Posted on 11/11/2008 1:48:06 PM PST by IbJensen
Washington - President-elect Barack 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, Mr. Obama's transition chief, said yesterday Mr. 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," Mr. 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."
Mr. Podesta also said Mr. Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet. That includes reaching out to Republicans and independents - part of the broad coalition that supported Mr. 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."
Mr. 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 Mr. Obama supports, But it could be months or longer before taxpayers see the effect. Mr. 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 Mr. Obama did the same.
Executive orders "have the power of law and they can cover just about anything," Mr. Tobias said in a telephone interview.
Mr. 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. Mr. 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 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," Mr. Podesta said. "I think that's a mistake."
Two top House Republicans said there is a willingness to try to work with Mr. Obama to get things done. But they said to expect Republicans to serve as a check against the power held by Mr. 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."
Mr. Pence is expected to take over the No. 3 leadership post among House Republicans.
In other transition matters, Mr. Obama's new chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, would not say whether Mr, Obama would return to the Senate for votes during the postelection session this month. Mr. 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," Mr. Emanuel said.
Also, Mr. 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.
Mr. 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.
Mr. Podesta appeared on "Fox News Sunday," as did Mr Pence, and CNN's "Late Edition," where Mr. Reid also was interviewed. Mr. Emanuel spoke on ABC's "This Week" and CBS' "Face the Nation."
He can’t do anything until after January 20th. These articles are nonsense.
You need some serious counseling. IN SPADES.
Same comment: If they’re good at the job, it really doesn’t matter.
I think cabinets should be partisan, as we are on a 24/7 election cycle, hence I think anyone in Bush’s cabinet should be a GOP member.
I might be mistaken about this...but that’s what it seems like to me.
Ed
When you stop and consider the people who actually voted last week to put themselves out of a job, in the next year or two, it boggles the mind.
I was speaking of the American people who showed up at McCain-Palin rally’s with signs Drill Baby Drill, and shouting Drill here Drill now, etc....no way were they pandering. And the people were pushing that concept, and Obama jumped on bandwagon for the votes of those left leaners who wanted drilling, and were demanding it...that wasn’t pandering, it was a cry from the people.
There’s no right answer to this...only what you feel is right. In other positions (e.g., Speaker), I, too, go for party lines since that can control what topics even see the light of day. In cabinet posts, I want the smartest person possible to hold the post. Again, just my take and not necessarily the correct one.
Except The O has no intention of drilling... he agreed to so many energy things in the last debate, if McCain had continued pushing him he would have been saying SUV’s are a good thing (they are, but not in the O world).
You would hope so.
Remember, this 'O' character believes he is the messiah and as such is infallible in the eyes of his feverish cult followers.
Just a few months into the administration and you may become sick at your stomach, especially when one considers that Obomba has already stated that transgendered people will be considered, along with other perverts in his staff and administration.
Obomba no doubt believes he’s been given an Allah-edict to ruin America. The good news for Obomba and our enemies is that the nation was on the road to ruin before he was elected.
That happens when articles are published from different sources and differing headlines are used.
Agreed and this one might need further dissemination. Just be sure folks keep in mind the EO is the first course. There are three deadly Acts and directives unfit for the Obama regime. Too bad Bush doesn’t have the cajones to EO them out of existance.
That should open the eyes of those who believed him, but it won’t.
Well it won’t take him as long to destroy the whole thing..
No I voted for Palin. I did not vote for McCain except his name was just there.
IS it just me or does this strike anyone else as disturbing. Sounds like Obama is going to make a damn good run at attempting to use Executive Orders like a King's Decree.
The Democrats have got our economy softened up in order that Braack kill our nation off in short order.
After we've completely tanked BO can complete our miraculous conversion to Marxism quickly.
Even the deluded fools who voted for him will be upset.
We can blame the lack of a legitimate second party, however. They've performed admirably for the Communist Democrats by helping to deliver this nation to the forces of evil through their selection of McLame.
Stock up on canned goods and ammunition. Beginning in January things will really begin to look much worse.
If they were stupid enough to vote for this, then don’t expect them to even notice what is going on as the Driveby media will never say anything bad about him.
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