Two Glaring Examples of Obama's Poor Decision Making

Obama's campaign is always touting that the candidate has all kinds of experience but when called on to give examples, they always waver and throw out non sequiturs like "he was a community organizer" or "he's been running for nineteen months" as if they are glowing examples of his abilities, leadership and decision-making processes.

How about we give two real examples that give insight into how he will lead. The first has to do with the current mortgage melt down. John McCain introduced a bill that would increase federal oversight on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The text is as follows:

1/26/2005--Introduced. Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 to establish: (1) in lieu of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), an independent Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Agency which shall have authority over the Federal Home Loan Bank Finance Corporation, the Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac); and (2) the Federal Housing Enterprise Board. Sets forth operating, administrative, and regulatory provisions of the Agency, including provisions respecting: (1) assessment authority; (2) authority to limit nonmission-related assets; (3) minimum and critical capital levels; (4) risk-based capital test; (5) capital classifications and undercapitalized enterprises; (6) enforcement actions and penalties; (7) golden parachutes; and (8) reporting. Amends the Federal Home Loan Bank Act to establish the Federal Home Loan Bank Finance Corporation. Transfers the functions of the Office of Finance of the Federal Home Loan Banks to such Corporation. Excludes the Federal Home Loan Banks from certain securities reporting requirements. Abolishes the Federal Housing Finance Board.

That bill was blocked by the Democrats who subsequently received a lot of money from both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Who do you think received the second most? Barack Obama, who was only behind Chris Dodd. So, when McCain saw the train wreck coming with regard to the mortgage industry 3 and a half years ago, Obama not only disregarded it and helped block it but received campaign funds for doing so. When the situation required foresight and guts, Obama took the easy way and the money and we now have an economic crisis as a result.

The second opportunity he had to show good leadership, he tanked once again. This time on Iraq:

WHILE campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

Yes, you read that correctly, a sitting Senator tried to convince a foreign nation in a time of war to listen to him and not heed the words of the elected President. In other words, he's not only shattering racial barriers but the barriers erected to ensure that congressional duties don't intrude on executive duties under the Constitution.

By taking these actions, he sought to actually extend the time some troops would be in Iraq rather than shorten them as President Bush was trying to do. That's despicable and underhanded but also against the law to conduct talks on such critical matters using authority one has not been granted. More on this here and no Obamaniacs, he did not deny it but actually confirmed it to be true.

So Obama has proven that yes, he has experience as his supporters say all the time. The problem is that his experience is in acting completely inappropriately with regard to Iraq and accepting campaign funding from an agency overseen by the government that was teetering on the verge of insolvency and finally fell into the abyss.

Mortgage crisis:

McCain: Introduced legislation to avert the current housing implosion. Obama: Blocked the bill and accepted money in return from trade group that would have been hurt by the bills passage. Winner: McCain.

Iraq:

McCain: The chief advocate for the surge at a highly unpopular time and was proven correct. Obama: Against the surge and went to Iraq and plead with the government of that country to delay an agreement that would have helped begin drawing down troop levels. Winner McCain