President Obama's Campaign Promises

President Obama during a recent interview with Oprah gave himself a B+ for his performance to date. Needless to say, I think he has given himself a very favorable curve, especially based on what I have seen of his performance to date.

Troops are being pulled out of Iraq, but at a slower rate than promised and now it appears that more will be staying than in the original plan.

The USA's commitment to Afghanistan has increased with the ordering of an additional thirty thousand troops, not to mention billions in finanical aid. Where is the end of al-Quada and the Taliban?

There are still prisoners in Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) even though the President promised it would be closed in the first year of his Administration. There is talk of the prisoners being moved to a high security facility in Illinois, but nothing has been finalized.

Health Care Reform is an on going battle being fought along clearly partisan lines. What happened to the spirit of cooperation and unity in government?

Where are the new jobs? Where are all the new Green businesses? Unemployment has slowed down, but for millions nothing has improved.

Where are strong regulations to control banks? They are paying off the bail out money, paying employees big bonuses, increasing interest on credit cards, withholding loans for home buyers, and taking no precautions for the future. Why is the Obama Administration not making things tougher on Wall Street?

Other areas not going well. Obama failed to bring the Olympics to Chicago. Personally I do not think he should have even gone to plead the city's case, but the fact is he went and lost. Not a pretty picture.

Obama receives the Noble Peace Prize but no one, including himself, understands why. Regardless of the justification supplied by the Noble Committee, it still looks like Obama got the prize based on future hopes as opposed to any real action he has performed to date.

Climate control and saving the environment. Obama went to Copenhagen and failed miserably. Now,to be fair he tried, but it is evident other world leaders do not hold him in that high esteem because he could not even get the nations to agree to an enforceable plan. In truth, it looks like business will continue as always and future generations will pay the price for the greed of their ancestors.

Overall, I give Obama a C-. A lot of talk, a lot of promises but very little to show.
He got elected by people who really thought he was different, that he was more than just another politician, that he was a man of his word and that he would make things happen. Having been part of the system he knew how it worked, so he should only have promised what he knew was doable. Instead, he stayed a politician wanting to win and has put us in our current situation.

Understand that I know he can do nothing on his own. He has to deal with the Congress. But having been a part of Congress he knew what obstacles he would be up against and he should have been honest about them up front. Instead he gave the impression that he could overcome the obstacles and thus far he has failed miserably.

The real challenge for Obama is to see if his Administration can turn things around or he could end up being another one term president.

Actions speak louder than words, now Obama's actions need to live up to his words.

Its Common Sense!

9/11 Suspects to be tried in New York

The Obama Administration announced that mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other Guantanamo Bay detainees are going to New York City to be tried for their part in 9/11. Nothing like a speedy trial system.

Why has it taken so long for these men to be brought to trial? Why were they allowed to sit in Cuba, rather than face justice here in the United States where they perpetrated their crime?

Does the Justice Department only now have enough evidence? There are a lot of questions that need answers.

Word was also given that Abu al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected mastermind of the attack on the US Cole is going to face a military tribunal. I wonder if he should not be tried by the World Court in the Hague. After all, his was an attack of terrorism, not war. Yemen has never declared war on the United States, and I do not believe you can be at war with a group of religious fundamentalists, which only leaves terrorism as the crime.

In truth, Khalid Sheik Mohammed and his "friends" should also be going to the World Court because the attack on the Twin Towers was not just an attack against New York and the United States, but against the entire world. All nations have a stake in seeing justice met, this needs to be on the world stage.

Now we will have to wait and see what transpires. Will the be demonstrations and acts of violence in New York? Will the proceedings of the military tribunal be opened or closed?

These men acted against all of us and I believe we have the right to see how they are dealt with and to insure that true justice is served.

Its Common Sense!