Re: "opacity."
A relative term, of course.
Surely you can't possibly imagine that this new admin. has actually been any more secretive then the now-departed Bush bunch! :-)
Re: "Obama promised no lobbyists"
True. There are not 'zero' lobbyists in the new administration. He has issued waivers to his own stated policy in a few instances (where he believed, because of the need for experience, and the abilities of the individual, and the need for some continuity, that a waiver was called for.) For example, in his pick to be the #2 man at the Pentagon.
Still --- when all of his initial appointments become finalized, so we can have an accurate count of 'who has been a lobbyist within 16 months of government service, and who has not' --- that I'd bet my *bottom dollar* that the Obama count comes in VASTLY lower then the Bush II, or Clinton, or Bush I, or Reagan lobbyist count! (And I'd make that bet because it would be like 'taking candy from babies', it would be a SURE THING, a very safe bet. :-)
However, I (agree with you) and have *always thought* that promising absolutely NO ONE with any 'lobbyist ties' would be in his admin. was clearly a RIDICULOUS and thus extremely FOOLISH thing to ever say. <g>
Re: "Obama promised an end to deficits"
Since we are STILL OPERATING under Bush's LAST BUDGET (for US fiscal year 2009) and Obama will not even *propose* his first budget to Congress until the end of next month... and his initial budget (US fiscal year 2010) will most likely not be passed (if normal history is any guide) until the end of this year --- you will HAVE A VERY LONG TIME TO GO before you will have any hard evidence to support your SPECULATION that the Obama administration will wind up increasing instead of decreasing federal debt.
Time will tell (as it always does). :-)
But it will be several years yet before ANY ONE will be able to accurately project whether the Obama admin will INCREASE FEDERAL DEBT as much as REAGAN/BUSH did:
Real (measured as a percentage of GNP and inflation-adjusted) National Debt HUGELY INCREASED under Reagan/Bush's eight years (+20.5%) and increased at an EVEN FASTER annualized rate under H.W. Bush's single four years (+13.1%)....
Or as much as BUSH THE YOUNGER did:
National Debt WENT UP BIG again under Bush the Younger (by an estimated +10.8% ).
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SOURCE: the official budget for the United States of America for 2009. The data is listed in the "historical tables" included in the U.S.'s 2009 Budget.
Here it is (PDF):
whitehouse.gov
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... Or whether, over the course of his years as President, he will be able to see the U.S. national debt decline (as it did big under Clinton, and moderately under Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon/Ford, and Carter.
You will have to wait a few years before any evidence is in on that question.
However, like I pointed out, the man has yet to even propose his *first* U.S. budget. :-)
Re: "Obama promised to end every policy of PResident Bush and now he is waffling on most of those."
You are objecting to keeping what works? (Or are you NOW arguing that NO POLICY of the Bush II administration was any good AT ALL?) |
