Does President Obama treat his political opponents fairly?

No

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by Wayne Douma

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President Obama's entire campaign for the Presidency was based on a lot of rhetoric. He said the things that needed to be said in order to get elected - just like almost every other person holding a political position has done. The problem with Obama was that he created this hype of "hope and change" and that "he would be above the partisan politics of old." That is a good way to earn votes from moderates and independent voters, but how has this promise shaped up following his January 20, 2009 Inauguration ceremony?

To be fair to President Obama, in his initial weeks in the office he did hold bi-partisan meetings with both Democrats and Republicans in the legislative body. Republicans were open in their statements that they did want to work with the President, but what happened following those initial weeks?

To start, popular conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said the words, "I hope President Obama fails" and that seemed to be the end of "reaching across the aisle" for the President. The White House orchestrated a smear campaign against Rush Limbaugh, and anyone who seemed to agree with his words. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs seemed to daily mumble through his talking points of Limbaugh being a leader of the Republican party. The Democratic White House knew this would cause turmoil in the opposing party, trying to stir debate on the true leader of the Republicans.

Following Limbaugh, it seemed like mere days later that the White House was trying to paint former Vice President Dick Cheney as this villian who speaks for all Republicans, because Cheney spoke out against some of Obama's foreign policy. Whatever happened to the Constitution of the United States, and freedom of speech? One of the great things about America is that we CAN criticize leaders in office, but it seems that only is allowed when Republicans are in control. If a Democrat is in the White House you cannot speak out against them without being labeled "out of touch" or "racist" or "homophobic" and the list goes on of Democrat name calling for voices opposing them.

President Obama also seems to have one last card in his deck every time he is running low on ideas - Blame Bush. It is fact that George W Bush was not the most beloved President in history, but at the same time when have you ever seen in Presidential history a current administration criticize former Presidents this much, if at all? The answer is that they do not do it! Barack Obama has been President of this country for 7 months now, and things are his to deal with. The economy is Obama's, and he can talk all he wants about debt when he was sworn in, but Obama in those 7 months has doubled that debt already. When the Obama stimulus bill passed in February any economic problems ensuing after were now his. Sure, President Obama may fire up his liberal fringe supporters each time he mentions George W Bush negatively, but the fact is, Obama is President now and Bush is not.

President Obama and his administration's criticism has turned from just Republican leaders to American citizens even. The Health Care debate has caused a lot of debate in the United States currently, and name calling by Democratic leaders is not any way that our founding father's envisioned this country to look like. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House recently called people objecting Obama's health care reform "Nazi's" and stated that "Anyone opposing this bill is un-American." The funny thing is not only Republicans oppose this health care bill, a lot of Democrats do as well. The White House Press Secretary has also jumped on the bandwagon, telling in daily conferences how town hall protesters are mere "Organized mobs, paid to speak out" and "Passing along false information." President Obama himself even recently acknowledged that if people know someone speaking out against health care to report them to the government. After that I am sure he sat down in a White House bathroom and wiped his butt with the pages of the United States Constitution.

No opponent to any liberal is treated fairly, and that is continuing with Obama in office. The liberal media (basically anywhere but Fox-News) demonizes anyone who speaks out against the President. Town hall rallies have even recently hired Union thugs and ACORN representatives to bully people opposing this health care reform. Then to top it off we have people like Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs doing their best to trash political opponents any time a microphone is near them.

This is not "Change we can believe in" but I never expected President Obama to make good on that promise anyway, so I cannot say that I am at all surprised.

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