Obama Administration
The Obama Administration is the government of the U.S. under President liberal Democrat Barack Obama; it began on January 20, 2009 for a term of four years.
Although the exact direction of the Administration is unknown, it is expected that it will take a different position than the Bush Administration on issues such as global warming and abortion.
The gravest crisis it faces is the Recession of 2008, with the economy spiraling downward. Moving fast, the House on Jan. 28 passed an Economic stimulus package of $819 billion in new spending and tax cuts, despite unanimous Republican opposition,. The bill now heads to the Senate.
Cabinet
Obama proceeded rapidly with cabinet choices. Obama has drawn heavily on Clinton Administration leaders to fill his Cabinet, along with Bush appointees Gates, Jones and Geithner. His national security team (Biden, Clinton, Gates, Jones) all supported the Iraq war, although Obama made opposition to the war central to his campaign. So far no leaders of the left-wing of the Democratic party have been appointed to any major position, which has stunned antiwar and left elements.
Cabinet Scandals
Scandal has already tainted the cabinet. Bill Richardson was nominated for Secretary of Commerce but had to withdraw when he became a party to a criminal investigation. The nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, was confirmed after a humiliating televised session in which he admitted not paying $34,000 in federal income taxes. Tom Daschle withdrew his nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services because he had avoided $140,000 in federal taxes over a period of years, and paid them only after he had been named to the cabinet.[1]
Scandal also ruined the career of Nancy Killefer, nominated by President Obama to be the federal government's first chief performance officer. She too had evaded paying her taxes.
Senate scandals
Even more damaging to liberal Democrats were scandals involving the Senate seats of Clinton and Obama himself. In New York Gov. David Paterson came to office in 2008 after a sex scandal forced the resignation of his predecessor. Paterson damaged himself and his Democratic party by dangling an appointment to Caroline Kennedy, who was unable to make up her mind. He finally rejected her and turned to the most conservative Democrat in the entire Northeast, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand. She is a Blue Dog Democrat known for her defense of gun rights and opposition to the Obama stimulus package.
It was much worse in Illinois, after Gov. Rod Blagojevich (a Democrat) sought to sell the Obama seat. Obama refused to bargain, so Blagojevich tried to auction it off, and was caught in FBI wiretaps. He was arrested and will face criminal trial in federal court, and was promptly impeached by the state legislature, with all the conservatives and Republicans there unanimous in calling for his ouster. Before he was forced out, Blagojevich named a light-weight replacement, Sen. Roland Burris. Democrats in Washington at first guaranteed they would keep Burris out because of his tainting by the governor's maneuvers; they relented and were forced to seat Burris.
| Important Officials | ||
|---|---|---|
| Vice President | Joseph Biden | Confirmed |
| Chief of Staff | Rahm Emanuel | Confirmed |
| Secretary of State | Hillary Clinton | Confirmed |
| Secretary of the Treasury | Timothy Geithner | Confirmed |
| Secretary of Defense | Robert Gates | Confirmed |
| Attorney General | Eric Holder | Confirmed |
| Secretary of the Interior | Ken Salazar | Confirmed |
| Secretary of Commerce | Judd Gregg | pending |
| Secretary of Health and Human Services | none | |
| Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Eric Shinseki | Confirmed |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | Janet Napolitano | Confirmed |
| Budget Director | Peter Orszag | Confirmed |
| Council of Economic Advisers | Christina Romer | Confirmed |
| National Economic Council | Lawrence H. Summers | Confirmed |
| National Security Advisor | James Jones | Confirmed |
Executive Orders
These executive orders are listed on the White House website, on the Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda page.
| Executive Order | Effective Date |
|---|---|
| Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities | January 22, 2009 |
| Review of Detention Policy Options | January 22, 2009 |
| Ensuring Lawful Interrogations | January 22, 2009 |
| Presidential Records | January 21, 2009 |
| Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel | January 21, 2009 |
Presidential Memoranda
These Presidential Memoranda are listed on the White House website, on the Executive Orders and Presidential Memoranda page.
| Memoranda | Effective Date |
|---|---|
| The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 | January 26, 2009 |
| State of California Request for Waiver Under 42 U.S.C. 7543(b), the Clean Air Act | January 26, 2009 |
| Mexico City Policy and Assistance for Voluntary Population Planning | January 23, 2009 |
| Review of the Detention of Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri | January 22, 2009 |
| Freedom of Information Act | January 21, 2009 |
| Pay Freeze | January 21, 2009 |
| Transparency and Open Government | January 21, 2009 |
See Also
External Links
- Obama Unveils His National Security Team, Fox News, December 1, 2008