Day 1 - a good start so far

[Pharon]

Obama Freezes Salaries of Some Aides
Washington, The Associated Press
Wed Jan 21, 3:05 PM EST

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's first public act in office Wednesday was to institute new limits on lobbyists in his White House and to freeze the salaries of high-paid aides, in a nod to the country's economic turmoil.

Announcing the moves while attending a ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building to swear in his staff, Obama said the steps "represent a clean break from business as usual."

The pay freeze, first reported by The Associated Press, would hold salaries at their current levels for the roughly 100 White House employees who make over $100,000 a year. "Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," said the new president, taking office amid startlingly bad economic times that many fear will grow worse.

Those affected by the freeze include the high-profile jobs of White House chief of staff, national security adviser and press secretary. Other aides who work in relative anonymity also would fit into that cap if Obama follows a structure similar to the one George W. Bush set up.

Obama's new lobbying rules will not only ban aides from trying to influence the administration when they leave his staff. Those already hired will be banned from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they once targeted.

The rules also ban lobbyists from giving gifts of any size to any member of his administration. It wasn't immediately clear whether the ban would include the traditional "previous relationships" clause, allowing gifts from friends or associates with which an employee comes in with strong ties.

The new rules also require that anyone who leaves his administration is not allowed to try to influence former friends and colleagues for at least two years. Obama is requiring all staff to attend to an ethics briefing like one he said he attended last week.

Obama called the rules tighter "than under any other administration in history." They followed pledges during his campaign to be strict about the influence of lobbyist in his White House.

"The new rules on lobbying alone, no matter how tough, are not enough to fix a broken system in Washington," he said. "That's why I'm also setting rules that govern not just lobbyists but all those who have been selected to serve in my administration."

In an attempt to deliver on pledges of a transparent government, Obama said he would change the way the federal government interprets the Freedom of Information Act. He said he was directing agencies that vet requests for information to err on the side of making information public — not to look for reasons to legally withhold it — an alteration to the traditional standard of evaluation.

Just because a government agency has the legal power to keep information private does not mean that it should, Obama said. Reporters and public-interest groups often make use of the law to explore how and why government decisions were made; they are often stymied as agencies claim legal exemptions to the law.

"For a long time now, there's been too much secrecy in this city," Obama said.

He said the orders he was issuing Wednesday will not "make government as honest and transparent as it needs to be" nor go as far as he would like.

"But these historic measures do mark the beginning of a new era of openness in our country," Obama said. "And I will, I hope, do something to make government trustworthy in the eyes of the American people, in the days and weeks, months and years to come."

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090121/obama.freeze/

[Limp]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/236/453349460_298e9cb9d5.jpg

[TylerDurden]

he's got the right idea. now let's hope he makes similar progress in the more major areas.

[kid_vidrio]

he's got the right idea. now let's hope he makes similar progress in the more major areas.
seriously, it might limit him to one term or put him in greater peril, but there is so much fat to cut, he could do stuff like this almost daily.
he'll be popular with the people in the end, constantly missiled by those he's affecting, and if it works, a legend in his own time.

[The Batman]

seriously, it might limit him to one term or put him in greater peril, but there is so much fat to cut, he could do stuff like this almost daily.
he'll be popular with the people in the end, constantly missiled by those he's affecting, and if it works, a legend in his own time.

I think if this guy does right by the people and continues with actions like this he shouldn't have much issue getting re-elected.

[TylerDurden]

I think if this guy does right by the people and continues with actions like this he shouldn't have much issue getting re-elected.

exactly. he's giving the people exactly what they want from their government: transparency and accountability.

[Archetype]

If nothing else, this presidency will be interesting.

[The Batman]

exactly. he's giving the people exactly what they want from their government: transparency and accountability.

And at least it seems like he is doing the one thing I really liked about McCain which was stop all this pork barrell spending and the insider gifts. I really hope this guy is everything we thought he was.

[WET HOT MESS]

I still think he's too good to be true.

[Limp]

My cock's too good to be true.

[WET HOT MESS]

Your cock is a fairy tale.

[Limp]

More like Fairly Tall.

[WET HOT MESS]

Like Paul Bunyon, your dick does not exist. Now let's stop interrupting the pundits and let them continue their orgy while we take ours somewhere else.

[Limp]

To the sex cave?

[WET HOT MESS]

Limp Wonder, to the sexmobile!

[Limp]

I love that the sexmobile only has one seat... let's go down the bumpy road again.

[mongo]

this is like congratulating a baseball player who takes the first pitch he sees in the big leagues and it's called a ball.

[The Batman]

this is like congratulating a baseball player who takes the first pitch he sees in the big leagues and it's called a ball.

No this is like being Matt Ryan of the Falcons and throwing for a touchdown your first start in the NFL.

[Archetype]

Like Paul Bunyon, your dick does not exist. Now let's stop interrupting the pundits and let them continue their orgy while we take ours somewhere else.
But even Paul Bunyan was based on a real dude. Do you mean to say that Limp's peen is in fact French Canadian?

[WET HOT MESS]

Okay, so his dick is exaggerated by a galaxy.

[mongo]

No this is like being Matt Ryan of the Falcons and throwing for a touchdown your first start in the NFL.

this is a touchdown? get your liberal faggot ass out.

[Hoser]

It is at least a double. Better then striking out or sitting on the bench not seeing a single pitch.

[mongo]

what does a double = in football? a ten yard pass?

[Hoser]

Yeah, I would give him a 1st down.

Better then being sacked his whole career like Bush.

[The Batman]

Yeah, I would give him a 1st down.

Better then being sacked his whole career like Bush.

Or fucked all the time like Tim's mom.

[kid_vidrio]

this is a touchdown? get your liberal faggot ass out.
how's about you set a baseline of expectations instead of just throwing shit from the peanut gallery.
i'd say what he did today set a tone, had real impact, and it was done on a day when he would have had little criticism since most of the rest of the people around last night were sleeping off their hangover.

[Phil Theehor]

This Libertarian Republican is impressed thus far. If he starts shaming the pork out of DC, I'll be really impressed. It's hard to believe that a guy coming out the Chicago machine will actually work to make government less shady, but my fingers are crossed.

My main concern for the man to this point are the astronomical expectations he needs to live up to. Keeping this with the sports theme, I hope he doesn't turn into Todd Marinovich.

[vasili denisov]

neCIg0BiXbE

[kid_vidrio]

They can fist all they want. They'll never out kink Hillary the Dominatrix.

[UNC]

I like this guy

[UNC]

But to be honest...we are gonna have a liberal media gushing over Obama for awhile...they have not had good things to write and talk about for a long time

[Pharon]

Here's a site that's tracking all the media's Obamagasms:

http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2008/categories/obamagasm1.asp

[Hanover Fist]

So Obama signed the executive order banning lobbyists from serving in his administration on day one, and here on day 2 he has to issue a waiver so that a lobbyist can serve on his administration. Sweet.
I guess that his ban on torture will only require a waiver when we really need to be able to torture a guy too.
We can also close Gitmo but issue a waiver to those inmates we really want to keep there.
Then we can bring all our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan except for the 130,000 troops that we give waivers to so they can stay there.

[BIG PIZZLE]

Please elaborate.

[Hanover Fist]

Obama nominated William J. Lynn III for deputy defense secretary, which means that he is the chief operations officer of the entire military. He was a lobbyist for Raytheon, one of the largest defense contractors in the country. A clear violation of Obamas own executive order.

Several democrats on the Senate armed service committee are already talking about withholding his nomination, but the fact that Obama even nominated him in the first place is kind of troubling to me, with all of his "get the lobbyists out of Washington" rhetoric.

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/01/obama_lobbying_ban_hits_realit.html

[Limp]

Hanover... stop bringing facts into this.

HE IS THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT EVA!

[BIG PIZZLE]

When does somebody stop being a lobbyist?

[BIG PIZZLE]

Here's the executive order. I was going to try and determine whether this guy's appointment violates the order but then I remembered that I have a real job.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and sections 3301 and 7301 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Ethics Pledge. Every appointee in every executive agency appointed on or after January 20, 2009, shall sign, and upon signing shall be contractually committed to, the following pledge upon becoming an appointee:
"As a condition, and in consideration, of my employment in the United States Government in a position invested with the public trust, I commit myself to the following obligations, which I understand are binding on me and are enforceable under law:
"1. Lobbyist Gift Ban. I will not accept gifts from registered lobbyists or lobbying organizations for the duration of my service as an appointee.
"2. Revolving Door Ban All Appointees Entering Government. I will not for a period of 2 years from the date of my appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts.
"3. Revolving Door Ban Lobbyists Entering Government. If I was a registered lobbyist within the 2 years before the date of my appointment, in addition to abiding by the limitations of paragraph 2, I will not for a period of 2 years after the date of my appointment:
(a) participate in any particular matter on which I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment;
(b) participate in the specific issue area in which that particular matter falls; or
(c) seek or accept employment with any executive agency that I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment.
"4. Revolving Door Ban Appointees Leaving Government. If, upon my departure from the Government, I am covered by the post employment restrictions on communicating with employees of my former executive agency set forth in section 207(c) of title 18, United States Code, I agree that I will abide by those restrictions for a period of 2 years following the end of my appointment.
"5. Revolving Door Ban Appointees Leaving Government to Lobby. In addition to abiding by the limitations of paragraph 4, I also agree, upon leaving Government service, not to lobby any covered executive branch official or non career Senior Executive Service appointee for the remainder of the Administration.
"6. Employment Qualification Commitment. I agree that any hiring or other employment decisions I make will be based on the candidate's qualifications, competence, and experience.
"7. Assent to Enforcement. I acknowledge that the Executive Order entitled 'Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel,' issued by the President on January 21, 2009, which I have read before signing this document, defines certain of the terms applicable to the foregoing obligations and sets forth the methods for enforcing them. I expressly accept the provisions of that Executive Order as a part of this agreement and as binding on me. I understand that the terms of this pledge are in addition to any statutory or other legal restrictions applicable to me by virtue of Federal Government service."
Sec. 2. Definitions. As used herein and in the pledge set forth in section 1 of this order:
(a) "Executive agency" shall include each "executive agency" as defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code, and shall include the Executive Office of the President; provided, however, that for purposes of this order "executive agency" shall include the United States Postal Service and Postal Regulatory Commission, but shall exclude the Government Accountability Office.
(b) "Appointee" shall include every full time, non career Presidential or Vice-Presidential appointee, non career appointee in the Senior Executive Service (or other SES type system), and appointee to a position that has been excepted from the competitive service by reason of being of a confidential or policymaking character (Schedule C and other positions excepted under comparable criteria) in an executive agency. It does not include any person appointed as a member of the Senior Foreign Service or solely as a uniformed service commissioned officer.
(c) "Gift"
(1) shall have the definition set forth in section 2635.203(b) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations;
(2) shall include gifts that are solicited or accepted indirectly as defined at section 2635.203(f) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations; and
(3) shall exclude those items excluded by sections 2635.204(b), (c), (e)(1) & (3) and (j) (l) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
(d) "Covered executive branch official" and "lobbyist" shall have the definitions set forth in section 1602 of title 2, United States Code.
(e) "Registered lobbyist or lobbying organization" shall mean a lobbyist or an organization filing a registration pursuant to section 1603(a) of title 2, United States Code, and in the case of an organization filing such a registration, "registered lobbyist" shall include each of the lobbyists identified therein.
(f) "Lobby" and "lobbied" shall mean to act or have acted as a registered lobbyist.
(g) "Particular matter" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 207 of title 18, United States Code, and section 2635.402(b)(3) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations.
(h) "Particular matter involving specific parties" shall have the same meaning as set forth in section 2641.201(h) of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, except that it shall also include any meeting or other communication relating to the performance of one's official duties with a former employer or former client, unless the communication applies to a particular matter of general applicability and participation in the meeting or other event is open to all interested parties.
(i) "Former employer" is any person for whom the appointee has within the 2 years prior to the date of his or her appointment served as an employee, officer, director, trustee, or general partner, except that "former employer" does not include any executive agency or other entity of the Federal Government, State or local government, the District of Columbia, Native American tribe, or any United States territory or possession.
(j) "Former client" is any person for whom the appointee served personally as agent, attorney, or consultant within the 2 years prior to the date of his or her appointment, but excluding instances where the service provided was limited to a speech or similar appearance. It does not include clients of the appointee's former employer to whom the appointee did not personally provide services.
(k) "Directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients" shall mean matters in which the appointee's former employer or a former client is a party or represents a party.
(l) "Participate" means to participate personally and substantially.
(m) "Post-employment restrictions" shall include the provisions and exceptions in section 207(c) of title 18, United States Code, and the implementing regulations.
(n) "Government official" means any employee of the executive branch.
(o) "Administration" means all terms of office of the incumbent President serving at the time of the appointment of an appointee covered by this order.
(p) "Pledge" means the ethics pledge set forth in section 1 of this order.
(q) All references to provisions of law and regulations shall refer to such provisions as in effect on January 20, 2009.
Sec. 3. Waiver.
(a) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or his or her designee, in consultation with the Counsel to the President or his or her designee, may grant to any current or former appointee a written waiver of any restrictions contained in the pledge signed by such appointee if, and to the extent that, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or his or her designee, certifies in writing (i) that the literal application of the restriction is inconsistent with the purposes of the restriction, or (ii) that it is in the public interest to grant the waiver. A waiver shall take effect when the certification is signed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget or his or her designee.
(b) The public interest shall include, but not be limited to, exigent circumstances relating to national security or to the economy. De minimis contact with an executive agency shall be cause for a waiver of the restrictions contained in paragraph 3 of the pledge.
Sec. 4. Administration.
(a) The head of every executive agency shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, establish such rules or procedures (conforming as nearly as practicable to the agency's general ethics rules and procedures, including those relating to designated agency ethics officers) as are necessary or appropriate to ensure that every appointee in the agency signs the pledge upon assuming the appointed office or otherwise becoming an appointee; to ensure that compliance with paragraph 3 of the pledge is addressed in a written ethics agreement with each appointee to whom it applies, which agreement shall also be approved by the Counsel to the President or his or her designee prior to the appointee commencing work; to ensure that spousal employment issues and other conflicts not expressly addressed by the pledge are addressed in ethics agreements with appointees or, where no such agreements are required, through ethics counseling; and generally to ensure compliance with this order within the agency.
(b) With respect to the Executive Office of the President, the duties set forth in section 4(a) shall be the responsibility of the Counsel to the President or his or her designee.
(c) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics shall:
(1) ensure that the pledge and a copy of this order are made available for use by agencies in fulfilling their duties under section 4(a) above;
(2) in consultation with the Attorney General or the Counsel to the President or their designees, when appropriate, assist designated agency ethics officers in providing advice to current or former appointees regarding the application of the pledge; and
(3) in consultation with the Attorney General and the Counsel to the President or their designees, adopt such rules or procedures as are necessary or appropriate:
(i) to carry out the foregoing responsibilities;
(ii) to apply the lobbyist gift ban set forth in paragraph 1 of the pledge to all executive branch employees;
(iii) to authorize limited exceptions to the lobbyist gift ban for circumstances that do not implicate the purposes of the ban;
(iv) to make clear that no person shall have violated the lobbyist gift ban if the person properly disposes of a gift as provided by section 2635.205 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations;
(v) to ensure that existing rules and procedures for Government employees engaged in negotiations for future employment with private businesses that are affected by their official actions do not affect the integrity of the Government's programs and operations;
(vi) to ensure, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, that the requirement set forth in paragraph 6 of the pledge is honored by every employee of the executive branch;
(4) in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, report to the President on whether full compliance is being achieved with existing laws and regulations governing executive branch procurement lobbying disclosure and on steps the executive branch can take to expand to the fullest extent practicable disclosure of such executive branch procurement lobbying and of lobbying for presidential pardons, and to include in the report both immediate action the executive branch can take and, if necessary, recommendations for legislation; and
(5) provide an annual public report on the administration of the pledge and this order.
(d) The Director of the Office of Government Ethics shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Counsel to the President, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or their designees, report to the President on steps the executive branch can take to expand to the fullest extent practicable the revolving door ban set forth in paragraph 5 of the pledge to all executive branch employees who are involved in the procurement process such that they may not for 2 years after leaving Government service lobby any Government official regarding a Government contract that was under their official responsibility in the last 2 years of their Government
service; and to include in the report both immediate action the executive branch can take and, if necessary, recommendations for legislation.
(e) All pledges signed by appointees, and all waiver certifications with respect thereto, shall be filed with the head of the appointee's agency for permanent retention in the appointee's official personnel folder or equivalent folder.
Sec. 5. Enforcement.
(a) The contractual, fiduciary, and ethical commitments in the pledge provided for herein are solely enforceable by the United States pursuant to this section by any legally available means, including debarment proceedings within any affected executive agency or judicial civil proceedings for declaratory, injunctive, or monetary relief.
(b) Any former appointee who is determined, after notice and hearing, by the duly designated authority within any agency, to have violated his or her pledge may be barred from lobbying any officer or employee of that agency for up to 5 years in addition to the time period covered by the pledge. The head of every executive agency shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Government Ethics, establish procedures to implement this subsection, which procedures shall include (but not be limited to) providing for factfinding and investigation of possible violations of this order and for referrals to the Attorney General for his or her consideration pursuant to subsection (c).
(c) The Attorney General or his or her designee is authorized:
(1) upon receiving information regarding the possible breach of any commitment in a signed pledge, to request any appropriate Federal investigative authority to conduct such investigations as may be appropriate; and

(2) upon determining that there is a reasonable basis to believe that a breach of a commitment has occurred or will occur or continue, if not enjoined, to commence a civil action against the former employee in any United States District Court with jurisdiction to consider the matter.
(d) In any such civil action, the Attorney General or his or her designee is authorized to request any and all relief authorized by law, including but not limited to:
(1) such temporary restraining orders and preliminary and permanent injunctions as may be appropriate to restrain future, recurring, or continuing conduct by the former employee in breach of the commitments in the pledge he or she signed; and
(2) establishment of a constructive trust for the benefit of the United States, requiring an accounting and payment to the United States Treasury of all money and other things of value received by, or payable to, the former employee arising out of any breach or attempted breach of the pledge signed by the former employee.
Sec. 6. General Provisions.
(a) No prior Executive Orders are repealed by this order. To the extent that this order is inconsistent with any provision of any prior Executive Order, this order shall control.
(b) If any provision of this order or the application of such provision is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and other dissimilar applications of such provision shall not be affected.
(c) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(1) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(2) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(d) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(e) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(f) The definitions set forth in this order are solely applicable to the terms of this order, and are not otherwise intended to impair or affect existing law.
BARACK OBAMA
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 21, 2009

[Hanover Fist]

According to his order, at least 2 years removed from lobbying.

this section specifically:

"2. Revolving Door Ban All Appointees Entering Government. I will not for a period of 2 years from the date of my appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts.

"3. Revolving Door Ban Lobbyists Entering Government. If I was a registered lobbyist within the 2 years before the date of my appointment, in addition to abiding by the limitations of paragraph 2, I will not for a period of 2 years after the date of my appointment:

(a) participate in any particular matter on which I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment;

(b) participate in the specific issue area in which that particular matter falls; or

(c) seek or accept employment with any executive agency that I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment.

[satandole666]

Great concept...but only 2 years?

I'd say 5 would be more adequate. 2 years is nothing.

[BIG PIZZLE]

According to his order, at least 2 years removed from lobbying.

this section specifically:

"2. Revolving Door Ban All Appointees Entering Government. I will not for a period of 2 years from the date of my appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to my former employer or former clients, including regulations and contracts.

"3. Revolving Door Ban Lobbyists Entering Government. If I was a registered lobbyist within the 2 years before the date of my appointment, in addition to abiding by the limitations of paragraph 2, I will not for a period of 2 years after the date of my appointment:

(a) participate in any particular matter on which I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment;

(b) participate in the specific issue area in which that particular matter falls; or

(c) seek or accept employment with any executive agency that I lobbied within the 2 years before the date of my appointment.

So how long ago was this guy a lobbyist?

[Hoser]

How long has this guy been out of the lobbying game?? Did he stop last week or was it years ago?

[Hanover Fist]

He was listed on a report of lobbyists for Raytheon in 2008

[Hoser]

Well shit, looks like he is going to have to explain this one.

[Hanover Fist]

It appears that Obama may have nominated others besides Lynn who were recent lobbyists as well. William V. Corr was picked to be deputy sec. of health and human services who was a lobbyist for an anti-tobacco non-profit campaign.
When asked about the apparent discrepancy White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs stated that there are provisions in the executive order that allow for waivers in the case of public interest. He stated that Mr. Lynn was "uniquely qualified" because of his work in the Clinton administration.

So do Obamas executive orders really mean anything if at any time he is willing to just grant a waiver and pretend they don't exist when he doesn't want them to? I have a feeling Obama will be taking a hit in the media over this one...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/17831.html

Obama flashes irritation in press room

By JONATHAN MARTIN & CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN | 1/22/09 6:43 PM EST Updated: 1/23/09 12:01 AM EST
Text Size:

President Obama made a surprise visit to the White House press corps Thursday night, but got agitated when he was faced with a substantive question.

Asked how he could reconcile a strict ban on lobbyists in his administration with a Deputy Defense Secretary nominee who lobbied for Raytheon, Obama interrupted with a knowing smile on his face.

"Ahh, see," he said, "I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."

Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, William J. Lynn III, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye.

"Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do."

The president was quickly saved by a cameraman in the room who called out: “I’d like to say it one more time: ‘Mr. President.’ ”

Obama spent about 10 minutes total, winding his way through a crush of reporters and photographers between the upper and lower floors of the journalists' workspace and asking questions about who worked where and how the booths and desks were assigned.
See Also

Reporters had little warning about the impromptu visit by the new president, and those who were in the downstairs portion of the press quarters only came to the briefing room after an unexpected and cryptic announcement on the internal intercom that they do so.

[Claydon]

poor fucking cry baby....the reporters were asking him questions and he couldn't handle it.

[Hoser]

Claydon Bush is gone, you can remove your lips from his nuts already.

[Archangel]

poor fucking cry baby....the reporters were asking him questions and he couldn't handle it.

So should I delete your "he's my president, I'll give him the utmost respect" and "I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt" rant, since it's obviously a load of bullshit?

[Le Goat]

WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner says President Barack Obama believes China is "manipulating" its currency, a declaration that American manufacturers have long sought in their efforts to combat America's soaring trade deficit with China.
However, Geithner also suggested that now might not be the right time to brand China as a currency manipulator under U.S. trade law, a designation that would trigger negotiations between the two countries and could result in U.S. economic sanctions against China.
"President Obama — backed by the conclusions of a broad range of economists — believes that China is manipulating its currency," Geithner wrote in answer to questions submitted to him by members of the Senate Finance Committee.
"President Obama has pledged as president to use aggressively all the diplomatic avenues open to him to seek change in China's currency," Geithner said.
He noted that while in the Senate, Obama sponsored legislation along with other senators that would overhaul the process for determining what countries are manipulating their currency to gain trade advantages in competition with the United States. That legislation would have authorized a new enforcement process "so countries like China cannot continue to get a free pass for undermining fair trade principles," Geithner said.
Geithner's comments raise the possibility that the Obama administration will take a tougher line with China than former President George W. Bush did. The previous administration refused to cite China as a currency manipulator in a report that Congress requires the Treasury Department to prepare twice a year.
Instead, former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson insisted that the best way to get China to revalue its currency was through diplomatic engagement. Paulson began the Strategic Economic Dialogue, high-level discussions that have been held twice a year starting in late 2006.
During this process, China did allow the value of its currency to rise by 21 percent. But American manufacturers say that the Chinese yuan is still significantly undervalued, making Chinese goods cheaper for U.S. consumers and American products more expensive in China.
If Paulson had labeled China as a currency manipulator, that designation would have launched negotiations between the two countries and if that process had failed, the United States could have imposed trade sanctions on Chinese imports.
While Geithner did state that Obama believes China is manipulating its currency, he said the new administration would consider a number of factors in deciding how to proceed.
"The question is how and when to broach the subject in order to do more good than harm," Geithner wrote. "The new economic team will force an integrated strategy on how best to achieve currency realignment in the current economic environment."
In response to another question on China's currency, Geithner noted that China's economy is slowing at present as a result of the global downturn which has cut into China's ability to export.
"Because China accounts for such a large fraction of the world economy, a further slowdown in China would lead to a substantial fall in world growth and demand for U.S. exports and delay recovery from the crisis," Geithner said. "Therefore, the immediate goal should be for us to convince China to adopt a more aggressive stimulus package as we do our part to try to pass a stimulus package here at home."
Under U.S. trade law, the first currency report that the new administration must submit to Congress will be due in April although past administrations have often missed the deadlines.
Frank Vargo, vice president for international affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers, said Friday that the new administration's acknowledgement that China was engaging in currency manipulation represented an important change but that it needed to be followed with actions that will get China to resume allowing its currency to rise in value.
Vargo said China's currency appreciation came to a halt last summer as China became more worried about what a slowing world economy was doing to its exports.
"The National Association of Manufacturers has long thought it was necessary for the U.S. government to tell the Chinese government that we know they are manipulating their currency. The previous administration always dodged that," Vargo said. "Until you acknowledge the problem, you can't go ahead and get a good solution."
In response to another question on China, Geithner did not commit specifically to continuing the current Strategic Economic Dialogue talks but he said the administration wanted a "deep engagement" with China.
Geithner's nomination to be treasury secretary was approved by the Finance Committee on an 18-5 vote on Thursday despite unhappiness on the part of many senators over mistakes Geithner made on his tax returns earlier in the decade.
The full Senate is expected to take up Geithner's nomination on Monday and he is expected to win approval at that time with supporters saying that the current economic crisis requires quick approval of someone with Geithner's qualifications.
Geithner is currently head of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. In that post, he was a key participant in the financial rescue decisions made by the Bush administration and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

[Trident]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7847651.stm
Obama 'to end abortion funds ban'

It gets better and better....

President Barack Obama is set to lift a ban on US funding for groups that provide abortion services abroad, officials say.

The move would reverse a policy of his predecessor, George W Bush.
The policy, also known as the "global gag rule", has stopped US government money going to groups that perform or provide information about abortion.

Health groups say they have been badly hit. The US is one of the key backers of family planning programmes globally.
Correspondents say hundreds of organisations working in the world's poorest nations - places where maternal mortality and infant death are high - have faced a tough choice: either sign the gag rule and be silenced on abortion, or refuse and lose millions of dollars in US aid.
Pro-life groups in the US say taxpayers' money should not be used to pay for abortion or its promotion.

A spokesman for the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) told the BBC that under the Bush administration, the organisation had lost more than $100m (£73m) in funding, affecting its services across 176 countries.

"It's had a massive impact on delivery of services of family planning across the globe, but in particular in Africa," said Paul Bell of the IPPF.
"No money supplied by the US federal government can be used for abortion-related services. But this rule effectively gags foreign NGOs from talking about the issue if they accept US funding. It is not applied to US-based NGOs as it would be deemed unconstitutional."

The policy has become a see-saw issue between Republican and Democratic administrations. Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, repealed the policy when he took office in 1993 and George W Bush reinstated it in 2001. The ruling is also known as the Mexico City Policy, because it was first introduced at a UN conference there in 1984 by former Republican President Ronald Reagan.

====

[Archangel]

Shit, next, he might even tell Americans that Jesus never endorsed automatic assault rifles.

[Nosebuckle]

Why the fuck is the government paying for abortions outside of the US?

[Le Goat]

I know right? take that shit to the south and stop welfare babies.

[BIG PIZZLE]

Why the fuck is the government paying for abortions outside of the US?

I dont think that's what's going on here.

[Claydon]

So should I delete your "he's my president, I'll give him the utmost respect" and "I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt" rant, since it's obviously a load of bullshit?

no...he was being a bitch about it, plain and simple.

but whatever...

bush was a bitch about a lot of things, and he never could fucking say nuclear.

[Archetype]

Don't blame Bush, he learned the word from The Simpsons.