Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

100 Days: Biggest Promises Kept, Broken

The economy has changed the stakes since the campaign began

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 29, 2009 8:39 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – One way to judge President Obama's first 100 days in office is to look at his rhetoric on the campaign trail. Taking into account the fallout from the economic crisis, PolitFact came up with the most crucial promises Obama has kept and broken. His vow to beef up alternative-energy investment looks good, but those about getting tough on lobbyists seem a bit toothless.

The president's greatest achievement, according to the Pulitzer Prize-winning number-crunchers at the St. Petersburg Times, has been to turn a recession into an opportunity to double investment in renewable energy. The flip side is the upshot of tough talk on the campaign trail that lobbyists' "days of setting the agenda are over." After 100 days, an awful lot of former lobbyists are cashing government paychecks.

President Barack Obama speaks about his alternative energy plan following a plant tour at the Trinity Structural Towers Inc. in Newton, Iowa, Wednesday, April 22, 2009.
President Barack Obama speaks about his alternative energy plan following a plant tour at the Trinity Structural Towers Inc. in Newton, Iowa, Wednesday, April 22, 2009.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
President Barack Obama makes remarks about investments in clean energy and new technology included in the budget, Monday, March 23, 2009, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
President Barack Obama makes remarks about investments in clean energy and new technology included in the budget, Monday, March 23, 2009, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Barack Obama, then D-Ill., talks about the influence of health care lobbyists in crafting health care legislation on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007.
Barack Obama, then D-Ill., talks about the influence of health care lobbyists in crafting health care legislation on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
oldgoat
Apr 30, 2009 8:17 AM CDT
Trying to find someone that is familiar with working in the gov and the job that they are looking at will usually mean that they are a lobbyist. Maybe he didn't think that it would be that hard to find a non lobby person to do that.
Derni
Apr 29, 2009 5:33 AM CDT
I'm tired of hearing about the 100 days-I'm sick of the report cards-We all know (I'm a democrat and an indenpendent) that the situation our counbtry is in will take a long time to correct-so lets not put pressure on anyone regardless of party affiliation. I woiuld like to see both parties work together but I guess it's hard to give up the genetic inclination to grease each others hand-thus our political parties operate this way in order to maintain their homeostatsis.
Mad
Apr 29, 2009 3:42 AM CDT
Lobbyist is a broad spectrum term, it can mean anyone from an individual representing his simple idea on how to make a better widget, to a billion dollar company making trillions of widgets; the thing to watch out for is how much influence the government allows the lobbyist to weld. For instance; Cheney had oil CEO's making American energy policy and refused to even tell the public who was at the meetings, much less what was decided. That's the lobbyist we needed to curtail, and I believe Obama did just that

More Promise Tallies

Obama has delivered, big time, on promised work ethic
Washington Post

Huge to-do list sees impressive progress
National Journal

A video scorecard of promises kept and broken
Chicago Sun-Times

What's been done so far
Wall Street Journal

 
presidency • alternative energy • renewable energy • lobbyists • economic stimulus package • President Obama • 100 days • campaign promises

More Newser Stories

Obama Invites Fans to Join 'Truth Team'

Obama Critics: Really So 'Dumb'?

Obama 2012 Aide Was Bailout Lobbyist

Big Obama Fundraisers Double as Lobbyists

Obama Scrambles for Jobs Plan
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne