"UP IN SMOKE?

“So, how am I doing?”Ex-NYC Mayor Ed Koch used to ask his constituents that question every day. President Obama might consider doing the same and then listening and acting on the feedback. The political cartoon from the "op ed" section of the June 10,2009 Miami Herald sends a surprisingly critical message.

Following the cartoon is a specific but far from complete list that I have compiled of President Obama's campaign promises that since his election have gone "up in smoke."

THE MIAMI HERALD

LiD LANDSBERG, PUBLISHER I ANDERS GYLLENHML, EXECUTIVE EDITOR! MYRIAM MARQUEZ, EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

J AivlES L KNiGHT (19091991)

-~

THE READERS' FORUM

"UP IN SMOKE"

1. No additional taxes on incomes below $250,000 (since lowered to $200,000 and when health care passes the ceiling will go even lower)
2. “I will not sign a bill if it contains earmarks.” This Sunday Congress passed a 1.1 trillion dollar spending bill that contained 5,000 earmarks worth $3.9 billion.
3. “Iran cannot be allowed to build a nuclear weapon.” (Iran didn’t receive the memo)
4. “my administration will be transparent.” Should that include secret Democrat only White House meetings on health care, etc?
5. Stimulus bill will keep unemployment under 8%. (it’s 10%)
6. Balance federal budget and reduce deficit. (this year’s deficit up to 1.8 trillion, debt has risen to over $10 trillion)
7. "Debate spending bills on C-SPAN so public can see who(in Congress) is for them." (apparently secret meetings are not televised)
8. "There will be a 5 day grace period so everyone can read bills online prior to Congress voting." (hasn’t happened and even Congressmen aren’t reading the bills, including the$787 billion stimulus bill)
9. Bi-partisan bills. (does this include Health Care?)
10. “I will not go backward to prosecute the previous eight years.” (Atty Gen Holder is investigating CIA)
11. “I will bring the troops home from Iraq by March, 2009.” (the troops are still there)
    

Again, this is just a partial list of his campaign promises to the American voters. President Obama's campaign strategy was to convince the electorate that he would fix Bush's failures. The strategy won the presidency for Obama.
That being the case, one would think that the White House would be hearing from the President’s supporters, especially those who voted for him, to let him know that they are disappointed that the President has not delivered on what he promised.
But instead of objective evaluation, what I see and hear is President Obama’s supporters allowing him to place the blame for his broken promises ad nauseam on the "previous eight years." Obama's "Army" gives him a pass and says“gosh...he’s only been in office less than a year. Give him time.” Of course these comments are not those of the unemployed, or those who will have to pay unexpected tax increases in the coming year(s), or those who have loved- ones in peril in the military in Iraq.

The actions of this presidency are difficult to watch, especially with the smoke getting in my eyes.

Albiwan..