# Let's make a list of programs that don't work that will be eliminated under Obama! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 13, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318 "2009-03-13T11:22:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/21 "2009-03-13T13:46:35Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > I mean, we haven’t had another 9/11, right? We didn’t have another 9/11 before 9/11 either, and it’s not like the TSA is the only change that has occurred since then that might have prevented new attacks. > [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > Has he even proposed cutting it? Unfortunately not, as far as I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/22 "2009-03-13T14:57:35Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > [Cite.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28525113/) > > That will certainly save some money, if we can keep [lying politicians](http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/bulletin/bulletin_090312.htm) from pork-barreling. Why are you using a quote stating that the _stimulus bill_ won’t have earmarks as evidence that the earmarks in the _budget_ constitute a lie? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/23 "2009-03-13T15:06:40Z")
> [@Stan\_Shmenge](#): > > I would like to start it, but I don’t have item one. Anybody? > > 1. Let’s see: 1 The Iraq war 2 Guantanamo Bay 3 The last president’s way of trying to hide his atrocities through opaqueness, and lies In a perfect world Bush would be extradited to face an international war crimes tribunal as the 3rd world style despot cuntbag he is. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/24 "2009-03-13T17:04:51Z")
Actually this is a good topic. Obama has pledged to have the deficit “down” to a cool $500 billion and change in four years. This year it is at $1.75 trillion. So, we only have $1.2 trillion in yearly expenses to cut in the next four years. So far we have the Iraq war which was ending anyways, but lets count that. Closing Gitmo, okay. Keep 'em coming, we still have a long way to go here… ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/25 "2009-03-13T17:16:25Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Why are you using a quote stating that the _stimulus bill_ won’t have earmarks as evidence that the earmarks in the _budget_ constitute a lie? Thank you, I was going to make the same point. I figure we’re gonna see a lot of this one… ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/26 "2009-03-13T17:18:23Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Actually this is a good topic. Obama has pledged to have the deficit “down” to a cool $500 billion and change in four years. This year it is at $1.75 trillion. > > So, we only have $1.2 trillion in yearly expenses to cut in the next four years. Pssst. There is at least one other way to cut deficits besides cutting spending. I’ll let you figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/27 "2009-03-13T17:22:28Z")
I would like to see the multitude of government organizations that administer federal land combined into one. Our food safety bureaucracy is an incredibly byzantine as well. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/28 "2009-03-13T17:30:42Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Pssst. There is at least one other way to cut deficits besides cutting spending. That’s right, Obama could eliminate the gasbag taxbreak: [Current Bush Tax System Saves Rush Limbaugh More Than $1.5 Million Every Year](http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/03/12/rush-15/) ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/29 "2009-03-13T17:33:32Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Actually this is a good topic. If you change that to “Actually this _would be_ a good topic” I’d totally agree with you. Except that the topic would have to be rephrased to be an actual debate…something like: **Let’s make a list of programs that don’t work that Obama _should_ eliminate** Right now, the OP is a steaming pile of vacuousness that would more aptly be placed in either the Pit or MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/30 "2009-03-13T19:01:15Z")
This is the Straight Dope man, if I wrote ‘ice cream is delicious’ it wouldn’t take a screen refresh before someone disagreed. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/31 "2009-03-13T19:06:43Z")
I disagree. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/32 "2009-03-13T19:13:39Z")
The best example for the OP is the Iraq war – a miserable, ignoble, massively destructive and colossally expensive criminal enterprise which failed even to steal what it was designed to steal. Also DADT torture Domestic spying abortion gag rules stem cell research restrictions Gitmo Irresponsible tax giveaways to the filthy rich The Bush Administration Really, it’s as much about restoring what was stolen by the previous administration as anything else. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/33 "2009-03-13T19:27:05Z")
The Bush administration hired missionaries to do a lot of his AIDS-in-Africa work. The program was said to be based on “ABC.” That’s Abstinence, “B” Faithful, and Condoms. Besides the arrogance of walking into a culture you don’t understand, and trying to make good little Christian boys and girls out of the locals, the missionaries didn’t believe in condoms. So, the “C” got very little emphasis. Before that, condom education and distribution had been the most effective way of curbing the spread of HIV. I give GWB a lot of credit for a massive increase in the money spent on AIDS. However, by giving the state’s job to the church, the programs were not as effective as they could have been. Mr. Obama has promised to “restore scientific integrity to government decision-making.” I predict the anti-condom missionaries will be removed from the AIDS business. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/34 "2009-03-13T19:49:45Z")
If the OP would like to educate himself I’d suggest he go here: [President's Budget | OMB | The White House](http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/) ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/35 "2009-03-13T20:47:59Z")
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starting to get a little annoyed by the low quality/high quantity OP flood style Stan is pouring into Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/36 "2009-03-13T20:48:05Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Why are you using a quote stating that the _stimulus bill_ won’t have earmarks as evidence that the earmarks in the _budget_ constitute a lie? Good point. If he was trying to prove that Obama lied about his position on eliminating all earmarks, Shodan should have picked [this quote](http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama-earmarks12-2009mar12,0,3306846.story) instead: > [@](#): > > “Done right, earmarks give legislators the opportunity to direct federal money to worthy projects that benefit people in their district, and that’s why I have opposed their outright elimination” ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/37 "2009-03-13T21:06:21Z")
How is that a lie? ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/38 "2009-03-13T22:05:41Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > How is that a lie? Because he said he’d ban all earmarks while campaigning and now says some aren’t worthy of banning? Those some are part of the “all” he promised to ban. Absolute statements have a way of being turned into lies when one starts making exceptions. People made similar complaints about Bush Sr. about “no new taxes” when “no” soon became “not too many.” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/39 "2009-03-13T22:27:31Z")
From Obama’s [Ethics Issues](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ethics/#earmarks) page: > [@](#): > > **Shine Light on Earmarks and Pork Barrel Spending:** Obama’s Transparency and Integrity in Earmarks Act will shed light on all earmarks by disclosing the name of the legislator who asked for each earmark, along with a written justification, 72 hours before they can be approved by the full Senate. I don’t recall Obama saying he’d eliminate _all_ earmarks (that was McCain’s baby) but if you can find a cite, I’d be happy to say I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318/40 "2009-03-13T22:52:00Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Because he said he’d ban all earmarks while campaigning and now says some aren’t worthy of banning? Those some are part of the “all” he promised to ban. Absolute statements have a way of being turned into lies when one starts making exceptions. People made similar complaints about Bush Sr. about “no new taxes” when “no” soon became “not too many.” You are wrong. Obama didn’t promise to eliminate all earmarks. That was the angry old guy. Unless I missed it, if you’d care to post the link I’d like to see it. But from what I recall you’re completely wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-programs-that-dont-work-that-will-be-eliminated-under-obama/489318.md?page=3)