The president’s waning integrity

By Tom Quiner

Voters’ trust in Barack Obama is plummeting.

In March, 66% said they trust the president.

Today the number is down to 54%.

In March, only 31% said they didn’t trust the president. Today, the number is up to 42%.

These numbers come to us from a new poll by Public Strategies/Politico.

The president’s waning integrity corresponds with his launch of a negative, dirty, and dishonest ad campaign against his presidential rival, Mitt Romney. As America suffers through horrendous jobs numbers, all Barack Obama can talk about is Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital experience.

As our economy stagnates, Obama smugly asserts that entrepreneurs aren’t so great, that government deserves credit for their success (but never their failure).

The public isn’t buying it. They compare the president’s pathetic record with his rhetoric and just can’t buy what he’s selling. He’s had 3 1/2 years to try and right the ship. He blames Bush, Republicans, Wall Street, Banks, the weather, and the wealthy for our troubles. Never does he acknowledge that his approach of larger government, more bureaucracy, more government regulation, more taxes, and more government control over the economy isn’t working.

If it didn’t work for Castro, why would it work for Obama?

Even more, voters have had to endure one broken campaign promise after another. Here is a very partial list. What else am I missing?

Obama broken promises …

1. Provide healthcare for all.  He didn’t.  22 million will remain uninsured under his watch.

2. Close Guantanamo. He didn’t. It’s still open. He stuck with the Bush approach.

3. End military tribunals. He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

4. Revise the Patriot Act. He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

5. End the Bush-era tax cuts for “the rich.” He didn’t. He stuck with the Bush approach.

6. Never sign a new piece of legislation, known as his “sunlight before signing” vow, until 5 days had passed. He’s broken this promise repeatedly, especially on mammoth pieces of legislation like Obamacare that required lots of sunlight time to be properly scrutinized.

7. Eliminate capital gains taxes for small businesses. He didn’t.

8. Never hire lobbyists in his administration. He broke the vow and hired lobbyists.

9. To stick with public campaign funding for his presidential bid in 2008. He didn’t honor his pledge. But John McCain did.

10. Not add to the national debt. He has, with a mind-boggling expansion of federal spending.

11. If we don’t like Obamacare, we can keep our existing policy. Wrong. Companies are canceling policies in light of perverse incentives built into Obamacare.

The president’s waning integrity doesn’t mean that he can’t lose the election. It simply means that if he wins, the country will trust that things won’t get any better. More of the same policies will only produce more of the same stagnant results.

That’s why Mitt Romney deserves our vote.