Happy One Month Anniversary, Mr. President!
While there have been some disappointments, there's no denying that Barack Obama has accomplished an amazing amount in his first thirty days in office. Considering the absolute clusterf&%k he inherited from his predecessor and how many roadblocks and petty games have been placed in his way, let's give the man some props for getting the job done.
Rachel Maddow lists Obama's presidential accomplishments:
Announced strict new rules for lobbyists
Paycaps for WH staff
Hillary Clinton confirmed Secretary of State
Signed an Executive Order closing Gitmo and secret CIA prisons overseas
Named George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke Special Envoys to Middle East
Made first agency visit to the State Dept, symbolically reviving diplomacy
Signed Lily Ledbetter Act,
Canceled 77 land leases around Arches National Park;
Signed the Stimulus Bill;
Announced his home foreclosure prevention plan;
Took first foreign trip to Canada;
Banned budget gimmicks, like emergency funding for Iraq;
Perhaps not everything we wanted, but a big list nonetheless. Rick Perlstein, author of Nixonland, speaks with Rachel on just how quickly Obama is fighting the inertia of Washington.
Perhaps Ms. Maddow would venture to inquire of these Afghan families whose loved ones were slaughtered by Obama's bombs if they wish to congratulate Obama for being president of the less than benevolent United States.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29315337/
I hate to break this too you but we are America and blowing things up is still our only real export and Obama is as much part of this "we need to kill brown people" culture as anyone else in mainstream politics and unless America got serious and elected someone like Dennis Kucinich who would have actually stopped the bombing on his first day, we are not going to see an end to this any time soon.
The good news is that (and I believe this) if we continue to march against the war Obama might just listen (hell, we have more of a chance with him then we ever did with Bushco) - So I say to everyone Don't stop writting, don't stop blogging, don't stop marching* and don't stop screaming for real change!
*if you haven't started marching yet, find a march...and march. If you live in a city there is probably one you can join or a group you can get together to get one started...of course who am I to speak, I'm still sitting here typing!
Notable absences (IMHO):
1. Hasn't eliminated "Don't ask, don't tell" bullshit.
2. Hasn't closed Gitmo and Bagram torture sites (acutally, ALL torture sites.)
3. Didn't appoint any true liberals to his cabinet (w/ possible exception of Hilda Solis.)
4. Hasn't agreed to prosecute war criminals Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfield (among others.)
There's more, but those are my top ones. What say you, blogosphere?
Homeland Security dept. apply?
And I would love to see FEMA be a stand alone dept. again.
Oh, and shut down the star wars thingy.
And bring home all the troops.
SDI (Strategic Defence Initiative).
We probably need some kind of missle defense system, but not this budget draining boondoggle.
Sure the Cold War is over, but if Pakistan falls to militant troops, those troops would than have about 100 nuclear bombs (I don't know what their range and delivery system is).
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I give Obama a lot of credit for accomplishing so much in just one month, but he really needs to end the wars. NOW.
Think of the money it would save.
There's gonna come a time when people will forget why we ever went to war in the first place. Even now, it is pretty muddy and people are just plain sick of it. Sick of the killing and torturing and debt.
Yeah, why did we go to war in the first place? I've forgotten.
Bruised collective ego. Asshole president. Greedy profiteers. No other reason.
"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!
you would think the first step in fixing our financial crisis would be to stop the things that are needlessly draining our treasury. These asshole Repugs say they don't want to pay for people to live better in America but they sure don't mind our taxes going to pay for people to die better overseas.
Hell a Republican will steal money out of a homeless childs pocket to send another bomb to kill a child in Iraq! for no good reason, they just like it that all!
I’m not the blogosphere, but if I get to be Obama’s judge and jury regarding Bush/Cheney prosecutions – I don’t have enough evidence yet.
Not agreeing to prosecute is not the same as prosecution being off the table. Also, it’s not up to Obama to prosecute, that’s Eric Holder’s job. Before Holder can prosecute, he must clean up the DOJ.
The DOJ is where the Bush Regime’s coupe-d’état ended. They succeeded in co-opting nearly every Federal and State Dept, and were close as hell to doing the same with Justice when Gonzo got busted. But they did go far there, and first that must be cleaned up.
I have no idea the private and confidential conversations Obama has had with Holder. He may very well have said, let’s get those SOBs so they can never do this again (good), or let’s sweep this under the table so it’s not a distraction moving forward (bad).
Too soon to tell, for me.
yeah we couldnt have done it without you!barack.... the people who are about to die in afganistan !
BTW, since I'm leaving Texas in a few weeks, I cam up with a new name. Thanks for the many good suggestions out there. I decided on "Matt left Texas"
Site monitors, how do I go about changing this when I get to suny CA?
Welcome to California Matt!
From Humboldt.
That's great. I'd never even want to visit Texas nevermind think of living there. When I look at the map, Texas is the big asshole of the USA.
"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!
Erroll. tyree, and Matt (good luck in Cali).
the more it seems like the same old BS with a different drummer..
**************
This is a Global policies to control the wealth and gain complete power of the citizens of the world...
The workers and citizens in Ireland are tired of the corporate criminals also..
****Huge protest over Irish economy*** http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7903518.stm
Where is The Change is a coming.....
Is the war in Iraq being brought to an end....No
Where are are the procedures to purge the destruction to our constitution , bill of rights , democracy.. Has the "illegal" spying on the American citizens stop yet... H... NO and they are using foreign countries to spy on us like Israel's spying companies...
Turley: Failure to Prosecute Bush on Torture Would Make Obama an ‘Accessory’ to War Crimes
But on Feb 6, 2009...Panetta: No prosecution for CIA interrogators
******
*******
Obama sides with Bush in spy case....
The Obama administration fell in line with the Bush administration when it urged a federal judge to set aside a ruling in a closely watched spy case weighing whether a U.S. president may bypass Congress and establish a program of eavesdropping on Americans without warrants.
******
Where are the change is a coming... Most of the stimulus has given the republicans and corporations what they wanted ''''more tax cuts" Now they can build more plants overseas , high their wealth from paying taxes , ship more jobs overseas , cut American's jobs and wages in our county.
Why do the working class keep on given and given while the wealthy and corporations just keep receiving and receiving...
This is now a Global Corporate control of the world and workers. Notice that the once considered U.S. companies are now global corporations and are controlling the policies of the world..
They have more plants and workers overseas then in our country and it keeps getting less and less as time goes by...
None
How long had Bush been in office before he took his first vacation to clear brush in Crawford? Congratulations Mr. President! I look forward to the next 8 years.
Perhaps that's the best fate that awaits the worst president of all times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjRaU8hRVJs
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
That was so freaky!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP8mbxZBl3k
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Did he ever even really begin? I think he was just a puppet the whole way through.
"If the US government enforced its banking laws like it did its park regulations, we wouldn't be
in this damn park in the first place." OCCUPY.!!
How many birthday spanks does one get for one month?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Maybe you just get a finger shaken at you?
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
I thought that Obama would have rolled back Bush's August 9, 2001 restrictions on day one.
What's taking so long?
you will still be asking that question in 010 011 012! lol
while they firm there control of the American citizens..
Did you see the way Obama ignored The major of Baltimore Maryland... in his governors meeting..
This governor was one of his strongest supporters while and after his campaign..
What ever happen to innocent until proven guilty with democrats , while criminals like Ted Stevens receives a standing ovation from the republican when he enter the senate room.
What is The governor accused of doing???? keeping a couple of cards with around 100 or so dollars on it...
Ex-Senate aide charged in Abramoff scandal
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/...
Published: Feb. 21, 2009 at 12:24 PM
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A former aide to Mississippi Republican
Sen. Thad Cochran has been charged with accepting more than $25,000 worth of gifts from a now-convicted lobbyist.
There is an all out attack on democrats now like Caroline Kennedy , Mayor Sheila Dixon Baltimore and others receive 24/7 news coverage while the republicans corruption receive no coverage of a back page article....
Obama seems to be the chosen by this republican-democratic leaders which are controlling the democratic party and destroying all the principles that our party ever had for our constitution , democracy and the welfare of it working class, seniors and poor.
None
... "not everything we wanted." I believe it's even less than the list suggests.
All in all this seems very anemic. A president is most powerful in his first 100 days, and this country is very screwed up.
I just don't see us even close to making a third of the changes that are desperately needed.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Great post fiver. We needed a little reality check there.
While I suppose we could all agree that these are good things as far as they go (and some of them surely do not go far enough), I have a hard time regarding some of them as "accomplishments."
Getting some cabinet positions confirmed is an "accomplishment?"
Naming a couple of envoys is an "accomplishment?"
Visiting an executive agency is an "accomplishment?"
Signing bills for which he didn't have to lobby (Lily Ledbetter and S-CHIP)? Going to Canada? Meeting with mayors? Signing an order continuing an already-existing program (the Office of Gulf Coast Recovery)?
Pretty damn low bar for "accomplishments," I'd say. I can imagine the GOPpers having come out with a similar list after GWB's first month in office and having it met with ridicule from this side for including such items.
With the performance of this president, at least so far. I mean nothing is perfect but the alternate could have been a lot worse. I would have been praying everyday for McNuts to survive 30 days to avoid a Palin presidency.
What bothers me are his affirmative steps to continue in Bush's footsteps on many illegal foreign policies and a failure of Constitutional rule from the beginning. If Obama can't make his government legal and Constitutional from the outset, I'm not enthusiastic at all.
Don't mean to be a spoilsport for those who are glad he's done what he's done. He's pretty good on non-Constitutional issues and I suppose that deserves credit.
Constitutional issues are by nature Domestic issues, which America has never really had a consensus on.
When I was a kid hearing the guns or butter debate, I thought the soldiers used butter to grease their guns.
I find it interesting that conservatives who insist on the letter of the Constitution and that their interpretation is the only correct one tend to do the same to scripture.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Like become the new manager of a store that has a critical shrinkage problem, or been assigned to reform the office supply system? You know, when things have been broken for so long that no one knows what it was like BEFORE they were broken, it takes a great deal of work, luck, and good sense to turn a failing unit around. I know, I've been in retail management for over 15 years, since my discharge. You don't walk into a store as a new manager and overturn the thing in 30 days; it can take up to a year to weed out the bad employees, change the culture of corruption, and get things back on track. Imagine what it must be like for the President, with his "new" store being the entirety of the US.
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" - Red Green
Freedom Ain't Free - Pay Your Share
.
Navy vet
"... it takes a great deal of work..." All it takes from Obomb-a is to tell the Air Force to no longer drop 500 lb. bombs on innocent Afghan civilians [see my link at 13:13]. One simple, direct order and no more Afghans will have to die in order to justify American imperialism. Or do their lives not count because they are not American?
this aint no gedunk stand!
I saw this last night on Rachel Maddow's show. I wasn't aware that the last president that had this many things done by this time was FDR. He's inherited a major clusterf^&k as president and detractors that just won't quit. There are some things he's done and people's he has chosen that has made me give him the crooked eye (Geithner and Summers), but I'm not gonna sit back after a month, a month!! and go, "Well, why haven't you?!"
Yes, there are many things I want him to fix now (stem cell research) but there are so many wholes to plug in the wall, I can't be impatient.
Excuse me, I'm dancing the Snoopy dance.
*bounce bounce bounce*
There's always free cheddar in the mousetrap, baby. - Tom Waits
Let's not forget that Obama rescinded the despicable "Global Gag Rule", which in Bush's eight years probably resulted in thousands of unwanted children and deaths from botched abortions in poor countries.
Also let's remember that the list only includes the stuff we know about. Obama has also been having hundreds of meetings about possible appointees, directions for new legislation, etc.
I'd say he's doing a remarkable job so far. On the other hand, I am appalled that Hillary Clinton is essentially giving the Chinese a green light to abuse dissidents and Tibetans. What is that all about???!!
Right after Keith Olberman's ranting, we have Rachel Maddow . . .warm, friendly, gifted intelligent, and wicked funny as a counterbalance.
Yeah, what happened with Keith Olbermann? He used to be good but it seems the last few years of Bush have driven him over the edge. Like he couldn't cope with all the insanity and went a little nuts himself.
Forget the fluff, what about the justice system, wiretapping, torture, presidential dictatorship powers, gag orders, etc etc. The Nation's foundation is built on the Constitution and the Justice System. This guy is all fluff and window dressing. You will come to realize this. Just an elitist hypocrite. Two faced con artist.
...of why we Dems will always be our own worst enemies. No one is ever perfect enough, pure enough.
As for accomplishments, in response to "fivers" opinion:
"Signed S-ChIP legislation
-(way to take our poster children out of the universal health care debate. BTW, why do we need S-Chip with universal health care?)"
Not signing SCHIP legislation would have canceled health coverage for 11 million children currently covered. Perhaps you are willing to do so, so that they can be your "poster children" for the universal health care debate, but as someone who worked in SCHIP and seen the incredible difference it's made, well, your argument is esoteric and ridiculous.
An Obama accomplishment missed: Repealing the Mexico City Policy, which over the Reagan and Bush administrations killed thousands of women around the world.
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