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Thursday, March 30, 2017

THE COMPLETE COLLECTION: OBAMA’S SCANDALS, GAFFES, AND POWER-GRABS [UPDATED!]

From Grabien:
Each item in this report includes a source as well as a link to a third-party news site containing more information.

And even as we tried to be as comprehensive as possible, the federal government is massive and it’s impossible to catch everything. If you’re aware of a scandal we missed, write us at tips@grabien.com (and include a link for a corresponding news account). We’ll continue updating this list in the days ahead.

Note: To sort by date, click the top of the date column. To sort by agency, click the top of the agency column.

	Agency	Date	Description	Source
1	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	01/04/2010	Obama's ATF, in tandem with the DoJ, arranged for thousands of heavy assault rifles to make their way into the hands of Mexican narco warlords, setting the stage for a mass slaughter of Mexicans (more than 300 to date).	The Washington Times
2	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	28/06/2011	The Obama Administration fired the ATF whistleblower who exposed the Fast and Furious scandal.	Fox News
3	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	07/12/2011	Documents reveal Obama's ATF used "Fast and Furious" as part of a campaign for more gun control.	CBS News
4	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	15/12/2011	More than 1,000 guns from Obama's "Fast and Furious" program remain lost.	The Washington Times
5	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	25/09/2013	The DoJ's internal watchdog says the ATF let a confidential informant keep as much as $5.2 million from illicit cigarette sales.	CBS News
6	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	25/09/2013	The DoJ's internal watchdog says the ATF somehow "lost track" of 420 million cigarettes	CBS News
7	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	09/12/2013	Obama's ATF used mentally disabled teens to run drug-and-gun stings.	Reason
8	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	04/08/2015	Guns from Obama's "Fast and Furious" programs were used in the killings of at least two Americans, and probably more.	National Review Online
9	Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms	20/09/2015	Obama's ATF is using its resources to threaten the makers of kombucha, a fermented tea with trace amounts of alcohol.	The Denver Post
10	AmeriCorps	10/07/2009	After AmeriCorps' Inspector General uncovered corruption in the office of an Obama ally, Sacramento's major Kevin Johnson, Obama fired the IG.	The Washington Times
11	AmeriCorps	10/07/2009	In firing AmeriCorps' IG for doing his job too effectively, Obama broke a law that he as a senator sponsored.	The Washington Examiner
12	Amtrak	31/05/2010	After Amtrak's inspector general uncovered waste, fraud, and abuse within Amtrak, Obama fired him.	The Washington Times
13	Barack Obama White House	11/09/2001	As recounted in his autobiography, Obama reacted to 9/11 by worrying it might dampen his political career on account of his middle name.	The Audacity of Hope
14	Barack Obama White House	09/05/2008	While campaigning, Obama said he had visited "57 states" in America, and had two more to go before seeing them all.	Snopes
15	Barack Obama White House	09/12/2008	Before he was even in office, Obama was enmeshed in scandal. He was accused of consorting with then-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich over who would get his Senate seat, although he denied making contact with the governor's office. However a witness says this wasn't true, and Obama was pushing for Valerie Jarrett.	TIME
16	Barack Obama White House	18/03/2009	When British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the White House, Obama gave him a bunch of DVDs as a gift (worse: they were in the wrong format).	The Daily Telegraph
17	Barack Obama White House	24/03/2009	Despite running on a promise to go through the budget "line by line" to cut wasteful spending, Obama quadrupled the deficit in his first year of office.	The Heritage Foundation
18	Barack Obama White House	07/04/2009	Obama seemed to think Austrians speak "Austrian"	The Washington Post
19	Barack Obama White House	15/04/2009	When one of his staffers referred to the pope as a "discredited leader," Obama refused to say if he agreed.	CNS News
20	Barack Obama White House	17/04/2009	After enduring hours of anti-American speeches from crackpot South American leaders at the 2009 Summit of the Americas conference, Obama said ... nothing.	Bloomberg
21	Barack Obama White House	19/04/2009	When the Grateful Dead was in D.C. for a show, Obama made sure they paid him a secret visit in the Oval Office.	The Washington Post
22	Barack Obama White House	19/04/2009	After Iran convicted an American journalist in a sham trial, the Obama White House was mute.	Yahoo News
23	Barack Obama White House	09/07/2009	Breaking a decades long precedent, Obama happily met with then-Libya dictator Muammar Gaddafi at a G8 Summit.	Tripoli Post
24	Barack Obama White House	21/07/2009	After committing to cut a mere $100 million in spending in 90 days (around 1/10th of 1 percent of the budget), Obama missed his deadline.	CNN
25	Barack Obama White House	22/07/2009	Despite admitting "not having all the facts," Obama said a Boston police officer "acted stupidly" when arresting a professor who resisted questions while the officer responded to a 911 call. Obama later said he regretted his comments.	Wikipedia
26	Barack Obama White House	29/07/2009	Despite publicly asking federal agencies to look for places to cut costs, Obama arranged a massive spending boost for a legal aid agency whose own inspector general accused it of wasting money on goodies for its execs.	The Washington Times
27	Barack Obama White House	24/08/2009	Obama tried turning 9/11 into some kind of national holiday for liberalism.	The American Spectator
28	Barack Obama White House	04/02/2010	Barack Obama, commander in chief, pronounced Navy "corpsman" like "corpse-man."	YouTube
29	Barack Obama White House	22/04/2010	While Obama hosted an Earth Day celebration in the Rose Garden, the Deepwater Horizon, which had been burning for two days, sank into the Gulf	The Daily Caller
30	Barack Obama White House	23/04/2010	The Coast Guard announces 11 Deepwater workers are dead; Obama travels to N.C. for a vacation, where he eats BBQ with Michelle.	The Daily Caller
31	Barack Obama White House	24/04/2010	Coast Guard announces oil is spewing into the Gulf; the Obamas continued their vacation	The Daily Caller
32	Barack Obama White House	26/04/2010	After an attempt at stopping the leak fails, the spill is now the size of Rhode Island; Obama hosts a ceremony with the Yankees and then plays a round of golf	The Daily Caller
33	Barack Obama White House	28/04/2010	The spill rate is upgraded to 5,000 barrels/day; Obama spends the day doing political events in Illinois	The Daily Caller
34	Barack Obama White House	29/04/2010	Louisiana Gov. declares a state of emergeny as the 600 mile spill is just 16 miles off the coast; Obama delivers a speech on cybersecurity and meets with FEMA -- about hurricane preparedness	The Daily Caller
35	Barack Obama White House	01/05/2010	Efforts at stopping the leak continue to fail; Obama attends the White House Correspondents Dinner to tell jokes.	The Daily Caller
36	Barack Obama White House	08/05/2010	BP's "containment dome" fails to contain the leak; Obama plays golf at Fort Belvoir	The Daily Caller
37	Barack Obama White House	09/05/2010	Tar balls begin reaching the Alabama coastline; Obama delivers a commencement address at Hampton Univ.	The Daily Caller
38	Barack Obama White House	17/05/2010	By now the spill rate has been upgraded to 50,000 barrels/day; Obama hosts UCONN's women's basketball team at the White House	The Daily Caller
39	Barack Obama White House	18/05/2010	Oil balls are now washing ashore in Fla.; Obama meets with members of the Democratic Caucuses	The Daily Caller
40	Barack Obama White House	22/05/2010	The spill continues unabated; Obama announces a renovation project at the White House and delivers another commencement address	The Daily Caller
41	Barack Obama White House	26/05/2010	The spill continues unabated; Obama hosts the U.S. World Cup soccer team and Duke's basketball team	The Daily Caller
42	Barack Obama White House	28/05/2010	Obama makes a brief visit to Loisiana to inspect the recovery efforts, then heads on vacation	The Daily Caller
43	Barack Obama White House	29/05/2010	Obama tried to illegally bribe a Democratic senatorial candidate (Joe Sestak) out of running.	CNN
44	Barack Obama White House	13/09/2010	After the Gulf disaster was finally contained, Obama commissioned a taxpayer funded study to see what Americans thought of his handling of the crisis	Yahoo News
45	Barack Obama White House	17/12/2010	When Obama met with elementary school children in Virginia, he read them his own book.	USA Today
46	Barack Obama White House	22/01/2011	Against advice, Obama invited China's government to a White House state dinner; the Chinese pianist ended up playing an anti-American tune during the event.	The Epoch Times
47	Barack Obama White House	08/02/2011	Under Obama, regulations soared to more than 1,500/year (by contrast Congress averages 200 laws/year).	The Competitive Enterprise Institute
48	Barack Obama White House	14/02/2011	For months Obama deflected calls to act on the deficit/debt by creating a commission to handle the issue; when the commission issued its report, Obama ignored it entirely.	The Heritage Foundation

There is WAY More:

Hu's On First With Two Idiots...

Obama: John Kerry! Nice to see you. What's happening, I Lost My Teleprompter?

John Kerry: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.

Obama: Great. Lay it on me.

John Kerry: Hu is the new leader of China.

Obama: That's what I want to know.

John Kerry: That's what I'm telling you.

Obama: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?

John Kerry: Yes.

Obama: I mean the fellow's name.

John Kerry: Hu.

Obama: The guy in China.

John Kerry: Hu.

Obama: The new leader of China.

John Kerry: Hu.

Obama: The Chinaman!

John Kerry: Hu is leading China.

Obama: Now whaddya' asking me for?

John Kerry: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.

Obama: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?

John Kerry: That's the man's name.

Obama: That's who's name?

John Kerry: Yes.

Obama: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?

John Kerry: Yes, sir.

Obama: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.

John Kerry: That's correct.

Obama: Then who is in China?

John Kerry: Yes, sir.

Obama: Yassir is in China?

John Kerry: No, sir.

Obama: Then who is?

John Kerry: Yes, sir.

Obama: Yassir?

John Kerry: No, sir.

Obama: Look, John Kerry. I need to know the name of the new leader of China.
Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.

John Kerry: Kofi?

Obama: No, thanks.

John Kerry: You want Kofi?

Obama: No.

John Kerry: You don't want Kofi.

Obama: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.

John Kerry: Yes, sir.

Obama: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.

John Kerry: Kofi?

Obama: Milk! Will you please make the call?

John Kerry: And call who?

Obama: Who is the guy at the U.N?

John Kerry: Hu is the guy in China.

Obama: Will you stay out of China?!

John Kerry: Yes, sir.

Obama: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.

John Kerry: Kofi.

Obama: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Hu's On First With Two Idiots...

Obama: John Kerry! Nice to see you. What's happening, I Lost My Teleprompter?

Friday, June 21, 2013

The stunning decline of Barack Obama: 2013. Ten key reasons why the Obama presidency is in meltdown

The last few weeks have been among the worst of Barack Obama’s time in office, recalling earlier periods of turmoil for the president in 2010 and 2011, when his ratings also plummeted. In 2013, the situation is significantly worse for the White House, with the Obama administration engulfed in a series of major scandals (IRS persecution of conservative groups, the Benghazi debacle, and the Justice Department seizure of journalists’ phone records) that are not only eroding trust in government but also in the office of the president itself. This is undoubtedly a period of steep decline for the Obama presidency, whose imperial-style big government approach is being increasingly questioned not only by American voters, but also by formerly subservient sections of the liberal-dominated mainstream media. In contrast to his first term, Barack Obama is finding himself less and less shielded by the press, and far more vulnerable to public criticism.
With good reason, Americans don’t feel optimistic about their country’s future with President Obama at the helm. According to the RealClear Politics polling average, less than one in three Americans believe the United States is heading in the right direction. A new Economist/YouGov poll has the president’s job approval rating at just 46 percent, with 49 percent of Americans disapproving. Strikingly, 35 percent of Americans “strongly disapprove” of the president’s job performance, 15 points higher than the number who “strongly approve.” A mere 31 percent of Americans surveyed by YouGov believe the United States is “generally headed in the right direction.”
In addition to damaging scandals, which have raised major questions over the integrity and judgment of the Obama administration, there remain deep-seated concerns over the US economy and the enormous national debt, widespread opposition to the president’s health care reforms, and significant fears over national security. Barack Obama’s second term could not have started more badly for the “hope and change” president, who, with three and a half years in office remaining, looks more and more like a lame duck. Here are ten key reasons why the Obama presidency is in trouble, with the outlook exceedingly grim for the White House.
1. The American public is losing trust in Obama
A recent Quinnipiac survey found that less than half of Americans (49 percent) now view their president as “honest and trustworthy.” According to Quinnipiac, the series of recent scandals have begun to significantly dent the president’s standing with the American people, with his approval rating standing at just 45 percent. The IRS targeting of conservative groups has been particularly damaging, with 76 percent of voters supporting the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the scandal, and a series of Congressional hearings putting the Obama administration on the spot. Another survey, by NBC News/The Wall Street Journal, reveals a great deal of public concern over the “overall honesty and integrity of the Obama administration,” with more than half of Americans agreeing that recent scandals have “raised doubts” about the government’s trustworthiness. 41 percent of Americans believe that President Obama himself is “totally” or “mainly” responsible for the government’s handling of Benghazi – just 19 percent believe he bears no responsibility. On the IRS issue, only 24 percent say the president is not responsible in any way, while a third of Americans think he is largely culpable.
2. The Obama presidency is imperial in style and outlook
Leading conservative talk radio host Mark Levin was absolutely right when he blasted Barack Obama on Fox News back in January as “an imperial president.” It would be hard to find a US president in recent times who has behaved in a more arrogant fashion than President Obama, and that includes Richard Nixon. The Obama White House is routinely disdainful of criticism, sneeringly dismissive of Congressional opposition, nasty and brutish towards dissenting voices in the media, and completely lacking in humility. Even veteran reporters such as Bob Woodward, one of two journalists who broke the Watergate scandal, have found themselves on the sharp end of the White House’s boot after publishing unflattering stories. Woodward was warned earlier this year by a senior White House official that he would “regret” his remarks about the president’s handling of the sequester issue. At the same time the Obama presidency exudes a shameless “let them eat cake” mentality, abundantly on display with the president’s lavish vacations and golfing expeditions while millions of American families have struggled to pay their mortgage and stay afloat against the backdrop in recent years of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Depression.
3. Most Americans are still worried about the economy
Economic concerns are the top priority for Americans according to Gallup. In a recent poll, 86 percent of Americans agreed that “creating more jobs” and “helping the economy grow” are the top two priorities. “Making government work more efficiently” came third, at 81 percent. Despite a slight uptick in economic growth, and improving housing prices in some markets, the United States still has deep-seated economic problems. Most Americans are still nervous about the economy. According to the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey, just 46 percent of Americans approve of the job Barack Obama is doing in handling the economy. 64 percent of Americans are “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the state of the US economy today. Only 32 percent believe the economy will get better in the next 12 months. 58 percent of Americans still think the country is in an economic recession.
Strong job creation and robust economic growth are being significantly hampered in the United States by declining economic freedom, including rising tax rates, the growing burden of government regulation, and a rising dependency culture. Unemployment still remains at 7.5 percent, with nearly 12 million Americans out of work. 47 million Americans are living on food stamps (the highest figure in American history), and a staggering 128 million Americans are now dependent upon government programmes. A full economic recovery still remains far away. According to the Federal Reserve, Americans have rebuilt less than half of the wealth lost to the recession. As The Washington Post reported: “The research from the St. Louis Fed shows that households had accumulated net worth totaling $66 trillion at the end of last year. After adjusting for inflation and population growth, the bank found that number amounted to only 45 percent of the wealth that Americans had during the peak of the boom in 2007.”
4. America’s level of debt is frightening
America’s economic problems are compounded by its huge debt problem. Barack Obama continues to lead the United States down the path of European Union-style decline, with incredible levels of public debt, currently standing at $16.85 trillion, a per person debt of $53,000. President Obama has done nothing to confront the vast entitlement programmes that are a yoke around the necks of future generations of American taxpayers, while taking an axe to defense spending, resulting in politically driven cuts that undermine America’s national security while doing nothing to reduce the country’s debt burden. As he made clear in his Inauguration address in January, President Obama remains committed to a big spending, big government vision, and one that will force the United States down the road to economic ruin unless it is reversed.
5. Obamacare is hugely expensive and increasingly unpopular
A key liability that will further expand America’s debt mountain is Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act), the Obama administration’s hugely ambitious and expensive health care reform initiative that threatens to dramatically increase the cost of healthcare for ordinary Americans as well as businesses, when it goes into effect next year. Forbes Magazine reports that in California Obamacare is expected to increase individual health insurance premiums by 64 to 146 percent. The latest Congressional Budget Office estimate puts a $1.85 trillion price tag on Obamacare in its first 10 years. A clear majority of Americans oppose Obamacare. The latest CNN/ORC International poll shows 54 percent opposing the law. A Reason/Rupe poll found that a mere 32 percent support it. An April poll by the Kaiser Foundation, and reported by Politico, revealed that “just 35 percent of Americans view Obamacare ‘very’ or somewhat’ favorably, down 8 points since Election Day.” Opposition in the business community is also high, especially among small businesses, the bedrock of the US economy. Gallup finds that 48 percent of small business owners say the Affordable Care Act is bad for business – just nine percent say it will be good for business. As Obamacare rolls in, opposition to its implementation will only grow. If the Republicans retake the Senate in 2014, expect Congress to launch a major effort to repeal it.
6. Independents are rapidly withdrawing support for Obama
As Gallup polling has consistently shown, America is ideologically a conservative nation, with conservatives outnumbering liberals by a nearly two to one margin. Strikingly, as Gallup has found, more than 50 percent of Americans view Obama as more liberal than themselves, with just 27 percent of voters declaring that they share the same ideology as the president. Despite a clear advantage in terms of ideology, the Republicans have struggled to win over sufficient numbers of “moderates” (roughly a third of US voters) in the last two presidential elections, many of whom identify themselves as “Independents.” There are signs, however, that support for Obama among Independents is dramatically falling. According to the recent Quinnipiac survey, 57 percent of Independent voters give Obama a negative rating, up from 48 percent on May 1st. 56 percent of Independents do not believe the president is “honest and trustworthy.” By a 45 percent to 35 percent margin, Independents believe that Republicans in Congress are doing a better job than President Obama on handling the economy.
7. The liberal media is less deferential to Obama in his second term
The Washington Post, standard bearer of the liberal establishment in the US capital, has labeled the IRS scandal a “horror story” for the Obama administration. Even The New York Times, the de facto inflight newspaper of Air Force One, recently carried a headline on its front page declaring: “Onset of Woes Casts Pall Over Obama's Policy Aspirations.” The liberal mainstream media closed ranks behind Barack Obama for most of his first term in office, and relentlessly pummeled his presidential election opponent Mitt Romney ahead of the November 2012 vote, in a shameless display of bias towards their favoured candidate. The big liberal newspapers and the major television networks, NBC, ABC and CBS, have been less willing to bat for Obama in his second term as public opinion has begun to turn against the White House. Clearly, there are some things even the most liberal columnists are finding hard to defend, such as the ruthless targeting of political opponents. Meanwhile, MSNBC, President Obama’s biggest flag-waver on cable news, has seen its ratings plummet in recent months, with Fox News further building its dominance of the ratings.
8. The Benghazi scandal has been extremely damaging
Much as the Obama administration tries to downplay the significance of the Benghazi scandal, it refuses to go away, with 46 percent of Americans believing “the administration deliberately misled the American people about the events surrounding the death of the American Ambassador to Libya” according to Quinnipiac. Like the IRS scandal, the Benghazi debacle has undermined trust and confidence in the Obama presidency. 58 percent of Americans in the most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey agree that that the State Department’s handling of the Benghazi attack raises doubts “about the overall honesty and integrity of the Obama administration.”
In the aftermath of the barbaric killing of Ambassador Stevens and three other Americans on September 11, 2012 at the hands of al-Qaeda linked Islamist militants, the Obama administration tried to pass off the brutal attack as a spontaneous response to an anti-Islamic video that hardly anyone has seen. Undoubtedly worried that the killings would upset the White House’s carefully crafted narrative in the lead up to the 2012 election that al-Qaeda was in retreat, administration officials sought to downplay the broader significance of the attack in the run up to the presidential vote, a strategy that succeeded in the short term, but has since imploded in the face of sustained Congressional scrutiny. Not only has Benghazi damaged the president, it also hurt former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s image too. As former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan noted in The Wall Street Journal: “Will this story ever be completely told? Maybe not. But it’s not going to go away either. It’s a prime example of the stupidity of all-politics-all-the-time. You make some bad moves for political reasons. And then you suffer politically because you make bad moves.”
9. Obama’s national security strategy is weak and confusing
President Obama’s recent address to the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington has to go down as one of the most weak-kneed speeches by a US Commander-in-Chief in modern times. His call for a winding down of the global war against Islamist terror was naïve in the extreme, and sent completely the wrong signal to America’s enemies at a time when al-Qaeda is strengthening its presence in parts of the Middle East as well as North, West and East Africa. His declaration (once again) that the detention facility at Guantanamo should be shut down was hopelessly unrealistic in the face of concerted Congressional opposition as well as a humiliating exercise in pandering to international condemnation in Europe and the Muslim world. His Guantanamo policy is deeply out of touch as well with American public opinion. US polls have consistently shown strong support for keeping the camp in operation. This is hardly a strategy that will endear President Obama to an American public that feels less safe today than it did in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
10. Obama is “leading from behind” on the world stage
American foreign policy has become even more weak and incoherent in President Obama’s second term. On the world stage the United States has not been this powerless and disengaged since the days of Jimmy Carter. “Leading from behind” is no longer just a mantra for the Obama administration – it has become its philosopher’s stone. Washington’s leadership on the Syria crisis is non-existent, with the White House content to farm out its foreign policy to Moscow and the United Nations. On Afghanistan, Obama’s position is one of retreat and a handover of power back to the Taliban. Iran is barely mentioned by the president, as Tehran’s nuclear ambitions march on. Meanwhile key allies such as Britain are treated with contempt and lectured to on European policy as though it were a schoolboy being reprimanded for speaking out of turn, while the Special Relationship and the transatlantic alliance continue to be eroded. At home and abroad, the Obama presidency is weakening America, while undercutting the strength and ability of the world's only superpower to lead internationally.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100220493/the-stunning-decline-of-barack-obama-2013-ten-key-reasons-why-the-obama-presidency-is-in-meltdown/