154 Days Remaining!
Over the past year, we’ve witnessed almost everything we would never have believed. As our soldiers put their lives on the line for Afghanistan, Afghan soldiers – the ones we’re training – the ones we’re protecting – are killing our people. Our leader’s incredibly strong response: apologize when possible. When the Secretary of Defense visited our troops, they were ordered to leave their weapons outside the tent – because Afghans – the same ones that are killing them – were reportedly unarmed and we didn’t want it to appear uneven. Shortly after we withdrew from Iraq, there were more killings. Since the writing of this book however, Iraq seems to have fallen silent. But, is it? On Sunday, a religious ruling was published in the country, in which Ayatollah Kazim al-Haeri – who lives in Iran – forbade voting for secular politicians. al-Haeri is the spiritual mentor of “Muqtada al-Sadr, an anti-American Shiite cleric,” who is opposing the current Prime Minister – Nouri al-Maliki – also a Shiite. The majority of al-Maliki’s opposition reportedly comes from secular groups.[1] On a different note, are you impressed with the amount of money expended in presidential elections? Here’s what Obama promised in 2008 – and what he actually did.
Reason #9
Obama the Warrior
On October 27, 2007, then Senator and Presidential candidate Barack Obama, promised to end the war in Iraq and bring troops home immediately after becoming President.
“I will promise you this – that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am President – it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank.”[i]
More than four years later – and nearly three years into his Presidency – Obama made good on the promise, leaving Iraq on an announced timetable he helped finalize and in a condition that brought terrorist attacks within weeks of our withdrawal.
Reason #10
A President as Good as his Word
Recently, some have questioned President Obama’s reversal on the issue of “Super PACs.” After openly attacking the Supreme Court ruling on PACs in his 2010 State of the Union Address and later calling Super PACs “a threat to our Democracy,” he decided to take advantage of them to assist his 2012 re-election bid. But, for those who were surprised by this flip flop, we have only to look back to his last Presidential campaign, where he promised to join Senator McCain, in conducting his campaign under the constraints of the Public Financing System. He proudly announced in the Fall of 2007:
“If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election.” [ii]
That lasted until he got a glimpse of how much money he could collect without a public finance restriction. By June 19, 2008, his tune had changed:
“We’ve made the decision not to participate in the public financing system for the general election.” [iii]
This was the first time since the system was created, that any “major nominee has declined public financing.”[iv] According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Obama raised approximately $745 million, while McCain, who kept his pledge to use Public Financing for the General Election, raised less than half of that. McCain, because he kept that pledge, “faced an $84 million limit on what he could spend during the general election, putting him at a huge disadvantage compared to Obama, who raised $66 million more than that in September alone.”[v]
Your Turn
Do you know a Reason why Barack Obama should not be elected President? Can you tie that Reason to something specific and document it with a credible source? If so, share it in the Reply box at the end of this page. Working together, let’s set a goal of 10,000 Reasons – and when we have them, let’s share them with the GOP!!! Make your voice heard on our new page: What Do You Think?
http://www.usadebtclock.com/ourfree50.com
1 ZeeNews.com (June 3, 2012), Zee News web-site, Religious Edict Seen as Aiding Embattled Iraq PM, retrieved June 3, 2012 from http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/religious-edict-seen-as-aiding-embattled-iraq-pm_779561.html
[i] Senator Barack Obama, (2007), YouTube web-site, video posted by “Illuminati Seer,” (November 13, 2009), Obama to End War, retrieved January 3, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn134-KLL7Y&feature=player_embedded
[ii] Senator Barack Obama, (2007), quoted in Tampa Bay Times’ PolitiFact.com web-site, On Public Financing of His Campaign, retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/04/barack-obama/he-said-hed-pursue-it-but-opted-out/
[iii] Senator Barack Obama, (June 19, 2008), quoted in Tampa Bay Times’ PolitiFact.com web-site, On Public Financing of His Campaign, retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/04/barack-obama/he-said-hed-pursue-it-but-opted-out/
[iv]Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holanl, (August 4, 2008), Tampa Bay Times’ PolitiFact.com web-site, On Public Financing of His Campaign, retrieved February 8, 2012 from http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2008/aug/04/barack-obama/he-said-hed-pursue-it-but-opted-out/
“So I’m going to let Leon [Panetta – Secretary of Defense] and Marty [General Dempsey] go into the details. But I just want to say that this effort reflects the guidance that I personally gave throughout this process.” [i]
Our Free 50 