Unless it's Ka'ching.... meaning change in your pocket that is... Sounds more like business as usual & they are already making excuses. there is nothing new about the same old LIB tax & spend left wing policies.



Obama to use executive orders for immediate impact

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER


WASHINGTON (AP) - 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 as he works to undo policies enacted during eight years of Republican rule. He said 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 or longer 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 first 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 did the same.


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

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 also support the research, giving it the stamp of bipartisanship.

On drilling, the federal Bureau of Land Management is opening about 360,000 acres of public land 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, of Indiana, 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 postelection 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 his economic, 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 some of the $700 billion approved by Congress to 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.

Podesta appeared on "Fox News Sunday," as did Pence, and CNN's "Late Edition," where Reid also was interviewed. Emanuel spoke on ABC's "This Week" and CBS'"Face the Nation."

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081109/D94BM1O00.html

He isnt the president yet, but for starters, (when he is president), I want him to undo everything that Bush has done in the last eight years.That would be a good way to start.

It looks good to me.

I like it that Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet.

But...this article is full of speculation.

Most of America......heck...... most of the world agrees with me.

Change indeed. A great example of change is that some Democrats ran on a "Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae" show the corruption of the Republican Party. So, President-elect Obama's answer to that--the ironic naming of Rahm Emanuel (a man who served on the Board of Freddie Mac for a few years) to the highest position in the White House (save for the VP)--Chief of Staff.

It looks like Fannie and Freddy are now off the table as hits against Republicans if a man who served on their Board is now being placed into a position of pretty significant power.

Oh, this is going to be a fun-filled four years.

**pssst--I have no issue with Emanueal, I just love the irony of his being named.

-Drew

Thanks for the highlights. I think everyone will agree its gonna take time to get out of this mess. Drilling is a band aide, we need to invest in the future. I think we need to really look at the retooling of our Automobile plants. Do we want to stay on the same path using a finite resource or lead the way into the 21st century. The plants are setting idle, workers to fill them..........

I cleaned this thread up, from the name calling.
Suggest people NOT quote remarks that are reported, then your comment gets deleted also.
Also suggest that people state their opinions & quit arguing in the threads.
Maybe some folks should just ignore eachother.

Mod
Don

That is so pandering to the right wing evangelical Republicans it's ridiculous. As near as I read there was a lot of "expected to" and "looks like he will" but not a lot of, what's that word, FACTS.

Look, your side lost, sucks doesn't it? But if we just go around making up bu!!sh!t about he man then we aren't really helping are we?

wow - Will wonders never cease


What do you feel when you let go of the wheel
Can you take a leap of faith will you face the change of pace
There are worlds out there beyond compare

Going on a journey
Somewhere far out east
We'll find the time to show you
Wonders never cease

All that we’ve been through brings my soul so close to you
why not cast your fears aside we can laugh until we cry
There are worlds out there beyond compare

Going on a journey
Somewhere far out east
We’ll find the time to show you
Wonders never cease


Morcheeba

Meh. Typical move when you have a new President coming into office and he is part of the opposite party. This doesn't surprise me in the least. I just hope that Obama looks closely and carefully at these plans inacted by Bush and does determine that they really do need to be changed or whatever have you.

I watched alot of news this weekend, all three major news networks (CNN, MSNBC, and FOXNEWS)and all three seemed to be conveying the message that what Obama does in his first 150 days is so critical to his Presidency. I agree with this. I don't feel he has to do make radical, quick fixes. But he does have to tackle the economy and foreign policy. I am really interested in who he elects to handle the latter.

It sounds more like the clinton administration without the clintons. As we are saying...politics as usual...no change there...only in our pockets.

Empty suit... that will be the OBAMA administration.

This is fantabulous. Let's complain and moan and groan about what you think might happen based on an article that talks about maybes and what ifs.

What is your proposed solution and what are you going to do about it?

what is your contribution for change be?
what will you accept responsibility for?
how far will you go to help out your fellow citizens?

Do you mean sorta like what the loonie left did to BUSH?

We have a cause to...

My contribution will be to keep our nation free from govt. tyranny & socialistic communism.

Also for life liberty & the pursuit of happiness.

I'm saying there are better things to do than whine about woulda coulda shoulda and maybes and what ifs.

Go out there and do something that you feel makes the world a better place. I hardly think sitting here and bashing either side for whatever reason is conducive to positivity. In fact, I think it breeds negativity. What does negativity breed? More negativity.

And you will do this by doing what, exactly?

That is just what i was thinking when i read the article.

Ditto. I am so sick of the negativity, name-calling, fingerpointing, etc. We are ALL responsible for this mess and it will take ALL of us actually doing something for someone other than ourselves to fix it.