Maddow's Obama List

First of all, let me say I love Rachel Maddow. She is smart, articulate, and appears to enjoy the irony that exists in politics every day. She often smiles at stories she reports, reveling in the double-speak and hypocrisy that our elected officials use daily. She is left of center, like me, so I usually agree with her perspective. But Maddow is more generous with President Obama than I.

Yesterday Maddow wished Obama a happy one-month anniversary, and listed 17 accomplishments of his first month. I have recreated her list, and give my take on each:

Announced strict new rules for lobbyists - Great idea...and how unfortunate that only two days later Obama broke his own rules by nominating William Lynn, a lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon, to be Deputy Secretary of Defense.

Pay caps for WH staff - A mostly symbolic gesture that won't impact the financial crisis. Still, it would be hypocrisy to raise staff salaries in these troubled times, so a good PR move.

Hillary Clinton confirmed Secretary of State - So far this is looking like one of Obama's best cabinet picks. Hillary has not yet been tested in her diplomacy skills, but early results look promising.

Signed an Executive Order closing Gitmo and secret CIA prisons overseas - But he has not set a date for the closure. Even with it's end planned, the longer Gitmo is in operation the more it's stink spreads from the last administration to this one. (It's all one America to the radicals who use Gitmo as a recruiting tool.) And while he closed CIA prisons, he also signed an executive order three weeks ago that allows the CIA to continue using renditions. And today the White House announced that they would not change Bush administration policy of denying constitutional rights to terror suspects held in Afghanistan. So his results in this area are decidedly mixed.

Named George Mitchell and Richard Holbrooke Special Envoys to Middle East - The jury is still out on Mitchell and Holbrooke, although they are both very experienced. I have high hopes for them, but let's see how they fair under pressure (we probably won't have to wait long).

Made first agency visit to the State Dept, symbolically reviving diplomacy - This is smart management, but I don't see it as much of an accomplishment.

Appeared on Arab TV network - I think it was a good move to help open up more dialogue with the Arab world.

Signed Lily Ledbetter Act - The Ledbetter act, which forbids pay discrimination on the basis of sex, is so overdue, until I heard of it I thought these protections already existed. Kudos for Obama for getting it on the books.

Eric Holder confirmed - When he was nominated, I thought Holder's most appealing quality was that he wasn't Alberto Gonzalez. But I don't think Gonzales would have put his foot in his mouth like Holder did recently when he said America was "a
nation of cowards" when it came to racial issues. Holder's comments were divisive and earned him the enmity of whites who thought Holder was only talking to them (he wasn't, but that point is lost in the din). Holder's poorly chosen words didn't help the administration, and he will have to really shine in the coming months to distance himself from them.


Signed S-ChIP legislation - Bravo! This bill expands publicly funded health insurance for children. It is shameful that the GOP and Bush Administration has not stepped up to the plate on health care for children. No matter what you think of "socialized medicine", children should not be denied care because they are poor.

Canceled 77 land leases around Arches National Park - Another Bravo. I have spent lots of time in Arches, as well as other National Parks in that region. It is an area of unspeakable beauty and unique geology not found anywhere else. The idea of oil derricks dotting that landscape is obscene.

Signed the Stimulus Bill - I applaud President Obama for getting the bill he wanted pushed through congress in a very short time. However, this bill breaks Obama's "sunshine before signing" promise, whereby the public would be given time to review and comment on important bills before he signed them. The Stimulus bill got not public review, and we are still wading through the 1000+ pages to see what goodies (or horrors) it contains. Also, I am unconvinced that the stimulus will do anything other than heap debt on future generations. The cynic in me thinks Obama only did it to appear strong in the face of the crisis. The optimist in me hopes my worries about the bill are unfounded.

Announced his home foreclosure prevention plan - After so much attention is paid to Wall Street, it's great to see a little love for Main Street. This plan really only helps a small group of those facing foreclosure, but it's a start.

Took first foreign trip to Canada - I'm not sure how much of an accomplishment it is to visit our nearest neighbor. But they have better beer up there, so I hope he downed a few, eh?

Banned budget gimmicks - This is a great ruling. The Bush Administration used budget gimmicks that would make Enron accountants blushed.

Met with mayors - Yawn...I'm sorry, what? Urban centers are a Democratic stronghold, so he's preaching to the choir with this group. Not much of an accomplishment, methinks.

Signed Executive Order for Office of Gulf Coast Recovery - A good move, but he extended it for six months when local Pols wanted two more years. It is a disgrace that this long after Katrina, most of the money allocated for the Gulf Coast's recovery has not been spent.

All in all, I think Obama has done pretty well. But
it's still a fairly uneven list.