Obama Administration
The Obama Administration is the Executive Department portion of the U.S. government under liberal, Democrat President Barack Hussein Obama; it began on January 20, 2009 for a term of four years.
Although the exact direction of the Administration is unknown, it is known from public policy statements and initial actions that it will take a more leftist 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,. A much revised bill passed the Senate thanks to three Republican votes. A compromise bill known as the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" has been passed by Congress, providing for $789 billion in tax cuts and new spending. It is designed to prevent another 3.5 million jobs from disappearing, but conservatives warn that it will be a failure. While Detroit spread gloom on Feb. 17 as GM starkly warned of impending bankruptcy unless it gets more aid, Obama promised $275 billion to help people refinance their home mortgages. Obama's mortgage plan was dismissed by CNBC editor Rick Santelli who called it "collectivist."
Contents
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.
It was not a scandal but an embarrassment for Obama on Feb. 12, when New Hampshire Republican Senator Judd Gregg, who had agreed to join the cabinet as Secretary of Commerce, dropped out. Gregg cited irreconcilable differences, and observers pointed out that Obama's staff planned to take the 2010 Census out of the Commerce Department's jurisdiction, weakening the secretary and politicizing the census.
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, Roland Burris. Democrats in Washington at first promised they would keep Burris out because of his tainting by the governor's maneuvers; they relented and were forced to seat Burris.
Burris admitted in February that he lied under oath to the Illinois legislature about his contacts with Blagojevich. Calls have been made for a perjury investigation that may lead to Burris's expulsion from the Senate..[2]
| 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 | none | |
| 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 |
| CIA Director | Leon Panetta | Confirmed |
Presidential Actions
Presidential Actions (Executive Orders, Presidential Memoranda and Proclamations) are listed on the White House website, on the Presidential Actions page.
- Executive Orders are listed here.
- Presidential Memoranda are listed here.
- Proclamations are listed here.
See Also
External Links
- Obama Unveils His National Security Team, Fox News, December 1, 2008
References
- ↑ Robert Pear, "Use of Free Car Lands Tom Daschle in Tax Trouble," New York Times, Jan. 30, 2009
- ↑ Natasha Korecki and Dave McKinney, "Illinois lawmakers mull Burris perjury probe," Chicago Sun-Times Feb. 14, 2009
