This seems like a good time to review all the damage Barack Obama has done during his first year in office.
But who has that much time?
Seriously, there isn't enough time to inventory all the damage. Let's just hit a few of the "highlights," shall we? Let's see . . .
Obama and his Democratic Party pals in Congress launched his administration by passing a massive phony $787 billion "stimulus" bill -- the purported purpose of which was to save jobs, but the real effect and intent of which was to reward every Democratic Party special interest known to man.
The results of the stimulus were impressive indeed. Seven months later, 49 of 50 states had lost jobs. Unemployment has long since surpassed the rate Obama claimed would be reached if the "stimulus" bill was not passed.
Obama claims that the "stimulus" created or saved jobs, but even the phony figures posted on his "transparency" website are ludicrous. Even taking those numbers at face value, many of the jobs supposedly "created or saved" cost the American taxpayers anywhere from $246,000 to $2 million per job.
The U.S. unemployment rate shot past 10%, exceeding all rates seen in the past quarter century.
Meanwhile, the massive debt racked up by Democrats in the White House and Congress is destroying the value of the dollar.
Trading partners including China have raised alarm about the U.S. deficit. China holds about $2.2 trillion in foreign currency reserves, most of which are in U.S. dollars. At this rate, the U.S. is headed toward "third-class status as a nation."
The Social Security trust fund has now had a cash deficit for six months in a row -- something that hasn't happened for at least 22 years -- meaning that the fund will go broke faster than anyone predicted.
It's also been a record year for foreclosures. Way to go, Obama, with a big "assist" from Democratic Congressman Barney Frank, who insisted that there was nothing seriously wrong with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and thwarted reforms proposed by (among others George W. Bush and John McCain) -- and was proven terribly wrong.
Over 100 banks have failed, and many more will be shut down in the months ahead.
Then there was the ridiculous cash-for-clunkers program, whose real-world results included frustrating car dealers across the country, wasting taxpayer money, and forcing the premature destruction of numerous cars.
Ah, but at least America is safe under Obama, right?
The Christmas-day underwear bomber blew that theory to smithereeens by successfully smuggling about 80 grams of the high-explosive chemical PETN aboard an aircraft, only failing in his bombing attempt due to a flawed detonator. An earlier government test with just 50 grams of PETN blew a hole in the side of an airliner. That was the amount in the bomb carried by the so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid over Christmas 2001.
But of course, in the case of the underwear bomber, the "system worked perfectly," the American public was told. It makes sense, if the system is to allow someone known to be a threat board a plane with high explosives -- and then clean up the pieces later.
The system that worked "perfectly" under Obama, as it turns out, involves not flagging information and giving it a higher priority, as has occurred under Bush, if it might create the appearance that anyone was being profiled or targeted.
Before the underwear bomber, there was Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hassan, whose militant Islamist thetoric was noticed but not acted upon by a military that was afraid, once again, of appearing politically incorrect.
And we haven't even touched yet on Obama's non-stop apology tour for America, the fact that his first call to a foreign leader as president was to the Palestinian leader, his reduced funding of missile defense just in time for North Korea to advance its missile threats, his futile outreach to Iran's mullahs, or his lukewarm reaction to Iran's freedom movement,
Nor will we dwell on the White House's Air Force One buzzing of New York.
But speaking of joy rides, Obama has had parties at the White House an average of more than twice a week the entire year. He's also played golf more than George W. Bush ever did.
I wouldn't begrudge the man his leisure if he was accomplishing worthwhile things between his vacations or at least leaving the administration in the hands of competent people. But, no, his appointees have been another area of conspicuous failure for Obama, including (among others) communist Van Jones, Maoist Anita Dunn and "safe" schools "czar" Kevin ("Let's-Teach-Unsafe-Gay-Sex-to-Children") Jennings.
So as you can see, it's been a busy year for Obama, but not one in which he has actually helped to make things better. In fact, more than half the time Obama seems to be working at cross-purposes to Americans' real needs.
What does Obama have to say about all this?
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