Thursday, March 26, 2009
Posted by: John Campbell at 3:58 PM

President Obama likes to speak. He likes to speak a lot. At one point while I was recovering from my surgery, I remember seeing him give 3 separate televised speeches on the same day!  Whether it's Leno or a prime time press conference, he's on TV saying something pretty much every day.

But is he doing what he is saying? A couple of weeks ago an editorial appeared in none other than the Washington Post (not exactly a conservative publication) suggesting that he is saying one thing and doing another. I agree. Here are some specific examples:

"…I've pledged to slash earmarks by more than half when I am President" Candidate Obama - 11/22/08: 

But one of his very first acts was to sign a massive spending bill with nearly 9,000 earmarks costing over $7.7 billion. Heck, he didn't even ask, or try to ask, that the earmarks be removed.  He appears to have no intention of following through on this popular campaign pledge.

"…I pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term in office" Address to Joint Session of Congress - 2/24/09:

This statement is so far from the truth that I hardly know where to start. The budget, as computed by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, does cut the budget in half in 5 years, but only because the first year deficit has been enlarged so much (to $1.8 trillion) by the stimulus package and omnibus spending bill.  It's like pledging to lose 10 pounds, but then gaining 20 pounds first. Secondly, after the 5th year, it rises again dramatically every year thereafter, even under his own numbers!  His 5 year number is only a brief moment in time. His budget averages over $1 trillion in deficit a year for as far as the eye can see. He will add more debt in 6 years than was accumulated by every president from George Washington to George W Bush. But, more on the budget tomorrow.

"So if you look at our budget, what you have is a very disciplined, fiscally responsible budget…” - 3/06/2009: 

Give me a break. This is clearly the least responsible budget ever proposed, for the reasons I have laid out above.



View in ascending order View in descending order
Exeye writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:04 PM
You mean, he lied?
Shocked, I am. Shocked.
vladimir estragon writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:19 PM
Lies, all right
"But one of his very first acts was to sign a massive spending bill with nearly 9,000 earmarks costing over $7.7 billion. Heck, he didn't even ask, or try to ask, that the earmarks be removed."

That's a blatant and grotesque lie, clearly so to anybody who casually peruses the daily newspaper.

And how can promising to halve the deficit by 2013 be a "lie"? By your standards, Bush should have been impeached for his lies.
Foamer writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:24 PM
Not bringing up Reagan
Notice how the Dems aren't bringing up Reagan and his deficits anymore?

I wonder why?
Sandra writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:33 PM
Issue a DUI for the drank in chief
obama is drunk on the fiscal budget. He seems to think, like other african presidents do, printing money is a solution to economic woes. If you don't have money, just print it. YES WE CAN!

Will somebody ask the moron in chief HOW WE WILL PAY FOR THE DEBT.
Bea writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:48 PM
Oboma vs. "speak" = OXYMORON
per J. Campbell: "President Obama likes to speak. He likes to speak a lot. At one point while I was recovering from my surgery, I remember seeing him give 3 separate televised speeches on the same day!"

BO likes to READ. He can only READ: mellifluously. His crutch, Mr. Teleprompter, has to be by his side incessantly. However, when the "jig" was up, BO attempted to rehabilitate his "teleprompter" dependence; thus, BO has taken up with the likes of a "Giant, flat-screened, TV Monitor".

Thinking improvisationally, ad-libbing) on his feet, is not within BO's intellectual capacity. He is apparently dysfunctional without a teleprompter or TV screen: a giggling, irrational puppet, a quasi-straw man who is directed by some apparent, anti-American entity.
vladimir estragon writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 4:58 PM
Bea
"Thinking improvisationally, ad-libbing) on his feet, is not within BO's intellectual capacity. He is apparently dysfunctional without a teleprompter or TV screen"

Obviously you didn't see the press conference just the other night. He did read his opening statement off the teleprompter, as every other president has for the last 40 years. But the rest of it was entirely impromptu. Surely you disagreed with his answers, but can you give us an example of when he was unable to speak without his teleprompter? Video would be great, but a transcript would be fine.

I know that someone who gets upset about people who resort to insults instead of just answering questions will provide a clear answer to this request.
paddy o'furniture writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 5:28 PM
Are you better off.....
...than you were four months ago...?
Retired Lady writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 6:48 PM
Vlad, I thought you were
the consummate liberal; but I see now (comment 4:19 pm) that you are a comedian! Thanks for the laugh!
2010 folks that is our only hope, otherwise O will destroy this country!
Don't Tread On Me writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 6:56 PM
Bea.. PSST!
Post a link to the video of BHO going "Uhh... er... uhhh.." when his techno-binkies I mean his teleprompters go out.

There's a reason he's being referred to as "The Karaoke President" these days.
An Instinctive Gesture of Reciprocal Liking writes: Thursday, March, 26, 2009 7:14 PM
Sandra
"He seems to think, like other african presidents do, printing money is a solution to economic woes."

Obama is African? I thought you racists always insisted that he's actually more white than black. Or more Muslim than anything else. Now he's African? Hmm.

I guess when you don't like something he's doing, just blame it on the fact that he's "african."

Let me guess Sandra, you're a BC'er. Wonderful.

Bea writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 7:35 AM
Oh Vladdie......Your Demand for...
....the Video as to the dreaded trade-off of "poor, poor Mr. Teleprompter" to the new significant other -->: "Mr. Giant TV Monitor"!

Go to: http://www.infowars.com/obama-swaps-teleprompters-for-gian t-tv-monitor/

Watch and weep! It appears, subsequent to the near recent breakdowns suffered by poor, poor "Mr. Teleprompter", BO decided to get a more dependable, LARGER, easier to READ, crutch-pal.

And please don't tell me that the web address is dysfunctional! We are all on to your ridiculous "Duh, what's up Doc" routine.
Kathryn (More govt is NEVER the answer) writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 9:21 AM
Where are the Republicans???
Obama's disastrous policies and OBVIOUS lying can be so easily EXPOSED! Where are the Republicans??? They could be easily decimating this man.

Join me in urging Republicans to stand loudly, clearly, and forthrightly for REAGAN CONSERVATISM:

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conserva tive-leadership.html
--
BillK9 writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 9:33 AM
More lies
So much for no former lobbyists in my administration. William Lynn now nominated for under secretary for defense was a lobbyist for Raytheon a DEFENSE CONTRACTOR. Now Obama Is "annoyed" with the reporter for asking about
his nomination. But the celebrity just goes on and on. Are you Americans seeing through this guy's bull yet?
BillK9 writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 9:35 AM
More lies
So much for no former lobbyists in my administration. William Lynn now nominated for under secretary for defense was a lobbyist for Raytheon a DEFENSE CONTRACTOR. Now Obama Is "annoyed" with the reporter for asking about
his nomination. But the celebrity just goes on and on. Are you Americans seeing through this guy's bull yet?
eddie too writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 10:02 AM
Why is Maobama hiding his birth

certificate and college records? What information do they contain that the man sitting in one of the most powerful seats in the world would spend millions of dollars to keep the information from being made public?

Even more amazing is that the news media are not curious about why someone would spend millions of dollars to keep the public from seeing his birth certificate and college records. No one who is not researching this question should be called a news reporter.
Jay writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 10:40 AM
Tell Congress to STOP the Spending!
Obama and Congress are about to spend us into bankruptcy.

Americans must speak up and let Congress know that this madness has to stop.

Contact your members of Congress and tell them to STOP the Spending!

Follow the link and send a personalized message to your members of Congress today!

http://www.conservativeoutpost.com/campaign/cta/stop_spendi ng

You can even send bulk messages to ALL Republicans, Democrats or state delegation members.
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 10:41 AM
Dear Bea
"Watch and weep! It appears, subsequent to the near recent breakdowns suffered by poor, poor "Mr. Teleprompter", BO decided to get a more dependable, LARGER, easier to READ, crutch-pal."

DUH! For his OPENING STATEMENT! Every president since, oh, Nixon or so, has used a teleprompter for his opening statement has press conferences. So we had a larg-screen video instead of a teleprompter. SO WHAT!

The rest of the press conference continued with no notes, no screens, no teleprompters.

Notice how the right wing has once again managed to bend the supposedly "liberal" media to its talking points. Barack Obama is the most articulate president we've had since Reagan - yes, Reagan, the "Great Communicator" who read his opening remarks off a teleprompter and then often stumbled without it - and Obama has been recognized and praised as a brilliant speaker by people around the world, AND by the American media, including the conservative media, at least back during the campaign, when he was speaking in public and on TV without notes many times every day. But somebody decided, in the last two months, to use the Rove tactic of attacking, not weaknesses, but strengths. And so Obama's greatest strength, his public speaking abilities, has now been smeared by the "teleprompter" meme. You guys are slimy, but I have to hand it to you, you really do affect the mainstream media.
Eric Blair writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 10:52 AM
Is
Depends on what "is" is. Thanks and a hat tip to the Great Philanderer for that one!
Trident Warrior writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 10:53 AM
vlad
Ask Jake Tapper from ABC if Obama answered his question.
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:36 AM
Wake up and smell the latte
"Ask Jake Tapper from ABC if Obama answered his question."

Eagle Eye, how many presidential press conferences have you ever watched or listened to? Where did you get the idea that presidents - ANY presidents - always ANSWER the questions they're asked? When you have seen any politician actually answer the question he or she is asked?

I'm not saying that's OK, but it's bizarre to find an implication that this has something to do with President Obama specifically.

Anyway, Tapper's question was would the president sign a budget without certain specific items in it, and the president wouldn't answer with a flat yes or no. Do you honestly believe Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, Eisenhower, etc. etc., would have answered any differently?
Bea writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:37 AM
Whaoooo Vladdie......
....In a snit, are we?

Your comment: "Notice how the right wing has once again managed to bend the supposedly "liberal" media to its talking points."

Talking points? Who are you referring to? Me? Now, I am laughing! A "ghetto to the meadow" gal who resides in the heartland. A quintessetial BITTER CLINGER, who definitely does tons of clinging: a combination Nun and Annie Oakley. Right Wing? No. Regular, concerned, America loving, America devoted (US Constitution, Freedom, Liberty, etc.) citizen....YES! Get your head out of you bu!!.

Your other absurd comment: "And so Obama's greatest strength, his public speaking abilities, has now been smeared by the "teleprompter" meme. You guys are slimy, but I have to hand it to you, you really do affect the mainstream media."

What??? His (BO) "greatest strength" is his READING (w/Mr. Teleprompter @ his side) and his mellifluous (honey) voice. His idiotic and insulting performance on Leno (without Mr. Telepromter), and, his "silly goose" routine (giggling incessantly) on Sunday's Talk, never answering any question w/clarity, was a childish cover-up for an empty blintz. Vladdie, you are a brainwashed loon.
GunnyCee  writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:41 AM
Republicans vs Democratic Socialists
Catherine (9:21 am), if Republicans engage in pointing out Obama's lies, they are fighting a losing battle. Liberals have answers for every point you make. They are practiced and glib in circular logic and will have the Republican's heads spinning, taking the attention of the public away from the real problems. Plus, the Dem Socs have their backs covered by the MSM -- that's my take on why Republicans don't challenge liberals...it's pointless.
Trident Warrior writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:48 AM
Vlad
Anyway, Tapper's question was would the president sign a budget without certain specific items in it, and the president wouldn't answer with a flat yes or no.

Why not?
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:51 AM
Who's in a snit?
Not me. I'm as happy as that clam over threr, at ease in Zion, at peace with myself and the world. Why do the people who enjoy listening to voices raised in anger on the radio and TV accuse their opponents of being angry?

"Vladdie, you are a brainwashed loon."

In a nation of 200 million brainwashed loons, and a few dozen Faithful Bitter Clingers who know the Truth. So they say. Did you hear about the woman watching the Boy Scout parade who said, "Look, my son is the only one in step"?
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 11:55 AM
Eagle Eye
Look, I'm going to have to start charging for tutoring around here.

"Anyway, Tapper's question was would the president sign a budget without certain specific items in it, and the president wouldn't answer with a flat yes or no.

Why not?"

Imagine you're the president. Imagine that the Congress is in the middle of a typically chaotic budget resolution session. Imagine that you have as much trouble with your own party as the opposition.

Now imagine that a reporter asks you if you will sign the budget if it does not include certain specific items, which he names.

OK, here's the point. Remember how we started with, "Imagine you're the president"?

If you answer "Yes" or "No" to the reporter's question, YOU'RE NOT THE PRESIDENT, because nobody who would be dumb enough to answer "Yes" or "No" to that question could ever possibly be president.
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 12:07 PM
Retired Lady
Let me spell it out for you, since I was obviously mistaken that people actually follow the news around here.

Congressman Campbell wrote: "But one of his very first acts was to sign a massive spending bill with nearly 9,000 earmarks costing over $7.7 billion. Heck, he didn't even ask, or try to ask, that the earmarks be removed."

There are any number of news stories, easily googled, that show that to be a lie, For one example:

"President Obama on Wednesday signed what he called an "imperfect" $410 billion omnibus spending bill, while calling on Congress to enact changes that will limit the ability of lawmakers to put pet projects in future measures.

"I am signing an imperfect omnibus bill because it's necessary for the ongoing functions of government," he said.

Obama said the projects, known as earmarks, are often wasteful and without merit.

Obama called on Congress to place notice of earmarks on the sponsoring lawmaker's Web site in advance to give the public an opportunity to judge their merits and to require competitive bidding for earmarks that involve the work of private companies.

The president also said earmarks should not be traded for political favors, and called on Congress and the White House to work together to eliminate earmarks with no legitimate public purpose."
Trident Warrior writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 12:17 PM
Vlad
If he wont answer the question, then why be on television during primetime?
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 12:40 PM
Pop quiz
Who said this in a televised press conference:

""The problem is the deficit is -- or should I say -- wait a minute, the spending, I should say, of gross national product, forgive me -- the spending is roughly 23 to 24 per cent. So that it is in -- it what is increasing while the revenues are staying proportionately the same and what would be the proper amount they should, that we should be taking from the private sector."

vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 12:41 PM
Eagle Eye
Here's a question and answer from another presidential press conference:

Q: "If you had younger children, would you send them to a school with a child who had AIDS?"


A: "I'm glad I'm not faced with that problem today. And I can well understand the plight of the parents and how they feel about it. I also have compassion, as I think we all do, for the child that has this, and doesn't know, and can't have it explained to him why somehow he is now an outcast and can no longer associate with his playmates and schoolmates. On the other hand, I can understand the problem with the parents. It is true that some medical sources had said that this cannot be communicated in any way other than the ones we already know and which would not involve a child being in the school. And yet medicine has not come forth unequivocally and said, 'This we know for a fact, that it is safe.' And until they do, I think we just have to do the best we can with this problem. I can understand both sides of it."

Now, if he couldn't just answer yes or no, what is he doing on national TV?

Ann writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 1:21 PM
"Because I won!"...
... just words? Will the campaign ever be over?

(Still highly recommended--
http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com)
h20skier writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 2:05 PM
vlad
Here is Obama uhing and ering his way through an answer: http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-well-um-uh -about-that-uh.html
Rob writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 2:06 PM
Vlad
the president said, the president said, the president said, on and on.

Saying and doing are two different things. To say you won't sign a spending bill with earmarks and then make excuses for doing so is nothing more than lying.

Every time Obama says something he's lying.
vladimir estragon writes: Friday, March, 27, 2009 4:01 PM
Rob
"Saying and doing are two different things."

That's very true. Usually at press conferences, though, it's just talking.

"To say you won't sign a spending bill with earmarks and then make excuses for doing so is nothing more than lying."

McCain said he wouldn't sign a bill with earmarks, but Obama won the election, and Obama never said that. So somebody has been lying to you. Sorry.
John writes: Saturday, March, 28, 2009 11:37 AM
Unbelievable
I will gladly answer your questions vlad,as I aways am. No I never expect a politician to give a straight up yes or no answer on the weather ourtside that day. But I do expect a tiny hunt of a clue of what this mans plan is as it entails taking over the country without firing a shot. It aint gonna happen! Even the mainstream rumpswabs that got him elected are starting to feel betrayed. Used as pawns for this Chicago mobster to take the constitution and shread it. Yea he improvised! What's the point? Nobody ever accused him of not being able to articulately say nothing for an hour. He should have been prepared for the obvious questions coming and was pathetically wanting in substance and long on rhetoric. Using words that mean different things in different cicumstances makes it easy to say he was misunderstood or taken out of context. This no ordinary time in our history, so I'm sorry if I expect a better effort from our President. One thing only has he not lied about pertaining to his campaign promises. He is transparent. Most of us can see right through him.
Big Sky Cowboy writes: Sunday, March, 29, 2009 2:41 PM
The Old Joke Fits
The joke is how can you tell if a lawyer is not telling the truth. Answer, are his lips moving? Boy does that fit Obama.
B2slim writes: Sunday, March, 29, 2009 3:28 PM
DEAR MR Teleprompter of the USA

Dear MR. Teleprompter of the USA, HARVARD GRADUATE. or READER !

Please make a small correction for you next Press Conference or Major Address to the nation.

Regarding your assumption that there are not enough electricians in the country, presently there are about 1 million unemployed electricians because of the home and commercial building bust. YOU MADE A GRAVE ERROR stating that this nation does not have enough Electricians to wire up your “government control “controls” to control or shut down our energy consumption at your discretion”!

Regarding “smart” energy control systems, Please note: 15 years ago Honeywell had developed and improved and has been selling those “SMART’ energy control systems in all new homes, new commercial buildings and they are available to all new HVAC installations in existing homes and commercial buildings. (Please refer to “smart thermostats”)

AS well, this country is already “over wired” “over cabled” for extremely sophisticated electronic equipment far more sophisticated than those “government to control your energy use controls you plan to install everywhere”!

Regarding this as your instant “job creation” solution, frankly most home thermostats can be converted to “smart control thermostats” in less than 5 minutes by every homeowner or even directly from the utility companies through their already operational “REMOTE” systems.

SO NOW MR. TOTUS unless you have a more “sinister” motive to get into our homes to install government “CONTROLS” , you may need to repeat your freshman undergraduate classes. Those that teach how to be realistic and those that teach common sense is a good start.
B2slim writes: Sunday, March, 29, 2009 3:37 PM
SO Congressman::: GOP::: RNC

WHERE IS THE RANT ?!

We did notice that congresswoman Bachmann from MINNESOTA no longer believes the OBAMA-Geinther lies about their lies:

SO WHERE IS THE SUPPORT FOR HER BILL ??

SO WHERE are the Congressmen standing on the steps with a FREEDOM TORCH and FLAG and Scroll of the Constiution ranting ???

SO where are the GOP / RNC ranting about Obama's "Americorps" MANDATORY youth slave labor camps: and retraining camps:
6 billion to force our kids to do community service ? What crime have they committed ?

That sounds like a HITLER YOUTH camp to me:

DO YOU PEOPLE READ WHAT YOU PASS ???

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

We want leadership to bring the resistance from Sea to Sea to DC on JULY 4th ! RU LISTENING ?
B2slim writes: Sunday, March, 29, 2009 3:50 PM
INDIA can keep those JOBS TOTUS said

INDIA can KEEP THOSE JOBS TOTUS Reader said ! We do NOT WANT THEM, the Reader said.

MR Teleprompter of the USA told in an online town hall meeting that:

INDIA should KEEP those 2,700 IBM high tech jobs that just left the country because their value of 80,000 per year salaries are NOT WORTH it for USA workers, they cannot live on 80,000 plus full benefits! The teleprompter READER said.

HIS REALLY exciting BIGGER PLAN HE said is to train new “electricians” to install his “CONTROL” your life controls in your house: THAT is where all of the new jobs are going to be created he said.

AND probably growing more grass for alternative energy too.
Note: Fields marked with a red asterisk (*) are required.
Salutation:
First Name:
*
Last Name:
*
Email:
*
Address 1:
*
Address 2:
City:
*
State:
*
Zip:
*
 

About John Campbell

John Campbell is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and has taken a leadership role in addressing the country's top economic issues. Campbell serves as a member of the Joint Economic Committee, and House Committee on the Budget. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master's Degree in Taxation from USC.

Create You Own Blog on Townhall.com - IT'S EASY Search User Blogs on Townhall.com :: Where Your Opinion Counts
Young America
Young America's Foundation
Panel Discussion: Remembering Reagan
Listen Now Listen Now
Click to download Podcast Podcast