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Dear Friend:

(Friends may sometime hold differing opinions about this and that, but please know that you are my good friend and will always remain so.)

The other night, you asked if I could tell you “one single thing” that President Obama had accomplished so far in his time in office. As I recall, I mumbled something incoherent about health care reform and financial protections. I hope you’ll now allow me the opportunity of a more sober and well-considered reply -- not to argue or debate (we‘ll leave that to the professionals), but just to give you a better answer. Here goes.

First and foremost, Barack H. Obama is, by himself, undeniably historic -- he is, of course, the first black person to be elected President of the U.S. No matter what you think of his politics, this is hugely important and he is a BFD for this reason alone. Symbolically, Obama is Crispus Attucks, Frederick Douglas, Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks rolled into one. He’ll be in the history books, and he should be. And you should be proud to live in a country where this sort of progress has occurred. Not that long ago, it would’ve been unthinkable.

More to your question, please consider the following. (I know this list is kinda long, but it could’ve been much longer. Much. Hang in there and read it.) So far, less than 3 years into it, these are just some -- some -- of the things President Obama has accomplished:

Responding to the financial crash of 2008 (a huge, lingering crisis; the worst recession since the Great Depression of 1929, manufactured by lax Bush policies/oversight and conveniently handed off to Obama in the nick of time), he passed the ARRA (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act), aka the Stimulus Bill. This had a positive impact, no matter what the detractors say. (How can one quantify “Coulda been worse”?) Per the non-partisan, objective Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the stimulus package added about two million jobs, and reduced unemployment. Was it enough? No. In hindsight, ARRA should have been bigger. Even so, the Stimulus helped, no doubt about it. Further action may still be needed.

Passed the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, aka Health Care Reform. ACA maintains the for-profit health insurance industry, deals with some abuses/inefficiencies (pre-existing conditions, policy rescission, etc.), and offers access to health insurance to some 32 million previously uninsured people. It allows children to remain insured on their parents policies until age 26. ACA pays for itself via higher Medicare taxes on higher incomes, taxes on expensive “Cadillac” private plans, and taxes on some insurance and drug companies. It also cuts subsidies to insurance companies that sell alternative Medicare “Advantage” plans, and cuts some Medicare funding to hospitals and home health care providers. Ultimately, if you like your current health insurance, ACA doesn’t affect you at all or cost you anything. Stay put, be happy. Eventually, in 2014, ACA requires that we all be insured or face a small-ish penalty. Were you planning on being uninsured by then? Again, stay put, be happy. ACA is a much needed step in the right direction. It coulda/woulda/shoulda been so much more, but it’s a start. And ACA is most definitely not Socialism, it’s not government-run health insurance, and “death panels” are not in any way involved. The CBO says that the ACA will save over $100 billion in health care costs in the next ten years, and another $1 trillion in the following decade.

Created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a new watchdog agency monitoring new rules governing lender practices, including the “Credit Card Bill of Rights.” It was the predatory practices and fraudulent investment shenanigans of the financial sector which created the recent Great Recession, so this agency is most definitely needed. The CFPB will soon be headed by former Ohio AG Rich Cordray.

Took steps to close the “donut hole” in Medicare prescription drug reimbursement. (Drug costs were covered to a point, then not covered, then covered once again.)

Temporarily extended the Bush-era tax cuts due to expire in January 2010 for those earning less than $250,000 per year. (I assume this includes you. Certainly includes me.) Personally, I disagreed with this decision.

Temporarily reduced individual FICA (Social Security) tax withholding from 6.2% to 4.2%. Has proposed extending this cut, and may offer the same cut to employers as well as employees. Again, I disagree. Republicans forced the initial FICA cut as the price for extended unemployment benefits. Strangely, the same Republicans who were all for it then now oppose Obama’s proposal to continue the cut.

Expanded eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP programs.

Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, which prohibits gender-based pay inequality in the workplace.

Ended the war in Iraq, and began the draw-down in Afghanistan.

Expanded Pell Grants for low income students.

Ended the anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the U.S. military.

Instructed the U.S. Justice Dept. not to enforce the anti-gay “Defense of Marriage Act.”

Banned lobbyist gifts to executive branch employees.

Removed restrictions to embryonic stem-cell research.

Introduced a plan to expand broadband internet access across all areas of the U.S.

Helped preserve U.S. auto manufacturing with financial aid (“bailouts”) to General Motors and Chrysler. This money has already been repaid.

“Cash For Clunkers” was a success. Car sales spiked, albeit temporarily.

Increased funding for the EPA.

Instituted higher fuel economy standards for the auto industry.

Has overseen repayment of almost all the Bush/Henry Paulson TARP bailout money given to the bad actors in the financial/insurance industries.

Expanded AmeriCorps (young teachers doing public service in impoverished areas).

Ratified (again) the START Treaty governing ongoing reduction of nuclear weapons.

Very recently, he sent a jobs/economic recovery bill to Congress which proposed massive investment in infrastructure maintenance & repairs -- because we desperately need it!

Today, he introduced his fair and balanced plan to reduce the deficit by $3 trillion.

And, oh yeah, . . . He took out Osama Bin Laden! So he’s got that goin’ for him too.

And bear in mind he did these things despite ugly, brutal, relentless Republican opposition at every turn. We’ve never seen such open hostility to a sitting President . Republicans have made it obvious that their #1 priority -- by far -- is not employment or the economy or the deficit or defense or domestic policy, it’s the defeat of Barack Obama by any means possible, and no matter the consequences. It’s shameful.
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Anyway, I think your original question/statement was, “What has Obama done for me? He hasn’t done anything for me.”

Surely there must be something on this (partial) list “for you” or for your family, either now or in the future. At the very minimum, Obama’s “given you” a reprieve in the form of a continued reduction in your personal income tax rate, and a temporary reduction in your Social Security tax as well. Surely these things, if not the social good/bigger ideas, are right up your alley, since they have already put more money in your pocket.

If that’s not enough, if you feel you are “owed” more, if you somehow believe that the President is personally obligated to stroke you a check or something, then I’m simply flabbergasted.

Barack H. Obama is a fine man, a good President, and a far, far better person for the job than anyone else in arena. I don’t expect you to vote for him, but in extremely difficult circumstances and without even a hint of bipartisanship, he’s accomplished a great deal. Even you must give him that.

So that's my better answer! Thanks for reading.

Your old buddy,
Buster Gammons

P.S. Just for fun, click this link to Buster’s Blog http://bustergammons.blogspot.com/ and check out some fun, fresh perspective. Can you deal? See ya!