Posted on 12/28/2016 11:53:40 AM PST by Kaslin
While the most arrogant President in modern American history pontificates that if only he had been permitted to run for a third term he would have been easily reelected, President-elect Donald Trump is methodically preparing to assume office as the first true reformer since Ronald Reagan. Media pundits love to speculate on what Trump’s “First 100 Days” will look like. However, the country’s 45th President-in-waiting likely will press an agenda that can accomplish more in his first month than most of his predecessors accomplished in their first year.
After all, what is so magical about the “first 100 days”? It is nothing more than an arbitrary benchmark for critics and supporters of a new president to cheer or denounce the new White House occupant. Moreover, there is much a new president can accomplish immediately on assuming office and in the days following. For President Trump, a few recommended “first steps:”
1. Deliver a bold foreign policy address at a major international forum, within one week of January 20th.
As last week’s terror attacks in Germany and Turkey continue to demonstrate, dealing with acts of terrorism will face Trump as soon as he is sworn in. As I wrote last week, America remains in desperate need of a foreign policy reboot. Obama’s default position has been one of submission; an odd mixture of mealy-mouthed rhetoric, coupled with efforts to shift focus away from the real problem – radical Islamic terrorism -- to pet domestic agenda concerns such as gun control.
Trump needs immediately to signal a change in course. To do this, he must demonstrate a clear shift from the “kinder and gentler” mentality of the Obama Administration, to a bold and firm declaration that our enemies once again shall be on notice that any attack on America, her citizens, or her interests, will be met with force. Furthermore, just as he did when he took the historic call from the Taiwanese president, Trump should make it clear that no other country – especially China – will be dictating what we can or should do when pursuing what is best for America.
2. Ignite America’s energy policy.
Trump’s declaration of a new American foreign policy must be coupled with a sweeping reform of America’s energy policy. To help secure our long-term security, America must become more energy self-sufficient -- a direction abandoned by Obama in favor of “green energy” subsidies and favors to global warming activists and liberal donors.
As President, Trump will have the power to – and therefore should -- take steps immediately to undo many of the anti-energy policies implemented by his predecessor. Thus, within his first days in office, Trump should approve the fourth phase of the Keystone XL Pipeline; which collected cobwebs on Obama’s desk for six years, only to be symbolically rejected when Democrats needed to score P.R. points with their liberal base.
Trump also should instruct the Army Corp of Engineers to reverse its decision to block the proposed North Dakota Access Pipeline -- a decision made after intense pressure from Obama and his cadre of environmental extremists.
These two shots across the bow of the Oil Cartel and the environmental lobby will make clear there is a New Sheriff in Town who will indeed put America back to work and in charge.
3. Restore Justice and Federalism.
For eight years, our once vaunted Department of Justice has been politicized and used as a club to beat up on and control local law enforcement agencies. Rehabilitating the Justice Department’s shattered reputation, and restoring a proper balance between federal and state/local law enforcement responsibilities should be among the highest priorities for the new President. So long as the reputation of the United States Department of Justice remains at an all-time low, credibility of all federal agencies and responsibilities will continue to erode.
To set the stage for a rebirth of Justice, as soon as Jeff Sessions is confirmed by the Senate as the nation’s 84th Attorney General, the new President should deliver a major policy address, from the Great Hall at the Department of Justice,declaring in clear and unambiguous terms, that the “war on cops” is over, and that historically and constitutionally-based priorities at the Department will be restored and implemented.
4. Nominate Sen. Mike Lee to fill the vacancy of the Supreme Court.
This is a no-brainer, and should announced as early as January 21st. It will send Liberals into conniption fits, but put a smile on the face of Lady Justice.
These four simple but important steps by the new President Trump will set the stage for a rebirth of the Constitution at home; place the country on a firm, new path to security and energy independence; and lay the groundwork for the legislative challenges facing the Administration in the following months, including repeal of Dodd-Frank, and repeal and replacing Obamacare.
If Lee says no go to plan B: Cruz
If Lee says no go to plan B: Cruz 46 years old
Agreed. I’d like to see both Lee and Cruz on the Court.
I want him, after repeating the Oath of Office, as he starts his speech to look that muslim usurping bastard 0bama square in his ugly face and sign a proclamation REVOKING every executive order he issued, while say "I have a pen too"!
Somehow I think something like that will happen within 24 hours.
I’ve set aside the 20th and the 21st to watch everything going on.
I think it’s going to be great.
Yep - it made me remark how we had been fooled way too often by seeing what looked like a true conservative/patriot and then discovering some major flaws - Rubio/Cruz/Lee top my list of disappointments.
I disagree with this list, as they are too tepid of actions, which could be done by any generic Republican POTUS.
If there is a bold foreign policy address to be made, send the new Secretary of State to make it. President Trump’s time and energy would be wasted doing so.
After his nomination of Attorney General and the 93 other federal prosecutors, they need to immediately compile a list of all federal employees believed to have broken the law during the previous administration. Unless these are major crimes resulting in long prison sentences, they should all result in these employees being fired, with a permanent bar to their federal hiring in the future, which includes all federal contractors. This is the bureaucratic equivalent of a death penalty.
A massive compilation of federal regulations to be deleted. A Herculean task in its own right.
Sadly, his Secretary of the Interior is of the mind that the federal land takings from the states in the West are a good thing. At a minimum, 75% or more of those lands should be returned without preconditions.
The biggest questions are who the next two or three justices to the Supreme Court will be. The first nomination will be a huge brawl.
A big way for President Trump to get two more weeks early on is to put the State of the Union on paper. This will save two weeks of the entire government not working so they can prepare a dog-and-pony show. It’s not a really radical idea, in that the last POTUS to send it in writing was Jimmy Carter.
Think about this. Two more weeks of solid work at the very best time to do so.
Politico? Ha
Only picked it because it was the first search result that documented Mike Lee saying he wasn’t interested in the Supreme Court/and insulting Trump. Would you prefer a different confirmation of those facts?
News Max has the same result. It’s just that Politico is a left wing site and I take everything they write with a grain of salt. I do the same with The Hill which is a conservative site
Good habit, I agree. Just laziness on my part : )
Reference bump
I think Mike Lee is more useful in the Senate. But his brother, Utah Supreme Court Justice Thomas R. Lee, should be Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee. the most Scalia-like judge available.
Does that disqualify him from having an opinion?
Both would be GREAT Supreme Court justices, but we need them in the Senate.
It basically means Trump shouldn’t give a damn what he thinks.
Well he wants to stay in the Senate anyway and I think his brother would be an excellent choice
I agree that they are good to have in the Senate, but we need young, reliable conservatives in SCOTUS more. SCOTUS is the only place where we can end the black-robed tyranny of the left.
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