Tonight is the State of the Union speech. So much talk of what Obama will speak about in the STOU address.
Why the attention and interest? He hasn't kept his previous promises so why bother with what he says? They are just words and words are his tools to manipulate YOU. If an action or proposal is disliked by the public, Obama just renames it! As if that changes everything!
Let's take a look at the Broken Promises as of Jan 27, 2010 ….
Broken Promise: End income tax for seniors making less than $50,000
"Will eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year. This will eliminate taxes for 7 million seniors — saving them an average of $1,400 a year– and will also mean that 27 million seniors will not need to file an income tax return at all."
Sources: "Barack Obama's Comprehensive Tax Plan"
Gone. It wasn't part of the tax cuts in the economic stimulus bill, also known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. It wasn't in Obama's first budget outline, which was approved by Congress on April 2, 2009. And it's not part of any proposed legislation that is out there.
Politifact
Broken Promise: End no-bid contracts above $25,000
"Will ensure that federal contracts over $25,000 are competitively bid."
Sources: "Obama's Plan for America: Fiscal"
Since Obama took office, none of the instructions from the White House's Office of Management and Budget — which serves as the administration's controller — has put any limits on the value of no-bid contracts. The guidance from the president and OMB appears to acknowledge that federal agencies may not always bid a project competitively, and instead has encouraged managers to do more to increase competition among contractors.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study of federal cancer initiatives.
"As president, Barack Obama will immediately direct his Secretary of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with agency officials, academic researchers, cancer survivors and advocates for people with cancer, and state public health officials, to comprehensively examine the various cancer-related efforts of federal agencies, and provide recommendations to eliminate barriers to effective coordination across federal agencies and between the federal government and other stakeholders."
Sources: "The Obama-Biden Plan to Combat Cancer"
No comprehensive study launched on federal cancer efforts.
After consulting with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the nonprofit American Cancer Society, but no one could point us to evidence that this promise is being fulfilled.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Allow five days of public comment before signing bills.
To reduce bills rushed through Congress and to the president before the public has the opportunity to review them, Obama "will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House website for five days."
Sources: Obama ethics plan
Credit card bill of rights passed without five-day break.
Furthernore, In light of the recent closed-door arm twisting sessions on Health Care and the infamous Louisiana Purchase and Nebraska Buyout, it seems Obama has broken TWO promises here. The five days or time people can read the pending bills AND the one abpout doiung all the Health care negotiations on C-SPAN. Good one Obama.
Broken Promise: Tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials.
"No political appointees in an Obama-Biden administration will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years. And no political appointee will be able to lobby the executive branch after leaving government service during the remainder of the administration."
Sources: Obama ethics plan
The administration has granted waivers to several former lobbyists, allowing them to serve. The administration also allows recusals, where former lobbyists simply recuse themselves from discussions concerning whatever interest it is for which they used to lobby. The recusals have not been made public, and we don't know how many have been issued.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Double funding for afterschool programs.
"Will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children."
Sources: Obama education plan
During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised to double funding for the 21st Century Learning Centers program, so that it can serve 1 million more children. The program, run by the Education Department, funds before- and afterschool programs as well as related services for their families. All told, the program served an estimated 1.6 million children and 250,000 adults in 2009.
Now that the appropriations process for fiscal year 2010 is complete, we can conclude that the administration didn't come close to achieving its goal.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws
As president, "will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws."
Sources: Obama letter to the LGBT (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transexuals) community
As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama pledged to "use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws." Obama has not just failed to push states toward equality for same-sex families; he's failed to do so despite being presented with numerous opportunities in the states that would have provided him an obvious forum for doing so.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Allow bankruptcy judges to modify terms of a home mortgage.
Will repeal provisions of the Chapter 13 law that prohibit bankruptcy judges from modifying the original terms of home mortgages for ordinary families — regardless of whether the loan was predatory or unfair or is otherwise unaffordable — "so that ordinary families can also get relief that bankruptcy laws were intended to provide."
Sources: "Obama: Supporting Urban Prosperity"
The Senate had rejected a proposal that would allow bankruptcy judges to modify the original terms of home mortgages. This can involve reducing the amount of principal that the person owes on a home, which would have the effect of lowering mortgage payments. Policymakers typically refer to this type of a reduction as a "cramdown."
"This provision ain't happening in this Congress, or likely ever," Gerdano, executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute, said.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Pay for the national service plan without increasing the deficit.
"Will maintain fiscal responsibility and prevent any increase in the deficit by offsetting cuts and revenue sources in other parts of the government (to pay for a national service plan that will cost about $3.5 billion per year when it is fully implemented). This plan will be paid for in part by cancelling tax provisions that would otherwise help multinational corporations pay less in U.S. taxes starting in 2008 by reallocating tax deductions for interest expenses between income earned in the U.S. and income earned abroad. The rest of the plan will be funded using a small portion of the savings associated with ending the war in Iraq."
Sources: "Helping All Americans Serve Their Country"
To demonstrate his commitment to fiscal responsibility, Barack Obama promised during his campaign that he would offset the costs of his national service plan with savings from changes in tax law and ending the war in Iraq… but that would require bookkeeping gymnastics that are not permissible under law.
Brian Riedl, an expert in the federal budget at the Heritage Foundation, said it was not realistic for Obama to promise he could offset the cost of his national service plan using the reduction of forces in Iraq.
"Obama is basically saying 'since we will have fewer emergencies next year, we'll just increase regular spending faster'," Riedl said.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Give annual "State of the World" address.
"I'll give an annual 'State of the World' address to the American people in which I lay out our national security policy."
Sources: Speech, "A New Beginning," Oct. 2, 2007
At the one-year mark since Obama was sworn in, we again checked the White House Web site, Google, and the VoteSmart database, and found he still hasn't given the speech and there are no plans to give it. In fact, the only foreign policy-related speeches that President Obama has made since December 2009 were his remarks on recovery efforts after the earthquake in Haiti.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Reduce earmarks to 1994 levels.
"Barack Obama is committed to returning earmarks to less than $7.8 billion a year, the level they were at before 1994."
Sources: "The Change We Need in Washington"
Steve Ellis, vice president of the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, told PolitiFact during early January that the group's running tally of congressional earmarks had already exceeded $10 billion for the fiscal 2010 appropriations bills. That number includes the earmarks that Congress has disclosed. But judging by past experience, Ellis said, that number is likely to rise as the group continues its research, because in the past, many earmarks that have been created were never officially disclosed by Congress.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Create a $3,000 tax credit for companies that add jobs.
"During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired."
Sources: Change.gov Agenda – The Economy
$3,000 tax credit not in stimulus bill, no future action seen.
Tax policy analysts said the credit would be an administrative nightmare to implement. Companies might eliminate a job and then create it again later in hopes of getting the tax credit.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said at a news conference on Jan. 14, 2009, that both Democrats and Republicans had problems with the measure.
"If you have a company and you're selling fewer shingles, $3,000 isn't going to get you to hire somebody when your sales are shrinking," Schumer said.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Allow penalty-free hardship withdrawals from retirement accounts in 2008 and 2009.
"Obama and Biden are calling for legislation that would allow withdrawals of 15% up to $10,000 from retirement accounts without penalty (although subject to the normal taxes). This would apply to withdrawals in 2008 (including retroactively) and 2009."
Sources: Change.gov Agenda – The Economy
Penalty-free withdrawals weren't included in the economic stimulus bill that became the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Nor were they part of Obama's budget outline, which Congress approved on April 2, 2009. It doesn't appear that any member of Congress has introduced such a measure and it will not happen.
Politifact
Broken Promise: Recognize the Armenian genocide.
"Two years ago, I criticized the Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term 'genocide' to describe Turkey's slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915. … as President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide."
Sources: "Barack Obama on the Importance of US-Armenia Relations"
Armenian genocide not named in statement on the day of remembrance.
Obama traveled to Turkey but failed to use the word "genocide" when asked about the historical events. During the presidential campaign, he had said he would recognize the Armenian genocide, and as a U.S. senator, he criticized the State Department's aversion to the word.
Politifact
