Obama's First 100 Days

So the actual first 100 days was a few weeks ago, but I wanted to take a blog post to write down some of my thoughts to far. I'm 95% very happy with Obama so far. I realize he's facing incredibly complicated issues, like the financial meltdown, while trying to re-focus 2 separate wars. He's doing a good job of initiating changes in the social policy arena, and I am eager to see who his first nominee to the Supreme Court turns out to be. He and his family are doing so much to change the idea of what a President should be to the world and bringing so much life to the White House.



VERY HAPPY ABOUT
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act for Equal Pay for Women
Releasing OLC Memos on Torture
Reversal of Drilling in & near National Parks
Declaring greenhouse gases a public health threat & moves to regulate them
Executive Order to End Torture & Close Guantanamo Bay Prison
Expansion of SCHIP- Healthcare for Children
Handling of the Pirate Hostage Situation
Easing Travel Restrictions to Cuba
Signs National Service Act & Encourages Volunteerism
Numerous Social & Arts Events at the White House



NOT SO HAPPY ABOUT
Bailouts & Budget Inflation
Slow Progress on Gay Rights and repealing "Don's Ask, Don't Tell"
Handling of wars

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Some misc fun things I found around the web:

You can view the White House Flickr photo feed here & see a recap of the first 100 days here.




Reuters, “FACTBOX -- Obama’s first 100 days by the numbers: Number of Cabinet picks who withdrew their nomination: 3 … Number of appointees with personal tax issues: at least 6 … Pieces of legislation signed: 6 … Number of countries visited: 9 – Canada, Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Iraq, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago [Charlie Hurt wants to know why that’s not 10.] … Number of foreign leaders met for face-to-face talks: 44 … Number of heads of state hosted at White House: 8 … Number of U.S. states visited: 12 -- Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, California, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, Ohio … Number of professional sporting events attended: 1 -- Chicago Bulls basketball team against the Washington Wizards.”



“Flights on Marine One: 46 (plus 4 flights today) … Flights on Air Force One: 34 (plus 2 flights today … Night Outings: 8 (dinners, parties, theater, sport) … States Visited: 11 (plus Missouri today) … Proclamations: 17 … National Debt: $11.2-trillion (up $563-billion on Obama’s watch … Golf Outings: … School Visits: 4 (for policy events) … Sports Events: At least 10 (includes White House visits by championship teams and players and one visit to a pro basketball game: Wizards v. Bulls, Feb. 27).”

Best summary & list



List from NY Daily News

THE BIGGIES
1. First African-American President.
2. Signs $787 billion stimulus bill.
3. Bans torture by U.S. military and intelligence agencies.
4. Bails out banks, auto companies and others with a $1.1 trillion tab.
5. Signs Lilly Ledbetter Act, giving women who seek equal pay new legal protections.
6. Extends health coverage to 4 million more children.
7. Launches plan to help 9 million homeowners refinance mortgages.
8. Vows to remove combat troops from Iraq by August 2010.

THE FIRSTS
9. Obama became first President to carry a BlackBerry.
10. Hosts a Seder in the White House.
11. In first formal press conference, Obama takes question from The Huffington Post, the first blog so recognized.
12. Obama invites gay parents and their kids to attend the White House Easter Egg Roll.
13. The President's Saturday "radio address" can be seen on YouTube.
14. President's relative faces deportation for over-staying a visa.
15. The White House Web site gets its first presidential blog.

DOH!
16. Retakes oath of office after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts muffs original on Inauguration Day.
17. Veep Joe Biden gets presidential slap for joking about oath flub.
18. Accepts withdrawal of HHS nominee Tom Daschle for failing to pay $120,000 in taxes.
19. Rants when AIG doles out $165 million in bonuses to execs.
20. On "Tonight Show," says of his meager bowling skills, "it was like Special Olympics" - a gold medal gaffe.
21. Announces with fanfare he was trimming just $100 million from $3.9 trillion federal budget. Er, that's like shaving $1. off a $50,000 car.
22. Takes three swings on getting a commerce secretary. Washington Gov. Gary Locke finally gets nod.
23. Takes heat in Britain for giving Prime Minister Gordon Brown a cheapo gift.

SO COOL
24. Becomes first Prez to hit late-night TV on "The Tonight Show."
25. Michelle Obama beats French First Lady/ former supermodel Carla Bruni in fashion stakes!
26. Obama's pecs make cover of Washingtonian mag.
27. Obama souvenirs take in $2 million during inauguration.
28. More than 300,000 White House wanna-bes submit resumes to work in administration.
29. Michelle decides she has a right to bare her buff arms.
30. Obama installs basketball hoops on White House tennis court.
31. Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire play the White House.
32. Beyonce serenades Obamas during Inauguration Ball.
33. J. Crew sales skyrocket thanks to Michelle.
34. Chia Obama becomes a big seller, but green Afro has some seeing red.

Time.com has “Behind-the-Scenes: 100 Photos for 100 Days: Time photographer Callie Shell documents the President's historic start on the job.”

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Taking Zoe to the dog park today.