Barack Obama a President for All the People

After 100 days

2009-05-01T17:06:00.000-07:00

For an analysis of Barack Obama's presidency after the first 100 days go to: A Moderate Republican's View of Obama

A Recap of Barack Obama's First 100 Days

2009-04-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Beginning - A far different beginning from the previous two Presidents, Obama's first act as President was to call for a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation. If you remember, Bill Clinton instituted a controversial new policy for gays in the military, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". George W. Bush's first act as President was to payback certain segments of his constituency by disallowing international US aid organizations from offering advice on birth control. Meanwhile, Obama's inauguration mimicked his first action as President. A conservative evangelical Christian pastor, Rick Warren, was asked to deliver the opening invocation while a black associate of Martin Luther King, Joseph Lowery, gave the closing benediction. During the next few days, the President would pressure his own Democratic party not to punish former Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman for his support of Obama's opponent and call meetings with Republican leaders. In fact, more criticism came from the left wing of the Democratic Party than from anywhere else. A promise of change was met without political payback and without a controversial initiative. Could we have a more different beginning to the new administration than this?

Legislation - Probably the most surprising part of Obama's first 100 days has been his desire to tackle so many problems at once. Whether that is good or bad depends on one's perspective. His agenda includes: aggressively dealing with the largest economic downturn since the great depression, tackling a huge housing crisis, a major overhaul of the US health care system, and a dramatic shift in the way the US deals with its allies and its enemies. In addition, the new administration has voiced its position on improving education, the government's role in meeting environmental challenges, simplifying the tax system, reducing troops in Iraq, increasing troops in Afghanistan, and even expressed his personal preference for a college football playoff. Notably, the deficit and immigration reform have been put on the back burner. Of course, how this all plays out depends to a great extent on the details and political realities. We have already seen this in the recovery package which included tons of special interest add-ons (also known as earmarks) against the expressed campaign promise of the new President. Some promises are obviously not so easily put into practice.

The Tone From the Top - This has clearly been a mixed bag. It didn't take long for ethics to become a topic of national discussion. From the tax problems of several of his nominees, to the exceptions made for including former lobbyists in his administration, obviously the new standard of "the most ethical administration in history" has not been met. However, that is only part of the story. The Obama family has set a new standard for openness and accessibility not seen in Washington, DC for many, many years. The immediate release of their complete tax return, the public discussion of where to send their children to school, together with his more official town hall meetings and press conferences clearly shows that some things have changed for the better in this administration. How much of this openness and accessibility is for show rather than substance is still a matter of debate - just ask some Republican leaders how much input they had on the stimulus package. Clearly, though, the American public (and citizens around the world) are impressed by the new tone coming from the White House.

The Future - So where does the administration go from here? That depends more on things that may be beyond Obama's control than those within it. How do our enemies like Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba respond to his overtures? How long does it take for the US economy to turn around? Will the economies and economic policies of other countries override what has been done here? Will the press and the public allow the administration more than just 100 days to put the country back on a more positive track? and finally ...will this administration be faced with a crisis as large as the September 11 attacks?

Here are what some others say: What experts are saying about Obama's first 100 days.

Obama and Foreign Policy

2009-04-18T15:40:00.001-07:00

It is not quite three months into the Obama administration's first term and already the hard-line conservatives and neo-cons foresee the end of the world. The President actually shook hands with our mortal enemy Hugo Chavez and "much more terribly" has taken on the Cuban lobby by announcing that a failed policy of embargo and isolation will be reviewed.

For those who views are totally distorted by their personal prejudices, which is by all polls a minuscule percentage of the American public, it is time to wake up and recognize that the hard-line approach of GWB and others has not worked with Cuba. Essentially the only people hurt by the embargo have been the Cuban people.

If it were not for the political pull of the Cuban lobby, we would have abandoned this isolationist policy long ago. (Note the recent and prior Gallup polls: http://www.gallup.com/poll/117829/Americans-Steady-Backing-Friendlier-Cuba-Relations.aspx.)

We certainly had more of a reason to play hard ball with Vietnam, but here we are trading with and traveling to a country that cost us much more in lives and money. So let's give Obama some credit for doing what should have been done long ago.

Does that mean that a softer approach will work with all of our enemies? Not really... and yes, the President does need to be careful of showing weakness to those who often understand only strength. Even those of us who supported Obama understood the risk of having an inexperienced person in the White House. Every President makes mistakes. The likelihood of this one making one in foreign policy is obviously greater because of that inexperience in foreign affairs.

BUT if I were those countries who have been offered an olive branch, I would be careful not to be too quick to try to take advantage. A President who has been crossed, especially this one, will not forget or forgive. Obama knows how to play hardball and they should not underestimate his cunning or his determination.

So how does Obama score in foreign policy at this point in his administration? We will just have to wait and see if the Teddy Roosevelt policy of speaking softly and carrying a big stick works for this President. The pirates certainly found out that he is not afraid to pull the trigger. The G-20 summit demonstrated that the President has successfully reached beyond the leaders to the people around the world. He draws huge enthusiastic crowds wherever he goes. Whether that translates into a new era of cooperation, 90 days is hardly a proper time period in which to judge the success or failure of a President's foreign policy.

Medical Marijuana Violators Will Not be Prosecuted

2009-03-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

President Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder, announced in a clear statement that the Justice Department will not prosecute pot dispensaries in states where this practice is legal. California and 12 other states have such laws.

This is a huge change from the Bush Administration that targeted these states and their laws. Once again it seems that our current President has a clearer understanding of state's rights than the previous Republican Administration. For President Bush and his social conservative followers, Republican principles were fine only when they suited their purpose.

For the full story: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-medpot19-2009mar19,0,4987571.story

State of the Union - Was that a Republican Giving the Address?

2009-02-24T20:10:00.001-08:00

Just like the address Barack Obama gave 4 1/2 years ago at the Democratic National Convention, the State of the Union address just completed by President Barack Obama could just as easily been given by a Republican. There was a strong emphasis on personal responsibility, deficit reduction, and wasteful spending with the usual mention of charter schools, teacher's merit pay, tax cuts, and a strong defense. In fact, the President was more forceful on most of these issues than was the person giving the Republican response, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. Effectively, the President has out-republicaned the Republicans.

Historically this is not really that unusual a phenomenon. Bill Clinton formed a coalition with the Republicans to reform welfare, something that no Republican probably could ever have accomplished. It seems that if we really want something that traditionally has been associated with the opposite party, a President taking on his own party makes a formidable coalition. It is difficult for members of his own party to oppose their President, especially early in his term. Beside Bill Clinton's reform of welfare, we also saw this with Richard Nixon's normalization of relations with China and George W Bush's deficit spending. Republicans kept tripping over themselves trying to explain away how it was OK for a Republican president to build up the largest deficits in our history. Only now do they say they acted in error.

Even in areas that the Democrats have been taking the lead - like health care reform - the President emphasized the need for consensus building. Thus far in his short presidency, the people most surprised and disappointed by his leadership have been the far left members of his own party. Had they read his book, The Audacity of Hope and listened to his speech at the Democratic Convention 4 1/2 years ago, they may not have misinterpreted his liberal voting record in the Senate. He told us what he believed and what he would do if elected President, and now he is doing it.

California Republicans Have Lost Their Way

2009-02-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

I must apologize for including this blast in my blog about Barak Obama's first 100 days. But as a life-long Republican who has witnessed an increasing intolerance within the Republican Party, I could not stand by and watch the "witch hunt" now surfacing in California and not comment when so much is at stake in California and across this nation.

California now has a budget - with all its faults, it has a place to start. Yet instead of raising issues of disagreement, instead of pointing to methods they think would by a better fix for California, the hard line members of the California Republican Party are focusing their time and attention on recalling members of their own party who did not vote the way they wanted.

While it may be hard to believe for some new to California politics, it wasn't that long ago when Republicans in California controlled the legislature. That was before certain hard line CAACs (Conservatives at any Costs) decided that the Republican Party in California needed to be purged of anyone who didn't think their way.

The recall of Doris Allen together with the unyielding push for Prop 187 took the Grand Old Party from leadership to curmudgeon status in less than a year. Now with the Democrats closing in on the magic two-thirds majorities in both California branches of the legislature, it appears that those same "purists" want to relegate the GOP to total insignificance for the foreseeable future by threatening to recall the Republican legislators who decided that some budget, even an imperfect one, was better then no budget at all.

These legislators did not come to this conclusion easily, but felt that it was their duty to work for the good of the people in their district and in their state over the wishes of the hard line members of their party. Shame on them for voting their conscience. Shame on them for having their own opinion.

Now the CAACs will try to have their way with them and prove to the rest of the doubters left in California that there is no room in the Republican Party for anyone who does not act like a Stepford wife.

Perhaps it is time for the purists to leave the Republican Party and form their own little club - one where they can vote each week to kick someone else off of their tiny island.

Stumbling Blocks

2009-02-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

It has now been nearly 30 days since President Barack Obama was inaugurated and it seems that many members of the media are already trying to attach a label to his Presidency of "success or failure". Even former President Clinton was asked to give his opinion on how he felt the President was doing. (Considering that there were calls for President Clinton's impeachment the day after he was first inaugurated, that "is" an interesting perspective). It may make for good press, but in the long run, few will remember what is said about Obama's presidency during the first 30 days.

Sure there have been stumbling blocks, like the cabinet and other nominees who have had to withdraw their names due to indiscretions, suspicions, and political gamesmanship. But does anyone really believe that people will remember these missteps if the President can restore confidence in the economy and bring some stability to our foreign policy?

So let's try to focus on the real issues - the economy, health care, terrorism, homeland security, the deficit, our infrastructure, the environment, energy, and few dozen more.

Today President Obama will be signing a $800+ billion stimulus package for the economy. Politically it was not the kind of legislation that the new President would have preferred. His attempts at bipartisanship (either real or feigned) were essentially unsuccessful. Republicans claimed they were left out of the process and only a very few crossed the line to vote for the package. Democrats were upset that the President didn't seek revenge for the last eight years of Republican rule and wanted Obama to "stick it in their face", which he refused to do. The President was forced to go to the people to explain his position...and truthfully, politics is really what the stimulus package is all about.

No informed observer believes that this economy will turn around in the short term from any kind of stimulus package. However, the President cannot be seen to be just sitting there waiting for something to happen. It is going to take a multitude of efforts from governments, companies, and consumers to have any kind of significant impact. Prices need to stabilize, consumers need to be willing to buy, and companies need to be willing to spend. Governments can prod, they can spend, they can support. But in the end it will be up to the private sector to restore our economy. So most of all, it is going to take time. When the economy recovers (and it will), President Barack Obama will be the recipient of the recovery.

As we come to the close of the President Obama's first month in office, it may be more important to look at what he has and has not been able to accomplish.

Accomplishments:
1. Reverse many of President Bush's Executive Orders
2. Establish his own more informal style in the White House
3. Dominate the press
4. Change the perception of the United States in capitals across the world
5. Pass a huge stimulus package, which includes some initial spending on programs that he promised during the campaign.

Not accomplished:
1. Change the politics of Washington
2. Restore a perception of ethics to the White House
3. Reverse the negative trends in the economy or stock market

A mixed bag depending on what side of the political fence you sit on. For those of us who are more interested in the health of the country than the state of his political fortunes, it's not such a bad start.

Listen to Obama, not the pundits

2009-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

If we spend our time reading the blogs and listening to the pundits who are more concerned with continuing the backbiting and political nonsense, we will lose sight of the reason we voted for change. Instead we should be listening directly to our President and how he is opening himself and our government up to voices that not only agree with him, but to those who can provide a measured dissent.

Listen as Barack Obama announces the members of his Economic Recovery Team who will guide him and our country back to health.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Tax Problems - A CPA's View

2009-02-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

As a CPA with over 30 year experience, perhaps I have a different perspective than the average citizen regarding the tax problems that three of President Obama's appointees have had. Understand that this is not meant to be a justification of taxpayers, candidates, or appointees not paying the amounts that are due, but instead it is meant to focus on the much bigger problem highlighted by these high profile situations.

OUR TAX SYSTEM IS BROKEN!!!

Virtually no one pays the "correct" amount any more, either because they don't know what that is or they have realized that no one else knows what that is.

This may seem like a bold statement, but the truth is that our tax laws have become so complex and the interpretations of them have become so obscure, that even tax professionals will reach different conclusions on any, but the most simple tax returns. For several years, a number of our financial publications have provided a sample tax return to a wide variety of professionals ranging from tax attorneys, CPAs, national tax preparation firms, and individual tax preparers. Invariably the number of preparers who get it right grows smaller by the year.

Let's take the primary tax issue surrounding Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner. The issue revolved around him not paying self-employment tax on income that was excluded from his tax return because it was foreign earned income. After doing my own survey of tax professionals on whether foreign earned income that is excluded from income tax is subject to self-employment tax, the best I could get was a couple of maybes.

You may have read a scathing article by some columnist or heard some political pundit tell you that someone who can not figure his own tax return should not be in charge of our tax system. What they don't tell you is that it is not the Secretary of the Treasury or even the Internal Revenue Service that is responsible for the mess of our tax system. It is Congress. They write the laws that everyone else is then supposed to live with.

How did we reach a point where the average person has no idea what the "correct" tax is and even professional tax preparers (and the IRS) are unsure about a whole host of different tax issues?

The reason is simple. Congress has decided that not only should tax laws be the source of our government's income, but that they should be used to socially engineer our society.

Tax laws can not serve two masters and work effectively.

So why I am writing this posting on a political blog that is discussing President Obama's first 100 days in office? Because no issue is more important than the possible collapse of our economic way of life.

The Democrats and Republicans in Congress are fighting tooth and nail over how we should deal with the financial crisis. The Democrats want to spend our way out of the problem, apparently with little regard over the relationship of those spending programs with the financial crisis we are currently in. The Republicans want to use tax cuts to "encourage" business development, apparently with little regard over how these cuts will translate into a swift turnaround of our present economic condition. Both parties want to implement specific tax credits to reward certain constituencies, apparently with no regard to how these previous tax "practices" have made a shambles of our tax code. In truth, both are merely trying to reward the constituencies that support them in their reelection efforts.

I say a pox on both your houses.

It is time for new leadership. Where is the change that President Obama promised? Can't we find a new way to deal with issues that will reward the American people and not just our politicians?

Another View of the Stimulus Package

2009-02-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

While I am disappointed that not one Republican in the House of Representatives voted for the stimulus package, there is another view being expressed on what is missing to gain Republican support. Senators McCain and McConnell have enunciated their objections to the bill presented by President Obama and the Democrats. Perhaps we should examine their points of view.

A Disappointment

2009-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

What a disappointment that President Obama's first legislative action will be viewed as totally partisan - not one Republican member of the House voted for it. I guess the Republican Whips sure did their job.

Certainly as a life-long Republican, there were many parts of the bill that I did not agree with. But the fact that not one single Republican voted with the new President even after he met with Republican leadership, asked for input, and removed some of the most onerous provisions, would appear to say more about the Republicans and the atmosphere in Washington, than it does about the bill or Barack Obama.

It is difficult to forget that eight years ago, George W. Bush came to Washington as a bipartisan governor from Texas who had reached across the aisle often to work with Democrats in the state legislature. Yet all that was lost, first by a disputed election, and then by a President and staff who seemed determined from their first act to establish themselves as the group in charge and as the leaders of the social conservative wing of the Party.

Barack Obama appeared ready to break that cycle - first with his brokering of the compromise with Joe Lieberman, the invitation to Rick Warren to deliver the invocation, and the tone of his inaugural address. But apparently, I don't know what is going on behind the scenes.

Why was there not even one Republican willing to step across the aisle to say, "Let's give the new President a chance to do it his way? We had our chance and it certainly didn't work." Every poll show that the American people wants Congress to work together. Nearly every Congressman, with just a very few exceptions, say that they want this President to be successful. Even Rush Limbaugh had to backtrack on his statements that he wanted the new President to fail.

So why do we have, business as usual?

Isn't it time for the American people to make it CLEAR to their legislators and their President that now is not the time for partisan bickering. We need help now!

Not Everything Is Rosy

2009-01-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

In case some of you might be thinking that this is just another "rah rah" blind media blog supporting Barack Obama's every move, let me assure you that I will also discuss those issues that could take this country down the wrong path. That does not mean I expect to discuss every appointment and every legislative proposal. I'll leave the nitpicking to others. But I'll talk about the big ones.

Let's start with his advisers and appointments. As a whole I would rate it a B+ filled with bright young loyalists, but tempered with experienced Washington insiders. Former President Jimmy Carter proved how dangerous a gaggle of newcomers can be without the steady hand and knowledge of those who have faced the intricacies of Washington politics.

If you would like a brief summary of each of his key advisers try this summary from the New York Times.

My major objections would be Secretary of State and CIA Director. Not that I believe that either of these selections could not contribute to the Obama presidency...but please. Hillary Clinton has to be one of the least diplomatic people I can think of and Leon Podesta has virtually no experience in intelligence when we are still faced with a highly dangerous situation around the world. In the area of economics, I have seen several critics complain about the duplication of expertise with Larry Summers and Timothy Geithner, but with the problems this country is facing I don't think we can have enough input. In fact, I hope the President keeps his 17-member economic transition team in the loop. Who could complain about having the input of Warren Buffet, Paul Volcker, and William Donaldson? I certainly don't want a repeat of the last Treasury Secretary who independently decided that everything he told Congress and the American people would be revoked without further consultation.

As for Obama's executive orders, he has gone out of his way to stay as noncontroversial as possible. Even the ones that might be prone to disagreement - the closing of Guantanamo and the repeal of the International rule on family planning - he has tried to keep as below the radar as possible.

So while everything is not entirely rosy, the first week has been going pretty darn smoothly.

100 Hours and We are Still on the Right Track

2009-01-24T08:56:00.000-08:00

Four days into the Obama presidency and it still appears that he is hard at work trying to bring this country together. He has met with a bipartisan group on Capitol Hill trying to get suggestions to improve his financial stimulus package. He has sent word to leaders across the world that this will be a new open administration that tries hard to work together on issues that affect us all.

Personally, I have received E-mails and videos from his staff encouraging me to get involved with his volunteer efforts. Honestly I can't think of a good reason why I shouldn't. What about you?

Contact Organizing for America at 1-877-922-4264.

Barack Obama Got it Right

2009-01-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

If you want to read the full text of the new President's first act as President, it is right there on his home page - http://www.whitehouse.gov.

Congratulations Mr. President. You got it right. Understand that I was not doubting you, but you sure had to withstand a lot of pressures to make sure that the actions of your new administrations matched the rhetoric.

If someone would google, "Obama's First Act as president", they would find all kinds of partisan statements telling the new President that he promised this or that. Many were the same kind of inflammatory actions that our previous two President's took on their opening day as President. (See my earlier post on Obama's First Act as President).

But that is not what Barack Obama did - no action on abortion or union voting or gays in the military or other highly controversial subject that would tell the people who believed that he truly was a uniter, that, no, we just have another politician as President.

You may read in the newspapers or on the blogs that this proposal or that action would be "among" the very first Presidential Acts. But if you go to the website, there is only one - a National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation.

Thank you Mr. President. I hope the rest of your first 100 days are as uplifting as the first.

Obama Shows He is a President for All the People - well almost

2008-11-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last night on 60 Minutes, Barack Obama proved that he has a clear understanding of the issue that is most important to the American people (or at least most of them). Forget national security, health care, the economy. What red blooded true Americans want to know is when are we going to have a college football playoff. Yes, the interview ended with that important question.

Barack Obama, still on the campaign trail, did not lose the opportunity to connect with sports fans everywhere. He said that any reasonable person knows that there is no reason why we should not have one. He went on to strongly endorse the idea of a college football playoff and said that he would throw the weight of the White House behind it.

Before making such a bold statement, President-Elect Obama carefully weighed the risks. College presidents and bowl officials are practically the only people opposed to such an idea. They make up a very small constituency and are not concentrated in any swing state.

If there were any doubts that Barack Obama would be able to handle the tough issues, this Q&A put it to rest. Go Trojans!

The West Wing - Part II

2008-11-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

After watching a marathon of the last episodes of The West Wing today, I wondered why life could not copy fiction. Since Barack Obama was the inspiration for Jimmy Smits character, would it be too much to ask that he follow his example and ask John McCain to join his cabinet?

This country is desperately in need of unity. What better way then to ask your opponent to join with you in making this happen. At this point in his career, could John McCain refuse? Should he?

Anyway this is just some insane ramblings by a lost idealist.

Obama's First Act as President

2008-11-05T11:00:00.001-08:00

It is extremely important that Barack Obama's first act as President of the United States be true to his philosophy of bringing this nation together.

The past two Presidents have set a dissonant tone for their administrations in their very first acts as President. In 1992, Bill Clinton issued a highly controversial Presidential edict regarding gays in the military as his first act as Commander in Chief. In 2000, George W Bush, declared that all US charities would lose their federal funding if they distributed any information regarding birth control other than abstinence.

Whether or not you agree with either of these Presidential proclamations, both were highly controversial and not likely to help bring this country together. If they felt strongly that these edicts were necessary, why not wait until a later date? Instead they were viewed as a slap in the face and/or a repayment of a political debt.

So what should Barack Obama's first act as President of the United States be if, indeed, he truly wants to reach across party lines and bring this country together as a President of all the people as he so often stated during his campaign and in his book, The Audacity of Hope?

There are several I considered that Barack Obama might propose as his first act as President:

He could include prominent Republicans as part of his transition team. He could even include John McCain as I am sure Senator McCain had already thought about some of the people he would have liked in his administration - then I realized that this would actually be before he became President.

He could appoint several Republicans to his Cabinet - but every President includes member of the other party in his cabinet; so that would not be unique.

He could tell Majority Leader Harry Reid that he would not support any punishment for Senator Joe Lieberman for his support of John McCain. That would send a strong message to the country that "politics as usual" will not be the way his administration operates - but that might be viewed negatively as the executive branch telling the legislative branch what to do.

Then it came to me - who I am to tell Barack Obama what would be the most appropriate first action for him to do in order to show the country that he truly intends to bring this country together.

Isn't the reason that so many lifelong Republicans, like me, supported Barack Obama was that we truly believed he had the intelligence, reasoning, and compassion to do what he promised?

So President Obama, show us a sign that you truly intend to do what you promised. Make your first act as President one that all Americans can support.