NORTH: Blame Bush for broken promises - Washington Times

NORTH: Blame Bush for broken promises - Washington Times

According to the pundits and politicians, this election is all about the economy. We’re all supposed to know that — because we’re not stupid. That’s why the Republicans had a “national debt clock” over their convention floor in Tampa, Fla., and the Democrats didn’t have one in Charlotte, N.C.
To no one’s surprise, the Democrats didn’t remind anyone in the Charlotte Convention Center that our national debt topped $16 trillion on the opening day of their conclave — a 50 percent increase during the Obama presidency. The so-called “mainstream” media played along and focused instead on the change of venue for President Obama’s outdoor acceptance speech from the 74,000-seat Bank of America Stadium — echoing O-Team claims that the move was weather-related. Republicans said the change was precipitated by fears of empty seats.
It probably isn’t fair to expect the potentates of the press to remind Americans that when he ran for president in 2008, Mr. Obama blasted President George W. Bush as “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic” for piling up $4 trillion in new debt during his eight years in office. When your children and grandchildren ask how this could happen, you’re supposed to tell them it’s “Bush’s fault.” At that point, they may really want to push Grandma off a cliff.
As we heard from so many speakers in Charlotte, it’s also Mr. Bush’s fault that Mr. Obama’s 2009 promise to cut the federal deficit in half hasn’t been fulfilled. Then it was $1.4 trillion. Now it’s $1.2 trillion, but who’s counting? Blame Mr. Bush. The O-Team just needs more time.
Then there’s unemployment. In 2009, when he was pushing his stimulus package through Congress, bailing out handpicked car companies and “investing in green businesses,” the president told us he would cut unemployment to 6 percent. Now, 44 months into the Obama administration, it’s still higher than 8 percent. Mr. Hope and Change now says that he needs four more years to “fix America’s economic problems.” Don’t forget — it’s Mr. Bush’s fault.
Unfortunately for the nice people who support him, there are many other shattered vows that Mr. Obama can’t blame on his predecessor. His Inauguration Day assurance that he would make government accountable and “transparent so that the American people can know exactly what decisions are being made” didn’t happen. Nor did his campaign commitment to televise the debate over health care. The failure of his pledges to “get energy costs under control” and “achieve energy independence” by expanding “alternative sources” and “funding green energy initiatives” is reflected in the pain we’re feeling at the pump.


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