By Stephanie Cochrane Posted February 18, 2009
The St. Petersburg Times has created an “Obameter” that tracks Obama’s campaign promises and the action taken upon them. Of his 510 promises, most are still rated “no action,” but one can not expect huge progress only one month into the new president’s term.
Of the seven promises kept, Obama has: appointed a Republican to his cabinet; banned lobbyist gifting to employees; signed the Ledbetter Act, which promised equal pay; required new hires to sign a form affirming their honesty in obtaining the job; released presidential records, directed the military towards ending the war in Iraq, and expanded eligibility for State Children’s Health Insurance Fund.
One promise has been compromised and one has been broken. When the president signed his first bill just hours after it was finalized in Congress, he broke his first promise. Obama promised not to sign any bills until it was open for five days of public comment first. The compromised campaign promise involved tougher rules against revolving door for lobbyists and former officials.
Obama has 18 promises in the works. He plans to extend unemployment benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on those benefits, get his daughters a puppy, modernize the nation’s electricity grid and use “smart grid” practices, require more energy-efficient appliances, work with UN on climate change, weatherize one million homes a year, raise fuel economy standards, create white house performance team and chief performance officer, double federal funding for basic science research over 10 years, encourage community service through online service through online outreach and social networking, develop an alternative to President Bush’s Military Commissions Act on handling detainees, closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, end the use of extreme rendition, end the use of torture, invest in electronic health information systems, create a tax credit of $500 for workers, and change standards for determining broadband access.
While Obama has not taken action in matters of education, civil rights, federal budget, social security, or military, one month into his term, he has begun to address critical issues such as the economy, energy, and government efficiency.
Perhaps the most advertised issue in America right now is the economy. Obama has taken little action on the economy, but his $790 billion dollar stimulus bill recently took its first steps through Congress. “We’re at the doorstep of getting this plan through Congress, but the work is not over,” Obama said to Yahoo! News. “When we do, the challenge will shift to administering successfully this endeavor of enormous scope and scale.”
To continue tracking the President’s campaign promises, visit www.politifact.com.
