

On February 27, 2009 President Obama announced a deadline to withdrawal combat troops from [[Iraq]] by August 2010. However, 35,000 to 50,000 troops known as a "transitional force" to defend "civilian intersts" will remain. In June 2009, U.S. troops began to pull out of Iraq's major cities<ref>http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jKrTBxDcg3RzbLdAkUnob12YI4WwD9959L780</ref> while [[Halliburton]] continues to have a major presence. Likewise [[ Blackwater]], now known as Xe, has continued to receive government contracts from the [[Obama administration]] despite the President's pledge to cancel its contracts.

==Gay Rights==
Gays have complained that Obama has taken no action thus far. His supporters argue he will act when the time is right. A proclamation signed June 1st states <ref>[http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/potus-honors-lgbt-pride-month-by-not-supporting-same-sex-marriage-while-cheney-disagrees.html POTUS Honors LGBT Pride Month by Not Supporting Same Sex Marriage, While Cheney Disagrees]</ref>

:Mentioning his administration’s international efforts to decriminalize homosexuality, the President said he would continue to
:''“support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans” -- enhancing hate crimes laws,''
:''supporting [[civil unions]], outlawing :discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing''
:''"[[Don't Ask, Don't Tell]]" policy for [[gays]] and [[lesbians]] in the armed services.''''

{{cquote|
“proud to be the first President to appoint openly [[LGBT]] candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration,”}}
<sub>-Barack Obama</sub>

==Secrecy==

[[Conservatives]] and some [[liberals]] are alarmed at the level of secrecy which the Obama administration has evidenced, after promising an "unprecedented level of openness in government." <ref>http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0721/p09s06-coop.html</ref><ref>http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/white-house-wont-disclose-list-of-health-industry-visitors-but-promise-of-transparency-is-still-on-campaign-web-site/</ref><ref>http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/4/7/717546/-More-Immunity-Claims-on-Wiretapping-from-Obama-DOJ</ref><ref>http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/07/white-house-wont-say-who-prepared-sotomayor.html</ref>

Some critics see such secrecy less troubling than the extensive list of undisclosed or missing information about the President himself.<ref>http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100613 </ref>

Conversely, the White house recently requested the public to report any "disinformation" about its proposed health plan. <ref> http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/</ref><ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2308048/posts?page=41#41</ref> Many conservatives see such as alarming, prompting a request by Texas Senator John Cornyn to cease its data collection.<ref>http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/08/cornyn_to_obama_stop_with_the.asp</ref>

==Senior Staff==
[[File:Rahm-emanuel.jpg|thumb|200px|Rahm Emanuel has Obama's ear]] [[Rahm Emanuel]], a former Congressman, has the central role of chief of staff; [[Robert Gibbs]] is press secretary; Gregory Craig is White House counsel; old Chicago hands [[Valerie Jarrett]] and David Axelrod are key policy and political advisors. Each is paid an annual $172,000.

==Cabinet==
Obama proceeded rapidly with cabinet choices. Obama has drawn heavily on [[Clinton Administration]] leaders to fill his Cabinet, along with Bush appointees Gates, Jones and Geithner. His national security team (Biden, Clinton, Gates, Jones) all supported the Iraq war, although Obama made opposition to the war central to his campaign. So far no leaders of the left-wing of the Democratic party have been appointed to any major position, which has stunned antiwar and left elements.

A growing failure of leadership emerged in the Treasury department in March, as it proved difficult to assemble a leadership team. Dozens of senior Treasury jobs are empty; apart from the Secretary, the first 3 names were sent to the Senate for confirmation on March 8 and two other top nominees withdrew their names. Secretary Geithner is overwhelmed with multiple major responsibilities without any senior officials in place. He does have about 50 informal aides. The result was poorly thought out proposals that won no support, and lengthy delays in responding to the increasingly serious financial crisis. Analysts debated whether the display of incompetence was due more to Geithner or the White House.

With a worldwide [[swine flu]] epidemic threatening, the Administration finally filled the job of Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 28. The flu epidemic petered out but policy initiative has been lagging because of the long delays in filling top posts.
===Cabinet Scandals===
[[Image:Cabinet09.jpg|thumb|300px]]
Scandal has already tainted the cabinet. [[Bill Richardson]] was nominated for Secretary of Commerce but had to withdraw when he became a party to a criminal investigation. The nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, [[Timothy Geithner]], was confirmed after a humiliating televised session in which he admitted not paying $34,000 in federal income taxes. [[Tom Daschle]] withdrew his nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services because he had avoided $140,000 in federal taxes over a period of years, and paid them only after he had been named to the cabinet.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/us/politics/31daschle.html?ref=us Robert Pear, "Use of Free Car Lands Tom Daschle in Tax Trouble," ''New York Times,'' Jan. 30, 2009] </ref>

Scandal also ruined the career of Nancy Killefer, nominated by President Obama to be the federal government's first chief performance officer. She too had evaded paying her taxes.

It was not a scandal but an embarrassment for Obama on Feb. 12, when New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg, who had agreed to join the cabinet as Secretary of Commerce, dropped out. Gregg cited irreconcilable differences, and observers pointed out that Obama's staff planned to take the 2010 Census out of the Commerce Department's jurisdiction, weakening the secretary and politicizing the census.

In July, [[Steven Rattner]], the czar for the auto industry, was forced to quit when it was discovered he was under investigation for paying million-dollar bribes to get state business in his previous job.

[[Eric Holder]] was appointed Attorney General. As Deputy Attorney General in the final days of the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton administration]], Holder was responsible for the pardons [[Weather Underground]] (WUO) [[terrorists]] [[Linda Evans]] and Susan Rosenberg who were serving life sentences for their roles in the murder of two police officers and a Brinks armoured guard in 1981.<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmM1OGM4OGRiNTI5NTIzOTFkMDAwMTJiNGFlYWFiZGI= ''Confirming Fears''], Editorial, National Review Online, November 19, 2008.</ref> President Obama has been criticized for his personal friendship with WUO founder [[Bill Ayers]].<ref>[http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1278532,bill-ayers-barack-obama-book-111308.article Ayers: Obama was 'family friend'], Kara Spak and Abon Pallasch, Chicago SunTimes, November 13, 2008.</ref> Puerto Rican [[FALN]] terrorists likewise received pardons due to Holders efforts, as well as fugitive tax evader and Clinton donor, Mark Rich.<ref>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004457941_apholderobama.html?syndication=rss</ref> <ref>http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0102/14/se.04.html</ref>

===Senate Scandals===

Even more damaging to liberal Democrats were scandals involving the Senate seats of Clinton and Obama himself. In New York Gov. [[David Paterson]] came to office in 2008 after a sex scandal forced the resignation of his predecessor. Paterson damaged himself and his Democratic party by dangling an appointment to Caroline Kennedy, who was unable to make up her mind. He finally rejected her and turned to the most conservative Democrat in the entire Northeast, Rep. [[Kirsten Gillibrand]]. She is a [[Blue Dog Democrat]] known for her defense of gun rights and opposition to the Obama stimulus package.

It was much worse in Illinois, after Gov. [[Rod Blagojevich]] (a Democrat) sought to sell the Obama seat. Obama refused to bargain, so Blagojevich tried to auction it off, and was caught in FBI wiretaps. He was arrested and will face criminal trial in federal court, and was promptly impeached by the state legislature, with all the conservatives and Republicans there unanimous in calling for his ouster. Before he was forced out, Blagojevich named a light-weight replacement, [[Roland Burris]]. Democrats in Washington at first promised they would keep Burris out because of his tainting by the governor's maneuvers; they relented and were forced to seat Burris.

Burris admitted in February that he lied under oath to the Illinois legislature about his contacts with Blagojevich. Calls have been made for a perjury investigation that may lead to Burris's expulsion from the Senate..<ref>Natasha Korecki and Dave McKinney, "Illinois lawmakers mull Burris perjury probe," [http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/illinois_lawmakers_mull_burris.html ''Chicago Sun-Times'' Feb. 14, 2009] </ref>

===Important Officials===
{|class=wikitable
!colspan=3|Important Officials
|-
|[[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]]||[[Joseph Biden]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Chief of Staff]]||[[Rahm Emanuel]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of State]]||[[Hillary Clinton]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of the Treasury]]||[[Timothy Geithner]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Energy]]||[[Steven Chu]]|||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Defense]]||[[Robert Gates]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]]||[[Eric Holder]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of the Interior]]||[[Ken Salazar]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Commerce]]||[[Gary Locke]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Health and Human Services]]||[[Kathleen Sebelius]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Veterans Affairs]]||[[Eric Shinseki]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Secretary of Homeland Security]]||[[Janet Napolitano]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Office of Management and Budget|Budget Director]]||[[Peter Orszag]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[Council of Economic Advisers]]||[[Christina Romer]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[National Economic Council]]||[[Lawrence H. Summers]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[National Security Advisor]]||[[James Jones]]||Confirmed
|-
|[[CIA Director]]||[[Leon Panetta]]|||Confirmed
|}

===Supreme Court===
[[File:Sotomeyr2.jpg|thumb|250px|Sotomayor's parents came from Puerto Rico; her mother was a WAC in the US Army in World War II]]

Obama got an early pick for the Supreme Court when liberal Justice David Souter retired. He quickly names Court of Appeals Judge [[Sonia Sotomayor]] in May 2009. She was born to a poor family of migrants from Puerto Rico, and after attending Princeton and Yale Law School made it to the top through very hard work. She is the first American of Puerto Rican descent named to a high office on the mainland and her nomination marked a watershed in the national recognition and acceptance of all Latinos.

==Czars==
The Obama administrations has more than 30 czars, who will oversee combined budgets totaling more than $1.7 trillion. <ref>[http://glennbeck.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/06/09/rise-of-the-czars/ Rise of the Czars], The Glenn Beck Blog, ''Fox News.com'', June 9th, 2009</ref> <ref>[http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/cavuto-czars-helm-suckers/ Czars at the Helm and We're the Suckers], Neil Cavuto, ''Fox Business.com'', June 05, 2009</ref>

Glenn Beck warns Obama's 'shadow government' is growing in size, power. [http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=5861557&referralPlaylistId=playlist] Glenn Beck has a discussion on Obama circumventing constitutional checks and balances. [http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=011008&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=5862590&referralPlaylistId=f909db77f0ad31bbfd35cb7e6a04f50204809c04]

{|class=wikitable
!colspan=2|Czars
|-
|[[Border Czar]]||[[Alan Bersin]]
|-
|[[Car Czar]]||[[Steven Rattner]]
|-
|[[Cyber Czar]]||[[TBA]]
|-
|[[Drug Czar]]||[[Gil Kerlikowske]]
|-
|[[Economic Czar]]||[[Paul A. Volcker]]
|-
|[[Energy and Environment Czar]]||[[Carol Browner]]
|-
|[[Government Performance Czar]]||[[Jeffrey Zients]]
|-
|[[Great Lakes Czar]]||[[Cameron Davis]]
|-
|[[Green Czar]]||vacant|-
|-
|[[Health Czar]]||[[Nancy-Ann DeParle]]
|-
|[[Homeland Security Czar]]||[[John Brennan]]
|-
|[[Intelligence Czar]]||[[Dennis Blair]]
|-
|[[Pay Czar]]||[[Kenneth R. Feinberg]]
|-
|[[Regulatory Czar]]||[[Cass R. Sunstein]]
|-
|[[Science Czar]]||[[John Holdren]]
|-
|[[Technology Czar]]||[[Vivek Kundra]]
|-
|[[Urban Affairs Czar]]||[[Adolfo Carrion, Jr.]]
|-
|[[WMD Policy Czar]]||[[Gary Samore]]
|}

==Presidential Actions==
Presidential Actions (Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda and Proclamations) are listed on the White House website, on the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/PresidentialActions/ Presidential Actions] page.

*[[Executive order|Executive Orders]] are listed [[Obama Administration/Executive Orders|here]].
*Presidential Memoranda are listed [[Obama Administration/Presidential Memoranda|here]].
*Proclamations are listed [[Obama Administration/Proclamations|here]].

==See Also==
*[[Essay: Blow The Nomination]]
*[[Lobbyists ties to the Obama administration]]
*[[Muslim agenda of the Obama administration]]
*[[Obama doublespeak]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/12/01/obama-unveils-national-security-team/ Obama Unveils His National Security Team], Fox News, December 1, 2008

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category: Barack Hussein Obama]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]
[[Category:United States Government]]
[[Category:Liberalism]]
[[Category:Corruption]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]