President Obama's 25 Key Campaign Promises

Mr. Obama's multitude of promises drew much praise from moderates, but the liberal side of the Democratic Party supported him most resoundingly: labor unions, influential Internet blogs and legions of grassroots volunteers. Click any link in red below to make your comments and (more) to see other promises made during the Obama campaign.

Administration

Promise Honored Require new hires to deny cronyism (comments)
"Obama will issue an executive order asking all new hires at the agencies to sign a form affirming that no political appointee offered them the job solely on the basis of political affiliation or contribution." — Obama's "Blueprint for Change" >>More

Agriculture

Increase tax incentives for farmers (comments)
"(Obama) will also provide tax incentives to make it easier for new farmers to afford their first farm. Obama will increase incentives for farmers and private landowners to conduct sustainable agriculture and protect wetlands, grasslands, and forests." — Obama's "Blueprint for Change" (more)

Civil Rights

Clean up the Justice Department (comments)
"I will rid the department of ideologues and political cronies…. The Civil Rights Division will actually be staffed with civil-rights lawyers who prosecute civil-rights violations, and employment discrimination, and hate crimes." — 09/28/07, Washington (more)

Defense

Consult Congress before taking military action (comments)
"I will call for a standing, bipartisan consultative group of congressional leaders on national security. I will meet with this consultative group every month, and consult them before taking major military action." — 10/2/07, Chicago Washington// (more)

Promises Broken Close Guantanamo Bay detention center (comments)
"As president, I will close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions." — 8/1/07, Washington (more)

Promise in the Works Reject and ban the use of torture (comments)
"When I am president, America will reject torture without exception." — 8/1/07, Washington (more)

Secure all nuclear material within four years (comments)
"As president, I will lead a global effort to secure all nuclear weapons and material at vulnerable sites within four years — the most effective way to prevent terrorists from acquiring a bomb." — 4/23/07, Chicago (more)

Economy

Increase regulation of financial industry (comments)
"I'll put in place the common-sense regulations and rules of the road I've been calling for since March — rules that will keep our market free, fair, and honest; rules that will restore accountability and responsibility in our corporate boardrooms." — 10/9/08, Dayton, Ohio (more)

Improve options for displaced workers (comments)
"Obama and Biden will also modernize and expand the existing system of trade adjustment assistance to include workers hurt by changing trade patterns. They will also create flexible education accounts that workers can use to retrain. And they will fully fund apprenticeship programs to help workers get credentials and skills in crafts that reward that investment with a middle class income and benefits." — BarackObama.com (more)

Education

Increase pay for teachers and principals (comments)
"So let's make a promise right now that if you're a teacher or a principal doing the hard work of educating our children, we will reward that work with the salary increase that you deserve." — 7/5/07, Philadelphia (more)

Energy and Environment

Curb global warming (comments)
"As president, I will set a hard cap on all carbon emissions at a level that scientists say is necessary to curb global warming — an 80 percent reduction by 2050." — 10/8/07, Portsmouth, N.H. (more)

Ethics

Promise Hedged Tougher rules for lobbyists and former officials (comments)
"When you walk into my administration, you will not be able to work on regulations or contracts related to your former employer for two years. When you leave, you will not be able to lobby the administration throughout the remainder of my term in office." — 5/19/08, Billings, Mont. (more)

Foreign Policy

Promise in the Works Withdraw U.S. combat troops from Iraq (comments)
"I will begin to remove our troops from Iraq immediately. I will remove one or two brigades a month and get all of our combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months. The only troops I will keep in Iraq will perform the limited missions of protecting our diplomats and carrying out targeted strikes on Al Qaeda." — 10/2/07, Chicago (more)

Put conditions on aid to Pakistan (comments)
"As president, I would make the hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Pakistan conditional, and I would make our conditions clear: Pakistan must make substantial progress in closing down the training camps, evicting foreign fighters, and preventing the Taliban from using Pakistan as a staging area for attacks in Afghanistan." — 8/1/07, Washington (more)

Support Israel (comments)
"I will bring to the White House an unshakable commitment to Israel's security." — 6/4/08, Washington (more)

Health Care

Ensure all Americans have health insurance (comments)
"I have made a solemn pledge that I will sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of my first term as president that will cover every American and cut the cost of a typical family's premiums by up to $2,500 a year." — 6/23/07, Hartford, Conn. (more)

Immigration

Reform immigration laws (comments)
"And when I'm president, I will put comprehensive immigration reform back on the nation's agenda, and I will not rest until it is passed once and for all." — 7/22/07, Miami (more)

Infrastructure

Protect New Orleans and expand levee system for a category 5 hurricane (comments)
"When I am president, we will finish building a system of levees that can withstand a 100-year storm by 2011, with the goal of expanding that protection to defend against a Category 5 storm." — 2/7/08, New Orleans (more)

Invest $60 billion in infrastructure (comments)
"I've proposed a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank that will invest $60 billion over 10 years." — 2/24/08, Lorain, Ohio (more)

Labor

Support workers' right to organize (comments)
"And if American workers are being denied their right to organize when I'm in the White House, I will put on a comfortable pair of shoes and I will walk on that picket line with you as president of the United States." — 11/3/07, Spartanburg, S.C. (more)

Religion

Expand faith-based initiatives (comments)
"I'll establish a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The new name will reflect a new commitment. This council will not just be another name on the White House organization chart. It will be a critical part of my administration." — 7/1/08, Zanesville, Ohio (more)

Science and Technology

Provide every American with broadband access (comments)
"As president, I will set a simple goal: Every American should have the highest-speed broadband access — no matter where you live, or how much money you have." — 6/16/08, Flint, Mich. (more)

Taxation

Cut taxes for the middle class (comments)
"I not only have pledged not to raise their taxes, I've been the first candidate in this race to specifically say I would cut their taxes." — 4/16/08, Philadelphia (more)

Provide a homeowners tax credit (comments)
"We'll provide struggling homeowners some relief by giving them a tax credit that would cover 10 percent of a family's mortgage-interest payment every year." — 1/29/08, El Dorado, Kan. (more)

Veterans

Update Veterans Affairs hospital system (comments)
"I've pledged to build a 21st-century VA as president. It means no more red tape. It's time to give every service member electronic copies of medical and service records upon discharge." — 5/12/08, Charleston, W.Va. (more)

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