Hypocrisy from the Left?

We're hearing a lot of "insulting the new President-elect is counter-productive," "you guys make me sick," and similar remarks regarding our "spreading of lies" (what lies?) about Barack Obama.

So should we just ignore the past 8 years of Liberal smear-jobs on President Bush?  Or is that territory off-limits as well?

Comments

[jennnna]

george bush only did all this
Abortion & Traditional Values

Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade.

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy.

By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act.

By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services.

Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals.

Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004.
Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman.
Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents.
Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools.
Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms).
Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline.
Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs.

Budget, Taxes & Economy

Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history.
Supports permanent elimination of the death tax.

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority.
In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains.

Signed trade promotion authority.

Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches.
Fight Europe's ban on importing biotech crops from the United States.
Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes.
Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home.
Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled.
Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA's from $500 to $2,000 per child.
Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000.
Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans.
Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year.
Character & Conduct as President

Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency.
Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse.
Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days:
Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: "War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing."

On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." The crowd roared with cheers and chants of "USA! USA! USA!" Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation:

Education & Employment Training

Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act.

Announced "Jobs for the 21st Century," a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education.
Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.)
Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight.
Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance.
Requires school-by-school accountability report cards.
Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems.
Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to to become teachers.

Environment & Energy

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.
Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives.
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.

Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species.

Defense & Foreign Policy

Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.
Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime's senior members were killed or captured.
Leader by leader and member by member, al Qaida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaida leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaida leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden's second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror.
Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed.

Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists' funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network.

Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century.

Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.

Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency.

Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace," along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU.

Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia.

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command.
Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs.
Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry.
Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006.
Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy.
Ordered a review of overseas deployments.
Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year.
Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports.
Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed.
Globalization & Internationalism

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant).

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.

Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).*
The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: "The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?" We all know the outcome and the answer.
Told the Congress and the world, "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country."

Government Reform

Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises.

Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs.

Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.*
Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers.
Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals.

Health

Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free.
Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health.
Signed Medicare Reform, which includes:
A 10-year privatization option.
Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine.

More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors.

New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford.

Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration

*See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security.
Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004.

Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield).
Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders.
The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity.

Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals.
Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones.

Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested.

This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies.
Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.
Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization.
Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens.
Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications.

[Gabe]

AJ,

Good point. I shouldn't be too black and white about the issues. However, I don't think it's wrong to help the poor or "the struggling masses yearning to breath free." Is it wrong to accept social responsibility--to help those who are less fortunate? If we diverted the billions of wasteful spending dollars to more socially responsible programs, who are you say that it's "flat wrong?"

The reason that people can't break free is because they are held back. If you think it's whiny liberalism, or black people blaming "whitey" for all their problems, YOU are the naive one my friend. It would seem that, if you can't understand what I'm saying, you've never walked in the dark places of this country. Maybe you've spent too much time running "through amber waves of grain" and haven't realized that opportunity isn't as simple as just being here. Where's your heart?

I think that it's quite obvious that the tax cuts of these past 8 years hasn't worked. The top 5% of taxpayers provide more than half of all income tax revenue for the country. Why? Because the billions of dollars they pay is exponential. Even if the tax rate was equal for everyone (which makes sense to me) the top 5% would still pay much more. It's basic math. And there is no way to know that Obama won't fix it until he actually assumes the Presidency.

It's apparent to me that my point of view in my last post is legitimate. Out of all the points I made, the only arguable one is about lying and let's face it, no one, and I mean NO ONE, is perfect. It's the imperfection that breeds perfection. You still with me? I'll slow down.

[Dan]

Hypocrisy? Bush led us into two wars and a financial crisis. He also wasn't on his toes when Karina happened. HE caused the smear jobs. Obama hasn't done anything wrong yet. Don't play defenseless and call out the "smear jobs." You are just as pathetic as our current President in office.

[EnglishForDirtyForeigners]

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Oh yes, we have many stuffs:
http://www.EnglishForDirtyForeigners.com

Come for the comedy, stay for the hilarity.

[AJ]

Gabe says "At this point, no one can say that Obama has lied about ANYTHING". That's not true. He said his administration would be "post-partisan" and in 2007 he said he wouldn't hire any ex-lobbyists for positions in his administration. His FIRST appointment- Rahm Emanuel- is, by everyone's estimation, an EXTREME partisan. Oh- but now the liberal media is calling it a super choice, a PRACTICAL choice. Why? Because "Rahm can get things done, he knows Washington and he knows the white house". So the question is, when Obama said he wouldn't hire washington insiders, was he being naive, IMPRACTICAL, or simply lying? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was just lying.

He's also starting to backtrack on tax cuts for 95% of Americans (why? because taxing the 5% even more is also impractical in a recession... or because he was lying).

Mark these words- he will soon realize that "change" and "hope" and making the poor feel good are all terrific paths to elected office, but his ideas (whatever meat is on any of them) are all impractical or flat wrong.

If you bought in to his campaign, be on your toes- he has two choices: Cater tot he hard left, and alienate the moderates he won, with all the hard left alternatives. Or give up his original and deepest base by trying to actually get things done.

[liberty]

Oh and Jay, Bush Bashing started the day he was elected--do you not remember the Bush Stole the Election hype or are you trying to conveniently fit the facts into your argument. Think for a change.

[liberty]

I'll spell it out for you--I and many like me fundamentally disagree with every one of Obama's policies. I lived through the rise of socialism for ten years in Europe. Everything Obama has said describes exactly how the socialist model took hold over there. If Obama gets his way, that is where the US will be and I'll be damned if I'm not going to fight that happening.

If you want to call that bigoted then I submit to you that you are the bigot for using generalizations about your opposition. Guess what? You can call us whatever name you want--believe me we've been called everything by the hate-filled media and Obama supporters. It's not going to change our mind at all. Let the bashing begin because I don't want Obama to get one of his policies inacted. Once they are in, it will be nearly impossible to overturn

Now is the time to act.

[jay]

Bush 'bashing' started way well into his presidency and it was justified by his actions. You want to portray Obama as the Antichrist and he has not even assumed power yet. How do you expect your position not be be perceived as bigoted and extremist?

[erock]

"Liberal smear jobs"? Is AYTHING better now than it was 8 years ago (if you're not a CEO, that is)?

Dissent is not only the prerogative, but also the duty of every American. Read works by our founding fathers. Anyone who says that calling Bush out on his destructive, divisive, irresponsible actions constitutes a "liberal smear job" IS a lemming, blindly following Bush without thinking. It is amazing, the right's ability to believe in 2 opposite things at the same time.

Bush and his cronies have capitalized on the perpetuation of our fear and our anger over 9/11. If we had a real Attorney General, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Tenet would all be in jail.

I also find it amazing that McCain supporters call Obama socialist and compare him to Hitler. John McCain wholeheartedly supported the Wall Street bailout. When the government buys companies, that's called socialism. John McCain is fond of saying "Country first" (which implies people last, by the way). That is called nationalism. Nationalism + Socialism = ...anyone?

[erock]

After the 2000 Presidential Election I was offered some friendly advice that I would like to pass on in the hopes it will help those unhappy about the outcome of this election. Here it is:

Your guy lost. If you don't like it, GET OUT!!

Haaaaaa hahahahahahaha!

[Gabe]

I can't believe you people. The REAL problem here is that you can't put your petty differences aside to help fix this country. YOU are the problem. You would rather sit back and let things get worse just so you can say "See, told ya so." That makes me sick. GROW UP!

If you haven't noticed, Bush was one of the WORST presidents this country has ever seen. And in case you missed it, he pulled in a whopping 28% approval rating. I'm sure they were ALL Democrats that bashed him.

At this point, no one can say that Obama has lied about ANYTHING. He's not even the president yet for cripes sake! You can't say he hasn't fulfilled his promise of change.

It's selfishness and greed that keeps our citizens and nation from making progress. Get over it! We all have to pay taxes whether you like it or not. And to think that we will become a socialist nation is ridiculous because, if Obama puts in place the regulatory measures that we need, we will be at a more normal level of government intervention. If you don't like stable government, move to Africa. Then you will realize what the lack of government strength brings.

In case you think I'm just a whiny liberal, think again. I voted for McCain in the primary. At that point, he seemed the most qualified. I hadn't heard one thing about Obama. As time went on and the REAL analysis started, McCain couldn't acknowledge that there's a really big economic problem. Sarah Palin was a bad choice too. If he had chosen say, Mitt Romney, I may have voted differently.

So please, give him a chance. And if it doesn't work out, he won't be re-elected.

[ProUSA]

Oh, but there is something we can do about it, Stephanie. And we will continue doing it until Nobama is out of office. The 65 million of you lemmings that voted for him will soon come to know what lies beneath the surface of this public relations creation of David Axelrod. Such a ruse could never work with Republicans because the major difference between us and the leftist loons is that we think rather than follow blindly.

Admit it, you bought the product based on slick packaging and consumer popularity. You guys are such an easy mark for someone like Axelrod.

I will give him major credit though. You lemmings bought his product hook, line, and sinker. Nobama was the bait. And once you all realize how stupid you were, you won't be able to admit it. You'll have to find someone to blame.

That is what will be fun for the 57 million of us that didn't vote for him to watch over the next year or so. Mark my words. It will happen. And the real uncomfortable thing for you and your friends, is that you all will know it when it starts to happen...and it won't be long from now...

:)

[stephanie myers]

First of all, everyone please shut up.
Second, obama won by a HUGE landslide. He recieved over 300 electoral votes, with only McCain's hanging by a nail in the 160's.
That should tell you all something:
the country had voted and by a huge majority, all believe in Obama
so please stop whining about this election because it had already happened, the people have chosen, and there is honestly nothing you can do about it!

[ProUSA]

I agree with you Liberty. Turnabout is fair play. Bush received absolutely no respect from the leftist loons for 8 years. But now they're appealing for respect and a chance???

Uh, no. Don't think so. We will be relentless in holding Nobama's socialist feet to the fire.

[Liberty]

I plan on bashing President Obama in much the same way Bush was bashed for 8 straight years. Afterall, the liberals taught us all how to do it and the did it so well. Now what? We're all just supposed to "let the man have a chance"? I fundamentally disagree with every single one of Obama's policies and I don't give a rats if people think the opposition should just be gracious losers.

In the words of Reverend Wright: Chickens coming home to roost..for the liberal hatemongers...

Don't forget it.

[ProUSA]

Where have all the Nobama-Zombies gone??

"The actions by Freddie Mac are cited by some economists as the beginning of the country's economic meltdown."

BUSH TRIED...NOBAMA LIED

"Freddie Mac substantially misrepresented its income to 'present investors with the image of a company that would continue to generate predictable and growing earnings'" while Rahm Emanuel, a leading figure in the Democrat Party who's supported Obama throughout his presidential campaign, was on the Board of Directors."

CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN? YEAH, RIGHT.

"Maybe next media members will report how Obama was the second-leading political recipient of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac contributions since 1989 even though he's only been in Congress since 2005."

SPREADING THE WEALTH IS JUST FAIR FOR EVERYONE...

Wow. Things are really going to be different when Nobama's in charge.

Let's all just have another drink of the cult-flavored koolaid and everything will be fine.

[Sawyer]

Craig: I don't know where you were, but the Bush hate started when he barely defeated Al Gore and they fought about it for three weeks. Bush was basically crucified before even setting foot in office and, if you remember correctly, it was said that whoever won would have a hard time because half the country would despise him. The Democrats did not prove that prediction wrong from the get-go. There was no waiting to see what would happen with him in office; half the country was instantly set to "Bush sucks" mode.

That being said, I think it's sad how people who're upset about this election are using past Democratic behavior - behavior that these same people think is so horrendous - to justify acting like petulant children. I think we've all seen that a constant flow of insults and hate can really hurt a country, no matter what the President actually does, so why continue that cycle? Especially if you're one of those people who's so bitter about the "Liberal smear?" Being vengeful isn't attractive, especially when it makes you a hypocrite at the same time.

You're not helping anyone, least of all yourselves. If you oppose Obama's ideas and policies, then make a point of doing so when he actually presents them to the nation and implements them and do it maturely and with reason. If you don't want to make a difference, by all means, continue along with this stupid "Well, the Democrats did a bad thing, SO I CAN, TOO!" vein - your concerns will probably just be tossed to the side by rational people, anyway.

In other words, pull up your big boy pants. Just because your baby brother stole your candy doesn't make it alright for you to steal his - didn't your mommy teach you anything?

[Craig]

Expressing disappointment with the outcome of the election is natural if you do not agree with the outcome. Dwelling on it and bashing the Pres Elect before he has had a chance to prove or disprove himself in office is counter productive - because there is nothing the whining will do to reverse the outcome of the election.

The difference between this and the Democrat Bush-bashing is that it started after Bush was in office long enough for people to see that he was counter-productive and a failure in policy and practice.

Most Democrats I know - though they were not happy that he was elected in '00, gave him the benfit of their doubts and let him prove them right. When he got back in in '04, they were fully justified in their criticism and disapproval because he had an established track record of failure.

Grow up, get over it and give the man a chance to lead.

If he screws it all up, then let's vote him out in 2012.

[Brenda]

Thank you, whenever I try to constructively criticize the man, I am a "racist", but bashing Palin is acceptable and the norm. I am beginning to feel like I am in a bad Stepford Wives movie where everyone has been programmed to love Obama. I predict that George W. is going to start looking pretty good to a lot of Obamoids......