Here is the first round of fact-checking Obama blather from his campaign speech last night. I wonder why the AP didn’t point out Obama’s bullshit lie about Warren Buffet paying a lower tax rate than his secretary?
WASHINGTON (AP) – It was a wish list, not a to-do list.
President Barack Obama’s array of plans in his State of the Union speech was light on a key piece of context—namely, that his hands are so tied until after the election that it is doubtful many if any of them can be done in the remainder of his term. There can be little more than wishful thinking behind his call to endoil industry subsidies—something he could not get through a DemocraticCongress, much less today’s divided Congress, much less in this election year.
That pretty much goes against Obama and his “Republicans are obstructionist” campaign claim.
And there was more recycling, in an even more forbidding climate than when the ideas were new: He pushed for an immigration overhaul that he couldn’t get past Democrats, permanent college tuition tax credits that he asked for a year ago, and familiar discouragements for companies that move overseas.
None of these ideas were passed when Democrats controlled both the House or Senate. Obama knows they want pass now and he can run against a “do-nothing” Congress. It’s all political…all the time.
A look at Obama’s rhetoric Tuesday night and how it fits with the facts and political realities of the day:
OBAMA: “We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising.”
THE FACTS: This is at least Obama’s third run at stripping subsidies from theoil industry. Back when fellow Democrats formed the House and Senate majorities, he sought $36.5 billion in tax increases on oil and gas companies over the next decade, but Congress largely ignored the request. He called again to end such tax breaks in last year’s State of the Union speech. And he’s now doing it again, despite facing a wall of opposition from Republicans who want to spur domestic oil and gas production and oppose tax increasesgenerally.
Not only Republicans but so does Obama’s “jobs council.”
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OBAMA: “Our health care law relies on a reformed private market, not a government program.”
THE FACTS: That’s only half true. About half of the more than 30 million uninsured Americans expected to gain coverage through the health care law will be enrolled in a government program. Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, will be expanded starting in 2014 to cover childless adults living near the poverty line.
The other half will be enrolled in private health plans through new state-based insurance markets. But many of them will be receiving federal subsidies to make their premiums more affordable. And that’s a government program, too.
Starting in 2014 most Americans will be required to carry health coverage,either through an employer, by buying their own plan, or through a government program.
All this is mandated by Obama’s health care law. A federal mandate to participate or face a fine. Obama lies so much he can’t keep up with his own lies.
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OBAMA, asking Congress to pay for construction projects: ”Take the money we’re no longer spending at war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building right here at home.”
THE FACTS: The idea of taking war “savings” to pay for other programs is budgetary sleight of hand. For one thing, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been largely financed through borrowing, so stopping the wars doesn’t create a pool of ready cash, just less debt. And the savings appear to be based at least in part on inflated war spending estimates for future years.
Must mention Obama spent billion on infrastructure with his stimulus. Anyone remember those “Recovery” road signs?
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OBAMA: “Tonight, I want to speak about how we move forward, and lay out a blueprint for an economy that’s built to last – an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers, and a renewal of American values.”
THE FACTS: Economists do see manufacturing growth as a necessary component of any U.S. recovery. U.S. manufacturing output climbed 0.9 percent in December, the biggest gain since December 2010. Yet Obama’s apparent vision of a nation once again propelled by manufacturing—a vision shared by many Republicans—may already have slipped into the past.
Over generations, the economy has become ever more driven by services; not since 1975 has the U.S. had a surplus in merchandise trade, which covers trade in goods, including manufactured and farm goods. About 90 percent of American workers are employed in the service sector, a profound shift in the nature of the workforce over many decades.
The overall trade deficit through the first 11 months of 2011 ran at an annual rate of nearly $600 billion, up almost 12 percent from the year before.
More evidence Obama is clueless about the American economy. Continue reading the article and you will see the other bullshit Obama spilled last night. He lied about the auto bailouts, the situation in Afghanistan, energy and America’s influence around the world.
