Offered in light of the present effort to canonize Mr. Obama, I present the following excerpt from my book: The Cross & the Constitution (Tate Publishing, 2011, page 305)
A wise woman told me once, “If you want to understand someone, you can listen to what he says, but it’s better to watch what he does.” A human being will speak volumes, but what he actually does, that reveals true character. It is a law: the closer words match deeds, the greater the integrity.
Mr. Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party and supposedly the leader of the free world. He is supported by about half the voters, roughly sixty million people in a country of three hundred thirty million. It is arguably true he enjoys the support of most people in colleges and universities across the country. He likewise enjoys the support of most of the powerful, influential voices in the mass media.
Given this kind of support, one would expect a great deal of integrity, so let’s measure some of the words and their proximity to deeds, just for fun.
• During the campaign, Mr. Obama promised he would participate
in public financing of campaign expenses. When it
became clear he could raise much more staying private, he broke
his promise.
• He says he supports the rule of law and took an oath to protect
and defend the Constitution then promotes the idea of detentions
based only on suspicion of future, potential violations.
• He claimed he opposes government spying on citizens and
supports the rights of privacy then directed his DOJ to argue
for more surveillance and complete government immunity
from prosecution.
• He said he favors full disclosure of campaign contributions
then accepted contributions from overseas without
disclosure.
• He said he could no more disown Jeremiah Wright than
he could disown his own family, and then, when Jeremiah
became a political liability, Obama disowned him.
• Calling his own grandmother a “typical white person,” he
likewise threw her under the bus during the campaign, using
her as an example of vast subliminal racism throughout
America.
• He promised stimulus spending would not contain pork and
it would heal the economy. It has not healed the economy
and it was filled with pork, unprecedented pork (nine thousand
earmarks?).
• Mr. Obama promised all healthcare deliberations would be
put on television. That did not happen.
• He promised proposed legislation would be available on line
for five days so people could see and review before he signed.
Another broken promise.
• He promised to be a leader of all the people, working to
restore American standing worldwide, then went on various
world tours, apologizing for America, bowing and scraping
before foreign leaders, denigrating America and holding her
up to ridicule.
• He says he supports Israel then throws Israel under the bus.
• He says we must stop Iranian nuclear ambitions but does
nothing substantive to accomplish this end.
• He says we must confront state-sponsored terrorism then
begins the process of lifting sanctions against Syria.
• He said he would cut spending.
• He said he would not raise taxes, then through ObamaCare
executes the biggest tax increases in history.
• He said he would vigorously fight terrorism and defend
the country.
• He said we would prevail in Afghanistan with a new coalition
of international players.
• He said he would pull out of Iraq without leaving Iraqis in
the lurch.
• He said he would not force people to buy health insurance.
• He said for years before being elected he supported universal
healthcare, and now he denies it.
• He said he wants to reduce the number of abortions but
votes in favor of every pro-abortion bill that comes down the
pike, even signing an order last year to allow taxpayer money
to fund abortion overseas.
• He says he will close Gitmo then doesn’t.
• He says he will prosecute KSM in civilian court in NYC
then doesn’t.
• He said he disagrees with recess appointments then made
them.
• He called for strong border security then cut fifty million
dollars from border security.
• He said he would cut waste and fraud. Both have increased.
• He said he would root out the influence of lobbyists and
special interests. Both have increased.
• He said he respects the separation of powers then rigs legislation
(ObamaCare) and condemns the Supreme Court.
• As a senator he opposed changing the rules to end filibuster,
but now he supports changing the rules to allow a simple
majority vote to end filibusters.
• He said he loves the free market then uses government to
take over vast portions of the economy.
• He claims he respects states’ rights then works to overrule
Arizona’s attempts to solve the problems associated with
illegal immigration.
• He condemns Wall Street, panders to Wall Street, takes
millions of dollars in campaign contributions from Wall
Street, parties with Wall Street, decries bailouts, then promotes
‘reform’ by calling for the authority to grant unlimited
bailouts.
• He promised taxpayers will not be on the hook for bailouts,
and now we find we are on the hook for bailouts.
• He said the worst thing we could do during a recession is
raise taxes. He is raising every tax possible, on individuals
and businesses, and researching new ways of getting into
our pockets, all the while creating a two-class America
where half the people pay no income tax, but the so-called
rich carry the entire load.
• He decries those who play the race card, then plays the race
card when it comes to immigration reform, even calling people
of color to rally to him in advance of November.
• He calls for bipartisanship then kicks the hell out of
Republicans at every opportunity.
• He says he supports vigorous debate and free speech then
calls the Tea Party people fringe lunatics and liars.
• He calls for unity and sows divisiveness.
You may have disagreed with George W. Bush on every issue of the day. However, you cannot deny he stated what he believed forthrightly and acted accordingly, which translates to a great deal of integrity.
Given a choice, most prudent people will choose the man of integrity, even if they disagree with him, rather than support the flimflam man. Better to trust and disagree than to have no trust at all.
And the more Democrats in the House and Senate pander to the flimflam man, the more they face the wrath of the voters in November. You just keep talking, Mr. Obama, and we’ll act. Pray and vote!
photo credit: Stephen D. Melkisethian Roots Of Cynicism Exhibit 1-1 via photopin (license)
