100 days for Obama

I am thankful that a democrat is in office especially Obama. I think that it is too early to tell. Many of the programs and plans he is implementing will take years to help. This country was left in such a mess financially, that no one should expect great improvement in such a short period. And for those who say he is taking us in a more socialist direction, whatever. Do you think the harm done by Bush and his cronies will just disappear by throwing more money at the wealthy. Economic rebirth will take years, it does not change overnight. The money invested now will pay in the future.

I say, so far, so good.

Obama’s first 100 days:

On day one he Issued an order suspending last-minute federal regulations pushed through by outgoing Bush

Enacted a pay freeze for Senior White House Staff making more than $100,000 per year

Announced stricter guidelines regarding lobbyists in an effort to raise the ethical standards of the White House.

Signed an executive order suspending all the ongoing proceedings of Guantanamo military commission and ordering the detention facility to be shut down within the year.

Signed an order requiring the Army Field Manual to be used as a guide for terror interrogations, banning torture and other coercive techniques, such as waterboarding.

Isued an executive order entitled “Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel”, setting stricter limitations on incoming executive branch employees and placing tighter restrictions on lobbying in the White House.

Signed two Presidential Memoranda concerning energy independence, ordering the Department of Transportation to establish higher fuel efficiency standards before 2011 models are released and allowing states to raise their emissions standards above the national standard.

Ended the Mexico City Policy, which banned funds to international groups that provide abortion services or counseling.

In his first week he established a policy of producing a weekly Saturday morning video address available on Whitehouse.gov and YouTube.

Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 on January 29, which revised the statute of limitations for filing pay discrimination lawsuits.

Signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIP), expanding health care from 7 million children under the plan to 11 million.

Signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009

Lifted the restrictions on embryonic stem cell research.

Signed a law raising the tobacco tax 62 cents on a pack of cigarettes. The tax is to be “used to finance a major expansion of health insurance for children”, and “help some [smokers] to quit and persuade young people not to start”.

Extended an olive branch to the Muslim world as part of a dizzying travel schedule that included trips to Canada, Europe, Turkey and Latin America.

Setting aside huge tracts of wilderness for federal protection.

Moving to ease tensions with Cuba.

Lets compare that to GWB’s first 100 days:

Signed into law a 1.6 trillion dollar tax cut primarily benefitting the wealthiest Americans

Rolled back some of the Clinton era environmental regulations and announced that the U.S. was abandoning the Kyoto Protocol

Signed the No Child Left Behind education reform act into law. Although the promised funding for it never materialized.

President Bush signed an executive order creating White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Sorry, but that isn’t even close. But utopia is right. It will take years for us to recover from the damage Bush did to this country.