Yet for all the saber rattling, the do nothing congressional opposition and the intense criticism that questioned your citizenship and compared you to Nazi leaders, you have flourished. In fact the last time a President got so much accomplished, booze was illegal.
Yes, the federal debt has increased, a troubling fact since you inherited a 12.5 trillion dollar deficit as it was. But with your stimulus bill (or more precisely the senate's stimulus bill) you have staved off a second great depression. Unemployment still hovers around 10%, and that fact much be improved, but the country has rebounded, and confidence has been regained.
Militarily you have shifted the focus away from Iraq and are concentrating on the real hotbed of terrorist activity, Afghanistan. You closed secret detention facilities in Europe,and prohibited the use of torture. You eliminated wasteful defense spending, such as the F-22 fighter jet program. You got rid of the arcane "Don't Ask Don't Tell," and reformed protocols with a Weapons System Acquisition Act. You signed a new G.I. bill, and pushed the START treaty through a lame duck senate.
You have spent more on education than any other, including an increase in Pell grants and loans, increasing the SCHIP program, and you reformed student loan predatory practices. You expanded spending for NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Domestically, you have gotten a new food safety bill through, along with landmark legislation allowing the FDA to regulate the tobacco industry. You negotiated a 9/11 relief workers bill which seemed all but dead, you signed the Christopher Reeve paralysis act and stem cell research has begun because of your efforts. You have continued to offer tax cuts, extended unemployment and COBRA rights for the unemployed. You crafted a credit card reform bill that will end abuses from lenders, signed the Ledbetter fair pay act, crafted a Wall Street reforms bill, a fraud enforcement and recovery act, and changed the way lobbyists operate in our government....and you signed hate crimes legislation that will protect victims and prosecute offenders.
You invested more than anyone in clean energy initiatives, increased fuel economy standards, continued the debate on climate change, allocated over 100 billion to improve our infrastructure and signed a sweeping public lands bill.
What am I forgetting? Oh yes, you put two women on the bench, saved the American auto industry and did what others have been trying to do for 65 years...reformed health care for all.
Not bad for half of his first term.
He has been a shining example of a family man, and an educated man. Because of him, when a parent tells their off spring that they can truly be or do anything when they grow up, they will not be lying or exaggerating.
Under enormous pressure, under enormous scrutiny, and some might say under enormous hatred, he has succeeded.
No doubt you will focus next on the DREAM act, energy reform and filibuster reform. You will keep reaching across the aisle despite having your hand slapped back numerous times. And you will continue to achieve and succeed.
For these and many other considerations....and without question or hesitation, the "World According to Kimba" Person of the year, is United States President, Barack Obama.
