[Vision2020] Obama Will Act Quickly

Tom Hansen thansen at moscow.com
Mon Nov 10 05:44:25 PST 2008


>From the front page of today's (November 10, 2008) Spokesman Review -

---------------------------------------------------------

Obama will act quickly 
Aide says president-elect will use executive orders to change policies

WASHINGTON – President-elect Obama plans to use his executive powers to 
make an immediate impact when he takes office, perhaps reversing Bush 
administration policies on stem cell research and domestic drilling for 
oil and natural gas.

John Podesta, Obama's transition chief, said Sunday Obama is reviewing 
President Bush's executive orders on those issues and others, saying the 
president can use such orders to move quickly on his own.

"There's a lot that the president can do using his executive authority 
without waiting for congressional action, and I think we'll see the 
president do that," Podesta said. "I think that he feels like he has a 
real mandate for change. We need to get off the course that the Bush 
administration has set."

Podesta also said Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet. That 
includes reaching out to Republicans and independents – part of the broad 
coalition that supported Obama during the race against Republican John 
McCain. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been mentioned as a possible 
holdover.

"He's not even a Republican," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada 
said. "Why wouldn't we want to keep him? He's never been a registered 
Republican."
 
Obama was elected on a promise of change, but the nature of the job makes 
it difficult for presidents to do much that has an immediate impact on the 
lives of average people. Congress plans to take up a second economic aid 
plan before year's end – an effort Obama supports. But it could be months 
before taxpayers see the effect.

Obama could use his executive powers to at least signal that Washington is 
changing.

"Obama's advantage, of course, is he'll have the House and the Senate 
working with him, and that makes it easier," said Carl Tobias, a law 
professor at the University of Richmond. "But even then, having an 
immediate impact is very difficult to do because the machinery of 
government doesn't move that quickly."

Presidents long have used executive orders to impose policy and set 
priorities. One of Bush's first acts was to reinstate full abortion 
restrictions on U.S. overseas aid. The restrictions were ordered by 
President Reagan, and the first President Bush followed suit. President 
Clinton lifted them soon after he occupied the Oval Office, and it 
wouldn't be surprising if Obama does the same.

Executive orders "have the power of law and they can cover just about 
anything," Tobias said. 

Bush used his executive power to limit federal spending on embryonic stem 
cell research, a position championed by opponents of abortion rights who 
argue that destroying embryos is akin to killing a fetus. Obama has 
supported the research in an effort to find cures for diseases such as 
Alzheimer's. Many moderate Republicans support the research. 

On drilling, the federal Bureau of Land Management is opening about 
360,000 acres of public property in Utah to oil and gas drilling. Bush 
administration officials argue that the drilling will not harm sensitive 
areas; environmentalists oppose it.

"They want to have oil and gas drilling in some of the most sensitive, 
fragile lands in Utah," Podesta said. "I think that's a mistake."

Two top House Republicans said there is a willingness to try to work with 
Obama to get things done. But they said to expect Republicans to serve as 
a check against the power held by Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress.

"It's going to be a cheerful opposition," said Rep. Mike Pence, R-
Ind. "We're going to carry those timeless principles of limited 
government, a strong defense, traditional values, to the American people."

Pence is expected to take over the No. 3 leadership post among House 
Republicans.

In other transition matters, Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, 
would not say whether Obama would return to the Senate for votes during 
the post-election session this month. Obama's presence would be 
extraordinary, given his position as president-elect, especially if 
Congress takes up a much-anticipated economic stimulus plan.

"I think that the basic approach has been he's going to be here in 
Chicago, setting up … not only his economic team, but the policies he 
wants to outline for the country as soon as he gets sworn in so we hit the 
ground running," Emanuel said.

Also, Emanuel would not commit to a Democratic proposal to help the auto 
industry with the $700 billion approved by Congress for the financial 
bailout.

Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a letter Saturday 
to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that the administration should 
consider expanding the bailout to include car companies.

---------------------------------------------------------

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
 
"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college 
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)


---------------------------------------------
This message was sent by First Step Internet.
           http://www.fsr.com/




More information about the Vision2020 mailing list