Wikipedia’s article “Presidency of Barack Obama” is a puff piece which ignores many critical issues.
Wikipedia’s article “Presidency of Barack Obama” is a puff piece which ignores many critical issues. These issues have been added to the article multiple times, but they always get erased. Editors who continue to add these things to the article get accused of “edit warring,” and if they continue to put the information into the article, they get blocked from editing for 24 hours. If they continue adding the information after their 24 hour block expires, they get blocked for a week, then they get topic banned from editing any Obama related articles for three months, and then they get banned, permanently, from editing any of wikipedia. If they then create a new account, they get accused of “sock puppeting,” and the new account gets permanently banned.
Because of this repeated and persistent censorship, the article is a puff piece which ignores many critical issues.
For example, the article has a section called “Transparency” which states:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act requires all recipients of the funds provided by the act to publish a plan for using the funds, along with purpose, cost, rationale, net job creation, and contact information about the plan to a website Recovery.gov
I’m not complainingg about the inclusion of that information. That info deserves to be in the article, and I’m glad it’s there.
What I am complaining about, however, is the deletion of the following from the article:
Although Obama had promised that the website recovery.gov would list all stimulus spending in detail, a 400 page report issued by the Government Accountability Office stated that only 25% of the projects listed on the website provided clear and complete information regarding their cost, schedule, purpose, location and status.
By including that first past, while erasing that second part, wikipedia gives readers the false impression that the recovery.gov website contains the information that it is required by law to contain.
Here are twelve other things that have been erased from the “Transparency” section:
In April 2009, antiwar activists who helped elect Obama accused him of using the same “off the books” funding as his predecessor George W. Bush when Obama requested an additional $83.4 billion from Congress for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – a provision which Obama had voted against when he was a Senator.
In May 2010, it was reported that the Obama administration had selected KBR, a former subsidiary of Halliburton, for a no-bid contract worth as much as $568 million through 2011 for military support services in Iraq, just hours after the Justice Department had said it would pursue a lawsuit accusing the Houston-based company of taking kickbacks from two subcontractors on Iraq-related work.
In June 2009, Obama fired Inspector General Gerald Walpin, after Walpin accused Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, an Obama supporter, of misuse of AmeriCorps funding to pay for school-board political activities. In a letter to Congress, the White House said that Walpin was fired because he was “confused, disoriented, unable to answer questions and exhibited other behavior that led the Board to question his capacity to serve.” A bipartisan group of 145 current and former public officials, attorneys, and legal scholars signed a letter that was sent to the White House, which defended Walpin, said the criticisms of him were not true, and said that his firing was politically motivated. The letter can be read here.
In December 2010, Transparency International reported that corruption was increasing faster in the U.S. than anywhere else except Cuba, Dominica, and Burkina Faso.
In July 2009, White House reporter Helen Thomas criticized the Obama administration for its lack of transparency.
In January 2012, Obama violated the Constitution by making four recess appointments when Congress was not in recess. Recess appointments themselves are constitutional, but only if they are made when Congress is actually in recess.
In March 2012, when Obama was talking to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and did not know that the microphone was turned on, Obama stated, “On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him to give me space… This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.”
The Obama administration demanded that the Goldwater Institute pay $78,935.80 before it would share public records which it had requested under the Freedom of Information Act.
Attorney Generals from nine states issued a report, titled “A Report on Obama Administration Violations of Law,” which cited 21 illegal acts which had been committed by the Obama administration.
Although Obama stated that all of the green energy companies that received taxpayer money were chosen “based solely on their merits,” the truth is that 71% of these grants and loans went to Obama donors and fundraisers, who raised $457,834 for his campaign, and were later approved for grants and loans totaling more than $11 billion.
By November 2011, the Energy Department’s inspector general had begun more than 100 criminal investigations related to Obama’s stimulus.
In April 2012, Obama nominated Timothy Broas, who had “bundled” more than $500,000 for Obama’s 2012 campaign, to be U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands.
By erasing those things, the article gives readers the false impression that Obama’s administration is transparent.
The article also contains a section called “Wall Street reform” which states:
Obama signed Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, considered to be the largest financial system overhaul since the New Deal.
However, the following three paragraphs have been erased from that section:
Although Obama claims to support the Occupy Wall St. movement, the truth is that he has raised more money from Wall St. than any other candidate during the last 20 years. In addition, while Senator, Obama voted for the $700 billion TARP Wall St. bailout bill. In October 2011, Obama hired Broderick Johnson, a longtime Wall Street lobbyist, to be his new senior campaign adviser. Johnson had worked as a lobbyist for JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Comcast, Microsoft, and the oil industry.
Although Obama had promised to prosecute Wall St. criminals, as of May 2012, the Obama administration had not filed any criminal charges against any of the top financial executives.
In early 2012, Obama held a fundraiser where Wall St. investment bankers and hedge fund managers each paid $35,800 to attend.
By erasing that information, the article gives readers the false impression that Obama is against the cozy relationship between Wall St. and government.
The same section of the article states:
On July 21, 2010, Obama proclaimed, “There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts. Period.”
However, the following was erased from the article:
In March 2012, Obama announced a new set of bailouts for speculators who had caused the housing bubble.
By including that first part while erasing the second part, the article falsely implies that Obama kept his promise of “no more bailouts.”
The article has a section called “Notable non-Cabinet positions.”
But the following three paragraphs have been erased from that section:
In February 2009, U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia) expressed concern that Obama’s dozens of czars might violate the U.S. Constitution, because they were not approved by the U.S. Senate. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) expressed a similar concern in September 2009.
In September 2009, Obama’s green czar Van Jones resigned after it was reported that he was a self described “communist” and had blamed George W. Bush for the September 11 attacks.
In September 2009, it was reported that Kevin Jennings, Obama’s Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, had written about Jenning’s own past frequent illegal drug use in his 2007 autobiography.
Since those things might make Obama look bad, they have been removed from the article.
The article also has a section called “Lobbying reform.”
But the following two paragraphs have been erased from that section:
In June 2010, the New York Times reported that Obama administration officials had held hundreds of meetings with lobbyists at coffee houses near the White House, in order to avoid the disclosure requirements for White House visitors, and that these meetings “reveal a disconnect between the Obama administration’s public rhetoric — with Mr. Obama himself frequently thrashing big industries’ ‘battalions’ of lobbyists as enemies of reform — and the administration’s continuing, private dealings with them.”
In April 2012, the New York Times reported, “Although Mr. Obama has made a point of not accepting contributions from registered lobbyists, a review of campaign donations and White House visitor logs shows that special interests have had little trouble making themselves heard. Many of the president’s biggest donors, while not lobbyists, took lobbyists with them to the White House…”
By erasing that information, the article falsely implies that Obama is serious about his so-called “lobbying reform.”
The article has a section called “Social policy” which states:
On October 19, 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a directive to federal prosecutors in states with medical marijuana laws not to investigate or prosecute cases of marijuana use or production done in compliance with those laws.
However, the following has been erased from that section:
In February 2010, DEA agents raided a medical marijuana grower in Highlands Ranch in Colorado, a state where medical marijuana is legal. Also in February 2010, DEA agents raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Culver City in California, a state where medical marijuana is legal. Furthermore, in July 2010, the DEA raided at least four medical marijuana growers in San Diego, California. Also in July 2010, the DEA raided a medical marijuana facility in Covelo, California. Then in September 2010, the DEA conducted raids on at least five medical marijuana dispensaries in Las Vegas, Nevada, where medical marijuana is legal. In 2011, the DEA conducted raids on medical marijuana in Seattle, Washington, West Hollywood, California, and Helena, Montana, all places where it is legal. In April 2012, the DEA carried out several raids on medical marijuana in Oakland, California. In February 2012, Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Obama’s war against medical marijuana went “far beyond anything undertaken by George W. Bush.” In May 2012, U.S. Congressperson Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said she had “strong concerns” about Obama’s forced closure of five medical marijuana facilities in Pelosi’s congressional district. Commenting on Obama’s crackdown on medical marijuana, U.S. Congressman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) said, “I’m very disappointed… They look more like the Bush administration than the Clinton administration.”
By keeping that first part, while erasing that second part, the article falsely implies that Obama has stopped waging war against medical marijuana.
The article has a section called “Foreign policy” which states:
Obama authorized U.S. forces to participate in international air attacks on Libyan air defenses using Tomahawk cruise missiles.
However, the following has been removed from that section:
In June 2011, U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) said that Obama had violated the Constitution when he launched military operations in Libya without Congressional approval.
By erasing that, the article ignores that fact that Obama has violated his oath to uphold the Constitution.
In addition, the following two paragraphs have been erased from that section:
Obama sent U.S. troops to Uganda, Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.
In 2010, Obama supported releasing Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi (who had been convicted of murdering 270 people) from prison.
Obama’s supporters don’t want people to know about those things.
The article has a section called “Guantánamo Bay detention camp.” But the following has been erased from that section:
Under President Obama, abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay became even worse than it had been under President Bush.
Obama’s supporters erased that because they don’t want people to know about it.
The article has a section called “Policies” which includes a subsection called “Economy.” The following 21 paragraphs have been erased from that subsection:
In 2011, after Boeing had hired 1,000 new employees to work at its new factory in South Carolina, the Obama administration ordered Boeing to shut down the factory, because the factory was non-union.
Obama fired the CEO of General Motors, and had the government take 60.8% ownership of the company.
During the Chrysler bankruptcy, Obama violated the Fifth Amendment and more than 150 years of bankruptcy law by illegally treating secured creditors worse than unsecured creditors.
The Obama administration pressured Ford Motor Company to stop airing a TV ad that criticized Obama’s bailouts of General Motors and Chrysler.
The Obama administration gave $535 million to Solyndra, claiming that it would create 4,000 new jobs. However, instead of creating those 4,000 new jobs, the company went bankrupt. It was later revealed that the company’s shareholders and executives had made substantial donations to Obama’s campaign, and that the company had also spent a large sum of money on lobbying.
On September 12, 2008, Obama promised, “I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.” However, less than three months into his Presidency, he broke that promise when he raised the cigarette tax. Studies show that poor people are more likely to smoke than rich people.
Obama signed a stimulus bill that spent money on bonuses for AIG executives. Prior to signing this bill, Obama had said, “when I’m president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely.” However, after reading “line by line” and signing the stimulus bill that protected the AIG bonuses, Obama pretended to be shocked and outraged at the bonuses, and said, “Under these circumstances, it’s hard to understand how derivative traders at A.I.G. warranted any bonuses at all, much less $165 million in extra pay… How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?” and also said that he would “pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses.”
Obama had armed federal agents raid the Gibson guitar factory, order the employees to leave, and seize guitars and other property from the factory – and all of this happened without any charges being filed.
The national debt increased more during Obama’s first three years and two months than it did during all eight years of George W. Bush’s presidency.
In February 2012, Obama shut down an Amish farm for selling unpasteurized milk across state lines, even though the customers were happy with what they were buying.
In 2010, Obama gave $16.3 million to First Solar, a company that manufactures solar panels, so the company could sell solar panels to itself.
As part of his economic stimulus, Obama spent $205,075 of taxpayer money to relocate and care for a single specimen of Arctostaphylos franciscana, a shrubbery which nurseries sell for $16.
Obama’s administration funded a study to see whether or not rats’ enjoyment of the music of Miles Davis was increased when the rats were high on cocaine.
The Obama administration spent $1.6 million to restore graffiti that glorified communist murderers Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.
After Obama gave Raser Technologies $33 million to build a power plant, the company declared bankruptcy, and owed $1.5 million in back taxes.
After Obama gave Abound Solar, Inc. a $400 million loan guarantee to build photovoltaic panel factories, the company halted production and laid off 180 employees.
After Obama gave Beacon Power a $43 million loan guarantee to build green energy storage, the company filed for bankruptcy.
After Obama approved $2.1 billion in loan guarantees for Solar Trust of America so it could build solar power plants, the company filed for bankruptcy.
Although Obama gave taxpayer money to numerous American solar power companies, he placed a 30% tariff on solar panels imported from China, because he was against the Chinese government giving subsidies to its own companies.
In April 2012, the Obama administration proposed new regulations which would prohibit farm children under 18 from working at grain elevators, silos, feed lots, stockyards, and livestock auctions, as well as from storing, marketing and transporting farm product raw materials. Critics claimed that this would prevent children from the common practice of working on their friends’ and relatives’ farms, and that farm children did not need “help” from a community organizer in Washington.
The Obama administration fined a high school $15,000 for selling soda to students during lunch.
Obama’s supporters don’t want readers to know about any of those things.
The article has a section called “Gun control,” but the following has been erased from it:
In Operation Fast and Furious, the Obama administration ordered gun storeowners to illegally sell thousands of guns to criminals.
That’s a huge scandal, but it’s not even mentioned in the article.
The article has a section called “Health care reform,” but the following seven paragraphs have been erased from it:
Obama said of his health care plan, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s going to be, potentially, some transition process…”
In September 2010, some insurance companies announced that in response to Obama’s health care plan, they would end the issuance of new child-only policies. In March 2011, the New York Times reported that many health insurers had stopped issuing child-only policies in response to Obama’s health care reform.
In October 2010, Obama gave McDonald’s and 29 other organizations an exemption from some of the requirements of his health care plan. Over time, more than 1,300 organizations were granted waivers.
In November 2010, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East announced that it would drop health insurance for the children of more than 30,000 low-wage home attendants. Mitra Behroozi, executive director of benefit and pension funds for 1199SEIU stated, “… new federal health-care reform legislation requires plans with dependent coverage to expand that coverage up to age 26… meeting this new requirement would be financially impossible.”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said that being forced to read Obama’s 2,700 page health care reform law would would violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
In March 2012, the Congressional Budget Office said that over the next decade, Obama’s health care reform would cost twice as much as what Obama had promised.
In May 2012, 43 Catholic organizations, including the University of Notre Dame, and the Archdiocese of New York and Washington, filed 12 coordinated lawsuits in federal courts across the country, claiming that the contraceptive mandate would unconstitutionally force religiously affiliated institutions, such as Catholic schools and hospitals, to indirectly subsidize contraception in violation of their religious beliefs. Fr. John Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame, stated, “Let me say very clearly what this lawsuit is not about: it is not about preventing women from having access to contraception, nor even about preventing the Government from providing such services… Many of our faculty, staff and students — both Catholic and non-Catholic — have made conscientious decisions to use contraceptives. As we assert the right to follow our conscience, we respect their right to follow theirs. And we believe that, if the Government wishes to provide such services, means are available that do not compel religious organizations to serve as its agents… We do not seek to impose our religious beliefs on others; we simply ask that the Government not impose its values on the University when those values conflict with our religious teachings.”
Obama’s supporters don’t want people to know about the harm that his health care reform is causing.
This was also deleted from that section:
Despite having taught constitutional law at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, in April 2012 Obama falsely claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court had never overturned any laws that had been passed by Congress.
That may be the dumbest thing that Obama has ever said.
The article has a section called “Ethics,” but the following paragraph has been erased from it:
Although Obama had promised to have “the most sweeping ethics reform in history,” and had often criticized the role of money in politics, the truth is that after he was elected, he gave administration jobs to more than half of his 47 biggest fundraisers.
Obama’s supporters don’t want people to know about that.
The article used to have a section called “Other suspected terrorists,” but the entire section was erased. It had contained these five paragraphs:
The Obama administration gave a very invasive patdown to a three-year-old boy in a wheelchair, which caused the boy to tremble in fear.
The Obama administration gave an aggressive patdown to a seven-year-old girl with cerebral palsy.
The Obama administration said that a four-year-old girl was a “high security threat.”
The Obama administration placed an 18-month-old girl on its no fly list.
The Obama administration gave a patdown to Henry Kissinger.
Those things make Obama look silly, so of course they were erased.
The article used to have a section called “Civil Liberties,” but the entire section has been erased. Before it was erased, it contained these five paragraphs:
In May 2011, Obama signed a renewal of the Patriot Act.
Obama expanded the federal government’s faith based programs which had been started by President George W. Bush.
In December 2011, ACLU executive director Anthony D. Romero criticized Obama for signing a bill that gave the U.S. government the power to indefinitely detain U.S. citizens without any charges being filed or any trial taking place.
In January 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Obama administration for having put a GPS tracking device on someone’s car without having a warrant.
Obama came out in favor of the FCC’s fining of the CBS TV network $550,000 for showing Janet Jackson’s breast during the 2004 Super Bowl.
Obama’s supporters don’t want people to know that Obama is doing the same kinds of things that they hated Bush for doing.
The same section also had these two things, which were erased:
In 2012, the Obama administration accused Pepsico of “race discrimination” because it used criminal background checks to screen out job applicants.
The Obama administration accused fire and police departments in Jacksonville, Florida, New York City, and Dayton, Ohio of “racial discrimination” because they required potential firefighters and police officers to take a written test. Ten real examples of these “racist” questions from the New York test can be read here.
Those two things show how irrationally Obama is behaving as President, so of course his supporters don’t want people to know about them.
The article has a section called “Overseas Contingency Operation” which states:
In April 2010, the Obama administration authorized the targeted killing of the radical Muslim cleric and American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, who was believed to have shifted from encouraging attacks on the United States to directly participating in them.
However, the following information has been erased from that section:
However, because Awlaki was a U.S. citizen, and he was killed without judicial process, The ACLU accused Obama of violating the U.S. Constitution. U.S. Congessman Ron Paul (R-TX) said that Obama’s actions might be an impeachable offense. Prior to the killing, Dennis Blair, the country’s director of national intelligence, had stated to the House Intelligence Committee that “Being a U.S. citizen will not spare an American from getting assassinated by military or intelligence operatives.”
Of all the things that have been erased from the article, that is the one that scares me the most.
