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100 DAYS 100 MISTAKES - WHAT'S GONE WRONG DURING OBAMA'S SHORT TIME
The New York Post
April 26, 2009 Sunday
1. "Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks'
. . . Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of
them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year. 'Let
there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to
the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of
responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." - McClatchy, 3/11
2. "There is no doubt that we've been living beyond our means and we're
going to have to make some adjustments." - Obama during the campaign
3. This year's budget deficit: $1.5 trillion.
4. Asks his Cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million -
a whopping .0027%!
5. "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea
parties." - ABC News, 4/15
6. "Mr. Obama is becoming known in America as the 'teleprompt
president' over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech." -
Sky News, 3/18
7. In early February, the 2010 census was moved out of the Department
of Commerce and into the White House, politicizing how federal aid
is distributed and electoral districts are drawn.
8. Obama taps Nancy Killefer for a new administration job, First Chief
Performance Officer - to police government spending. But Killefer had
performance issues of her own - a lien was slapped on her DC home in
2005 for failure to pay taxes. She withdrew.
9. Turkey tried to block the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
as new NATO secretary general because he didn't properly punish the
Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed. France's Nicolas Sarkozy
and Germany's Angela Merkel were outraged; Obama said he supported
Turkey's induction into the European Union.
10 . . . and he never mentioned the Armenian genocide.
11. This picture
12. H ugo Chavez gave him the anti-American screed "The Open Veins of
Latin America." Obama didn't remark upon it. At least it wasn't DVDs.
13. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega went on a 50-minute antiAmerican rant,
calling Obama "president of an empire." Obama didn't leave the room. "I
thought it was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought," he said.
14. Executives at AIG get $165 million in bonuses, despite receiving
an $173 billion taxpayer bailout.
15. Sarah Palin on: 'I won'
"Obama soared to victory on the hopeful promise of a new era of
bipartisanship. During his inaugural address he even promised an 'end
to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and
worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.'
"Too bad it took all of three days for the promise to ring hollow.
"Obama's met with top congressional leaders on his
signature legislation - the stimulus - on the Friday after his
inauguration. Listening to Republican concerns about overspending
was a nice gesture - until he shut down any hopes of real dialogue by
crassly telling Republican leaders: 'I won.' Even the White House's
leaking of the comment was a slap at the Republican leadership, who'd
expected Obama to adhere to custom of keeping private meetings with
congressional leadership, well, private. It's only gone downhill
from there. The stimulus included zero Republican recommendations,
and failed to get a single House Republican vote.
"For now, Obama's backpedal on his promise just makes him look
insincere. But the real consequences of the mistake will be felt soon
enough. As Presidents Bush and Clinton can tell him, congressional
majorities do change - and at some point, Obama will need Republicans
on his side. He'd be smart to spend his second 100 days making up for
the serious snubs of his fi rst." - Sarah Palin is governor of Alaska
16. "For months, the Obama administration has known that insurance
giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off
government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was fl owing and news
was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in
anger and vowed to yank the money back." - Associated Press, 3/18
17. "After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive
$787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a
three-day holiday getaway." - New York Post, 2/15
18. "The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to
join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled,
disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war
is being replicated today." - Department of Homeland Security
intelligence report
19. Nixes a "buy American" provision in the stimulus bill.
20. "Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going
on. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our
country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country
across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real
issues there." - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The
9/11 hijackers did not come across the Canada border
21. "The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the
president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as
several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay
for overhauling the health care system. The proposal is politically
problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one
he denounced in the presidential campaign as 'the largest middleclass
tax increase in history.' " - New York Times, 3/14
22. Joe Scarborough on: Fear
"The same politician who proclaimed during his inauguration that
'on this day we have chosen hope over fear' soon warned Americans
that the US economy would be forever destroyed if the stimulus bill
was voted down.
"Why was it that same man who promised to put Americans' interests
ahead of his own political ambitions chose instead to use the suffering
of citizens to advance his agenda?
"Maybe he was following the guidance of Rahm Emanuel, who famously
said, 'You never want to waste a good crisis."' They didn't. The
White House's warnings were so over-the-top that Bill Clinton
felt compelled to warn the new president against making such grim
pronouncements. Americans would quickly warn that the White House
would not channel FDR's eternal optimism but rather embrace the gloomy
worldview of Edgar Allen Poe.
"I expected more from Barack Obama. For the sake of my country,
I hope I get it from the new president over the next 100 days." -
Joe Scarborough is the host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and author of
"The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise"
(Crown Forum), due out June 9.
23. Sanjay Gupta was in discussions to become Surgeon General, but
the TV personality withdrew after he was criticized for his flimsy
political record.
24. Rasmussen finds 58% of Americans believe the Obama administration's
release of CIA memos endangers the national security of the United
States.
25. Only 28% think the Obama administration should do any further
investigating of how the Bush administration treated terrorism
suspects.
26. "Obama thanked CIA employees for their work and said they're
invaluable to national security. He told everyone not to feel bad
because he was now acknowledging potential mistakes. Theirs, not
his. 'That's how we learn,' Obama said, as though soothing a room
full of fourth-graders." - The Oklahoman, 4/23
27. By releasing the torture memos, Obama opened American citizens
up to international tribunals. A United Nations lawyer said last week
that the US is obliged to prosecute lawyers who drafted the memos or
else violate the Geneva Conventions.
28. At their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the
anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama gave him 25 DVDs that don't work
in Europe.
29. Tim Carney on: Picking Bill Richardson as Secretary of Commerce
"Richardson's value in Obama's Cabinet had everything to do with
appearances. First, he was the Hispanic pick. Second, because
Richardson had run against Obama for President, tapping him for
the Cabinet helped the media write the Obama-Lincoln comparisons by
burnishing the 'Team of Rivals' image.
"But Richardson withdrew before Obama was even inaugurated when
news came out about a criminal investigation involving David Rubin,
president of a firm named Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin & Co., who had
donated at least $110,000 to Richardson's campaign committees and
had also profited from $1.5 million in contracts from the New Mexico
state government.
"This was an early warning sign about Obama's vetting process, but
picking Richardson to run Commerce also highlighted that Obama and
Richardson's promise of "public-private partnerships" - such as Detroit
bailouts, Wall Street bailouts, and green energy - was an open door
for corruption and was at odds with Obama's promise to diminish the
influence of lobbyists." - Carney is a Washington Examiner columnist
30. Timothy Geithner nomination as Secretary of Treasury was almost
torpedoed when it was discovered he had failed to pay $34,000 in
Social Security and Medicare taxes. He also employed an illegal
immigrant as a housekeeper. He was confirmed anyway.
31 . . . Not so lucky, Annette Nazareth, who was nominated for Deputy
Treasury Secretary.
She withdrew her name for undisclosed "personal reasons" after a
monthlong probe into her taxes . . .
32 . . . or Caroline Atkinson, who withdrew as nominee for
Undersecretary of International Affairs in Treasury Department,
with a source blaming the long vetting process. Geithner still has
a skeleton crew at Treasury, with no one qualified - or willing -
to take jobs there.
33. "Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports
that he intends to make Louis Susman, one of his biggest fundraisers,
the new US ambassador in London. The selection of Mr Susman, a lawyer
and banker from the president's hometown of Chicago, rather than an
experienced diplomat, raises new questions about Mr Obama's commitment
to the special relationship with Britain." - Telegraph, 2/22
34. Obama's doom-and-gloom comments and budget bill push the Dow
below 7,000, from which it's only recently recovered.
35. "You're sitting here. And you're - you are laughing. You are
laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at
this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about
money-' Explain. Are you punch-drunk?" - Steve Kroft, "60 Minutes,"
3/22 36. "We have begun to modernize 75% of all federal building space,
which has the potential to reduce long-term energy costs by billions
of dollars on behalf of taxpayers. We are providing grants to states
to help weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes, which will save
the families that benefit about $350 each year. That's like a $350
tax cut." - Obama, describing something that doesn't cut taxes
37. "The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign
a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals
outside the federal government." - Defense News, 2/19
38. Backtracking on a campaign promise he made to black farmers,
Obama significantly lowered the amount of money they could claim in
a discrimination settlement. "I can't figure out for the life of me
why the president wouldn't want to implement a bill that he fought
for as a US senator," said John Boyd, head of the National Black
Farmers Association.
39. "I've been practicing bowling. I bowled a 129. It was like the
Special Olympics or something." - Obama on "The Tonight Show"
40. Obama lifts travel and remittance restrictions on Cuba.
41. Obama considers dropping the embargo on Cuba.
42. After warming signs from Raul Castro, Fidel Castro says Obama
"misinterpreted" his brother's words, and that Cuba would not be
willing to negotiate about human rights.
43. Obama is considering dropping a key demand to Iran, allowing it
to keep nuclear facilities open during negotiations.
44. In a letter to Dmitri Medvedev, Obama offered to drop plans for
a missile shield in Europe in exchange for Russia's help in resolving
the nuclear weapons issue in Iran.
45. Medvedev said he would not "haggle" on Iran and the missile shield.
46. Obama asked Congress for an extra $83.4 billion to fund operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, a special funding measure of the kind he
opposed while in the senate. As a candidate, Obama promised to cut
the cost of military operations.
47. After trying to woo Europe as the "antiBush," Obama made an
impassioned plea for more troops in Afghanistan. "Europe should not
simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone," he
said. "This is a joint problem it requires a joint effort." Only the
UK offered substantial help, most others refused.
48. "While the online question portion of the White House town hall
was open to any member of the public with an Internet connection, the
five fully identified questioners called on randomly by the president
in the East Room were anything but a diverse lot. They included:
a member of the pro-Obama Service Employees International Union, a
member of the Democratic National Committee who campaigned for Obama
among Hispanics during the primary; a former Democratic candidate for
Virginia state delegate who endorsed Obama last fall in an op-ed in
the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star; and a Virginia businessman who
was a donor to Obama's campaign in 2008." - Washington Post, 3/27
49. Obama bows to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting
in London.
50. "It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's
taller than King Abdullah." - An Obama aide
51. Dana Perino on: The endless campaign
"Has it really only been 100 days? In many ways it feels like a
lot longer. That's partly because the new administration remains in
campaign mode most of the time. Now that's not in itself a bad thing
if you can do that and accomplish your agenda. But what's happened is
that a popular new president has laid out a very bold agenda in the
midst of an economic crisis, and I don't think Congress is going to
get a lot of work done on those big ticket items this year. They'll eke
out a couple of small wins on issues like healthcare and maybe energy,
but the Democrats will hail them as big victories. The Republicans
have been working like a cohesive and loyal opposition party, and
they need to continue to outline positive new ideas like the recent
one to help grow American's savings.
"The partisan shots from the White House were unbecoming and I don't
think we'll see more of that." - Dana Perino was White House press
secretary under Bush
52. "We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely
necessary." - Obama, describing the stimulus bill.
53. Three candidates for ambassador to the Vatican - including
Caroline Kennedy - were turned down by the Holy See because they
supported abortion, according to reports.
54. After saying he wouldn't have lobbyists in his administration,
Obama made 17 exceptions in the first two weeks in office.
55 . . . including Tom Daschle, who worked as a top lobbyist yet
was going to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services -
until his failure to pay income taxes derailed his nomination.
56. For an April 14 speech at Georgetown, the administration asked the
university to cover up all signs and symbols - including the letters
"IHS" in gold, a symbol for Jesus.
57. Samantha Power, who resigned from the Obama campaign after calling
Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster," was hired to a position on the
National Security Council.
58. "Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President
Obama's victory celebration in Grant Park - despite a burgeoning
$50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union
concessions." - Chicago Sun-Times, 2/20
59. Firing Rick Wagoner as president of GM.
60. Threatening to fire Vikram Pandit as CEO of Citigroup.
61. Threatening to fire anyone the administration doesn't like from
any company.
62. Not adopting a dog from a shelter.
63. ABC News, 4/23: "The GAO study asserts that officials from most
of the states surveyed 'expressed concerns regarding the lack of
Recovery Act funding provided for accountability and oversight. Due to
fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the
number of oversight staff - limiting their ability to ensure proper
implementation and management of Recovery Act funds.' "
64. "The National Newspaper Publishers Association named Obama
'Newsmaker of the Year.' The president is to receive the award
from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House
ceremony this afternoon. The Obama White House has closed the press
award ceremony to the press." - Los Angeles Times, 3/20
65. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic
melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be,
in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." - Attorney General
Eric Holder
66. "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you
know, doing any seances." - Obama, on consulting with only "living"
presidents
67. Obama quietly announced that he would not press for new labor and
environmental regulations in the North American Free Trade Agreement,
going back on a campaign promise.
68. Nicole Gelinas on: Misspent stimulus
"One of Obama's most poignant missed opportunities was in not using
the historic $787 million stimulus package to reorder state and local
government's spending priorities.
"In the stimulus, of the more than $200 billion that went directly
to states and cities, nearly 70% went to education and healthcare
spending. Only 24% went to infrastructure spending. But the states and
cities in the most trouble already spend way too much on education and
healthcare, pushing taxes up and sending private industry away. They
don't spend nearly enough on infrastructure, which attracts the private
sector and builds the real economy. And, as Democratic governor of
Pennsylvania Ed Rendell said at the same conference, when President
Dwight Eisenhower left office, infrastructure spending was about 12.5%
of non-military domestic spending. Today, it's about 2.5%.
"This shortfall is obvious to anyone who's ridden on an "express
train" to the outer boroughs or driven on the Cross Bronx Expressway
recently. But in New York, as elsewhere, the stimulus money has
just allowed the state to ramp up spending on its wasteful, inhumane
Medicaid program and its nosebleed public-school spending.
"Meanwhile, the subways are about to crumble into oblivion - taking
the economy with them.
"The stimulus was a once-in-a-generation chance to change this.
Instead, it made the situation worse." - Nicole Gelinas is a
contributing editor to City Journal
69. "The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to overrule
Michigan v. Jackson, the 1986 Supreme Court decision that held that if
police may not interrogate a defendant after the right to counsel has
attached, if the defendant has a lawyer or has requested a lawyer. This
isn't the first time the Justice Department, under Obama, has sought
to limit defendants' rights." - TalkLeft blog
70. "By any measure, my administration has inherited a fiscal
disaster." - Obama
71. "Ahh, see. I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I
can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going
to get grilled every time I come down here." - Brushing off questions
from the White House press corps
72. On Earth Day, Obama took two flights on Air Force One and four
on Marine One to get to Iowa, burning more than 9,000 gallons of fuel.
73. "President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers
to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of
troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the
government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical
care." - Fox News, 3/17
74. "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk
away from it." - Obama during his first State Of The Union address. A
German invented the automobile.
75. Ralph Peters on: Pakistan and Afghanistan
"We're squandering blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Instead of
concentrating fiercely on the vital task of destroying al Qaeda and
its friends, the Obama administration's determined to erect a modern
nation where no nation exists. Afghanistan isn't a country. It's a
dysfunctional reservation inhabited by tribes that hate each other.
"Except as a target range where we can gun down terrorists, Afghanistan
doesn't matter. Next door, Pakistan matters immensely. But we
don't know what to do about it. With 170 million antiAmerican
Muslims descending into chaos as Pashtuns, Baluchis, Punjabis,
Sindhis and others claw each other over the country's shabby remains,
Pakistan's corrupt president shrugs, its military cowers, its loathsome
intelligence services collude with Islamist extremists, and the safety
of its nuclear weapons grows doubtful.
"The Obama administration's response? Drill more wells in the Afghan
countryside. Dramatically reinforce our troops in Afghanistan, sticking
them with an impossible mission of modernizing a pre-medieval landscape
while exposing them at the end of an insecure 1,500-mile supply line
through, of all places, Pakistan.
"As for Pakistan itself, the Obama administration wants to send
billions of dollars to a thieving government that makes Nigeria's
look like a Quaker meeting and to hand Pakistan's military more arms -
weapons that might soon be used against us. "Pakistan was a bad idea
when it was created in 1947. It's a worse one now. Afghanistan wasn't
even an idea, just an accident of where other borders ended. We can't
'save' either one - because neither wants to be saved on our terms.
"Our troops will do whatever we ask, to the best of their magnificent
abilities. But we should ask them to do things that make sense. We
need creative strategic thought, but we're succumbing to sheer
inertia. And the president's supporters who howled that we should
abandon Iraq to concentrate on their candidate's 'good war' don't
seem to be volunteering to do any fighting. Meanwhile, our president's
trapped himself inside his own campaign promises.
"Good morning, Vietnam!" - Ralph Peters is the author of "Looking
for Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World"
76. "It is only government that can break the vicious cycle where
lost jobs lead to people spending less money which leads to even more
layoffs." - Obama
77. "President Obama failed to consult Congress, as promised, before
carving out exceptions to the omnibus spending bill he signed into
law - breaking his own signing-statement rules two days after issuing
them - and raised questions among lawmakers and committees who say
the president's objections are unclear at best and a power grab at
worst." - Washington Times, 3/24
78. Adolfo Carrion was confi rmed as Director of White House Office of
Urban Affairs, but is serving under a cloud after allegations that he
accepted thousands of dollars in cash from developers whose projects
he approved.
79. Kyle Smith on: Going after Rush
"Every so often an unfocused athlete forgets about the fi eld of play
and climbs into the stands. Ty Cobb did it. Ron Artest did it. Maybe
no one did it with more sick fl air than the greasy, furious Hanson
Brothers who, in 'Slap Shot,' climbed into the stands to give a
beatdown to a fan.
"In March, Barack Obama sent his own personal Hanson Brothers, Chief
of Staff Rahm Emanuel and spokesman Robert Gibbs, out to attack a
non-politician - Rush Limbaugh - who was sitting innocently in the
stands jeering the action. Limbaugh didn't even throw a cup of beer.
"El Rushbo, chuckling over his cigar as his ratings skyrocketed,
could not have been more pleased if a picture had emerged of Obama
wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and burning the American flag on
Harvard Square. Even that portion of the public that doesn't like
Rush squirmed at the embarrassing spectacle of the president's men
going all Mean Girls on an entertainer. George W. Bush's spokesmen
maintained a dignifi ed silence about Michael Moore. Picture them
fanning out over the Sunday talk shows to denounce, and drive up the
box-office receipts of, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' Wouldn't you have loved
that, Michael?" - Kyle Smith is a Post columnist
80. Forced banks that didn't want TARP money to take it, then added on
stipulations about pay and government control after the fact. Secretly
forced Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch, then allowed the bank
to be criticized for overpaying.
81. "More than 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United
States," Obama said in Mexico, yet factcheck.org says, "The fi gure
represents only the percentage of crime guns that have been submitted
by Mexican officials and traced by U.S. officials. We can fi nd no hard
data on the total number of guns actually 'recovered in Mexico,' but
US and Mexican officials both say that Mexico recovers more guns that
it submits for tracing. Therefore, the percentage of guns 'recovered'
and traced to US sources necessarily is less than 90%."
82. Obama: "[Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc.], said that if
Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of
the folks who were just laid off." Jim Owens: "I think realistically
no. The truth is we're going to have more layoffs before we start
hiring again."
83. "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading
role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and
seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have
been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive,
even derisive." - Obama in Strasbourg, France
84. "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty,
if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there's
still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."
85. "You all worked for change. You wanted to see change. Well,
that wasn't a hard thing to try to communicate to the American
people. Obviously, obviously, we needed a change almost no matter
who was running."
86. "You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I
should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."
87. "There are more than 6.5 million trucks in the United States. The
program Congress terminated allowed 97 Mexican trucks to roam among
them. Ninety-seven! Shutting them out not only undermines NAFTA. It
caused Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on 90 goods affecting $2.4
billion in U.S. trade coming out of 40 states." - Charles Krauthammer,
3/20
88. David M. Drucker on: Bowing to Congress
"Although the president possesses enormous political capital - both
because of high approval ratings and because his administration is
still in its infancy - he has generally declined to exercise it with
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, including when it comes
to crafting legislation key to moving his agenda forward.
"Rather he has allowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid to craft legislation as they see fi t - even though
the very bills in question were proposed by the president and involve
key planks in his agenda. Among them were Obama's signature $787
billion economic stimulus bill and now health care reform, currently
being negotiated on Capitol Hill with minimal input from the White
House. This soft-pedal style of leadership runs the risk of forcing
Obama to embrace legislation constructed for narrow partisan interests
rather than in a manner capable of garnering broad bipartisan support.
Over time, the public might come to see Obama's deference to Pelosi
and Reid as a weakness of leadership not befi tting a president in
tough times." - David M. Drucker is a staff writer for Roll Call
89. "It has become apparent during this process that this will not
work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package
and the Census, there are irresolvable confl icts for me." - Sen. Judd
Gregg (R-N.H.), who became the second failed Commerce Secretary nominee
90. In the third sentence of his fi rst speech as president, Obama
said, "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath." The correct
number is 43, as Grover Cleveland served twice.
91. The $49 million inauguration - triple what taxpayers spent at
Bush's fi rst inauguration.
92. Giving the Queen of England an iPod full of his own speeches.
93. Three prime-time briefi ngs in his fi rst 100 days, eating into
television revenues and this Wednesday pre-empting "American Idol."
94. "The United States government has no interest in running GM. Your
[GM] warranty will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it's ever
been, because starting today, the United States government will stand
behind your warranty." - Obama
95. GM is given $ 15.4 billion in loans from the government.
96. The Obama Administration is trying to scuttle a lawsuit fi led
in federal court against Iran by former US embassy hostages. The
lawsuit alleges that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one
of the hostage-takers who interrogated the captives.
97. Glenn Beck on: Bad economic predictions
"Ten days before his inauguration, the President's chair of the
Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Rohmer, released a report
describing what to expect economically during the first 100 days
and beyond. It presented two starkly different scenarios: one good
(if the stimulus were to be passed), and one terrifyingly bad (if we
did nothing). Amazingly, the report estimated that if the stimulus
package were to pass, the unemployment rate would not go above 8%
at any time until at least 2014.
"It's already at 8.5%.
"In fact, while there is an acknowledged level of uncertainty, the
projections estimated that the unemployment rate would be lower today
if we had done nothing at all. This suggests one of two things: either
the administration misjudged the seriousness of our economic problems,
or the stimulus plan actually is making things worse. I suspect it's
a little of both. "If the President and his economic planners were
this far off, this soon, how much worse does the future look now?
"The election was supposed to bring 'change' but I was hoping for more
than the hypoallergenic qualities of the White House puppy. President
Obama didn't get us into this situation, but he's doubling down on
the same spending philosophy that did. Common sense tells us that new
debt is not the cure for old debt. No matter what the slogans say,
that won't change in 100 days or 100 years." - Glenn Beck is the host
of the "Glenn Beck" show, weekdays at 5 p.m. on Fox News.
98. "Education Secretary Arne Duncan has decided not to admit any new
students to the D.C. voucher program, which allows low-income children
to attend private schools . . . For all the talk about putting children
fi rst, it's clear that the special interests that have long opposed
vouchers are getting their way." - Washington Post, 4/11
99. Obama enrolled his daughters in a DC private school.
100. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." - Obama to
Rep. Peter DeFazio, after the Democratic congressman voted against
the stimulus bill.
The New York Post
April 26, 2009 Sunday
1. "Obama criticized pork barrel spending in the form of 'earmarks'
. . . Then he signed a spending bill that contains nearly 9,000 of
them, some that members of his own staff shoved in last year. 'Let
there be no doubt, this piece of legislation must mark an end to
the old way of doing business, and the beginning of a new era of
responsibility and accountability,' Obama said." - McClatchy, 3/11
2. "There is no doubt that we've been living beyond our means and we're
going to have to make some adjustments." - Obama during the campaign
3. This year's budget deficit: $1.5 trillion.
4. Asks his Cabinet to cut costs in their departments by $100 million -
a whopping .0027%!
5. "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea
parties." - ABC News, 4/15
6. "Mr. Obama is becoming known in America as the 'teleprompt
president' over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech." -
Sky News, 3/18
7. In early February, the 2010 census was moved out of the Department
of Commerce and into the White House, politicizing how federal aid
is distributed and electoral districts are drawn.
8. Obama taps Nancy Killefer for a new administration job, First Chief
Performance Officer - to police government spending. But Killefer had
performance issues of her own - a lien was slapped on her DC home in
2005 for failure to pay taxes. She withdrew.
9. Turkey tried to block the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen
as new NATO secretary general because he didn't properly punish the
Danish cartoonist who caricatured Mohammed. France's Nicolas Sarkozy
and Germany's Angela Merkel were outraged; Obama said he supported
Turkey's induction into the European Union.
10 . . . and he never mentioned the Armenian genocide.
11. This picture
12. H ugo Chavez gave him the anti-American screed "The Open Veins of
Latin America." Obama didn't remark upon it. At least it wasn't DVDs.
13. Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega went on a 50-minute antiAmerican rant,
calling Obama "president of an empire." Obama didn't leave the room. "I
thought it was 50 minutes long. That's what I thought," he said.
14. Executives at AIG get $165 million in bonuses, despite receiving
an $173 billion taxpayer bailout.
15. Sarah Palin on: 'I won'
"Obama soared to victory on the hopeful promise of a new era of
bipartisanship. During his inaugural address he even promised an 'end
to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and
worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.'
"Too bad it took all of three days for the promise to ring hollow.
"Obama's met with top congressional leaders on his
signature legislation - the stimulus - on the Friday after his
inauguration. Listening to Republican concerns about overspending
was a nice gesture - until he shut down any hopes of real dialogue by
crassly telling Republican leaders: 'I won.' Even the White House's
leaking of the comment was a slap at the Republican leadership, who'd
expected Obama to adhere to custom of keeping private meetings with
congressional leadership, well, private. It's only gone downhill
from there. The stimulus included zero Republican recommendations,
and failed to get a single House Republican vote.
"For now, Obama's backpedal on his promise just makes him look
insincere. But the real consequences of the mistake will be felt soon
enough. As Presidents Bush and Clinton can tell him, congressional
majorities do change - and at some point, Obama will need Republicans
on his side. He'd be smart to spend his second 100 days making up for
the serious snubs of his fi rst." - Sarah Palin is governor of Alaska
16. "For months, the Obama administration has known that insurance
giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off
government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was fl owing and news
was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in
anger and vowed to yank the money back." - Associated Press, 3/18
17. "After pushing Congress for weeks to hurry up and pass the massive
$787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama promptly took off for a
three-day holiday getaway." - New York Post, 2/15
18. "The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to
join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled,
disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war
is being replicated today." - Department of Homeland Security
intelligence report
19. Nixes a "buy American" provision in the stimulus bill.
20. "Yes, Canada is not Mexico, it doesn't have a drug war going
on. Nonetheless, to the extent that terrorists have come into our
country or suspected or known terrorists have entered our country
across a border, it's been across the Canadian border. There are real
issues there." - Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. The
9/11 hijackers did not come across the Canada border
21. "The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the
president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as
several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay
for overhauling the health care system. The proposal is politically
problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one
he denounced in the presidential campaign as 'the largest middleclass
tax increase in history.' " - New York Times, 3/14
22. Joe Scarborough on: Fear
"The same politician who proclaimed during his inauguration that
'on this day we have chosen hope over fear' soon warned Americans
that the US economy would be forever destroyed if the stimulus bill
was voted down.
"Why was it that same man who promised to put Americans' interests
ahead of his own political ambitions chose instead to use the suffering
of citizens to advance his agenda?
"Maybe he was following the guidance of Rahm Emanuel, who famously
said, 'You never want to waste a good crisis."' They didn't. The
White House's warnings were so over-the-top that Bill Clinton
felt compelled to warn the new president against making such grim
pronouncements. Americans would quickly warn that the White House
would not channel FDR's eternal optimism but rather embrace the gloomy
worldview of Edgar Allen Poe.
"I expected more from Barack Obama. For the sake of my country,
I hope I get it from the new president over the next 100 days." -
Joe Scarborough is the host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" and author of
"The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise"
(Crown Forum), due out June 9.
23. Sanjay Gupta was in discussions to become Surgeon General, but
the TV personality withdrew after he was criticized for his flimsy
political record.
24. Rasmussen finds 58% of Americans believe the Obama administration's
release of CIA memos endangers the national security of the United
States.
25. Only 28% think the Obama administration should do any further
investigating of how the Bush administration treated terrorism
suspects.
26. "Obama thanked CIA employees for their work and said they're
invaluable to national security. He told everyone not to feel bad
because he was now acknowledging potential mistakes. Theirs, not
his. 'That's how we learn,' Obama said, as though soothing a room
full of fourth-graders." - The Oklahoman, 4/23
27. By releasing the torture memos, Obama opened American citizens
up to international tribunals. A United Nations lawyer said last week
that the US is obliged to prosecute lawyers who drafted the memos or
else violate the Geneva Conventions.
28. At their first meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
gave Obama a carved ornamental penholder from the timbers of the
anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. Obama gave him 25 DVDs that don't work
in Europe.
29. Tim Carney on: Picking Bill Richardson as Secretary of Commerce
"Richardson's value in Obama's Cabinet had everything to do with
appearances. First, he was the Hispanic pick. Second, because
Richardson had run against Obama for President, tapping him for
the Cabinet helped the media write the Obama-Lincoln comparisons by
burnishing the 'Team of Rivals' image.
"But Richardson withdrew before Obama was even inaugurated when
news came out about a criminal investigation involving David Rubin,
president of a firm named Chambers, Dunhill, Rubin & Co., who had
donated at least $110,000 to Richardson's campaign committees and
had also profited from $1.5 million in contracts from the New Mexico
state government.
"This was an early warning sign about Obama's vetting process, but
picking Richardson to run Commerce also highlighted that Obama and
Richardson's promise of "public-private partnerships" - such as Detroit
bailouts, Wall Street bailouts, and green energy - was an open door
for corruption and was at odds with Obama's promise to diminish the
influence of lobbyists." - Carney is a Washington Examiner columnist
30. Timothy Geithner nomination as Secretary of Treasury was almost
torpedoed when it was discovered he had failed to pay $34,000 in
Social Security and Medicare taxes. He also employed an illegal
immigrant as a housekeeper. He was confirmed anyway.
31 . . . Not so lucky, Annette Nazareth, who was nominated for Deputy
Treasury Secretary.
She withdrew her name for undisclosed "personal reasons" after a
monthlong probe into her taxes . . .
32 . . . or Caroline Atkinson, who withdrew as nominee for
Undersecretary of International Affairs in Treasury Department,
with a source blaming the long vetting process. Geithner still has
a skeleton crew at Treasury, with no one qualified - or willing -
to take jobs there.
33. "Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports
that he intends to make Louis Susman, one of his biggest fundraisers,
the new US ambassador in London. The selection of Mr Susman, a lawyer
and banker from the president's hometown of Chicago, rather than an
experienced diplomat, raises new questions about Mr Obama's commitment
to the special relationship with Britain." - Telegraph, 2/22
34. Obama's doom-and-gloom comments and budget bill push the Dow
below 7,000, from which it's only recently recovered.
35. "You're sitting here. And you're - you are laughing. You are
laughing about some of these problems. Are people going to look at
this and say, 'I mean, he's sitting there just making jokes about
money-' Explain. Are you punch-drunk?" - Steve Kroft, "60 Minutes,"
3/22 36. "We have begun to modernize 75% of all federal building space,
which has the potential to reduce long-term energy costs by billions
of dollars on behalf of taxpayers. We are providing grants to states
to help weatherize hundreds of thousands of homes, which will save
the families that benefit about $350 each year. That's like a $350
tax cut." - Obama, describing something that doesn't cut taxes
37. "The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign
a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals
outside the federal government." - Defense News, 2/19
38. Backtracking on a campaign promise he made to black farmers,
Obama significantly lowered the amount of money they could claim in
a discrimination settlement. "I can't figure out for the life of me
why the president wouldn't want to implement a bill that he fought
for as a US senator," said John Boyd, head of the National Black
Farmers Association.
39. "I've been practicing bowling. I bowled a 129. It was like the
Special Olympics or something." - Obama on "The Tonight Show"
40. Obama lifts travel and remittance restrictions on Cuba.
41. Obama considers dropping the embargo on Cuba.
42. After warming signs from Raul Castro, Fidel Castro says Obama
"misinterpreted" his brother's words, and that Cuba would not be
willing to negotiate about human rights.
43. Obama is considering dropping a key demand to Iran, allowing it
to keep nuclear facilities open during negotiations.
44. In a letter to Dmitri Medvedev, Obama offered to drop plans for
a missile shield in Europe in exchange for Russia's help in resolving
the nuclear weapons issue in Iran.
45. Medvedev said he would not "haggle" on Iran and the missile shield.
46. Obama asked Congress for an extra $83.4 billion to fund operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan, a special funding measure of the kind he
opposed while in the senate. As a candidate, Obama promised to cut
the cost of military operations.
47. After trying to woo Europe as the "antiBush," Obama made an
impassioned plea for more troops in Afghanistan. "Europe should not
simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone," he
said. "This is a joint problem it requires a joint effort." Only the
UK offered substantial help, most others refused.
48. "While the online question portion of the White House town hall
was open to any member of the public with an Internet connection, the
five fully identified questioners called on randomly by the president
in the East Room were anything but a diverse lot. They included:
a member of the pro-Obama Service Employees International Union, a
member of the Democratic National Committee who campaigned for Obama
among Hispanics during the primary; a former Democratic candidate for
Virginia state delegate who endorsed Obama last fall in an op-ed in
the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star; and a Virginia businessman who
was a donor to Obama's campaign in 2008." - Washington Post, 3/27
49. Obama bows to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia at a G-20 meeting
in London.
50. "It wasn't a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he's
taller than King Abdullah." - An Obama aide
51. Dana Perino on: The endless campaign
"Has it really only been 100 days? In many ways it feels like a
lot longer. That's partly because the new administration remains in
campaign mode most of the time. Now that's not in itself a bad thing
if you can do that and accomplish your agenda. But what's happened is
that a popular new president has laid out a very bold agenda in the
midst of an economic crisis, and I don't think Congress is going to
get a lot of work done on those big ticket items this year. They'll eke
out a couple of small wins on issues like healthcare and maybe energy,
but the Democrats will hail them as big victories. The Republicans
have been working like a cohesive and loyal opposition party, and
they need to continue to outline positive new ideas like the recent
one to help grow American's savings.
"The partisan shots from the White House were unbecoming and I don't
think we'll see more of that." - Dana Perino was White House press
secretary under Bush
52. "We can't afford to make perfect the enemy of the absolutely
necessary." - Obama, describing the stimulus bill.
53. Three candidates for ambassador to the Vatican - including
Caroline Kennedy - were turned down by the Holy See because they
supported abortion, according to reports.
54. After saying he wouldn't have lobbyists in his administration,
Obama made 17 exceptions in the first two weeks in office.
55 . . . including Tom Daschle, who worked as a top lobbyist yet
was going to be appointed Secretary of Health and Human Services -
until his failure to pay income taxes derailed his nomination.
56. For an April 14 speech at Georgetown, the administration asked the
university to cover up all signs and symbols - including the letters
"IHS" in gold, a symbol for Jesus.
57. Samantha Power, who resigned from the Obama campaign after calling
Hillary Rodham Clinton a "monster," was hired to a position on the
National Security Council.
58. "Chicago has yet to recoup the $1.74 million cost of President
Obama's victory celebration in Grant Park - despite a burgeoning
$50.5 million budget shortfall that threatens more layoffs and union
concessions." - Chicago Sun-Times, 2/20
59. Firing Rick Wagoner as president of GM.
60. Threatening to fire Vikram Pandit as CEO of Citigroup.
61. Threatening to fire anyone the administration doesn't like from
any company.
62. Not adopting a dog from a shelter.
63. ABC News, 4/23: "The GAO study asserts that officials from most
of the states surveyed 'expressed concerns regarding the lack of
Recovery Act funding provided for accountability and oversight. Due to
fiscal constraints, many states reported significant declines in the
number of oversight staff - limiting their ability to ensure proper
implementation and management of Recovery Act funds.' "
64. "The National Newspaper Publishers Association named Obama
'Newsmaker of the Year.' The president is to receive the award
from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House
ceremony this afternoon. The Obama White House has closed the press
award ceremony to the press." - Los Angeles Times, 3/20
65. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic
melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be,
in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." - Attorney General
Eric Holder
66. "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you
know, doing any seances." - Obama, on consulting with only "living"
presidents
67. Obama quietly announced that he would not press for new labor and
environmental regulations in the North American Free Trade Agreement,
going back on a campaign promise.
68. Nicole Gelinas on: Misspent stimulus
"One of Obama's most poignant missed opportunities was in not using
the historic $787 million stimulus package to reorder state and local
government's spending priorities.
"In the stimulus, of the more than $200 billion that went directly
to states and cities, nearly 70% went to education and healthcare
spending. Only 24% went to infrastructure spending. But the states and
cities in the most trouble already spend way too much on education and
healthcare, pushing taxes up and sending private industry away. They
don't spend nearly enough on infrastructure, which attracts the private
sector and builds the real economy. And, as Democratic governor of
Pennsylvania Ed Rendell said at the same conference, when President
Dwight Eisenhower left office, infrastructure spending was about 12.5%
of non-military domestic spending. Today, it's about 2.5%.
"This shortfall is obvious to anyone who's ridden on an "express
train" to the outer boroughs or driven on the Cross Bronx Expressway
recently. But in New York, as elsewhere, the stimulus money has
just allowed the state to ramp up spending on its wasteful, inhumane
Medicaid program and its nosebleed public-school spending.
"Meanwhile, the subways are about to crumble into oblivion - taking
the economy with them.
"The stimulus was a once-in-a-generation chance to change this.
Instead, it made the situation worse." - Nicole Gelinas is a
contributing editor to City Journal
69. "The Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to overrule
Michigan v. Jackson, the 1986 Supreme Court decision that held that if
police may not interrogate a defendant after the right to counsel has
attached, if the defendant has a lawyer or has requested a lawyer. This
isn't the first time the Justice Department, under Obama, has sought
to limit defendants' rights." - TalkLeft blog
70. "By any measure, my administration has inherited a fiscal
disaster." - Obama
71. "Ahh, see. I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I
can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going
to get grilled every time I come down here." - Brushing off questions
from the White House press corps
72. On Earth Day, Obama took two flights on Air Force One and four
on Marine One to get to Iowa, burning more than 9,000 gallons of fuel.
73. "President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers
to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of
troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the
government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical
care." - Fox News, 3/17
74. "And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk
away from it." - Obama during his first State Of The Union address. A
German invented the automobile.
75. Ralph Peters on: Pakistan and Afghanistan
"We're squandering blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Instead of
concentrating fiercely on the vital task of destroying al Qaeda and
its friends, the Obama administration's determined to erect a modern
nation where no nation exists. Afghanistan isn't a country. It's a
dysfunctional reservation inhabited by tribes that hate each other.
"Except as a target range where we can gun down terrorists, Afghanistan
doesn't matter. Next door, Pakistan matters immensely. But we
don't know what to do about it. With 170 million antiAmerican
Muslims descending into chaos as Pashtuns, Baluchis, Punjabis,
Sindhis and others claw each other over the country's shabby remains,
Pakistan's corrupt president shrugs, its military cowers, its loathsome
intelligence services collude with Islamist extremists, and the safety
of its nuclear weapons grows doubtful.
"The Obama administration's response? Drill more wells in the Afghan
countryside. Dramatically reinforce our troops in Afghanistan, sticking
them with an impossible mission of modernizing a pre-medieval landscape
while exposing them at the end of an insecure 1,500-mile supply line
through, of all places, Pakistan.
"As for Pakistan itself, the Obama administration wants to send
billions of dollars to a thieving government that makes Nigeria's
look like a Quaker meeting and to hand Pakistan's military more arms -
weapons that might soon be used against us. "Pakistan was a bad idea
when it was created in 1947. It's a worse one now. Afghanistan wasn't
even an idea, just an accident of where other borders ended. We can't
'save' either one - because neither wants to be saved on our terms.
"Our troops will do whatever we ask, to the best of their magnificent
abilities. But we should ask them to do things that make sense. We
need creative strategic thought, but we're succumbing to sheer
inertia. And the president's supporters who howled that we should
abandon Iraq to concentrate on their candidate's 'good war' don't
seem to be volunteering to do any fighting. Meanwhile, our president's
trapped himself inside his own campaign promises.
"Good morning, Vietnam!" - Ralph Peters is the author of "Looking
for Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World"
76. "It is only government that can break the vicious cycle where
lost jobs lead to people spending less money which leads to even more
layoffs." - Obama
77. "President Obama failed to consult Congress, as promised, before
carving out exceptions to the omnibus spending bill he signed into
law - breaking his own signing-statement rules two days after issuing
them - and raised questions among lawmakers and committees who say
the president's objections are unclear at best and a power grab at
worst." - Washington Times, 3/24
78. Adolfo Carrion was confi rmed as Director of White House Office of
Urban Affairs, but is serving under a cloud after allegations that he
accepted thousands of dollars in cash from developers whose projects
he approved.
79. Kyle Smith on: Going after Rush
"Every so often an unfocused athlete forgets about the fi eld of play
and climbs into the stands. Ty Cobb did it. Ron Artest did it. Maybe
no one did it with more sick fl air than the greasy, furious Hanson
Brothers who, in 'Slap Shot,' climbed into the stands to give a
beatdown to a fan.
"In March, Barack Obama sent his own personal Hanson Brothers, Chief
of Staff Rahm Emanuel and spokesman Robert Gibbs, out to attack a
non-politician - Rush Limbaugh - who was sitting innocently in the
stands jeering the action. Limbaugh didn't even throw a cup of beer.
"El Rushbo, chuckling over his cigar as his ratings skyrocketed,
could not have been more pleased if a picture had emerged of Obama
wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt and burning the American flag on
Harvard Square. Even that portion of the public that doesn't like
Rush squirmed at the embarrassing spectacle of the president's men
going all Mean Girls on an entertainer. George W. Bush's spokesmen
maintained a dignifi ed silence about Michael Moore. Picture them
fanning out over the Sunday talk shows to denounce, and drive up the
box-office receipts of, 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' Wouldn't you have loved
that, Michael?" - Kyle Smith is a Post columnist
80. Forced banks that didn't want TARP money to take it, then added on
stipulations about pay and government control after the fact. Secretly
forced Bank of America to buy Merrill Lynch, then allowed the bank
to be criticized for overpaying.
81. "More than 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United
States," Obama said in Mexico, yet factcheck.org says, "The fi gure
represents only the percentage of crime guns that have been submitted
by Mexican officials and traced by U.S. officials. We can fi nd no hard
data on the total number of guns actually 'recovered in Mexico,' but
US and Mexican officials both say that Mexico recovers more guns that
it submits for tracing. Therefore, the percentage of guns 'recovered'
and traced to US sources necessarily is less than 90%."
82. Obama: "[Jim Owens, the CEO of Caterpillar, Inc.], said that if
Congress passes our plan, this company will be able to rehire some of
the folks who were just laid off." Jim Owens: "I think realistically
no. The truth is we're going to have more layoffs before we start
hiring again."
83. "In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe's leading
role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and
seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have
been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive,
even derisive." - Obama in Strasbourg, France
84. "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty,
if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there's
still a 30% chance we're going to get it wrong."
85. "You all worked for change. You wanted to see change. Well,
that wasn't a hard thing to try to communicate to the American
people. Obviously, obviously, we needed a change almost no matter
who was running."
86. "You know, I'm embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I
should have it in front of me and I don't. I'm actually embarrassed."
87. "There are more than 6.5 million trucks in the United States. The
program Congress terminated allowed 97 Mexican trucks to roam among
them. Ninety-seven! Shutting them out not only undermines NAFTA. It
caused Mexico to retaliate with tariffs on 90 goods affecting $2.4
billion in U.S. trade coming out of 40 states." - Charles Krauthammer,
3/20
88. David M. Drucker on: Bowing to Congress
"Although the president possesses enormous political capital - both
because of high approval ratings and because his administration is
still in its infancy - he has generally declined to exercise it with
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, including when it comes
to crafting legislation key to moving his agenda forward.
"Rather he has allowed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid to craft legislation as they see fi t - even though
the very bills in question were proposed by the president and involve
key planks in his agenda. Among them were Obama's signature $787
billion economic stimulus bill and now health care reform, currently
being negotiated on Capitol Hill with minimal input from the White
House. This soft-pedal style of leadership runs the risk of forcing
Obama to embrace legislation constructed for narrow partisan interests
rather than in a manner capable of garnering broad bipartisan support.
Over time, the public might come to see Obama's deference to Pelosi
and Reid as a weakness of leadership not befi tting a president in
tough times." - David M. Drucker is a staff writer for Roll Call
89. "It has become apparent during this process that this will not
work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package
and the Census, there are irresolvable confl icts for me." - Sen. Judd
Gregg (R-N.H.), who became the second failed Commerce Secretary nominee
90. In the third sentence of his fi rst speech as president, Obama
said, "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath." The correct
number is 43, as Grover Cleveland served twice.
91. The $49 million inauguration - triple what taxpayers spent at
Bush's fi rst inauguration.
92. Giving the Queen of England an iPod full of his own speeches.
93. Three prime-time briefi ngs in his fi rst 100 days, eating into
television revenues and this Wednesday pre-empting "American Idol."
94. "The United States government has no interest in running GM. Your
[GM] warranty will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it's ever
been, because starting today, the United States government will stand
behind your warranty." - Obama
95. GM is given $ 15.4 billion in loans from the government.
96. The Obama Administration is trying to scuttle a lawsuit fi led
in federal court against Iran by former US embassy hostages. The
lawsuit alleges that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was one
of the hostage-takers who interrogated the captives.
97. Glenn Beck on: Bad economic predictions
"Ten days before his inauguration, the President's chair of the
Council of Economic Advisers, Christina Rohmer, released a report
describing what to expect economically during the first 100 days
and beyond. It presented two starkly different scenarios: one good
(if the stimulus were to be passed), and one terrifyingly bad (if we
did nothing). Amazingly, the report estimated that if the stimulus
package were to pass, the unemployment rate would not go above 8%
at any time until at least 2014.
"It's already at 8.5%.
"In fact, while there is an acknowledged level of uncertainty, the
projections estimated that the unemployment rate would be lower today
if we had done nothing at all. This suggests one of two things: either
the administration misjudged the seriousness of our economic problems,
or the stimulus plan actually is making things worse. I suspect it's
a little of both. "If the President and his economic planners were
this far off, this soon, how much worse does the future look now?
"The election was supposed to bring 'change' but I was hoping for more
than the hypoallergenic qualities of the White House puppy. President
Obama didn't get us into this situation, but he's doubling down on
the same spending philosophy that did. Common sense tells us that new
debt is not the cure for old debt. No matter what the slogans say,
that won't change in 100 days or 100 years." - Glenn Beck is the host
of the "Glenn Beck" show, weekdays at 5 p.m. on Fox News.
98. "Education Secretary Arne Duncan has decided not to admit any new
students to the D.C. voucher program, which allows low-income children
to attend private schools . . . For all the talk about putting children
fi rst, it's clear that the special interests that have long opposed
vouchers are getting their way." - Washington Post, 4/11
99. Obama enrolled his daughters in a DC private school.
100. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother." - Obama to
Rep. Peter DeFazio, after the Democratic congressman voted against
the stimulus bill.