The First Hundred Days of the Obama Administration

[Betty]

It seems very exciting to me. At no other time in my life can I remember ever thinking "yay" about a new president doing things in the first few days in office.

About not accepting gifts, it's amazing it's taken this long to get something like that done. I can't accept gifts in my line of work. I must turn everything over to the boss who then decides to keep it or give it back. It keeps me from giving preference to certain vendors over anything other then what it should be based on.

It seems like common sense that those making laws and governing shoudln't be playing favorites.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Betty

It seems like common sense that those making laws and governing shoudln't be playing favorites.

This I think should also be a rule of thumb for our diplomatic corps. Like having an Ambassador in the Middle East who speaks Arabic and/or Farsi (etc.). Just having someone who speaks the language might do wonders for diplomacy, it's a sign of respect. In this day and climate, an Ambassadorship should not be a reward because you're a big donor etc.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I don't know. The whole closing Gitmo thing is such a bogus symbolic move. I mean, I agree with the impetus behind the symbolic move, and if closing it gets the ball rolling for fixing what actually needs to be fixed fine, but if closing it is just going to waste time and resources on a symbolic move instead of using our energy to creating proper prisoner procedures and oversight, it's a fail.

I'd rather see Gitmo open with humanely treated prisoners than see Gitmo closed with tortured prisoners elsewhere.

I think that Gitmo, like Abu Ghraib, has its own messed up culture that needed to be dismantled publicly. I do agree that it is in part symbolic, and that it makes more a good headline than a lasting step, but we need both symbols and action, and we're getting both. If they back down on the follow up, then I'd be pissed.

Originally Posted by Alex

This is a stupid rule, in my opinion. Like it or not, lobbyists are experts in an area. If you simply don't want former lobbyists say so. Though I don't agree with the general branding of lobbyists as a dirty thing.

I think lobbying is a dirty profession that needs to be outlawed, and I hope that one day we will look back in horror that such a concept ever existed. Gifts for elected officials - wrong, wrong, wrong.


I mentioned the Mideast envoy. There's another one being added for the Pakistan/Afghanistan situation.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

I think lobbying is a dirty profession that needs to be outlawed, and I hope that one day we will look back in horror that such a concept ever existed.

I don't see why. It is inherent in the system unless you want to somehow separate government from contact with the people it governs.

You do realize that our Mideast envoy is just a lobbyist from our government trying to elicit specific responses from other governments. I'm looking upon it with horror that this concept exists.