Obama Campaign Desperately Tries To Defend Themselves From Reality

“Obama Vs. Obama — Vs. Obama.” “Both Democrats and Republicans began Iowa caucus day Tuesday wanting to relive the magic of Barack Obama’s historic victory there four years ago. A GOP video released early in the day showed clips of Obama’s hope-filled speech that night – paired with headlines portraying his presidency as a buzzkill. ‘Years from now, you’ll be able to look back with pride and say that this was the moment when it all began,’ Obama is shown saying. Then the Republican National Committee video, titled ‘Iowa: Failed Promises,’ unleashes news clips about the sour economy and images of Obama allies lamenting the state of affairs.” (Peter Wallsten, “Obama Vs. Obama — Vs. Obama,” The Washington Post’s Election2012, 1/3/12)

Trying To Defend Themselves From Reality, Obama For America Sends Campaign E-Mail Titled “Seriously: Not Another Fundraising Email.” (Obama For America, Campaign E-Mail, “Seriously: Not Another Fundraising Email,” 1/3/12)

OBAMA IN HIS OWN WORDS VS. REALITY

Barack Obama: “This country is ready for a leader who will bring us together. That’s the only way we’re going to win this election. And that’s actually how we will fix healthcare and make college affordable, become energy independent and end this war.” (“A Special Caucus Message From Barack,” 1/2/08)

Health Care

BROKEN: Spending On Health Coverage For Workers “Spiked” To 9 Percent In 2011. “Employers’ spending on health coverage for workers spiked abruptly this year, with the average cost of a family plan rising by 9 percent, triple the growth seen in 2010.” (Julie Appleby, “Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011,”Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

• Costs Of Family Coverage “Climbed” 9 Percent In 2011. “The average cost of a family policy climbed 9 percent in 2011 to $15,073, according to a poll of 2,088 private companies and state and local government agencies by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in Menlo Park, California, and the Chicago- based American Hospital Association’s Health Research and Educational Trust.” (Jeffrey Young, “Health-Benefit Costs Rise Most In Six Years,” Bloomberg, 9/27/11)

Workers Paid An Average Of $132 More For Family Coverage In 2011. “Although premiums rose, employers kept the percentage of the premium workers pay about the same: An average of 18 percent for single coverage and 28 percent for family plans. Still, with rising costs, workers paid more, up an average of $132 a year for family coverage. Since 1999, the dollar amount workers contribute toward premiums nationally has grown 168 percent, while their wages have grown by 50 percent, according to the survey.” (Julie Appleby, “Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011,” Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

Making College Affordable

BROKEN: The Cost Of College Is Currently At “An All Time High.” “Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. Throw in room and board, and the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year, according to the twin annual reports on college costs and student aid published Wednesday by the College Board.” (Justin Poe, “College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets,” The Associated Press, 10/26/11)

Over The Past Year, The Cost Of College Has Increased By Thousands At Public Universities. “Public four-year universities charged residents an average of $8,244, up 8.3% from last year, while public two-year schools charged an average of $2,963, up 8.7%, says the report by the non-profit College Board. About 80% of the nation’s undergraduates attend public institutions.” (Mary Beth Marklein, “Tuition And Fees Rise More Than 8% At U.S. Public Colleges,” USA Today, 10/25/11)

Energy Independence

BROKEN: Obama In His Own Words: “We Still Don’t Have All The Energy Policies In Place That We Need To Free Ourselves From Dependence On Foreign Oil And Adequately Deal With Climate Change.” “We still don’t have all the energy policies in place that we need to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and adequately deal with climate change, despite the fact that we’ve doubled fuel economy standards on cars and made enormous progress on clean energy — and that means that I’m going to need another term to finish the job.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event #2, Speech, New York, NY, 11/30/11)

• Even Obama Has Said He’s Failed On Energy, Saying His Energy Policy Is Just A “Hodgepodge.” OBAMA: “Our energy policy still is just a hodgepodge, and for all the progress we’ve made, we’re not where we need to be in making sure that this is an energy-efficient economy that is running on all cylinders.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At A DNC Event, Miami, FL, 6/13/11)

Barack Obama: “I’m running to finally solve problems we talk about year, after year, after year. To end the division, the obscene influence of lobbyists, and the politics that values scoring points over making progress.” (“A Special Caucus Message From Barack,” 1/2/08)

Ending Partisan Division In Washington

BROKEN: “President Obama Has Not Met With Republican Leaders In Congress For 145 Days, Choosing Instead To Visit 20 States For 34 Policy Addresses And 34 Campaign Speeches.” (Richard Wolf, “Observers: Obama Has Been Keeping Far Afield Of Congress,” USA Today, 12/16/11)

• “Former Lawmakers Can’t Recall A Time When A President And Congressional Leaders From The Other Party Refused To Work Together For So Long.” (Richard Wolf, “Observers: Obama Has Been Keeping Far Afield Of Congress,” USA Today, 12/16/11)
• “For A Candidate Who Campaigned Against Washington’s Petty Politics And A President Who Tried To Work With Republicans For Most Of His Term, The Change Has Been Striking.” (Richard Wolf, “Observers: Obama Has Been Keeping Far Afield Of Congress,” USA Today, 12/16/11)

Once In The White House, Obama Focused On “A Legislative Strategy Reliant On Getting Overwhelming Support From Democrats, At The Expense Of Building Bipartisan Coalitions.” “Once in the White House, faced with a towering heap of problems, cosseted by a Democratic majority and confronted by a hostile Republican crowd, Obama cast his lot with a legislative strategy reliant on getting overwhelming support from Democrats, at the expense of building bipartisan coalitions and forming solid relationships with the opposition.” (Mark Halperin, “Can Obama Rebuild Bipartisan Trust?” Time, 2/16/10)

“Obscene Influence Of Lobbyists”

BROKEN: President Obama Has Granted Numerous Exceptions To His Lobbyist Ban. “Yet in the past few days, a number of exceptions have been granted, with the administration conceding at least two waivers and that a handful of other appointees will recuse themselves from dealing with matters on which they lobbied within the two-year window.” (Kenneth P. Vogel & Mike Allen, “Obama Finds Room For Lobbyists,” Politico, 1/30/09) 

• Politifact: “We Rate Obama’s ‘Revolving Door’ Policy For Former Lobbyists His Biggest Broken Promise.” (Angie Drobnic Holan, “Not So Fast On Obama Revolving Door Policy,” Politifact, 1/23/09)

“It’s Well-Known That President Barack Obama Has Surrounded Himself With Lobbyists.” (John Carney, “Obama’s Lobbyist-Heavy Administration,” CNBC, 11/1/11)

BROKEN: Despite Obama’s Pledge To Stop The Revolving Door, Nothing Has Changed In Washington.  “But with his administration at its midpoint, a traditional time for personnel turnover, it’s clear that despite Obama’s avowals, a longtime truism of Washington life — that a prestigious-sounding administration post can be a lucrative career enhancer — remains unchanged.”  (Kenneth P. Vogel, “Obama Administration’s Revolving Door,” Politico, 1/18/11)

BROKEN: Obama Is Ignoring His Pledge To Not Take Money From Lobbyists, Raising Millions From “Prominent Supporters Who Are Active In The Lobbying Industry.” “Despite a pledge not to take money from lobbyists, President Obama has relied on prominent supporters who are active in the lobbying industry to raise millions of dollars for his re-election bid.” (Eric Lichtblau, “Obama Backers Tied To Lobbies Raise Millions,” The New York Times, 10/27/11)

BROKEN: Obama’s 2012 Bundler List “Features A Number Of People Involved In The Business Of Influencing Government.” “A list of Obama’s own top fundraisers features a number of people involved in the business of influencing government, including the head of a lobbying and public relations firm, the corporate executive who oversees Comcast’s lobbying efforts and the chairwoman of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s political action committee, among others.” (Michael Scherer, “No Registered Lobbyists Among Top Obama Fundraisers, But Influence Seekers Abound,” Time’s “Swampland,” 7/20/11)

• Obama’s “Bundlers Include Business Executives Whose Companies Have Substantial Interests Before The Federal Government.” “But the president’s bundlers include business executives whose companies have substantial interests before the federal government.” (Nicholas Confessore, “New Stable Of Wealthy Donors Fueled Obama Campaign’s Record Fund-Raising Quarter,” The New York Times, 7/16/11)

“Politics That Values Scoring Points Over Making Progress”

Obama: Americans Are Not Better Off Than They Were Four Years Ago. OBAMA: “Well I don’t think they are better off than they were four years ago. They’re not better off than they were before Lehman’s collapse, before the financial crisis, before this extraordinary recession that we’re going through.”(ABC News/Yahoo News’ Live Interview, 10/3/11)

• But “Obama Took To Pointing Fingers When His Poll Numbers Started To Slip Last Fall.” (Salena Zito, “Battlegrounds Of Resentment,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 8/28/11)
• “So Far, He Has Blamed The Stagnant Economy On ATMs, Ditches, Slurpees, Corporate-Jet Owners, The Tea Party, Republicans, Japan’s Earthquake, The Arab Spring, The Arab Summer, George Bush, And ‘Fat-Cat’ Wall Street Something-Or-Others. The Kitchen SinkMay Be Next.” (Salena Zito, “Battlegrounds Of Resentment,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 8/28/11)