Root Points Out Corruption, Hypocrisy and Deception by Obama
16 Clear Cut Cases Where Obama & His Democratic Cronies Have Deceived the American Public
By Wayne Allyn Root, 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate
Barack Obama campaigned as a “uniter, not a divider.” He said he would end partisan politics in Washington D.C. Early during the Presidential campaign, I wondered how that was possible when a non-partisan organization named him as the holder of the most extreme liberal voting record in the entire U.S. Senate. How can you be the #1 most extreme liberal out of 100 Senators, yet call yourself a uniter? It's just not possible. It had to be a bold-faced lie. Well it turns out that President Obama tells lies on virtually every topic. His misleading rhetoric has little or nothing to do with the reality of his actual agenda. As my wise, common-sense butcher father taught me- “Always watch what a man does, NOT what he says.”
Below you'll find the actual Obama record of lies and hypocrisy. After only two months in office it is obvious that no matter what Obama says, or how wonderfully he says it, assume that his fancy, flowery and positive words serve as nothing more than propaganda to cover up the reality (which is usually the opposite of what he's saying). His rhetoric merely serves to lull the American public to sleep, while he implements his extreme left agenda.
*THE RHETORIC: Obama criticized Bush for out-of-control spending and record budget deficits.
THE REALITY: Once elected, Obama first budget and first stimulus package are far bigger than anything ever proposed or passed under Bush… creating a deficit FOUR TIMES bigger than the highest Bush deficit.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama criticized Bush repeatedly for signing bills into law that contained thousands of “earmarks.” Obama promised to end earmarks entirely, and to go through every line of the budget to root out waste.
THE REALITY: Obama has just signed his first budget bill into law. It contains over 8,000 earmarks, yet we heard nary a complaint, debate or threat of a veto from Obama. Not one earmark was removed.
*THE RHETORIC: During the Presidential campaign, Obama made McCain out to be a naïve blundering fool with no sympathy for the common man for trying to be upbeat, positive, and reassure the public about “the positive fundamentals of the American economy.”
THE REALITY: Only months removed from that same campaign, President Obama and his top advisors- alarmed by a growing economic disaster of his leadership- try to be upbeat, positive and reassure the public by calling the American economy “fundamentally sound.” You couldn't make this stuff up. Can Obama possibly think we're all that stupid?
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama ran tens of millions of dollars of TV and radio advertisements criticizing McCain's health plan for “taxing the health benefits of America's workers.” The ads were not just misleading, they were total lies. McCain's plan did tax employer-provided health care, but then gave every penny back via tax credits. The net result would have been zero cost to employees/taxpayers.
THE REALITY: The front page headline of this past Sunday's NY Times reports that “Obama Administration Is Open to Taxing Health Benefits.” Not only did Obama lie, distort and mislead about McCain's plan, he lied about his own plan. The exact thing he accused McCain of wanting to do, Obama is seriously considering doing. Except in Obama's case, the tax increase is real. Unlike McCain, Obama's plan won't give employees a tax credit to offset the tax. Obama is considering punishing anyone with health insurance to pay for universal health care for those without.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama promised tax cuts for 95% of Americans. Of course he lied, misled and distorted there too. You see, 40% of Americans pay no federal income taxes in the first place. But the biggest lie was yet to come.
THE REALITY: Obama's plans for “cap and trade taxes” to fight the unproven liberal "boogie man" of global warming will dramatically raise taxes on every American taxpayer, consumer and business owner. Business will pass these draconian new taxes onto consumers, thereby raising taxes on virtually every product in society (anything that uses energy to manufacture, or requires gasoline to ship anywhere). It is a fact that the 95% of taxpayers to whom Obama promised not to raise taxes will soon pay far higher prices at the pump, at home (on all utility bills), and at the store. To make matters worse, cap and trade has been tested for years in Europe. It has dramatically increased the size, scope and power of government; raised taxes; damaged the quality of life of tens of millions of Europeans; but it has NEVER lowered pollution levels. If Obama also decides to add a tax on employee medical benefits, he has hit the 95% of Americans he promised not to tax, with a double tax.
*THE RHETORIC: Only a year ago, Obama and the Democratic Congress blamed and assailed Republican President Bush for $4.00 gas that was completely out of his control.
THE REALITY: Obama is trying to pass a cap and trade bill that will dramatically increase the price of gas- perhaps far higher than $4.00. Yet Obama will most certainly rationalize $5.00 or even $6.00 per gallon gasoline to voters by evoking “sacrifice” in the name of a greener planet. The reality is that cap and trade and other green laws/initiatives/stimulus spending by government simply benefit and enrich Obama's cronies and contributors at the expense of consumers and taxpayers. Unlike Bush who had no control over the rise in the price of gasoline, Obama will purposely cause this painful new price increase.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama criticized Bush's use of “signing statements” to give him room to ignore the very bills that he was signing into law.
THE REALITY: President Obama just signed his very FIRST budget bill and immediately added a “signing statement.”
*THE RHETORIC: Obama criticized the divisiveness and rancor about race in America.
THE REALITY: Obama's Attorney General Eric Holder called white Americans “cowards” in a public speech to government workers on Martin Luther King Day. There's nothing divisive about that, is there?
*THE RHETORIC: Obama has repeatedly demanded responsibility, accountability and sacrifice from CEOs and high income Americans.
THE REALITY: Obama demands no responsibility, accountability or sacrifice from his loyal voters: UNION MEMBERS. Government employee union members and teacher union members (who vote overwhelmingly Democrat) are being hired at a record pace, while still receiving far higher salaries, pensions and health benefits than private sector counterparts. All of this is made possible by Obama's massive and wasteful stimulus package. And in states, counties and cities across the country, local government employees are not only avoiding layoffs, they are receiving cost of living raises and “step-up” salary increases, while private sector employees are losing their jobs by the millions. This is again made possible by Obama's massive and wasteful stimulus package. Where is the sacrifice of teacher unions, auto unions, or government employee unions under Obama? The reality is that under President Obama only some people have to sacrifice.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama promised to help small business owners. After hearing criticism of his stimulus package by small business advocates, Obama and his top aides repeated the lie that the stimulus package would greatly benefit small business. Obama is so worried that he has been caught in a lie, that he will announce today (Monday) new funds dedicated to small business loans. Starting to panic President Obama?
THE REALITY: Small businesses are closing by the tens of thousand per month across the country. The higher taxes proposed by Obama disproportionately effect small business owners. Cap and trade will also hurt small business owners- as the cost of utility bills rise, and the cost of goods rise (some of which they will not be able to pass along to their customers). The truth is that virtually ZERO jobs will be created by Obama's stimulus plan in the private sector. The only beneficiaries will be government employees – whose bloated salaries and pensions will force dramatically higher taxes on small business for years to come (long after the stimulus funds are gone). Meanwhile, a new government scandal brews as facts prove that government contracts set aside for small businesses are instead being fraudulently awarded to large corporations (who happen to make large campaign contributions).
*THE RHETORIC: Obama campaigned as a man who stood for education reform.
THE REALITY: Obama stands vehemently opposed to school choice, even allowing his first budget to kill successful school voucher programs in Washington D.C. and Milwaukee (that benefited minority school children). All the while, Obama's two precious daughters get to go to the most expensive and exclusive private school in D.C. (at a cost of almost $60,000). Obama denies choice for poor and minority children, condemning them to failing public schools, but gives his daughters the best choice that money can buy. Hypocrisy and callousness at its finest.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama criticized President Bush for not opening dialogue with our enemies. As President, Obama is willing to open dialogue with terrorists, madmen and murderous regimes such as Iran, Cuba, Syria and the Taliban.
THE REALITY: Obama will talk to anyone, negotiate with anyone, and compromise with anyone, no matter how vile, no matter how many people they have murdered or threaten to murder, even if their victims are women, children and the elderly. But he won't open dialogue with Congressional Republicans or Rush Limbaugh. Obama has nothing to say to them.
*THE RHETORIC: During the campaign, Obama promised Jewish voters that he would always stand by Israel.
THE REALITY: He has named a steady stream of biased-Palestinian sympathizers and Israel-haters to negotiate Middle East peace- including Charles Freeman, Daniel Kurtzer, and Samatha Power.
*THE RHETORIC: Obama ridiculed President Bush for bullying, berating and trampling over the opinions of our allies over the issue of the war in Iraq. The biased liberal media accused Bush ran of running roughshod over our allies and demanding they follow our lead “because America always knows best.”
THE REALITY: President Obama just sent Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to an economic summit in Europe to berate, bully and trample over the opinions of our allies over the issue of how to rescue the world economy. Unlike America, European allies want to practice fiscal restraint by not wasting billions on useless stimulus packages. Obama is demanding they follow our lead “because America always knows best.” I repeat- you couldn't make this stuff up.
*THE RHETORIC: The Democratic Congress has been demanding that CEO pay be tied to performance.
THE REALITY: If Congress had their pay tied to performance, Congressman and Senators would be broke and homeless. According to various public opinion polls, Congress' approval rating ranges between 10% and 18%. Congress is the only group in America ranked lower by the public than greedy CEOs. The hypocrisy is deafening.
*THE RHETORIC: Obama promised to clean up Washington D.C. and make ethics reform “the hallmark” of his administration.
THE REALITY: Obama has nominated more tax cheats and possible law-breakers in the first days of his administration than any President in modern history- Daschle (withdrawn), Killefer (withdrawn), Geithner, Solis, and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk all have suffered from embarrassing “tax issues”…Bill Richardson (withdrawn) is dealing with a criminal investigation.
Let's not forget powerful Democratic Congressman Charles Rangel who sets tax policy as Chairman of House Ways & Means, but cheated on his own taxes (leaving income from an offshore rental property off his tax returns and Congressional disclosure forms). Or Democrat Congressman Eliot Engel who applied and received property tax credits on his Maryland home only available to full-time Maryland residents, at the same time that he represented his New York constituents as a full-time Bronx resident (full-time NY residency is required to represent New York in Congress). What do these Obama appointees and confidantes have in common? They appear to be tax cheats who constantly support higher taxes, but obviously don't feel the need to pay taxes themselves.
Then there is Congresswoman Maxine Waters who railed hysterically at the top of her lungs against bank CEOs who lived lavishly while taking TARP funds, but never disclosed that her husband was on the board and owned substantial shares in a bank while she lobbied the government for TARP funds for that very bank. That favored bank of Waters was also penalized by the FDIC for “excessive executive compensation.” But Maxine was remarkably quiet about all that.
Or take the case of Democratic Senator Chris Dodd, who oversees banking for the U.S. Senate, yet accepted special discounted mortgage rates from the very banks he was overseeing and somehow never managed to notice the banking crisis coming.
Or Congressman Barney Frank who oversaw the banking industry for Congress, while his lover was running the troubled programs at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Congressman Frank also never managed to notice a banking crisis looming.
And let's not forget Nancy Pelosi who flies everywhere with her family on U.S. military planes, while Obama rails against CEO's flying on private planes. Pelosi is the leader of the Democratic cabal that screams nonstop about the effects of global warming, while they use more gas in one private plane trip than mere mortals such as you or me use in a LIFETIME of driving a car.
Obama and his corrupt Democratic cronies promised to “change” the culture of corruption in D.C. In reality, the only “change” that Obama has brought to D.C. is a change to new levels of corruption, lies, audacity and hypocrisy. And of course a “change” of who is perpetuating the corruption- Obama's friends, cronies, and contributors, instead of Bush's. You gotta love a man with audacity.
Wayne Allyn Root was the 2008 Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate. His new book will be released by John Wiley & Sons this Spring entitled, “The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts.” The book is available for pre-sale at Amazon.com. For more of Wayne's views, commentaries, or to watch his many media interviews, please visit his web site at: www.ROOTforAmerica.com
