You're Barack Obama and you've just be elected Prez - what are the first 5 things you do on 1/21/09

[LynneSin]

This is outside the normal 'pick your staff & cabinet and stuff'

My list:

#1) Address the war and demand that congress come up with an exit strategy that allows our troops to be withdrawn and allows the Iraqi government to pay for their own rebuilding since they have like $80billion dollars in their treasury from oil sales. Along this line I would also re-open all no-bid contracts to open-bid - we need to find out why this war cost so fucking much!

#2) Obama has a point that it's gonna be tough to pull all the tax-breaks that Bush has given out to the wealthy during his time, but the first one Obama should pull is any tax-breaks that reward corporations for sending jobs overseas. If anything that should be REVERSED. Also our government should not do business with any corporation that exploits off-shore tax havens in order to avoid paying taxes. If you want to serve the government you have to be incorporated in the US and pay taxes.

#3) Although I mentioned not to post about staff you would hire I will make an exception for the Attorney General. We're going to need a top notch AG who will finally put the people first and not our government. That's what an AG is suppose to do. Then the AG should go thru all the Bush-Signing statements and rescind any found to be unconstitutional AND prosecute anyone who has broken the law including Bush himself. Along this line, congress should pass new laws that limit the 'signing statements' Bush has shown there is room to abuse this power since his signing statements essentially were a 'fuck you' to Congress.

#4) Renegotiate every Trade agreement and rescind those that do not protect American workers.

#5) Sign the Kyoto Protocol and restore the money used for worldwide family planning (Something that republicans pull on the first day elected and dems return when they're in office).

That is just day #1

[LisaM]

1. Replace that ugly carpet in the Oval Office

peach, or whatever it is. It's atrocious. And uppdate the White House website.

I know it sounds frivolous, but really, the office needs more of a power look. Right now it looks like the back room of a celebrity RV.

[LynneSin]

3. Well Michelle can do the updates to the decorations

And you can't blame Bush - he's trying to appeal to his 5 supporters out there!

[Captain Hilts]

6. I have faith Barack Obama can pick out colors on his own and doesn't need his wife to do it. nt

[gblady]

18. read where he took very active role.....

in designing his senate office....
did a mighty fine job, IMHO.

[Captain Hilts]

4. duplicate

[Captain Hilts]

5. My boss saw it and said the carpet is HIDEOUS!

[willing dwarf]

14. I'm sure Georgie's takin that with him

He got Laura to make it for him special, 'cause she's clever like that...knows how to shop....

[Captain Hilts]

16. It looks like a huge circus peanut. nt

[ck4829]

2. Here's my list

1. "Get ready Iraq, because we're pulling out."
2. Declassifying Energy Task Force documents
3. Purge of the Justice Department
4. Abolish Department of Homeland Security
5. Nationalized oil

[Redstone]

7. 1) End the stupid fucking war. 2) End the stupid fucking Cuba embargo.

3) Use the money saved from ending the stupid fucking war to make damn sure there is not ONE hungry child (or adult) in America.

4) Use the money saved from ending the stupid fucking war to put at least 1,000 watts of solar panels on every building in America.

5) Makes sure that at least a dozen someones go to jail for causing this economic meltdown.

Redstone

[Captain Hilts]

9. He's come out in favor of continuing the embargo on Cuba. My choice: Take Reagan's name off ...

National Airport.

[Redstone]

13. And off all the OTHER stuff that's been named after that senile failure. How nice to see that

I'm not the only one who understands how truly DREADFUL a president he was!

Redstone

[Captain Hilts]

15. Sing it to me! Even George F. Will said that naming things after Reagan has to STOP

We need to take some of it back!

Keep the Faith!

[Hawkeye-X]

35. Not only that - but EVERY state should remove Ronald Reagan ANYTHING

and spit it.

[LynneSin]

41. Wait, what about the Reagan Sewage Plant - couldn't we do that naming

:shrug:

[LisaM]

36. Yes! Good one!

I never call it that anyway.

[LynneSin]

39. I hate to say it - in some ways I like the Cuba embargo

Makes me want to travel there because it's so 'dangerous' to do so. We take away the embargo the place will be overrun by American tourists and become just another Caribbean island

[Hippo_Tron]

42. Unfortunately the Cuban Embargo is law now

It was codified into law in '92 and expanded in '96 with the Helms-Burton Act, a piece of legislation that makes the United States look like a fucking joke on the international stage.

[Gato Moteado]

8. #6 - arm the wolves and mooses in alaska and put them in helicopters.....

...and send the palins out on foot in the snowy alaska wilderness.

[firedupdem]

20. Now that was a good one! LOL!!!!! n/t

[Vinca]

10. #1 - Order all troops out of Iraq by the end of the year,

sooner if possible.
#2 - Change position on healthcare and appoint a working group to establish universal, single payer.
#3 - Raise the cap on social security contributions and put the lockbox back in place.
#4 - Order the Democratic Congress to pass renewable energy bills ASAP.
#5 - Order the Attorney General to start investigating and prosecuting anyone remotely associated with the Bush administration, starting at the top.

[grace0418]

11. #1. Have the White House thoroughly disinfected from top to bottom.

#2. Do it a second time, just to be safe.
#3. In fact, maybe some smudge sticks are in order.

After that I like your ideas.

[gblady]

19. bring in top Native American medicine men...

to do a complete and thorough smudging ceremony

[Captain Hilts]

21. And a priest from Georgetown U. to do an exorcism. nt

[grace0418]

24. Good idea. Man, that place has some seriously bad energy after the last 8 years.

*shudder*

[AZBlue]

47. That was my first thought.

They may have to do it twice to remove all of W's bad chi!

[LynneSin]

40. How about I just febreze the place and we pour an econosize bottle of Purex over it

:D

[grace0418]

45. It's gonna take more than Febreeze and Purex to get rid of Bushstank.

:)

[willing dwarf]

12. I like your list

so let's see --
1. Hire Patrick Fitzgerald as Attorney General

2. Put the EPA clean air clean water regulations back to safe standards and set up a tax incentive system for green energy production.

3. Start an honest dialogue about immigration, minimum wage (and below) work and

4. Kick start the economy with major investment in US Infrastructure -- creating jobs at home that will get US working again.

5. Issue apologies to nations and individuals who have suffered under Bush Cheney reign, and to give evidence of sinceriuty of message of change I'd extradite Bush, Cheney et al to the World Court for was crimes trials.

[CoffeeCat]

17. President Obama's first five priorities...

1. Kick John McCain's ass down the capitol steps.
2. Tell Rush Limbaugh, "Look who's got the microphone now, clown boy."
3. Order the FCC to scramble the Fox signal
4. Declare "Free Republican" a Federal Disaster Area and order a streamlined and highly effective FEMA to go clean it up.
5. Rent out the "Club For Growth" meeting room to a local DC knitting circle.

[Hawkeye-X]

37. Better idea yet - Order FCC to move Faux and all its affiliates

to a bottom tier, where people have to pay $1,000 A MONTH to see Faux.

Or better yet, make it PPV if they want to make it painful - set it for every 15 minutes.

Hawkeye-X

[OmahaBlueDog]

22. The first 24 hours

1. Right after the innaguration: Issue an Executive Order ending the use of torture, harsh interrogation, tough questioning, or whatever we're calling it this week.

2. Right after the innaguration: Issue an Executive Order suspending para-military organizations (e.g. Blackwater) from government service, pending the outcome of a DOJ investigation into their contracts and practices.

3. After the innagural lunch, and before the evening's festivities: Make a point to visit Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval hospitals. Let the troops know that, while we may end involvement in Iraq, we will not end our involvement with them.

4. Next morning: Announce that the AG will go to the courts for all wire taps and other security related surveillance, pending the rewriting of the Patriot Act

5. Next morning: Meet at the WH with the House and Senate leadership. Lay out the 100 day agenda. Highlights include: The Iraq drawdown; overhaul of NCLB; overhaul of all Bush era environmental law; closing all tax loopholes for exporting jobs; tax reform; deficit control, and (of course) laying the foundation for health care for all Americans.

[EffieBlack]

23. I don't know about the first day, but I know that I'm going to cry like an idiot when

the Marine Band strikes up "Hail to the Chief" and President Obama in white tie and tails and the nation's new First Lady in all her glory glide down the White House staircase to their first state dinner.

I cannot wait!

[grace0418]

OMG. I like your description. What a gorgeous couple they are! With two

beautiful girls to boot. I'm welling up just thinking about it. I hope it comes to pass.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. #1 mandatory pot

#2 bomb olive garden

#3 do a barrel roll

#4 ????

#5 profit

[lame54]

26. arrest Bush and Cheney...

That will tell the world we are not fucking around

[RagAss]

27. Days 1 Through 5 !!!!!!!!!!!!

[cynatnite]

28. 1)end war 2) free health care 3)make US all green 4)close gitmo 5)put bush on trial n/t

[aquamarina]

29. This may sound silly but I really want that green privacy

fencing around the white house taken down. 1600 Ave is the peoples house so I'd actually like to see it.

Then:

1. Review and abolish every executive order Bush has ever issued.
2a. Fire every person who was hired to any administrative agency in the last 8 years and hire all new people based on merit.
2b. Get rid of the Patriot Act and abolish the Department of Homeland Security
2c. Top to bottom review of national security and defense - including troop withdrawl from Iraq, abolishing Blackwater contracts, collecting illegal windfall profits of defense contractors and oil companies, analysis of military versus diplomatic strategies for curtailing terrorists
3a. Top to bottom overhaul of FEMA
3b. Top to bottom overhaul of the US financial markets
3c. Top to bottom overhaul of US energy policy
3d. Top to bottom overhaul of US Justice Department including hiring Patrick Fitzgerald as Attorney General
4. Institute a single payer system for healthcare

Piece of cake...

[GCP]

30. Bring back the Fairness Doctrine

Cut off repuke propaganda at the knees.

[Hawkeye-X]

38. Better yet - update the Fairness Doctrine to apply to radio, cable, Internet. etc..

Make right-wing talk radio illegal if unchecked.

That means Rushballs will finally have to shut up until he finds someone equally opposite of him and pay half of his stupid megabucks contract to a liberal.

Hawkeye-X

[tedoll78]

31. Place a phone call to Justice Stevens and Ginsburg.

Thanking them for holding-on, and reassuring them about their replacements.

After that? Send a big "condolences" bouquet of red meat and super-fatty bacon to Justice Scalia. :D

After these items are done, I'll go with what others in this thread have already suggested.

[dkofos]

32. 1. Have bush and cheney arrested for TREASON

2.Have bush and cheney arrested for TREASON
3.Have bush and cheney arrested for TREASON
4.Have bush and cheney arrested for TREASON
5.Have bush and cheney arrested for TREASON

[genna]

33. #1 Capture and Freeze all electronic and paper files from previous WH business

#2 Post all outstanding budget initiatives that don't need to be secret and give them directly to Congressional staffs in their oversight capacity to digest and make suggestions on before submitting own budget priorities or fighting over new territority.

#3 Get the health care team up and running before the insurance industry takes aim at getting any new initiative passed.

#4 Do not disband the political team assembled for getting him elected. Send those fine women and men out for voter integrity reform legislation which stalled and died in Congress after 2000 and 2004. Get them interested in remaining active for the huge public works overhauls that need to be managed like the highway project in the 1950s.

#5 Strike up the ERA so women never receive less pay for the same work.


All the rest of the issues Obama is talking about should be done, but the criminality of the Bush administration has to be dealt with...the lack of hc services are crippling most patients with major medical conditions (and all of us at one point or another are going to have to walk that way), in order to keep the momentum going those social networks have to remain alive and active (Howard Dean supporters)

and
as a woman I believe my work deserves the same compensation as any other person whether or not I am male or one of the majority.

[ncteechur]

34. Fumigate the Oval Office and rest of WH for all the rats that have been there the past 8 years.

[Hippo_Tron]

43. I bet the outgoing rats will take all of the O keys off of the keyboards

Since they lied about Clinton's people doing it with the W's it's only fitting.

[Jennicut]

48. If I'm Biden I definitely fumigate Cheney's house. The horror of having to move in after that man...

Pretty gross. Maybe worse than cleaning up after Shrub's all night alcoholic binges.

[LynneSin]

49. I'm wondering if Biden is just going to go home each night like he does now

He's been doing that for 35 years.

[annabanana]

44. Confirm America's adherence to the Geneva Conventions. . . n/t

close the secret prisons

[Obamarulz11]

46. Pull the Plug on Fox News,

1. Pull the Plug on Fox Lies
2. Free Don Siegelman
3. order the Justice department to Arrest Bush, Cheney, Rove, LIEbermann, Insane, and the Palin Family.
4. Bring all of the troops home
5. Take care of the DU!!