First 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency
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The first 100 days of Barack Obama
's presidency began with his inauguration on January 20, 2009 as the 44th President of the United States
. The first 100 days of a presidential term took on symbolic significance during Franklin D. Roosevelt
's administration, and the period is considered a benchmark to measure the early success of a president. Obama's 100th day in office was April 29, 2009.
Obama began to formally create his presidential footprint during his first 100 days. Obama quickly began attempting to foster support for his economic stimulus package, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. The bill passed in the House on January 28, 2009 by a 244–188 vote, and it passed in the Senate on February 10 by a 61–37 margin. Obama stated that he should not be judged by his first hundred days: "The first hundred days is going to be important, but it’s probably going to be the first thousand days that makes the difference."
Obama's White House has had several accomplishments at the end of the first 100 days including: passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan
, signing into law the expanded State Children's Health Insurance Program
(S-CHIP), that it says provides benefits to 4 million additional working families, signing the Ledbetter law requiring equal pay for women, winning approval of a congressional budget resolution that puts Congress on record as dedicated to dealing with major health care reform
legislation in 2009, implementing new ethics guidelines designed to significantly curtail the influence of lobbyists on the executive branch, breaking from the Bush administration on a number of policy fronts, such as climate change, spelling out his plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq
, supporting the UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity
, relaxing enforcement of marijuana laws, and lifting the 7½-year ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He also ordered the closure
of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba
, as well as lifted some travel and money restrictions to the island. At the end of the first 100 days 65% of Americans approved of how Obama was doing and 29% disapproved. According to Gallup's First Quarter survey in April, President Obama received a 63% approval rating. Gallup began tracking presidential approval ratings of the first quarters since Eisenhower in 1953. President Kennedy received the highest in April 1961 with a 74% rating. Obama's 63% is the fourth highest and the highest since President Carter with a 69%. President Reagan's first quarter had 60% approval in 1981, President George.H.W. Bush with 57% in 1989, President Clinton with 55% in 1993, and President George.W.Bush with 58% in 2001.
, Roosevelt promised drastic initiatives within his first 100 days. The New Deal
legislation he got passed set a standard of action that subsequent presidents have been measured against. Although it has less significance, some analysts even make comparisons of the performances of presidents during their first 100 days of the second term.
Obama and previous presidents have made statements that downplayed the significance of their first 100 days. John F. Kennedy
once said his mission might never be accomplished: "All this will not be finished in the first hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."
Obama's first 100 days have been highly anticipated ever since he became the apparent presumptive nominee. In his first 60 Minutes
post-election
interview Obama said that he had been studying Roosevelt's first 100 days. Understanding the significance and symbolism of the first 100 days, Hillary Clinton's campaign strategy included mapping out a first 100 days plan.
While Barack Obama began preparation for his first 100 days during the presidential transition
following his election
, he stated that America only has one president at a time, especially for issues related to international affairs
. During the first hundred days in office presidents are highly scrutinized and heading into the period Obama's intention was to attempt to execute several plans that are going to be watched closely.
, have even created special portals dedicated to covering the subject. Commentators have weighed in on challenges and priorities within the fields of domestic and foreign policy, on economic issues and on the environment. CNN
lists a number of economic issues that "Obama and his team will have to tackle in their first 100 days", foremost among which is passing and implementing a recovery package to deal with the ongoing financial crisis. In fact, CNN is among those news outlets that has a dedicated portal for the coverage of Obama's first 100 days. Even MSNBC.com
, which does not have a dedicated portal, acknowledges the notability of the first 100 days by including it in the titles of its stories. BBC World Service
released the results of an opinion poll
of more than 17,000 people in 17 countries on Obama's first day in office that showed that 67% anticipated that Obama would strengthen U.S. relations abroad. The most optimistic respondents were Italians and Germans, 80% of whom thought U.S. relations with the rest of the world would improve under Obama.
Clive Stafford Smith
, a British
human rights lawyer, has expressed hopes that the new president will close Guantanamo Bay detention camp in his first 100 days in office. After aides of the president announced his intention to hold a major foreign policy speech in the capital of an Islam
ic country, there were speculations in Jakarta
that he might return to his former home city within the first 100 days.
The New York Times
devoted a five-day series, which was spread out over two weeks, to anticipatory analysis of Obama's first hundred days. Each day the analysis of a political expert was followed by freely edited blog postings from readers. The writers compared Obama's prospects with the situations of Franklin D. Roosevelt
(January 16 and February 2, Jean Edward Smith
), John F. Kennedy
(January 19 and February 10, Richard Reeves
), Lyndon B. Johnson
(January 23, Robert Dallek
), Ronald Reagan
(January 27, Lou Cannon
), and Richard Nixon
(February 4, Roger Morris
).
Even political advocacy groups such as Amnesty International
have planned special strategies to leverage the strategic and political significance of the first 100 days. The group has organized its 100 Days Campaign
for human rights
.
, it was rare for a president to be under the microscope at the outset of his term. She notes that aside from Lincoln and Roosevelt, presidents faced little urgency to make an impact. Formerly, the Inauguration of the President did not occur until March 4 and the United States Congress
often did not convene until December. Roosevelt requested that Congress perform unprecedented service by being in session for most of his first hundred days in order to enact a set of 15 laws such as the New Deal
's Emergency Banking Act
, Amendment of the Volstead Act
, Farm Credit Act, legislation for the Civilian Conservation Corps
, legislation for the Tennessee Valley Authority
, Truth In Securities Act, Glass–Steagall Act, and National Industrial Recovery Act
. Obama assumed power with a national crisis of extreme proportions. His first 100 days were anticipated with high expectations as a result. Obama has made some early missteps in his handling of the press by locking most of the media out of the repeated Oath of Office
and by not understanding the media's constant want for answers. Smith notes he should take a note from Roosevelt who mastered the press rather than the traditional Dwight D. Eisenhower
/James Hagerty method of keeping the press at arm's length. Roosevelt's semi-weekly responses to impromptu questions charmed the press, especially in comparison to predecessors Calvin Coolidge
and Herbert Hoover
who required advance written questions. Roosevelt enabled the press to feel a part of the administration and made it an enjoyable experience. Roosevelt, a former Harvard Crimson
editor-in-chief who felt comfortable around journalists, held 337 first term press conferences. Obama, a former Harvard Law Review
editor-in-chief, could use a similar approach to press management.
Reeves described Kennedy's challenge as a combination of an economic issue with seven percent unemployment rate in a recession and global competition with the Soviet Union
on several fronts, such as economic growth, armament, and astronautic progress. He had to deal with the appearance of military vulnerability international pursuit of independence. Unlike Obama, Kennedy's inauguration speech reflected a time when global issues overshadowed domestic concerns although the Civil Rights Movement
was gaining momentum. During his inauguration, like Obama, Kennedy invoked Lincoln. Kennedy was similar to Obama in the speed with which the emphasis of his Presidency veered from the emphasis of his campaign according to Reeves.
Dallek notes that although Obama focused on comparison with Roosevelt and Kennedy, both he and Johnson entered office at a time of international crisis and diminished confidence in the nation's institutions. However, while Obama represents the fruits of non-violent political action, Johnson's rise was a test of the nation's faith in it. As Johnson assumed office his largest responsibility was to reassure the country that he could effectively lead both at home and abroad. Dallek notes the conspicuous absence of deference to Johnson who served as the country's chief executive while shepherding the enactment of the voting rights laws of 1964 and 1965. He notes the similar need for faith in the country's institutions and provide hope for peace and prosperity. In a sense, Dallek likened Obama to Johnson as President who realizes his role a national therapist in addition to that as a leader and an executive.
Canon noted that although Obama has been urged to proactively legislate economic stimulus like Roosevelt and to provide transformational leadership like Kennedy, he should take some cues from Reagan who put personal projects on hold while gaining the country's confidence. Like Obama, Reagan's primary campaign issue had been the domestic economy, while he was influenced by Middle East
strife. When he assumed office, he immediately realized that the domestic economy was the lynchpin to his success. Reagan faced high unemployment like Obama. Unlike Obama, Reagan had to make serious concessions with a Democratically controlled House. The Reagan administration cast aside social issues, such as abortion
, for most of his first 100 days and then he was shot. This is similar to Obama's decision to remove the family-planning provisions from the stimulus package. The removal of the contraceptive funding for Medicaid
was a Reaganesque bipartisan appeal by Obama. Obama has acknowledged Reagan in The Audacity of Hope
and may follow more of his philosophies and leadership mantras as his term evolves.
Like Clinton, Obama has the support of Democratic control of both houses of the United States Congress
. In his early days, the Republican leadership seemed fractured and ineffective as it operated in the minority.
In his first week, Obama established a policy of producing a weekly Saturday morning video address available on Whitehouse.gov
and YouTube
, much like those released during his transition period. The first address had been viewed by 600,000 YouTube viewers by the next afternoon. The policy is likened to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fireside chats
and other presidents' weekly radio addresses.
Although the first hundred days was not a concept relevant in the Lincoln Administration, Obama followed Lincoln by naming the former party front-running Senator from New York
as his United States Secretary of State
. Lincoln had chosen William H. Seward
and Obama chose Hillary Clinton.
Obama has some similarities to Nixon who had a brief tenure in Congress (4 years in the House and 2 years in the Senate) before assuming a position in the Executive Branch. Nixon's 1968 campaign included a plank to "end the war with honor." Nixon employed rivals in key positions including Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan
and Nelson Rockefeller
supporter Henry Kissinger
.
began during the Inauguration of Barack Obama
with the conversion of Whitehouse.gov
from the Bush Administration version to the Obama Administration version at 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2009. This was only the second presidential online portal transition. At 12:01, White House
Director of New Media
Macon Phillips
posted the website's first blog post with themes of "communication", "transparency" and "participation". However, after the first week, the reporters covering the White House became dubious about the pledge of transparency.
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution states: "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:" Then, Article Two of the United States Constitution
sets out the language that should be used in the Oath of office of the President of the United States: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." The Vice President also has an oath of office, but it is not mandated by the Constitution and is prescribed by statute.
During the inauguration, there were two matters of controversy. First, although Obama constitutionally assumed the Presidency at noon on January 20, he did not complete the oath of office until 12:05 p.m. Clinton also completed the oath about five minutes late during his first inauguration. Additionally, Obama and the administering official, Chief Justice of the United States
John G. Roberts, did not execute the 35-word oath as prescribed by the United States Constitution
. First, Obama jumped in before the "do solemnly swear" phrase, which seemed to throw the Chief Justice off his stride. Subsequently, Roberts moved the word "faithfully" back nine spots, and used "to" instead of "of." That threw the president off, and he smiled and paused to collect his thoughts, then decided to follow Roberts' lead. The flaw is recorded in the transcript
of the oath as follows:
According to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution
, Section 1: "The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January". Thus, Bush had relinquished the Presidency at 12:00. According to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Section 3: If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President,... if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified." By Article Two, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution and Amendment 20, Some feel that Obama was not able to assume the Presidency until 12:05. In fact, since Obama did not complete his oath until 12:01, there was further speculation as to who was President for the first minute after Bush relinquished control.
Several political and constitutional law experts questioned whether Obama was officially the president since he had not correctly performed the constitutional duty of the Oath. The following day at about 7:35 p.m. the White House, Roberts re-administered the oath in an act that White House Counsel
Greg Craig
described as stemming from "an abundance of caution," to quell any concerns that the President may not have been properly sworn in. Both Calvin Coolidge
and Chester Arthur retook the oath under similar circumstances.
(15) or are in positions considered to be Cabinet-level (7) and must be confirmed by the current Senate. The members of the Cabinet are the heads of the fifteen major departments (State, Defense, Justice, etc.), and the seven cabinet-level positions are the Vice President
, White House Chief of Staff
, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative
, Ambassador to the United Nations
, and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
. Since Robert Gates
was a member of the previous administration, his letter of resignation (a formality at the end of a President's term) was simply not accepted, and he did not need confirmation. On January 19, 2009, Senate Democratic leaders requested fifteen of the twenty-two positions to be ratified by unanimous consent
, and seven gained unanimous confirmation by voice vote
the next day: Ken Salazar
, Steven Chu
, Arne Duncan
, Peter Orszag
, Eric Shinseki
, Tom Vilsack
, and Janet Napolitano
. On January 21, Obama presided over the swearing in of the seven unanimous nominees. Later that day, the Senate confirmed Hillary Clinton by a 94–2 vote. On January 22, several more confirmations were approved unanimously: Susan E. Rice
, Ray LaHood
, Lisa P. Jackson
, and Shaun Donovan
. On January 26, the Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner by a 60–34 margin, and Holder was confirmed on February 2 by a 75–21 margin. Of the 31 nominations that Obama has made to senior posts only 17 were approved in January.
At the conclusion of Obama's first week as President, Hilda Solis
, Tom Daschle
, Ron Kirk
, and Eric Holder
had yet to be confirmed, and there had been no second appointment for Secretary of Commerce. Republicans were also delaying Solis's confirmation due to a perceived lack of transparency. Holder was later confirmed by a vote of 75–21 on February 2, and on February 3, Obama announced Senator Judd Gregg
as his second nomination for Secretary of Commerce
, since Bill Richardson had withdrawn amid a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors. Daschle withdrew later that day amid controversy over his failure to pay income taxes and potential conflicts of interest related to the speaking fees he accepted from health care interests. On February 12, Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination as Secretary of Commerce, citing "irresolvable conflicts" with President Obama and his staff over how to conduct the 2010 census and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. On February 24, Solis was confirmed by a 80–17 vote.
The same day rumors abounded that former Democratic two-term Washington governor Gary Locke
would be named as the third Obama Commerce Secretary nominee. Locke was formally nominated on February 26, and was confirmed on March 24 by voice vote.
On March 2, Obama introduced Kansas governor
Kathleen Sebelius
as his second choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services. He also introduced Nancy-Ann DeParle as head of the new White House Office of Health Reform
, which he suggested would work closely with the Department of Health and Human Services
. Ron Kirk was confirmed on March 18 by a 92-5 vote in the Senate., and by the end of March, Sebelius was the only remaining Cabinet member yet to be confirmed.
By comparison, Bill Clinton
only had one outstanding Cabinet confirmation at the end of his first day in office and George W. Bush
had all but one approved before February 1, 2001. Ronald Reagan
had twelve of thirteen Cabinet members confirmed before February 1, and Jimmy Carter
had all eleven of his confirmed. George H. W. Bush
only had seven of thirteen confirmed by this time. Whereas his predecessors had to trade favors for contentious approvals such as Zoe Baird
(Clinton), John Tower
(G.H.W. Bush), or John Ashcroft
(G.W. Bush), Obama has largely focused on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
, a proposed economic stimulus package totaling nearly $1 trillion.
During the presidential transition between the election and the inauguration, Obama named Bill Richardson to be his Commerce Secretary. Richardson withdrew his nomination on January 5 because of scrutiny regarding a pay to play
scandal in which he was being investigated because his donors curiously received a lucrative transportation contract. On February 3, Obama announced the nomination of Republican Judd Gregg
in his place.
Tom Daschle
was Obama's original nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary. However, he owed over $128,000 in taxes over three years, failed to report more than $83,000 in consulting fees in 2007, and owed $12,000 in interest and penalties. He also provided insufficient documentation for $15,000 of the $276,000 in charitable contributions that he and his wife, Linda, gave during the three-year period being studied by the panel. Daschle also had some miscommunications with his accountant
on the $255,000 use of a luxury car service that was used 80% for personal services. Daschle paid his back taxes six days before his first confirmation hearings with the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
. On February 3, The New York Times
called the Daschle nomination into question both for his tax issues and for his extensive private sector work in the health services industry. The editorial noted that although Daschle was aware of his tax problem in June 2008, he did not correct it until his cabinet nomination. Later that day, Daschle withdrew his nomination.
Though Hillary Clinton was ultimately confirmed on January 21 by a 95–2 vote, with David Vitter
(R-Louisiana) and Jim DeMint
(R-South Carolina) in dissent, Senate Republicans slowed the process due to objections over the charitable activities of Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton. John Cornyn
(R-Texas) held up proceedings for a day to discuss this matter. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed an interest in President Bill Clinton's foundation reject foreign contributions to avoid possible conflict of interest
. Sen. Clinton contended that the foundation's disclosure plans already exceeded legal requirements.
Timothy Geithner, who was nominated as Treasury Secretary, also encountered tax issues. He apologized to the United States Senate Committee on Finance
for having overlooked paying $34,000 in Social Security
and Medicare
taxes earlier this decade. The committee endorsed Geithner by a 18–5 margin with half of the ten Republicans opposing the nomination. He was confirmed despite failure to pay a total of $43,000 in taxes and penalties, which troubled the Senate.
Holder was endorsed by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
by a 17–2 margin on January 28. Dissent on his confirmation centered on his support for some of Bill Clinton's controversial pardon
s and commutations of sentence
. Republican Cornyn had sought a pledge from Holder that he would not prosecute intelligence agents who participated in harsh interrogation
s, but Holder, who if confirmed will have to review Justice Department officials who may have violated the law for possible prosecution, refused to give such a pledge.
Obama had nominated Nancy Killefer
for the position of Chief Performance Officer
, but Killefer withdrew on February 3 after it was revealed that she had failed to pay the unemployment compensation tax for a household employee for a period of 18 months.
The vote on Hilda Solis
for Secretary of Labor had originally been scheduled for February 5, but she faced delayed confirmation hearings due to her pro-labor activities as a board member of American Rights at Work and because of $6,400 in unpaid tax lien
s against her husband's auto repair business. Both Solis, who was uninvolved in the business, and her husband claimed not to have had any knowledge of the 16-year old liens prior to their disclosure by a newspaper, and they paid it when notified. Delays were however exacerbated due to Solis' perceived unresponsiveness to questions. On February 11, the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
voted by voice vote to endorse Hilda Solis as the Labor Secretary, with the only dissenting members of the 22-person committee Republicans Tom Coburn
and Pat Roberts
. Solis was later confirmed on February 24.
On February 12, Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his name from consideration as United States Commerce Secretary. Judd cited policy differences between himself and the Obama administration as his primary reasons and noted that unlike earlier withdrawals he was not having difficulties with the vetting process. He had reservations about the stimulus package and about the changes being made in the United States Census Bureau
as his primary concerns.
Gregg has a track record of opposing funding for the Census, that is highlighted by his tenure as the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Budget
. The Congressional Black Caucus
and National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials both expressed disappointment at Gregg's nomination because the United States Department of Commerce
oversees the Census. The White House subsequently said it take control of the 2010 United States Census, but then backpedaled saying that they would "work closely" with the United States Census Director. Republicans were alarmed by the foreshadowing of "backroom deals" by the White House and Rahm Emanuel.
While pundits puzzled over U.S. Trade Representative-designate Ron Kirk
's failure to be confirmed by March 2009, it was reported on March 2 that Kirk owed over $10,000 in back taxes. Kirk agreed to pay them in exchange for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus's aid in speeding up the confirmation process; he was later confirmed on March 18.
On March 31, Kathleen Sebelius
, Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, revealed in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee that her Certified Public Accountant
found errors in her tax returns for years 2005-2007. She, along with her husband, paid more than $7,000 in back taxes, along with $878 in interest.
1Appointed by George W. Bush in 2006 to a five-year term
2Appointed by George W. Bush in 2001 to a ten-year term
Rahm Emanuel
that suspended all pending federal regulations proposed by outgoing President George W. Bush
so that they could be reviewed. This was comparable to prior moves by the Bush Administration upon assuming control from Bill Clinton
, who in his final 20 days in office issued 12 executive orders.
Due to the economic crisis
, the President enacted a pay freeze for senior White House staff making more than $100,000 per year. The action affected approximately 120 staffers and added up to about a $443,000 savings for the United States government.
Obama also announced stricter guidelines regarding lobbyists
in an effort to raise the ethical standards of the White House. The new policy bans aides from attempting to influence the administration for at least two years if they leave his staff. It also bans aides on staff from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they targeted while on staff. Their ban also included a gift-giving ban. However, one day later he nominated William J. Lynn III
, a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon
, for the position of Deputy Secretary of Defense. Obama later nominated William Corr, an anti-tobacco
lobbyist, for Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In his first week in office, President Obama signed an executive order suspending all the ongoing proceedings of Guantanamo military commission
and ordering that the detention facility would be shut down within the year. He also signed an order requiring the Army Field Manual to be used as guide for terror interrogations, banning torture and other illegal coercive techniques, such as waterboarding
. Obama also issued 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. Obama 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. He also ended the Mexico City Policy
, which banned funds to international groups that provide abortion
services or counseling.
In his first week he also established a policy of producing a weekly Saturday morning video address available on Whitehouse.gov
and YouTube
, much like those released during his transition period. The first address had been viewed by 600,000 YouTube viewers by the next afternoon. The policy is likened to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fireside chats
and George W. Bush
's weekly radio addresses.
The first piece of legislation signed by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
on January 29, which promoted fair pay regardless of gender, race, or age. Lilly Ledbetter joined Obama and his wife, Michelle, as he signed the bill, fulfilling his campaign pledge to nullify Ledbetter v. Goodyear
.
On February 18, 2009, Obama announced that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would be bolstered by 17,000 new troops by summer. The announcement followed the recommendation of several experts including Defense Secretary
Robert Gates
that additional troops be deployed to the strife-torn South Asia
n country.
Nine days after his speech on Afghanistan, Obama addressed Marines
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
, and outlined an exit strategy for the Iraq War. Obama promised to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq
by August 31, 2010, and a "transitional force" of up to 50,000 counterterrorism, advisory, training, and support personnel by the end of 2011.
On April 5, 2009, Barack Obama
promoted the goal of a nuclear-free world
.
on Inauguration Day as the first evidence of this fact. They take issue with both the Troubled Assets Relief Program
and the stimulus package.
The stimulus package passed in the House of Representatives on January 28 without a single Republican vote. The Republicans developed opposition without developing consensus on an alternative plan. Conservatives who have been supportive of Obama have come out against the plan. The Wall Street Journal
has questioned whether the $825 billion package is well designed. However, Duncan notes that one of the largest components, $140 billion earmarked for education, is well spent. Christopher Dodd
is credited with inserting the last-minute pay limit into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
. The pay restrictions included prohibition of bonuses in excess of one-third of total salary for any company receiving any money from the plan and was retroactive to companies that received funds under Troubled Assets Relief Program
. The limit was a significant alteration of the administration's plan and caught Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Chairman Lawrence Summers
by surprise.
After Obama announced deadlines for the phased withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq, Congress
broadly endorsed the president's plan and agreed to legislate the stated timetables, though some in the Democratic Party
balked at the 50,000-head figure for the transitional force and many in the Republican Party
criticized the deadlines' rigidity. Arizona
Senator John McCain
, the Republican presidential nominee in the 2008 election
, voiced support for his former rival's plan.
. On April 17–19 he attended the 5th Summit of the Americas
where he met Venezuela
's President Hugo Chavez
, a longtime enemy of Washington, who shook his hand and gave him the book Las venas abiertas de América Latina (Open Veins of Latin America) of Eduardo Galeano
while media was present. On April 28, day 99 of Obama's presidency, Senator Arlen Specter
(a former Democrat who switched to the Republican party in 1966) returned to the Democratic Party. Specter increased the Democratic senators to 59, one short of a filibuster-proof majority. At the conclusion of the first 100 days, over 100 federal judgeships remained vacant.
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's presidency began with his inauguration on January 20, 2009 as the 44th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The first 100 days of a presidential term took on symbolic significance during Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's administration, and the period is considered a benchmark to measure the early success of a president. Obama's 100th day in office was April 29, 2009.
Obama began to formally create his presidential footprint during his first 100 days. Obama quickly began attempting to foster support for his economic stimulus package, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. The bill passed in the House on January 28, 2009 by a 244–188 vote, and it passed in the Senate on February 10 by a 61–37 margin. Obama stated that he should not be judged by his first hundred days: "The first hundred days is going to be important, but it’s probably going to be the first thousand days that makes the difference."
Obama's White House has had several accomplishments at the end of the first 100 days including: passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus plan
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
, signing into law the expanded State Children's Health Insurance Program
State Children's Health Insurance Program
The State Children's Health Insurance Program – later known more simply as the Children's Health Insurance Program – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children...
(S-CHIP), that it says provides benefits to 4 million additional working families, signing the Ledbetter law requiring equal pay for women, winning approval of a congressional budget resolution that puts Congress on record as dedicated to dealing with major health care reform
Health care reform in the United States
Health care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
legislation in 2009, implementing new ethics guidelines designed to significantly curtail the influence of lobbyists on the executive branch, breaking from the Bush administration on a number of policy fronts, such as climate change, spelling out his plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq
Withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq
The withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq has been a contentious issue within the United States since the beginning of the Iraq War. As the war has progressed from its initial 2003 invasion phase to a multi-year occupation, U.S. public opinion has turned in favor of troop withdrawal...
, supporting the UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity
UN declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity
Since its founding in 1945, the United Nations has not touched on the issue of sexual orientation or gender identity until December of 2008, when a Dutch/French-initiated, European Union-backed statement was presented to the United Nations General Assembly. The statement, originally intended to be...
, relaxing enforcement of marijuana laws, and lifting the 7½-year ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. He also ordered the closure
Executive Order 13492
Executive Order 13492 is an Executive Order issued by United States President Barack Obama ordering the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba....
of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, as well as lifted some travel and money restrictions to the island. At the end of the first 100 days 65% of Americans approved of how Obama was doing and 29% disapproved. According to Gallup's First Quarter survey in April, President Obama received a 63% approval rating. Gallup began tracking presidential approval ratings of the first quarters since Eisenhower in 1953. President Kennedy received the highest in April 1961 with a 74% rating. Obama's 63% is the fourth highest and the highest since President Carter with a 69%. President Reagan's first quarter had 60% approval in 1981, President George.H.W. Bush with 57% in 1989, President Clinton with 55% in 1993, and President George.W.Bush with 58% in 2001.
Historical background
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Roosevelt promised drastic initiatives within his first 100 days. The New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
legislation he got passed set a standard of action that subsequent presidents have been measured against. Although it has less significance, some analysts even make comparisons of the performances of presidents during their first 100 days of the second term.
Obama and previous presidents have made statements that downplayed the significance of their first 100 days. John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
once said his mission might never be accomplished: "All this will not be finished in the first hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."
Obama's first 100 days have been highly anticipated ever since he became the apparent presumptive nominee. In his first 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
post-election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
interview Obama said that he had been studying Roosevelt's first 100 days. Understanding the significance and symbolism of the first 100 days, Hillary Clinton's campaign strategy included mapping out a first 100 days plan.
While Barack Obama began preparation for his first 100 days during the presidential transition
Presidential transition of Barack Obama
The presidential transition of Barack Obama began when he won the United States presidential election on November 4, 2008, and became the President-Elect. He was formally elected by the Electoral College on December 15, 2008...
following his election
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
, he stated that America only has one president at a time, especially for issues related to international affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. During the first hundred days in office presidents are highly scrutinized and heading into the period Obama's intention was to attempt to execute several plans that are going to be watched closely.
Media coverage
Despite his attempt to downplay its significance, Obama's first 100 days were highly anticipated ever since he became the presumptive nominee. Several news outlets, such as Fox News, CBS NewsCBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, have even created special portals dedicated to covering the subject. Commentators have weighed in on challenges and priorities within the fields of domestic and foreign policy, on economic issues and on the environment. CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
lists a number of economic issues that "Obama and his team will have to tackle in their first 100 days", foremost among which is passing and implementing a recovery package to deal with the ongoing financial crisis. In fact, CNN is among those news outlets that has a dedicated portal for the coverage of Obama's first 100 days. Even MSNBC.com
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
, which does not have a dedicated portal, acknowledges the notability of the first 100 days by including it in the titles of its stories. BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
released the results of an opinion poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
of more than 17,000 people in 17 countries on Obama's first day in office that showed that 67% anticipated that Obama would strengthen U.S. relations abroad. The most optimistic respondents were Italians and Germans, 80% of whom thought U.S. relations with the rest of the world would improve under Obama.
Clive Stafford Smith
Clive Stafford Smith
Clive Adrian Stafford Smith OBE is a British [see talk] lawyer who specialises in the areas of civil rights and the death penalty in the United States of America....
, a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
human rights lawyer, has expressed hopes that the new president will close Guantanamo Bay detention camp in his first 100 days in office. After aides of the president announced his intention to hold a major foreign policy speech in the capital of an Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic country, there were speculations in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
that he might return to his former home city within the first 100 days.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
devoted a five-day series, which was spread out over two weeks, to anticipatory analysis of Obama's first hundred days. Each day the analysis of a political expert was followed by freely edited blog postings from readers. The writers compared Obama's prospects with the situations of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
(January 16 and February 2, Jean Edward Smith
Jean Edward Smith
Jean Edward Smith, Ph.D is professor at Marshall University and biographer. Currently he is the John Marshall Professor of Political Science at Marshall University and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto after having served as professor of political economy there for thirty-five years...
), John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
(January 19 and February 10, Richard Reeves
Richard Reeves
Richard Reeves is a writer, syndicated columnist and lecturer at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.-Career:...
), Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
(January 23, Robert Dallek
Robert Dallek
Robert Dallek is an American historian specializing in American presidents. He is a recently retired Professor of History at Boston University and has previously taught at Columbia University, UCLA, and Oxford...
), Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
(January 27, Lou Cannon
Lou Cannon
Louis Cannon is an American journalist, non-fiction author, and biographer. He was state bureau chief for the San Jose Mercury News in the late 1960s, and later senior White House correspondent of the Washington Post during the Reagan administration...
), and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
(February 4, Roger Morris
Roger Morris (American writer)
Roger Morris, born 1937, is an American public servant, historian, and political writer.-Biography:Roger Morris earned his doctorate in government from Harvard University. He entered government service in 1966 as an aide to former United States Secretary of State Dean Acheson. He first joined the...
).
Even political advocacy groups such as Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
have planned special strategies to leverage the strategic and political significance of the first 100 days. The group has organized its 100 Days Campaign
100 Days Campaign
The 100 Days Campaign was set up in 2008 by Amnesty International to demonstrate President-elect Barack Obama’s commitment to human rights. Amnesty International called for certain concrete steps in Obama's first 100 days in office that would demonstrate a genuine commitment to bringing the United...
for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
Comparisons
Smith notes that prior to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionTwentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal offices. It also deals with scenarios in which there is no President-elect...
, it was rare for a president to be under the microscope at the outset of his term. She notes that aside from Lincoln and Roosevelt, presidents faced little urgency to make an impact. Formerly, the Inauguration of the President did not occur until March 4 and the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
often did not convene until December. Roosevelt requested that Congress perform unprecedented service by being in session for most of his first hundred days in order to enact a set of 15 laws such as the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
's Emergency Banking Act
Emergency Banking Act
The Emergency Banking Act was an act of the United States Congress spearheaded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. It was passed on March 9, 1933...
, Amendment of the Volstead Act
Volstead Act
The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was the enabling legislation for the Eighteenth Amendment which established prohibition in the United States...
, Farm Credit Act, legislation for the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, legislation for the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
, Truth In Securities Act, Glass–Steagall Act, and National Industrial Recovery Act
National Industrial Recovery Act
The National Industrial Recovery Act , officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933 (Ch. 90, 48 Stat. 195, formerly...
. Obama assumed power with a national crisis of extreme proportions. His first 100 days were anticipated with high expectations as a result. Obama has made some early missteps in his handling of the press by locking most of the media out of the repeated Oath of Office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...
and by not understanding the media's constant want for answers. Smith notes he should take a note from Roosevelt who mastered the press rather than the traditional Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
/James Hagerty method of keeping the press at arm's length. Roosevelt's semi-weekly responses to impromptu questions charmed the press, especially in comparison to predecessors Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
and Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
who required advance written questions. Roosevelt enabled the press to feel a part of the administration and made it an enjoyable experience. Roosevelt, a former Harvard Crimson
Harvard Crimson
The Harvard Crimson are the athletic teams of Harvard University. The school's teams compete in NCAA Division I. As of 2006, there were 41 Division I intercollegiate varsity sports teams for women and men at Harvard, more than at any other NCAA Division I college in the country...
editor-in-chief who felt comfortable around journalists, held 337 first term press conferences. Obama, a former Harvard Law Review
Harvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
editor-in-chief, could use a similar approach to press management.
Reeves described Kennedy's challenge as a combination of an economic issue with seven percent unemployment rate in a recession and global competition with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
on several fronts, such as economic growth, armament, and astronautic progress. He had to deal with the appearance of military vulnerability international pursuit of independence. Unlike Obama, Kennedy's inauguration speech reflected a time when global issues overshadowed domestic concerns although the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
was gaining momentum. During his inauguration, like Obama, Kennedy invoked Lincoln. Kennedy was similar to Obama in the speed with which the emphasis of his Presidency veered from the emphasis of his campaign according to Reeves.
Dallek notes that although Obama focused on comparison with Roosevelt and Kennedy, both he and Johnson entered office at a time of international crisis and diminished confidence in the nation's institutions. However, while Obama represents the fruits of non-violent political action, Johnson's rise was a test of the nation's faith in it. As Johnson assumed office his largest responsibility was to reassure the country that he could effectively lead both at home and abroad. Dallek notes the conspicuous absence of deference to Johnson who served as the country's chief executive while shepherding the enactment of the voting rights laws of 1964 and 1965. He notes the similar need for faith in the country's institutions and provide hope for peace and prosperity. In a sense, Dallek likened Obama to Johnson as President who realizes his role a national therapist in addition to that as a leader and an executive.
Canon noted that although Obama has been urged to proactively legislate economic stimulus like Roosevelt and to provide transformational leadership like Kennedy, he should take some cues from Reagan who put personal projects on hold while gaining the country's confidence. Like Obama, Reagan's primary campaign issue had been the domestic economy, while he was influenced by Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
strife. When he assumed office, he immediately realized that the domestic economy was the lynchpin to his success. Reagan faced high unemployment like Obama. Unlike Obama, Reagan had to make serious concessions with a Democratically controlled House. The Reagan administration cast aside social issues, such as abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, for most of his first 100 days and then he was shot. This is similar to Obama's decision to remove the family-planning provisions from the stimulus package. The removal of the contraceptive funding for Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
was a Reaganesque bipartisan appeal by Obama. Obama has acknowledged Reagan in The Audacity of Hope
The Audacity of Hope
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream is the second book written by then-Senator Barack Obama. In the fall of 2006 it became number one on both the New York Times and Amazon.com bestsellers lists after Obama was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. In the book, Obama expounds on...
and may follow more of his philosophies and leadership mantras as his term evolves.
Like Clinton, Obama has the support of Democratic control of both houses of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. In his early days, the Republican leadership seemed fractured and ineffective as it operated in the minority.
In his first week, Obama established a policy of producing a weekly Saturday morning video address available on Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States government. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, much like those released during his transition period. The first address had been viewed by 600,000 YouTube viewers by the next afternoon. The policy is likened to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fireside chats
Fireside chats
The fireside chats were a series of thirty evening radio addresses given by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944.-Origin of radio address:...
and other presidents' weekly radio addresses.
Although the first hundred days was not a concept relevant in the Lincoln Administration, Obama followed Lincoln by naming the former party front-running Senator from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as his United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
. Lincoln had chosen William H. Seward
William H. Seward
William Henry Seward, Sr. was the 12th Governor of New York, United States Senator and the United States Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson...
and Obama chose Hillary Clinton.
Obama has some similarities to Nixon who had a brief tenure in Congress (4 years in the House and 2 years in the Senate) before assuming a position in the Executive Branch. Nixon's 1968 campaign included a plank to "end the war with honor." Nixon employed rivals in key positions including Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Daniel Patrick "Pat" Moynihan was an American politician and sociologist. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the United States Senate for New York in 1976, and was re-elected three times . He declined to run for re-election in 2000...
and Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
supporter Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
.
Inauguration
The first 100 days of the Presidency of Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
began during the Inauguration of Barack Obama
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
with the conversion of Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States government. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches...
from the Bush Administration version to the Obama Administration version at 12:00 p.m. on January 20, 2009. This was only the second presidential online portal transition. At 12:01, White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Director of New Media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
Macon Phillips
Macon Phillips
Macon Phillips is the White House Director of New Media with oversight responsibility for Whitehouse.gov. Phillips' efforts at Whitehouse.gov will be closely coordinated with internet operations at the Democratic National Committee, which has responsibility for administration of the...
posted the website's first blog post with themes of "communication", "transparency" and "participation". However, after the first week, the reporters covering the White House became dubious about the pledge of transparency.
Oath of Office
Article 2, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution states: "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:" Then, Article Two of the United States Constitution
Article Two of the United States Constitution
Article Two of the United States Constitution creates the executive branch of the government, consisting of the President and other executive officers.-Clause 1: Executive power:...
sets out the language that should be used in the Oath of office of the President of the United States: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." The Vice President also has an oath of office, but it is not mandated by the Constitution and is prescribed by statute.
During the inauguration, there were two matters of controversy. First, although Obama constitutionally assumed the Presidency at noon on January 20, he did not complete the oath of office until 12:05 p.m. Clinton also completed the oath about five minutes late during his first inauguration. Additionally, Obama and the administering official, Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
John G. Roberts, did not execute the 35-word oath as prescribed by the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. First, Obama jumped in before the "do solemnly swear" phrase, which seemed to throw the Chief Justice off his stride. Subsequently, Roberts moved the word "faithfully" back nine spots, and used "to" instead of "of." That threw the president off, and he smiled and paused to collect his thoughts, then decided to follow Roberts' lead. The flaw is recorded in the transcript
Transcript (law)
A transcript is a written record of spoken language. In court proceedings, a transcript is usually a record of all decisions of the judge, and the spoken arguments by the litigants' lawyers. A related term used in the US is docket, not a full transcript. The transcript is expected to be an exact...
of the oath as follows:
- Roberts: I, Barack Hussein Obama …
- Obama: I, Barack …
- Roberts: … do solemnly swear …
- Obama: I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear …
- Roberts: … that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully …
- Obama: … that I will execute …
- Roberts: … the off — faithfully the pres — the office of president of the United States …
- Obama (at the same time): … the office of president of the United States faithfully …
According to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes the beginning and ending of the terms of the elected federal offices. It also deals with scenarios in which there is no President-elect...
, Section 1: "The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January". Thus, Bush had relinquished the Presidency at 12:00. According to the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, Section 3: If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President,... if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified." By Article Two, Section 1, Clause 8 of the Constitution and Amendment 20, Some feel that Obama was not able to assume the Presidency until 12:05. In fact, since Obama did not complete his oath until 12:01, there was further speculation as to who was President for the first minute after Bush relinquished control.
Several political and constitutional law experts questioned whether Obama was officially the president since he had not correctly performed the constitutional duty of the Oath. The following day at about 7:35 p.m. the White House, Roberts re-administered the oath in an act that White House Counsel
White House Counsel
The White House Counsel is a staff appointee of the President of the United States.-Role:The Counsel's role is to advise the President on all legal issues concerning the President and the White House...
Greg Craig
Greg Craig
Gregory Bestor "Greg" Craig is a Washington-based lawyer and former White House Counsel under President Barack Obama. He has represented numerous high-profile clients, including John W. Hinckley, Jr., who was acquitted of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by reason of insanity, and, in...
described as stemming from "an abundance of caution," to quell any concerns that the President may not have been properly sworn in. Both Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
and Chester Arthur retook the oath under similar circumstances.
Administration and Cabinet
Twenty-two members of the Obama administration are either in the United States CabinetUnited States Cabinet
The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...
(15) or are in positions considered to be Cabinet-level (7) and must be confirmed by the current Senate. The members of the Cabinet are the heads of the fifteen major departments (State, Defense, Justice, etc.), and the seven cabinet-level positions are the Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, White House Chief of Staff
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is the head of the United States federal government's Environmental Protection Agency, and is thus responsible for enforcing the nation's Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, as well as numerous other environmental statutes. The Administrator is...
, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative is the United States government agency responsible for developing and recommending United States trade policy to the president of the United States, conducting trade negotiations at bilateral and multilateral levels, and coordinating trade...
, Ambassador to the United Nations
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador...
, and Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of National Drug Control Policy
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , a former cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1989 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988...
. Since Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
was a member of the previous administration, his letter of resignation (a formality at the end of a President's term) was simply not accepted, and he did not need confirmation. On January 19, 2009, Senate Democratic leaders requested fifteen of the twenty-two positions to be ratified by unanimous consent
Unanimous consent
In parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house, is a situation in which no one present objects to a proposal. The chair may state, for instance: "If there is no objection, the motion...
, and seven gained unanimous confirmation by voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
the next day: Ken Salazar
Ken Salazar
Kenneth Lee "Ken" Salazar is the current United States Secretary of the Interior, in the administration of President Barack Obama. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2005 to 2009. He and Mel Martinez were the first Hispanic U.S...
, Steven Chu
Steven Chu
Steven Chu is an American physicist and the 12th United States Secretary of Energy. Chu is known for his research at Bell Labs in cooling and trapping of atoms with laser light, which won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997, along with his scientific colleagues Claude Cohen-Tannoudji and...
, Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan
Arne Duncan is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.-Early years and personal:...
, Peter Orszag
Peter Ország
Peter Ország is a Slovak ice hockey referee, who referees in the Slovak Extraliga.-Career:He has officiated many international tournaments including the Winter Olympics. He has been named Slovak referee of the year....
, Eric Shinseki
Eric Shinseki
Eric Ken Shinseki is a retired United States Army four-star general who is currently serving as the 7th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. His final U.S. Army post was as the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army...
, Tom Vilsack
Tom Vilsack
Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...
, and Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
. On January 21, Obama presided over the swearing in of the seven unanimous nominees. Later that day, the Senate confirmed Hillary Clinton by a 94–2 vote. On January 22, several more confirmations were approved unanimously: Susan E. Rice
Susan E. Rice
Susan Elizabeth Rice is an American diplomat, former think tank fellow, and civil servant. She is an American foreign policy advisor and United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Rice served on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs...
, Ray LaHood
Ray LaHood
Raymond H. "Ray" LaHood is a Republican politician from Illinois who is currently the United States Secretary of Transportation, having served since 2009. Previously, he represented the Illinois's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for seven terms .-Early life and...
, Lisa P. Jackson
Lisa P. Jackson
Lisa Perez Jackson is an American chemical engineer currently serving as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency . Previously, she worked at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for 6 years, first as an assistant commissioner and later as commissioner...
, and Shaun Donovan
Shaun Donovan
Shaun L.S. Donovan is the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, serving in the cabinet of President Barack Obama. Prior to this he headed the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development...
. On January 26, the Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner by a 60–34 margin, and Holder was confirmed on February 2 by a 75–21 margin. Of the 31 nominations that Obama has made to senior posts only 17 were approved in January.
At the conclusion of Obama's first week as President, Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
, Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, Ron Kirk
Ron Kirk
Ronald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...
, and Eric Holder
Eric Holder
Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position, serving under President Barack Obama....
had yet to be confirmed, and there had been no second appointment for Secretary of Commerce. Republicans were also delaying Solis's confirmation due to a perceived lack of transparency. Holder was later confirmed by a vote of 75–21 on February 2, and on February 3, Obama announced Senator Judd Gregg
Judd Gregg
Judd Alan Gregg is a former Governor of New Hampshire and former United States Senator from New Hampshire, who served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a businessman and attorney in Nashua before entering politics...
as his second nomination for Secretary of Commerce
United States Secretary of Commerce
The United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
, since Bill Richardson had withdrawn amid a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors. Daschle withdrew later that day amid controversy over his failure to pay income taxes and potential conflicts of interest related to the speaking fees he accepted from health care interests. On February 12, Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination as Secretary of Commerce, citing "irresolvable conflicts" with President Obama and his staff over how to conduct the 2010 census and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. On February 24, Solis was confirmed by a 80–17 vote.
The same day rumors abounded that former Democratic two-term Washington governor Gary Locke
Gary Locke
Gary Locke may refer to:*Gary Locke , Chinese American politician; U.S. Secretary of Commerce and former Governor of Washington*Gary Locke *Gary Locke...
would be named as the third Obama Commerce Secretary nominee. Locke was formally nominated on February 26, and was confirmed on March 24 by voice vote.
On March 2, Obama introduced Kansas governor
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
as his second choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services. He also introduced Nancy-Ann DeParle as head of the new White House Office of Health Reform
White House Office of Health Reform
The White House Office of Health Reform is a new government entity in the United States created by President Barack Obama. The office forms part of the Domestic Policy Council which is part of the Office of White House Policy. The Director of the Office of Health Reform is titled the Deputy...
, which he suggested would work closely with the Department of Health and Human Services
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
. Ron Kirk was confirmed on March 18 by a 92-5 vote in the Senate., and by the end of March, Sebelius was the only remaining Cabinet member yet to be confirmed.
By comparison, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
only had one outstanding Cabinet confirmation at the end of his first day in office and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
had all but one approved before February 1, 2001. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
had twelve of thirteen Cabinet members confirmed before February 1, and Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
had all eleven of his confirmed. George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
only had seven of thirteen confirmed by this time. Whereas his predecessors had to trade favors for contentious approvals such as Zoe Baird
Zoë Baird
Zoë Eliot Baird is an American lawyer who is president of the Markle Foundation. She is most known for her role in the Nannygate matter of 1993.-Biography:...
(Clinton), John Tower
John Tower
John Goodwin Tower was the first Republican United States senator from Texas since Reconstruction. He served from 1961 until his retirement in January 1985, after which time he was the chairman of the Reagan-appointed Tower Commission that investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He was George H. W...
(G.H.W. Bush), or John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
(G.W. Bush), Obama has largely focused on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
, a proposed economic stimulus package totaling nearly $1 trillion.
Controversial cabinet nominations
Several high-ranking cabinet nominees in the Obama administration had their confirmations delayed or rejected among reports that they did not pay all of their taxes, among other concerns.During the presidential transition between the election and the inauguration, Obama named Bill Richardson to be his Commerce Secretary. Richardson withdrew his nomination on January 5 because of scrutiny regarding a pay to play
Pay to Play
Pay to play, sometimes pay for play, is a phrase used for a variety of situations in which money is exchanged for services or the privilege to engage in certain activities...
scandal in which he was being investigated because his donors curiously received a lucrative transportation contract. On February 3, Obama announced the nomination of Republican Judd Gregg
Judd Gregg
Judd Alan Gregg is a former Governor of New Hampshire and former United States Senator from New Hampshire, who served as chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. He is a member of the Republican Party and was a businessman and attorney in Nashua before entering politics...
in his place.
Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
was Obama's original nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary. However, he owed over $128,000 in taxes over three years, failed to report more than $83,000 in consulting fees in 2007, and owed $12,000 in interest and penalties. He also provided insufficient documentation for $15,000 of the $276,000 in charitable contributions that he and his wife, Linda, gave during the three-year period being studied by the panel. Daschle also had some miscommunications with his accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
on the $255,000 use of a luxury car service that was used 80% for personal services. Daschle paid his back taxes six days before his first confirmation hearings with the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
. On February 3, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the Daschle nomination into question both for his tax issues and for his extensive private sector work in the health services industry. The editorial noted that although Daschle was aware of his tax problem in June 2008, he did not correct it until his cabinet nomination. Later that day, Daschle withdrew his nomination.
Though Hillary Clinton was ultimately confirmed on January 21 by a 95–2 vote, with David Vitter
David Vitter
David Vitter is the junior United States Senator from Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the suburban Louisiana's 1st congressional district. He served as a member of the Louisiana House of...
(R-Louisiana) and Jim DeMint
Jim DeMint
James Warren "Jim" DeMint is the junior U.S. Senator from South Carolina, serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party and a leader in the Tea Party movement. He previously served as the U.S. Representative for from 1999 to 2005.-Early life and education:DeMint was born in...
(R-South Carolina) in dissent, Senate Republicans slowed the process due to objections over the charitable activities of Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton. John Cornyn
John Cornyn
John Cornyn, III is the junior United States Senator for Texas, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was elected Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee for the 111th U.S. Congress....
(R-Texas) held up proceedings for a day to discuss this matter. Richard Lugar (R-Indiana), the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, expressed an interest in President Bill Clinton's foundation reject foreign contributions to avoid possible conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. Sen. Clinton contended that the foundation's disclosure plans already exceeded legal requirements.
Timothy Geithner, who was nominated as Treasury Secretary, also encountered tax issues. He apologized to the United States Senate Committee on Finance
United States Senate Committee on Finance
The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection...
for having overlooked paying $34,000 in Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
and Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
taxes earlier this decade. The committee endorsed Geithner by a 18–5 margin with half of the ten Republicans opposing the nomination. He was confirmed despite failure to pay a total of $43,000 in taxes and penalties, which troubled the Senate.
Holder was endorsed by the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
by a 17–2 margin on January 28. Dissent on his confirmation centered on his support for some of Bill Clinton's controversial pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
s and commutations of sentence
Commutation of sentence
Commutation of sentence involves the reduction of legal penalties, especially in terms of imprisonment. Unlike a pardon, a commutation does not nullify the conviction and is often conditional. Clemency is a similar term, meaning the lessening of the penalty of the crime without forgiving the crime...
. Republican Cornyn had sought a pledge from Holder that he would not prosecute intelligence agents who participated in harsh interrogation
Interrogation
Interrogation is interviewing as commonly employed by officers of the police, military, and Intelligence agencies with the goal of extracting a confession or obtaining information. Subjects of interrogation are often the suspects, victims, or witnesses of a crime...
s, but Holder, who if confirmed will have to review Justice Department officials who may have violated the law for possible prosecution, refused to give such a pledge.
Obama had nominated Nancy Killefer
Nancy Killefer
Nancy Killefer is an American government consultant and political figure. She was nominated for the Chief Performance Officer presidential cabinet position in the Obama administration in 2009. In 2005 the District of Columbia government had filed a more than $900 tax lien on her home for failure...
for the position of Chief Performance Officer
United States Chief Performance Officer
Chief Performance Officer of the United States is a position in the Office of Management and Budget , first announced on January 7, 2009 by then President-elect Barack Obama. The new post concentrates on the federal budget and government reform...
, but Killefer withdrew on February 3 after it was revealed that she had failed to pay the unemployment compensation tax for a household employee for a period of 18 months.
The vote on Hilda Solis
Hilda Solis
Hilda Lucia Solis is the 25th United States Secretary of Labor, serving in the Obama administration. She is a member of the Democratic Party and served in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009, representing the 31st and 32nd congressional districts of California that include...
for Secretary of Labor had originally been scheduled for February 5, but she faced delayed confirmation hearings due to her pro-labor activities as a board member of American Rights at Work and because of $6,400 in unpaid tax lien
Tax lien
A tax lien is a lien imposed by law upon a property to secure the payment of taxes. A tax lien may be imposed for delinquent taxes owed on real property or personal property, or as a result of failure to pay income taxes or other taxes....
s against her husband's auto repair business. Both Solis, who was uninvolved in the business, and her husband claimed not to have had any knowledge of the 16-year old liens prior to their disclosure by a newspaper, and they paid it when notified. Delays were however exacerbated due to Solis' perceived unresponsiveness to questions. On February 11, the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
The United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions generally considers matters relating to health, education, labor, and pensions...
voted by voice vote to endorse Hilda Solis as the Labor Secretary, with the only dissenting members of the 22-person committee Republicans Tom Coburn
Tom Coburn
Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. , is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills...
and Pat Roberts
Pat Roberts
Charles Patrick "Pat" Roberts is the senior United States Senator from Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he has served since 1997...
. Solis was later confirmed on February 24.
On February 12, Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his name from consideration as United States Commerce Secretary. Judd cited policy differences between himself and the Obama administration as his primary reasons and noted that unlike earlier withdrawals he was not having difficulties with the vetting process. He had reservations about the stimulus package and about the changes being made in the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
as his primary concerns.
Gregg has a track record of opposing funding for the Census, that is highlighted by his tenure as the Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the Budget
United States Senate Committee on the Budget
The United States Senate Committee on Budget was established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. It is responsible for drafting Congress's annual budget plan and monitoring action on the budget for the Federal Government. The committee has jurisdiction over the...
. The Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the black members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to blacks, and its chair in the 112th Congress is Representative Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri.-Aims:...
and National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials both expressed disappointment at Gregg's nomination because the United States Department of Commerce
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
oversees the Census. The White House subsequently said it take control of the 2010 United States Census, but then backpedaled saying that they would "work closely" with the United States Census Director. Republicans were alarmed by the foreshadowing of "backroom deals" by the White House and Rahm Emanuel.
While pundits puzzled over U.S. Trade Representative-designate Ron Kirk
Ron Kirk
Ronald "Ron" Kirk is the 16th United States Trade Representative, serving in the Obama administration. He served as mayor of Dallas, Texas from 1995 to 2002; he also ran for the United States Senate in 2002.-Early life and career:...
's failure to be confirmed by March 2009, it was reported on March 2 that Kirk owed over $10,000 in back taxes. Kirk agreed to pay them in exchange for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus's aid in speeding up the confirmation process; he was later confirmed on March 18.
On March 31, Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
, Obama's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, revealed in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee that her Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant
Certified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
found errors in her tax returns for years 2005-2007. She, along with her husband, paid more than $7,000 in back taxes, along with $878 in interest.
Notable non-Cabinet positions
Appointees serve at the pleasure of the President and were nominated by Barack Obama except as noted.- Sheila Bair, Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance CorporationFederal Deposit Insurance CorporationThe Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is a United States government corporation created by the Glass–Steagall Act of 1933. It provides deposit insurance, which guarantees the safety of deposits in member banks, currently up to $250,000 per depositor per bank. , the FDIC insures deposits at...
1 - Retired Admiral Dennis C. Blair, Director of National Intelligence
- Richard HolbrookeRichard HolbrookeRichard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat, magazine editor, author, professor, Peace Corps official, and investment banker....
, special envoy for AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan... - Retired General James L. JonesJames L. JonesJames Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
, Assistant to the President for National Security AffairsNational Security Advisor (United States)The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues... - George J. MitchellGeorge J. MitchellGeorge John Mitchell, Jr., is the former U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace under the Obama administration. A Democrat, Mitchell was a United States Senator who served as the Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995...
, special envoy to the Middle EastMiddle EastThe Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East... - Robert MuellerRobert MuellerRobert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...
, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation2 - Leon PanettaLeon PanettaLeon Edward Panetta is the 23rd and current United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama since 2011. Prior to taking office, he served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency...
, Director of the Central Intelligence AgencyDirector of the Central Intelligence AgencyDirector of the Central Intelligence Agency serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is part of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director reports to the Director of National Intelligence . The Director is assisted by the Deputy Director of the Central... - Christina RomerChristina RomerChristina D. Romer is the Class of 1957 Garff B. Wilson Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and a former Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama administration...
, Chair of the Council of Economic AdvisersCouncil of Economic AdvisersThe Council of Economic Advisers is an agency within the Executive Office of the President that advises the President of the United States on economic policy... - Dennis RossDennis RossDennis B. Ross is an American diplomat and author. He has served as the Director of Policy Planning in the State Department under President George H. W...
, Special Advisor for the Gulf and Southwest Asia under the Secretary of State - Mary SchapiroMary SchapiroMary L. Schapiro is the 29th chairperson of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission .She is the immediate past chairperson and CEO of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority , the securities industry self-regulatory organization for broker-dealers and exchanges in the United States, and...
, Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission - Lawrence SummersLawrence SummersLawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of National Economic Council - Paul VolckerPaul VolckerPaul Adolph Volcker, Jr. is an American economist. He was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve under United States Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan from August 1979 to August 1987. He is widely credited with ending the high levels of inflation seen in the United States in the 1970s and...
, Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board
1Appointed by George W. Bush in 2006 to a five-year term
2Appointed by George W. Bush in 2001 to a ten-year term
Policy
One of the first acts by the Obama administration after assuming control was an order signed by Chief of StaffWhite House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel is an American politician and the 55th and current Mayor of Chicago. He was formerly White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama...
that suspended all pending federal regulations proposed by outgoing President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
so that they could be reviewed. This was comparable to prior moves by the Bush Administration upon assuming control from Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, who in his final 20 days in office issued 12 executive orders.
Due to the economic crisis
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
, the President enacted a pay freeze for senior White House staff making more than $100,000 per year. The action affected approximately 120 staffers and added up to about a $443,000 savings for the United States government.
Obama also announced stricter guidelines regarding lobbyists
Lobbying in the United States
Lobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures. Lobbyists may also represent their clients' or organizations' interests in dealings with federal, state, or local executive branch agencies or the courts. Lobby...
in an effort to raise the ethical standards of the White House. The new policy bans aides from attempting to influence the administration for at least two years if they leave his staff. It also bans aides on staff from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they targeted while on staff. Their ban also included a gift-giving ban. However, one day later he nominated William J. Lynn III
William J. Lynn III
William J. Lynn III is a former United States Deputy Secretary of Defense. Before that he was Under Secretary of Defense and a lobbyist for Raytheon.-Biography:...
, a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
, for the position of Deputy Secretary of Defense. Obama later nominated William Corr, an anti-tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
lobbyist, for Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In his first week in office, President Obama signed an executive order suspending all the ongoing proceedings of Guantanamo military commission
Guantanamo military commission
The Guantanamo military commissions are military tribunals created by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 for prosecuting detainees held in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps.- History :...
and ordering that the detention facility would be shut down within the year. He also signed an order requiring the Army Field Manual to be used as guide for terror interrogations, banning torture and other illegal coercive techniques, such as waterboarding
Waterboarding
Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over the face of an immobilized captive, thus causing the individual to experience the sensation of drowning...
. Obama also issued 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. Obama signed two Presidential Memoranda concerning energy independence, ordering the Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
to establish higher fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the efficiency of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier fuel into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, which in turn may vary per application, and this spectrum of variance is...
standards before 2011 models are released and allowing states to raise their emissions standards above the national standard. He also ended the Mexico City Policy
Mexico City Policy
The Mexico City Policy, also known by critics as the Mexico City Gag Rule and the Global Gag Rule, was an intermittent United States government policy that required all non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services, as a...
, which banned funds to international groups that provide abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
services or counseling.
In his first week he also established a policy of producing a weekly Saturday morning video address available on Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov
Whitehouse.gov is the official website of the White House and is owned by the United States government. Launched in October 1994, it contains general American history information, as well as current news pertaining to the President, press briefings, proclamations, executive orders, and any speeches...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, much like those released during his transition period. The first address had been viewed by 600,000 YouTube viewers by the next afternoon. The policy is likened to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fireside chats
Fireside chats
The fireside chats were a series of thirty evening radio addresses given by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 and 1944.-Origin of radio address:...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's weekly radio addresses.
The first piece of legislation signed by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 is an Act of Congress enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 29, 2009....
on January 29, which promoted fair pay regardless of gender, race, or age. Lilly Ledbetter joined Obama and his wife, Michelle, as he signed the bill, fulfilling his campaign pledge to nullify Ledbetter v. Goodyear
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., 550 U.S. 618 , is an employment discrimination decision of the Supreme Court of the United States. Justice Alito held for the five-justice majority that employers cannot be sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act over race or gender pay discrimination...
.
On February 18, 2009, Obama announced that the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would be bolstered by 17,000 new troops by summer. The announcement followed the recommendation of several experts including Defense Secretary
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
that additional troops be deployed to the strife-torn South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
n country.
Nine days after his speech on Afghanistan, Obama addressed Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and outlined an exit strategy for the Iraq War. Obama promised to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
by August 31, 2010, and a "transitional force" of up to 50,000 counterterrorism, advisory, training, and support personnel by the end of 2011.
On April 5, 2009, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
promoted the goal of a nuclear-free world
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
.
Policy review
There are some who hold the opinion that Obama has not restored confidence in the economy along many levels and point to the 332-point decline in the Dow Jones Industrial AverageDow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
on Inauguration Day as the first evidence of this fact. They take issue with both the Troubled Assets Relief Program
Troubled Assets Relief Program
The Troubled Asset Relief Program is a program of the United States government to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008...
and the stimulus package.
The stimulus package passed in the House of Representatives on January 28 without a single Republican vote. The Republicans developed opposition without developing consensus on an alternative plan. Conservatives who have been supportive of Obama have come out against the plan. The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
has questioned whether the $825 billion package is well designed. However, Duncan notes that one of the largest components, $140 billion earmarked for education, is well spent. Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
is credited with inserting the last-minute pay limit into American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
. The pay restrictions included prohibition of bonuses in excess of one-third of total salary for any company receiving any money from the plan and was retroactive to companies that received funds under Troubled Assets Relief Program
Troubled Assets Relief Program
The Troubled Asset Relief Program is a program of the United States government to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on October 3, 2008...
. The limit was a significant alteration of the administration's plan and caught Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Chairman Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Summers
Lawrence Henry Summers is an American economist. He served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He was Director of the White House United States National Economic Council for President Barack Obama until November 2010.Summers is the...
by surprise.
After Obama announced deadlines for the phased withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
broadly endorsed the president's plan and agreed to legislate the stated timetables, though some in the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
balked at the 50,000-head figure for the transitional force and many in the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
criticized the deadlines' rigidity. Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, the Republican presidential nominee in the 2008 election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, voiced support for his former rival's plan.
Other notable events
On March 19, Obama became the first sitting president to appear on a late night talk show when he was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. On April 2, Obama attended the G-20 London Summit2009 G-20 London summit
The 2009 G-20 London Summit is the second meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. It followed the first G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which...
. On April 17–19 he attended the 5th Summit of the Americas
5th Summit of the Americas
The Fifth Summit of the Americas was held at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobagofrom April 17 to 19, 2009.Organizers planned for the Fifth Summit to focus on a wide-ranging theme: "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental...
where he met Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
's President Hugo Chavez
Hugo Chávez
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
, a longtime enemy of Washington, who shook his hand and gave him the book Las venas abiertas de América Latina (Open Veins of Latin America) of Eduardo Galeano
Eduardo Galeano
Eduardo Hughes Galeano is a Uruguayan journalist, writer and novelist. His best known works are Memoria del fuego and Las venas abiertas de América Latina which have been translated into twenty languages and transcend orthodox genres: combining fiction, journalism, political analysis, and...
while media was present. On April 28, day 99 of Obama's presidency, Senator Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
(a former Democrat who switched to the Republican party in 1966) returned to the Democratic Party. Specter increased the Democratic senators to 59, one short of a filibuster-proof majority. At the conclusion of the first 100 days, over 100 federal judgeships remained vacant.
External links
- First 100 days at CNN.com
- First 100 days at Fox News
- First 100 days at CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
- First 100 days at The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
- First 100 days at Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
, UK - First 100 days at BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
- Best and Worst of Obama's First 100 Days at The NationThe NationThe Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...