Recently, comedians have been having a nice laugh over President Obama's supposed lack of accomplishments. While we can have a laugh over the jokes, we must also remember that the digs have no merit.
Below is a short list of accomplishments. Suffice to say, I could have gone on much longer but there are enough bullet points to show clearly and concisely that the guys done a lot.
Recently, comedians have been having a nice laugh over President Obama's supposed lack of accomplishments. SNL, Conan, even Jon Stewart have taken their licks. His supporters can't be too thinned skinned after dishing jokes out to George Bush for so many years. While we can have a laugh over the jokes, we must also remember that the digs have no merit.
I'm not sure how the "lack of accomplishments" impression got formed. Maybe it is because the President is faced with problems that simply can't be solved quickly. The economy is not going to turnaround quickly from a two year recession no matter what steps are taken. Similarly, peace in the the middle east and a reduction global warming are goals that will not, and cannot, be completed in a few months or even a few years. The very nature of the challenges the President has taken on are ones that can only be partially met 9 months into office. Maybe it was that the President dared to enunciate lofty goals, even when he knew they could not be easily achieved. Maybe opponents decried "he's done nothing" so many times that people just started believing it.
Whatever the reason, the President deserves credit for tackling the major problems of our day and making real progress on many fronts. Below is a short list of accomplishments. Suffice to say, I could have gone on much longer but there are enough bullet points to show clearly and concisely that the guys done a lot.
Economy
Here's a simple summation– “He saved the economy from economic collapse.” How about a slightly longer one - “After a nearly a two year recession, and two years of total inaction, Obama steered the economy back to growth in only 9 months.” Here are the particulars:
· Developed and passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.. Even the Wall-Street Journal admits that the Recovery Act worked and independent audits suggest there is little or no fraud. Most Americans got a tax break. If you or know someone who is getting extended unemployment insurance or COBRA, you can thank this Act. See all that construction on the streets? Thank the Recover Act for that as well. You can debate how well the Act worked, but you can't debate that it did. You can debate how many jobs the Act created, buy you can't debate that it created or saved many, many jobs. As important is the fact that the projects funded by the Recovery Act will have a multiplier effect. For example, the investment in computerizing medical records creates jobs now and reduced medical costs long term.
· The "Making Home Affordable" home refinancing plan allows people in trouble with their mortgage to refinance at lower payments and rates. 500,000 people have refinanced.
· The President signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures, providing $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness , and helping to stabilize the housing market for everybody.
· The President launched a $15 billion plan to boost lending to small businesses.
The President sighed the first time homeowner tax credit and cash for clunkers.
· The President signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act to protect Americans from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.
Civil Rights
Health Care
Foreign Policy:
Hiring the Most Qualified Senior Staff that is Also the Most Diverse Group
Obama’s senior staff is generally acknowledged to be one of the most impressive, smartest, and qualified groups in presidential history. Here’s a fact – they are also the most diverse. He’s picked more women and minorities than any other president.
