Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Change I Can Believe In

by BooMan
Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 10:20:07 AM EST

I think this is what it looks like to be ready on Day One:

A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration.

An example?

The new president is also expected to lift a so-called global gag rule barring international family planning groups that receive U.S. aid from counseling women about the availability of abortion, even in countries where the procedure is legal, said Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, he rescinded the Reagan-era regulation, known as the Mexico City policy, but Bush reimposed it.

There's also the ban on federal spending on stem-cell research.

Obama himself has signaled, for example, that he intends to reverse Bush's controversial limit on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, a decision that scientists say has restrained research into some of the most promising avenues for defeating a wide array of diseases, such as Parkinson's.
Bush's August 2001 decision pleased religious conservatives who have moral objections to the use of cells from days-old human embryos, which are destroyed in the process.
But Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said that during Obama's final swing through her state in October, she reminded him that because the restrictions were never included in legislation, Obama "can simply reverse them by executive order." Obama, she said, "was very receptive to that."

That's change I can believe in.

Change I Can Believe In | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

working for months in virtual solitude

Yes. I've been thinking about all of the people behind the scenes who made this happen. Remember delegate counter Jeffrey Berman?

I also noticed that he was amassing legal help if the GOP tried to steal another one.

I can't wait to read about all of these people.

by Cee on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 10:50:04 AM EST

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

I'm glad the transition team is working to reverse orders designed to appease a few, instead of the majority of the population.

However, I think Republicans are trying to steal the Senate Election in Minnesota. Coleman is/was trying to block the count of absentee ballots. I hope we don't forget Senator candidate Al Franken is in a very close race.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27594841/

by americanforliberty on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 10:59:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

Yes, a call for lawyers went out a couple of months ago. We were to volunteer (which I couldn't do, not being a lawyer beyond being able to differentiate between "therefor" and "therefore) or volunteer lawyers we knew, which I did. He hasn't been called on yet, so I figure he must be in one of these reserves.

I just love the planning and foresight involved in this campaign and pre-administration.

by Joyful Alternative on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 01:04:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

Reading about this yesterday, I actually threw my hands up and shouted, "Yay!" like my team had scored a goal.

It also tickles me to look at this as a head's up to Bush prior to his meeting with Obama on Monday.

by sjct on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 10:53:39 AM EST

Elections have consequences folks (none / 1)

The issue will be the regulations which are being rewritten NOW, as we speak. There are rules about regulations, and I believe that the most important one is the 60 day rule - a regulation in place for 60 days is hard to repeal. That would be regulations enacted and in place before Nov 22 or so, I believe.

There is a mechanism which allows Congress to override the regulations. If I were Obama, I would be writing that bill, and I would get that bill inserted into the Budget bill. The Budget bill is not subject to filibuster. The rule is that anything inserted into the Budget Bill must have a fiscal component.

Regulations certainly have a budgetary implication.

I am certain that they will try this. Bush did not try it because he did not have a republican congress in 2000. But Obama can.

by dataguy on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 11:14:28 AM EST

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

The Transition team is tasked with reviewing Bush's Executive Orders.

And up in Alaska, Begich's chances have improved...according to Nate Silver at FiveThirtyEight, while the stats smells fishy...those early uncounted Votes may give Begich the edge over Uncle Ted-I-did-not-know those gifts Stevens, see my updated diary

Well, "You can't vote for war and disown the results"

by idredit on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 11:25:08 AM EST

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

IIRC, one of the first executive orders by Bush was to allow contractors who have defaulted on contracts with the US before to do business with the US again. Clinto disallowed those contractors. Think Halliburton?

by bellesouth on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 12:47:00 PM EST

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

"A team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration."

When, and if, those regulatory and policy changes are made by the Obama administration, I wager GWBush does not even notice the inherent repudiation those changes represent.

by iamwil on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 03:23:14 PM EST

Re: Change I Can Believe In (none / 0)

i was quite happy to see that article and that they are prepared right away to start to undo some of the evil of this horrendous cheney administration. worst ever.

by michael72 on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 04:05:24 PM EST

Does anyone know.. (none / 0)

Does anyone know what if anything can be done about Bush's signing statements that negated the intention of the bills he signed? Can these be erased or replaced?

One way or the other, this darkness has to give....

by Denim Blue on Sun Nov 9th, 2008 at 07:14:56 PM EST

Re: Does anyone know.. (none / 0)

The duty of the President is that "he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed". Instead the Bush administration used the signing statements as a way to gain a line item veto that did not belong to them. Bush got away with it because of the weak leadership in Congress that was afraid of the Republican political machine.

The President has to right to instruct the Executive on how to enforce the laws. I think anything Bush said in signing statements will have no affect other than confusion once Bush leaves office. Obama can direct the Executive starting Jan 20 on how he intends to enforce the laws.

I think it is important to clarify this to end the practice as established by Bush for Obama and all future Presidents. If the President does not like a law he can veto it. If it still gets passed over his veto he must enforce it unless it is declared unconstitutional by the courts. We are a country of laws, not of men (or we should be).

http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/signing.htm

by AustinSax on Mon Nov 10th, 2008 at 02:23:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Change I Can Believe In | 11 comments (11 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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