President Obama, What have YOU been doing for the last 50 days?!

by BoBo2020

Tue Mar 10, 2009 at 08:03:33 AM PDT

I really enjoyed Muzikal203’s recommended diary President Obama Should Suspend Running the Country Until the Economy Is Fixed in response to the arguments that "President Obama is doing too much," and "President Obama should just focus on the Economy.

I have also heard complaints that President Obama is not doing enough on… (insert overwhelmingly large issue, obscure policy or personal pet peeve).

Rather than get into an unwinnable argument about what the President should / should not be doing RIGHT NOW, I thought it would be useful to start making a list of some of the genuine examples of progressive policy and good governance in the last few weeks.

So what has President Obama accomplished?

Here’s a little list…

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It’s not comprehensive so feel free to suggest additions (I will update this periodically).

I also know some of the dates are off by a day or two (I will try to get this fixed shortly).

And before the concern trolling starts… I know there are things our President has not yet accomplished. There have also been missteps and there will always be things that we might want to be different. For the next 4 to 5 minutes, let’s stop complaining and appreciate the progress that has been made so far.

Then we can resume the never-ending pursuit of progressive policy.

EXAMPLES OF CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN:

1/21/9 Directed military leaders to end war in Iraq and begin responsible withdrawal

1/21/9 Passed ethics guidelines banning hires based on politics

1/21/9 Banned lobbyist gifts to executive employees

1/22/9 Released Presidential records

1/22/9 Ordered the close of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay

1/22/9 Banned torture

1/22/9 Ordered a systematic review of detention policies and procedures and a review of all individual cases.

1/23/9 Lifted a ban on federal funding for international groups that provide family planning that included information about abortion (The Global Gag Rule / Mexico City Policy)

1/26/9 Reversed Bush Administration obstruction and ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider California’s request to apply tighter air pollution standards on automobiles.

1/27/9 Granted his 1st formal Presidential interview in office to to an Arab channel, the Saudi-backed, Dubai-based al-Arabiya

1/29/9 Signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

1/30/9 Ordered Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts

2/4/9 Expanded eligibility for State Children's Health Insurance Fund (SCHIP)

2/6/9 Established an Economic Recovery Advisory Board

2/10/9 Initiated a comprehensive cybersecurity review of critical U.S. systems

2/17/9 Extended and indexed the 2007 Alternative Minimum Tax patch

2/17/9 Sent two additional brigades to Afghanistan

2/17/9 Supported increased funding for the NEA

2/18/9 Created a plan to weatherize 1 million low income homes per year for the next 10 years

2/19/9 Extend unemployment insurance benefits and temporarily suspend taxes on these benefits

2/19/9 Created a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners

2/19/9 Created a White House Office on Urban Policy

2/20/9 Created a plan committed to investment in all types of alternative energy

2/27/9 Halted DEA medical marijuana raids in California

3/5/9 Convened a comprehensive health care summit to begin the task of overhauling health care in the U.S.

3/9/9 Reversed restrictions on stem cell research and ended the Bush Administration "War on Science."