Obamas Term OT | Arthritis Information

 

OMG, he spent the first morning forming peace talks with Isreal and Palastine and went to church!! I'm scared.lorster2009-01-21 13:07:50I'm confused.  What are you afraid of, exactly? she is just stirring her pot and needs some bait...........I'm not biting today. nope, just gonna keep this thread alive on the day to day happenings for the next four years. [QUOTE=lorster] OMG, he spent the first morning forming peace talks with Isreal and Palastine and went to church!! I'm scared.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=lorster]nope, just gonna keep this thread alive on the day to day happenings for the next four years.[/QUOTE]

I am happy kweenb. I won't be when it is still the same or worse in a year. I'll be right there writing to my congressmen. I want change, I don't care who is gonna deliver it or what color their skin is. I want someone who will bring about positive change for all americans.

I just reread my post and that did sound kind of rude, huh?  Honestly, I didn't mean it to be - I'm just not feeling well. 

I am definitely ready for change too and I don't care what color he is either.  He's got such huge challenges ahead of him.  I pray for his wisdom, strength, and courage.

I'll look forward  to reading your future posts concerning his presidency. kweenb2009-01-21 15:52:55From MSNBC:

WASHINGTON — Chief Justice John Roberts has administered the presidential oath of office to Barack Obama for a second time, just to be on the safe side.
The unusual step came after Roberts flubbed the oath a bit on Tuesday, causing Obama to repeat the wording differently than as prescribed in the Constitution.

He also froze salaries for top White House staff members, placed phone calls to Mideast leaders and had aides circulate a draft executive order that would close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay within a year.

Devoting swift attention to the Mideast turmoil, Obama prepared to give George Mitchell, the former Senate Democratic leader, a top diplomatic post for the region.
In his phone calls to Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders, Obama emphasized that he would work to consolidate the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, said the new White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs.

Rep. David Obey, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, expressed doubt that the currently planned 5 billion economic stimulus package would be enough, calling the proposal "no silver bullet." At the same time, House Republicans requested a meeting with Obama to air their worries that the plan was too big.

A multi-denominational prayer service at Washington National Cathedral and an open house at the presidential mansion were also on the schedule of the 44th president, taking office on a promise to fix the battered economy and withdraw U.S. troops from the unpopular war in Iraq on a 16-month timetable.


—A freeze on salaries for White House staff earning 0,000 or more — about 100 people in all.

—New Freedom of Information Act rules, making it harder to keep the workings of government secret.

—Tighter ethics rules governing when administration officials can work on issues on which they previously lobbied governmental agencies, and banning them from lobbying the Obama administration after leaving government service.

Obama’s first White House meetings as president meshed with quickened efforts in Congress to add top Cabinet officials to the roster of those confirmed on Tuesday and to advance the economic stimulus measure that is a top priority of his administration.

Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner, appearing before the Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing, said enactment of the new president’s economic stimulus was essential. He also said the Senate’s decision last week to permit use of the second 0 installment of a financial industry bailout "will enable us to take the steps necessary to help get credit flowing."
He said Obama and he "share your belief that this program needs serious reform."

Geithner also apologized for his failure to pay personal taxes earlier in the decade, calling the omission a mistake. The taxes were repaid in stages, some after an IRS audit and the rest after a review of his returns late last year by Obama’s transition team.

Today’s meeting with economic advisers was coming at a time when 11 million Americans are out of work and millions more feel the loss of savings and face the prospect of foreclosures on their homes.

Last week, Congress cleared the way for use of a second, 0 billion installment of financial-industry bailout money, a pre-inaugural victory for Obama.

Democratic leaders hope to have the 5 billion economic stimulus measure to his desk by mid-February.

The war in Iraq that he has promised to end featured prominently in Obama’s first day as well.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, were among those called in for the meeting as the new president assumed the role of commander in chief.
In his inaugural address on Tuesday, Obama said his goal was to "responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan."
lorster2009-01-21 19:29:06I'll tell you what he is gonna do...NADT!  And then, he'll get re-elected because he'll blame it all on Bush.  I'm not looking forward to hearing all the BS.Oooh, I like his first day on the job! [QUOTE=AudaciousAudrey] I'll tell you what he is gonna do...NADT!  And then, he'll get re-elected because he'll blame it all on Bush.  I'm not looking forward to hearing all the BS.[/QUOTE]


Are you basing this on his past record? I don't believe I have read anywhere that he has BLAMED anyone. Why don't you give him time before you start making these types of predictions.lorster2009-01-21 21:02:55
I'm glad he's working on shutting down that detention centre in Gauntanamo.Obama to order Guantanamo closed within a year: official
3 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama will Thursday sign an executive order for the closure of the Guantanamo prison, a symbol of his predecessor's "war on terror" tactics, a White House source said.
Obama had vowed during the 2008 presidential campaign to close the detention camp, and is set to act on the promise within two days of taking office, the source said on condition of anonymity.
"The detention facilities at Guantanamo for individuals covered by this order shall be closed as soon as practicable, and no later than one year from the date of this order," said the draft executive order, posted on the website of the American Civil Liberties Union and confirmed by a White House source.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hqFjXap27ABuX6htaQJHIWzCzlXQ


January 23, 2009
Obama slams companies for squandering bailout funds
Posted: 11:25 AM ET

President Barack Obama had harsh words Friday for companies that have engaged in lavish, frivolous spending.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama had harsh words Friday for companies that have engaged in lavish, frivolous spending while receiving taxpayer dollars from the 0 billion federal bailout package.

During a White House meeting with the joint congressional leadership, the president said he had seen reports "over the last couple of days about companies (receiving) taxpayer assistance (and) then going out and renovating bathrooms or offices or in other ways not managing those dollars appropriately."

Moving forward, the president said, it would be necessary to pass reforms ensuring the kind of "oversight, transparency, accountability that's going to be required in order for the American people to confidence in what we're doing."


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/23/obama-slams-companies-for-squandering-bailout-funds/Wow, Harsh words... Did they have to go to bed without their dinner?... I'm rather disappointed that on day 3 of his term The President chose Raytheon VP and Lobbiest to be Asst Sec of Defense.  I don't see how this falls into line with his new ethics rules.  They can spin it all they want but there are other men and women just as qualified for this position who haven't been actively involved in lobbying Congeess [QUOTE=buckeye] [/QUOTE] Well, it looks like Obama has more than "harsh words" planned to deal with the lack of financial oversight over bailout money, but of course the Republicans plan to oppose it. I guess he is somehow supposed to stop the misuse of the money, but without changing the people in charge of it or having any regulation over it:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/25/business/regulate.4-415372.php?page=1

Obama plans tighter financial oversight:
By Stephen Labaton Published: January 25, 2009

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and his top advisers sought over the weekend to broaden the appeal of his proposed 5 billion economic-stimulus package and to defend the way they are pushing it through Congress, even as officials said the administration would move quickly to tighten the U.S. financial regulatory system.

But some senior Republicans said Sunday that they would oppose the stimulus plan as it now stands.

With action moving on several fronts, officials said the administration would make wide-ranging regulatory changes, including stricter federal rules for hedge funds, credit rating agencies and mortgage brokers, and greater oversight of the complex financial instruments that contributed to the economic crisis.
.........

Officials said they want rules to eliminate conflicts of interest at credit rating agencies that gave top investment grades to the exotic and ultimately shaky financial instruments that have been a source of market turmoil. The core problem, they said, is that the agencies were paid by companies to help them structure financial instruments, which the agencies then grade.

Aides said they would propose new federal standards for mortgage brokers who issued many unsuitable loans and are largely regulated by state officials. They are considering proposals to have the Securities and Exchange Commission become more involved in supervising the underwriting standards of securities that are backed by mortgages.

The administration is also preparing to require that derivatives like credit default swaps, a type of insurance against loan defaults that were at the center of the financial meltdown last year, be traded through a central clearinghouse and possibly on one or more exchanges. That would make it significantly easier for regulators to supervise their use.More action from Obama:


Obama begins reversing Bush climate policies
Mon Jan 26, 2009 s
By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama began reversing the climate policies of the Bush administration on Monday, clearing the way for new rules to force auto makers to produce more fuel-efficient and less polluting cars.

The president told the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider immediately a request by California to impose its own strict limits on vehicle carbon dioxide emissions, blamed for contributing to global warming.

The Democratic Obama took over last Tuesday from former President George W. Bush, whose Republican administration had denied the request, prompting California and other states to sue.

"The federal government must work with, not against, states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Obama said at the White House, taking a stab at his predecessor's policies.

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE50P4C020090126GoGo - Well, knowing about something doesn't mean you support it. Maybe because this guy knows so much and all the loopholes he'll be able to close them? He does say this:

But in an e-mail to Obama advisors this month, Sunstein said he had devoted much of his career to supporting strong regulation and figuring out how to make it better.

"I do talk a lot about cost-benefit analysis," he wrote, "and that gets me in trouble in some quarters."

He described his first book, "After the Rights Revolution," published in 1990, as a "sustained defense of the regulatory state, above all in the environmental area." The book lists as its first goal to "defend government regulation against influential attacks."

His 1997 book, "Free Markets and Social Justice," explains that regulation is needed "because free markets fail."

"I also believe that significant steps should be taken to control the problem of global warming," he said in the e-mail, excerpts of which were provided to The Times and the Chicago Tribune by a person close to Obama's transition team who asked not to be identified.


So I would take a wait and see approach to the worrying. Without knowing more about this guy it doesn't really do much good to have an opinioon. The thing is, Obama is actually pretty conservative, it's just in comparison to extremists like Palin and Bush that he seems more left, so it wouldn't really surprise me if some of his appointees seem more right of centre.
How 'bout that Geithner dude.

ASSOCIATED PRESS  January 27, 2009

Citigroup will not take possession of new aircraft

By STEPHEN BERNARD – 3 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Pressured by the Obama administration, Citigroup Inc. reversed course and said it will not take delivery of a corporate jet it previously planned to purchase.

The canceled deal comes amid a chorus of concerns from politicians who are worried about how banks that have received federal funds are spending the money. Citigroup has received billion in capital from the government in recent months amid the ongoing credit crisis.

"Citi has no intent to take delivery of any new aircraft," the New York-based bank said in a statement Tuesday.

An official in President Barack Obama's administration reached out to Citigroup on Monday to reiterate Obama's position that such jets aren't "the best use of money at this point," and are "an outrageous use of funds" for a company getting taxpayer dollars, said a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to more freely describe private conversations.

In a statement late Monday, Citi said it had placed a deposit in 2005 to acquire a new corporate jet, and said it didn't plan to use government funds for the purchase. The New York-based bank noted that any cancellation of the deal would likely lead to millions of dollars in penalties.

On Monday, the New York Post reported that Citi was set to take possession of a new corporate jet, and was still planning to receive it even after it received the government funding.

For rest of article see:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hhiE9y_NtCV3wMLmx8IG8e8cUv7AD95VMVIG0

I see the Senate is voting the nominees in with 60 votes - some Senate Rs are crossing over for the magic 60 veto proof number.  Perhaps they are starting to see which side of the fence is greener.  most initial nominees get voted in pretty easily unless there is a red flag such as with Geithner.  I would not draw any conclusions from cabinet and subcabinet nominee votes.  Watch the battle over the stimulus bill and watch the battles over judicial nominee those types of votes will show where people are standingbuckeye2009-01-27 18:14:02who got voted in with 60 votesmost cabinet nominees get voted in with close to a majority.  Only having 60 is not a good sign [QUOTE=justsaynoemore]who got voted in with 60 votes[/QUOTE]

Geithner - the one who forgot to pay taxes
Obama Signs Equal-Pay Legislation


By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: January 29, 2009

WASHINGTON — President Obama signed his first bill into law on Thursday, approving equal-pay legislation that he said would “send a clear message that making our economy work means making sure it works for everybody.”

Mr. Obama was surrounded by a group of beaming lawmakers, most but not all of them Democrats, in the East Room of the White House as he affixed his signature to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law named for an Alabama woman who at the end of a 19-year career as a supervisor in a tire factory complained that she had been paid less than men.

After a Supreme Court ruling against her, Congress approved the legislation that expands workers’ rights to sue in this kind of case, relaxing the statute of limitations.

“It is fitting that with the very first bill I sign — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — we are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” the president said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/politics/30ledbetter-web.html?hpWhy did the Supreme Court rule against her ???It's all in the article linked at the bottom. They said she should have filed within 180 days of it happening (But I gather she didn't actually know at that time). Obama got rid of that limitation.Quote from Jose': "Where was the congress demanding accountability on the first bailout funds?... Oh wait, that was Bush's fault wasn't it?... Heh... "

Not totally Bush but Bush, the Republican Party and the unknown powerful influences who "pull the strings."


[QUOTE=watchingwolf] Quote from Jose': "Where was the congress demanding accountability on the first bailout funds?... Oh wait, that was Bush's fault wasn't it?... Heh... "Not totally Bush but Bush, the Republican Party and the unknown powerful influences who "pull the strings."[/QUOTE]


I'd say they ALL dropped the ball on that. Dem and Reps alike.

Let's see if they do it again.Obama sets executive pay limits for bailout companies
Wed Feb 4, 2009 4:59pm GMT
By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama imposed tough new rules on Wednesday to rein in corporate pay, capping executive compensation at 0,000 a year for companies receiving taxpayer funds and limiting lavish severance packages paid to top officials.

"In order to restore our financial system, we've got to restore trust. And in order to restore trust, we've got to make certain that taxpayer funds are not subsidizing excessive compensation packages on Wall Street," Obama said, calling such packages "the height of irresponsibility."

Obama, who sharply criticized Wall Street chiefs for accepting billions of dollars in bonuses last year while the economy staggered toward collapse, had promised compensation reform as part of a package of stricter regulations on the financial industry.

"For top executives to award themselves these kinds of compensation packages in the midst of this economic crisis is not only bad taste -- it's bad strategy -- and I will not tolerate it as president," said Obama, who has been in the White House just two weeks.

"We're going to be demanding some restraint in exchange for federal aid."


http://uk.reuters.com/article/motoringAutoNews/idUKIndia-37841820090204
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