Hypocrites. I can’t stand them. There is just something about a person saying one thing and doing another that makes my blood boil. In that vein, I have decided to create the “Hypocrite of the Year” award. Every December, I will name a person, in a leadership position within our federal government, who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. Each recipient will join the “Unbelievable Hall of Shame” so as to create a record for all the world to see and, hopefully, learn from.
The 2009 Hypocrite of the Year award goes to U.S. President Barack H. Obama. Since taking office in January, Mr. Obama has committed himself to saying one thing and doing another. During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, Mr. Obama raged against then U.S. President George W. Bush, his policies, and his party. He opposed the surge in Iraq. He said the Bush Administration was too secretive. He vowed to close Guantanamo Bay. He said he would pass sweeping reform for our financial system. He said he would pull us out of Iraq. He promised he would help the middle class. Nearly a year into his Presidency, he has gone against much of what he said he would do and what he said he believed in. Key instances of Mr. Obama’s hypocrisy:
1. Escalation of the War in Afghanistan. He vehemently opposed the surge in Iraq. He said it wouldn’t work. He said it wasn’t worth it. Now he is surging the war in Afghanistan saying that it will work and that it is worth it. It isn’t; furthermore, he both believes and knows it. I believe that, if Mr. Obama were running for President today, he would oppose his own surge in Afghanistan with the same verve he did in the campaign. Hypocrite.
2. Bailouts without reform. Mr. Obama promised sweeping reform and overhaul of our financial system. It is one of the key reasons he won the general election. Since taking office, he has given Wall Street and the banks a free pass; no new regulations have been passed and no sweeping reform has taken place. The result? Banks have raised lending interest rates on consumers, foreclosed on their homes, increased their fees, and decreased lending. This, in turn, has caused a surge of the markets on Wall Street with record profits for the very people who brought America to its knees. Hypocrite.
3. No transparency. Mr. Obama promised transparency after calling the Bush Administration the most secretive administration in history. When he took office, he said he would release the White House Visitor’s log and the torture photos. Among his first acts included siding with the Bush Administration over the visitor’s log and setting a date for the release of the torture photos. However, after seeing the photos for himself, he blocked the release of the photos and won a court case against the ACLU. To this date, the torture photos have not been made public. Mr. Obama did, however, relent after significant pressure and release the White House Visitor’s Log. However, the release is limited in that it is not full disclosure. Hypocrite.
4. Healthcare reform. Mr. Obama said he wanted a single payer system and that, if elected President, he would make it so. Now that he is President, he has sided with the insurance lobby. At present, nothing being considered by Congress creates a single payer system. Instead, there is this notion of a “Public Option”; a notion Mr. Obama is willing to jettison in order for the “reform” to be passed. Hypocrite.
5. Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Obama said that if elected, he would close Guantanamo Bay within a year. His year is nearly up and he has conceded that the detainee facility will not be closed within that time period. In fact, it may not be closed at all. Hypocrite.
6. Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. He has acknowledged he doesn’t deserve it. Yet, he accepted the award, knowing full well that escalating a war is not worthy of a peace prize. Hypocrite.
7. Racism. He said his election was not about race. However, his actions say otherwise. His administration is filled with minorities at every level. His major appointments and high level posts have all nearly been minorities. Although I can’t say for certain, I believe his administration has a majority of minorities. To add insult to injury, he admonished a white police officer on national television for arresting a black man without having all the facts. Hypocrite.
Overall, it is clear that Mr. Obama says one thing and does another. It is unfortunate that a United States President does not have the backbone to stand for what he believes in. I believe that Mr. Obama believes that the escalation in Afghanistan is wrong, that a single payer healthcare system is needed, that our financial system should be overhauled, that racism is wrong, the Guantanamo Bay should be closed, and that he is not deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize. But in the end, if you don’t have the courage of your own convictions, you are, in fact, a hypocrite. It doesn’t matter whether I or anyone else agrees with those beliefs or not. U.S. President Barack H. Obama, the 2009 Hypocrite of the Year.
