Obama's record; the one Romney says he can't run on

[John Smith]

I got a private message from a board member, and I asked him a question, which I recall asking before, but not getting answers to.

Lots of folks tell me Obamacare is a bad thing, but none seem to have any specifics to back that up.

There are two components of the Affordable Care Act being considered by the Supreme court: the mandate, and the new Medicaid rules.

Sans those two things, I'd really lke someone to tell me how this bill has made things worse. I don't like it because it is still employer based, but that's no different from what we had.

It does cover more people than what we had, and those people benefit. Who gets hurt?

The fact seems to be that following the stimulus the economy began slowly digging it's way up. Dodd/Frank must have some good stuff in it, or the Republicans wouldn't be so opposed to funding it.

GM is alive, and Bin Laden is dead.

Romney keeps talking about Obama's policies making things worse.

Can anyone show me which policies have made things worse and how?

To be fair, Romney also claims he never said things are worse, though he says that daily.

[David W Pratt]

I think his policy of stifling research on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is short sighted and harmful. If coal could be burned with a smaller carbon foot print the US could be more energy free since electricity would be cheaper and therefore, electric cars more desireable. Further, we could export the technology to China and India and thus reduce global carbon.
Instead, he just wants to phase out coal fired power plants.

[stumpbumper]

I don't think he did stifle CCS research:
http://www.globalccsinstitute.com/community/blogs/authors/adamaston/2011/02/22/carbon-capture-fares-well-obama’s-2012-federal-budget-p

[Gerarddm]

Not gutting the 'Patriot' Act and signing NDAA were pretty big no-nos in my book. Smells like Bush Lite moves.

[Shang]

Aww, don't ask me to print out the list of President Obama's accomplishments again.
Last time it ran six or eight pages--each of the Bilge pages maxed out, and I had to go on to another page.
Since coming into office the President has accomplished an amazing number off actions. Obviously everything has been done with the Republicans kicking, screaming and filibustering against the public good every step on the way.
And idiots like Romney squealing and denying every accomplishment.

[John Smith]

Not gutting the 'Patriot' Act and signing NDAA were pretty big no-nos in my book. Smells like Bush Lite moves.

That falls under what he hasn't done. The complaint is things he has done. Policies he has set in place having hurt the country.

I'm trying to get the people who tell me this to be more specific. They never mention the NDAA. Or the continuing war in Afghanistan.

[John Smith]

Aww, don't ask me to print out the list of President Obama's accomplishments again.
Last time it ran six or eight pages--each of the Bilge pages maxed out, and I had to go on to another page.
Since coming into office the President has accomplished an amazing number off actions. Obviously everything has been done with the Republicans kicking, screaming and filibustering against the public good every step on the way.
And idiots like Romney squealing and denying every accomplishment.

They can't even give him credit for getting Bin Laden.

[Shang]

Just as a sample of President Obama's accomplishments, here are a few in the area of Banking and Financial Reform:

BROAD POLICY:
Established the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. ref
Established President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. ref, ref , ref
Restoring American Financial Stability Act of 2010. ref, ref
Dodd-Frank (DF) Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the biggest financial reform law since the Great Depression. ref
Managed the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) ref
Assigned a Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act of 2009. ref
Pension relief Act of 2010. ref
Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act. ref, ref
Played a lead role in G-20 Summit re: financial crisis. ref
Reformed deferral rules to curb tax advantages for investing overseas. ref
Established new offshore investment policy that promotes in-sourcing. ref, ref
FUNDING:
Cut salaries for 65 bailout executives (Pay Czar). ref
Banks have repaid 75% of TARP funds, bringing the cost down to $89B as of June 2010. ref
Closed offshore tax safe havens, tax credit loopholes. ref , ref , ref
TARGETED ACTIONS:
Created the Financial Stability Oversight Council to monitor stability of the financial system and individual firms (DF). ref
New requirements for reporting financial data (DF). ref
Created self-funded Office of Financial Research (OFR) to collect information from financial firms (DF). ref
OFR employees must wait a year before working for certain financial firms. ref
Provided for orderly liquidation of financial companies (DF). ref
Limited trading activities of banks (Volcker Rule) beginning 2 yrs after passage (DF). ref
Swaps Pushout Rule prevented federal assistance to swaps (including derivatives) traders (DF). ref
Derivatives must be traded transparently through a clearing house (DF). ref
Defined the amount and nature of assets required to meet capital requirements (DF). ref
Originators of asset-backed securities must retain 5% ownership/risk (DF). ref
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (DF). ref
Stronger client fiduciary duty for broker-dealers (DF). ref
Higher standards for securities advertising and disclosures (DF). ref
Expanded “insider loans” (DF). ref
Higher standards for sytemically important ($50 billion assets+) institutions, including annual stress tests and restrictions on bank acquisitions (DF). ref
Executive compensation must be determined by an independent committee (DF). ref
Issued compensation guidelines for bank executive salary and bonuses. ref , ref
Financial agencies must establish Offices of Women and Minorities to promote more diverse hiring (DF). ref
Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act. ref, ref
Credit CARD Technical Corrections Act of 2009. ref
Established a credit card bill of rights. ref
Reformed credit card swipe fees. ref
Created new criminal penalties for mortgage fraud. ref
Congress pursued Goldman Sachs for securities violations. ref
Permanently extended Research and Experimentation Tax Credit for domestic investments. ref
RESULTS:
(Treasury) Sold 1.5 billion shares of Citigroup at a profit. ref
G-20 summit produced a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. ref
Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals. ref
Financial reform has ‘strongest consumer financial protections in history.

[wardd]

They can't even give him credit for getting Bin Laden.

how dare obama do something bush couldn't