Obama on Campaign Promises and Signing Statements

Oct 17, 2009

Dateline - Washington D.C.

President Barack Obama commented on the controversy surrounding the continued use of signing statements on congressionally approved legislation. The tactic of issuing signing statements signifies that the President does not intend to follow certain provisions of legislation he signs into law. He notates his objection on the legislation prior to signing it to indicate his reason for disputing specific provisions. This tactic was used regularly by Former President George W. Bush, an action that infuriated many members of Congress, Democratic members in particular.

The press conference was slightly delayed when a member of the press core informed President Obama that a hair was out of place on Obama’s head and pleaded with the president to allow him to fix it free of charge. “The use of signing statements is a constitutionally protected action that has been used by multiple presidents, including Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Although I criticized certain uses of signing statements during my campaign, some uses of this process add to the ingredients that make the American experiment in democracy as successful as it is.”

When pressed to name examples of how using signing statements improved democracy President Obama continued “Look, I used signing statements on many of my campaign promises. The repeal of Don’t Act Don’t Tell...signing statement. Ensuring that no lobbyists participate in my administration…signing statement. The pledge to preserve the presidential bowling alley...signing statement. The pledge to increase transparency, however, I have kept. We have worked hard to release thousands of documents that embarrass my predecessor and make me look good, even with my shirt on.”

Pressed even further to indicate how he can claim transparency while not completely holding up all of his campaign promises Obama continued “Are you from Fox News? Well even if you aren’t I have been transparent. If you look at my record you will see that I made the signing statements using invisible ink so that transparency would be there regarding the promises that I had no inclination to uphold. Now where is the reporter from ILoveBarack.com?”