Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
economy remained in bad shape, and the ambitious $800-billion stimulus package passed
by Congress in 2009 hadn't borne much fruit in the eyes of many Americans - even
though economists estimated that the stimulus did soften the blow of the recession,
which would have been much worse without it. At the end of his first term, his approval
ratings were around 49%.
With lost jobs, overvalued mortgages and little relief in sight, millions of Americans
found themselves adrift. This was not a recession they could spend their way out of, as
Obama's predecessor had suggested. People were upset and gathered in large numbers to
voice their anger. This, in turn, gave birth to the Tea Party, a wing of politically conser-
vative Republicans who believed that Obama was leaning too far to the left, and that
government handouts would destroy the economy and, thus, America. High federal
spending, government bailouts (of the banking and auto industries) and especially
Obama's healthcare reform (derisively named 'Obamacare') particularly roused their ire.
For a heart-pounding take on national security operations, watch
Homeland
, an Emmy
Award-winning cable TV series about a bipolar CIA officer (Claire Danes) playing a
game of cat-and-mouse with a marine sergeant who may be an Al-Qaeda operative. It's
one of President Obama's favorite shows
.
Healthcare for All
For Democrats, however, Obama's healthcare bill, which became law in 2010, was a ma-
jor victory in bringing healthcare coverage to more Americans, lowering the cost of care
and closing loopholes that allowed insurance companies to deny coverage to individuals.
Meanwhile, critics from both sides rained blows. From the right: 'This is socialism!'
From the left: 'Where's the public option?' (That is, a government-backed plan, which
would not force consumers to remain at the mercy of insurance companies.) Whether the
new program achieves the lofty goals touted by Democrats (new coverage for 30 million
uninsured Americans and lower premiums for all) - or wreaks havoc as per Republican
predictions (busting budgets and causing staggering job losses) - remains to be seen.
TIMELINE
7000 BC-AD 100
