To whitehouse.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/

From the "Civil Rights" section:

Quote :

" -Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: President Obama and Vice President Biden will provide job training, substance abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are successfully re-integrated into society. Obama and Biden will also create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender employment and job retention rates. -Eliminate Sentencing Disparities: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe the disparity between sentencing crack and powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated. -Expand Use of Drug Courts: President Obama and Vice President Biden will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior. Support for the LGBT Community "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect." -- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007 -Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law. -Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. -Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights. Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples. -Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals. -Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not."

I wonder if he's going to be able to give gays adoption and "marriage" rights? That's going to give some people strokes.

I also didn't realize the sentencing requirements for crack/powdered coke weren't already rescinded... I'm sure Obama's experience with these drugs contributes to this policy (apart from it just being good policy)

From the defense part:

Quote :

"Create a Civilian Assistance Corps (CAC): Obama and Biden will create a national CAC of 25,000 personnel. This corps of civilian volunteers with special skill sets (doctors, lawyers, engineers, city planners, agriculture specialists, police, etc.) would be organized to provide each federal agency with a pool of volunteer experts willing to deploy in times of need at home and abroad. ... Restore Honesty, Openness, and Commonsense to Contracting and Procurement: The Obama-Biden Administration will realize savings by reducing the corruption and cost overruns that have become all too routine in defense contracting. This includes launching a program of acquisition reform and management, which would end the common practice of no-bid contracting. Obama and Biden will end the abuse of supplemental budgets by creating a system of oversight for war funds as stringent as in the regular budget. Obama and Biden will restore the government's ability to manage contracts by rebuilding our contract officer corps. They will order the Justice Department to prioritize prosecutions that will punish and deter fraud, waste and abuse. "

From education:

Quote :

"Zero to Five Plan: The Obama-Biden comprehensive "Zero to Five" plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, the Obama-Biden plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama and Biden will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state Zero to Five efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school. Expand Early Head Start and Head Start: Obama and Biden will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve quality for both."

I think these are excellent goals. The research shows that little changes in this age range can have big effects later on, regardless of social or economic factors.

more education...

Quote :

"Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama and Biden will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama and Biden believe teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. They will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama and Biden will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them."

This seems like a lofty goal, but is a difficult taks. I hope they have specific ways in mind to improve assessment and tracking. It's interesting to me though that they are so blatant about "not teaching to the test."

Under "Women:"

Quote :

"Reproductive Choice Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case. Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods.The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims. "

ending of abstinence only policies too

post interesting things as you find them in this thread


[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 8:52 PM. Reason : ]

1/20/2009 8:45:51 PM

Quote :

"I also didn't realize the sentencing requirements for crack/powdered coke weren't already rescinded... I'm sure Obama's experience with these drugs contributes to this policy (apart from it just being good policy)"

Several points worth noting:

-No mention of mandatory minimums. Despite the fact that plenty of justices on the Supreme Court - both past and present (most recently, Kennedy) have spoken out against them
-No mention of even scaling back medical marijuana raids, which was promised on the campaign trail. Apparently, despite the fact that marijuana policy was one of the top questions on change.gov, it's not even worth any mention here. Much less the most limited of all cases - federal raids on states where MM is already legal. Much less the question of enforcement priority overall

Drug courts are about the only bright spot, and even then, it fails to recognize that many of these people shouldn't even be before the courts to begin with.
-Ending the "sentencing disparity" - no mention of which way this will go. And given that Biden is one of the most gung-ho drug warriors in Congress, expect the disparity to be resolved by simply bumping cocaine sentences up.

Also, on other topics:

-An unreasonable, and frankly, silly plan to "end oil imports from Venezuela and the Middle East"
-No mention of nuclear energy. Anywhere. (Really, try searching for it). I suppose sunshine and farts will suffice to break us of our addiction to carbon-based energies
-No mention of ethanol subsidies
-No mention of ag subsidies
-But plenty of mention of "clean coal," the eternal vaporware that is sure to please plenty of folks in coal-producing states.

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 8:55 PM. Reason : .]

1/20/2009 8:53:27 PM

^ I don't get the feeling they are looking to more harshly penalize non-violent drug offenses.

You do make a good point about Biden's drug positions though, but he seems to be more of the stereotypical figure-head VP than someone like Cheney, so i'm not so sure his influence will be too meaningful.

^ I noticed the lack of nuclear stuff too, and i'm hoping his new energy guy can wear him down on this. I was also disappointed that they even talked about clean coal.

I'm also hoping the lack of talking about ethanol subsidies means they are going to eventually do away with them, but Obama has been talking up domestic product as a way to stimulate jobs, and he may see ethanol as an industry to use to grow jobs.

But, he does support stem cell research too, under "technology":

Quote :

"Advance Stem Cell Research: Support increased stem cell research. Allow greater federal government funding on a wider array of stem cell lines."

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:01 PM. Reason : ]

1/20/2009 8:57:34 PM

But in fairness, I can find at least one thing I like:

Quote :

"Reinstate PAYGO Rules: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that a critical step in restoring fiscal discipline is enforcing pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) budgeting rules which require new spending commitments or tax changes to be paid for by cuts to other programs or new revenue."

I am simply extremely skeptical he can push this one through Congress. Especially on the verge of promoting another multi-billion dollar stimulus package.

However, here's another disappointing one:

Quote :

"National Missile Defense: The Obama-Biden Administration will support missile defense, but ensure that it is developed in a way that is pragmatic and cost-effective; and, most importantly, does not divert resources from other national security priorities until we are positive the technology will protect the American public."

I'd like to see any credible analysis that our most serious threat comes from ICBMs rather than suitcase nukes, dirty bombs, or biological agents.

Also:

Quote :

"Lower Interest Payments by Creating a New Mortgage Interest Tax Credit: Many middle class Americans do not receive the existing mortgage interest tax deduction because they do not itemize their taxes. Obama and Biden will ensure that middle-class Americans get the financial assistance they need to purchase or keep their own home by creating a 10 percent universal mortgage credit that gives tax relief to 10 million Americans who have a home mortgage."

No, no, no. The last thing we need is enshrining even more subsidies to homeowners into the tax code at the expense of both renters and artificially inflating house prices.

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:07 PM. Reason : NMD, taxes]

1/20/2009 9:00:46 PM

hell, if half the things bolded/quoted on this page are put into effect, he could resign tomorrow and i'd think he did an amazing job

1/20/2009 9:04:06 PM

pfff. whatever

Lets not kid ourselves, no one really knows who Obama really is. He ran on very vague feel good notions, "Hope", "Change", "Yes We Can". In doing so everyone projected their own meanings of those platitudes on him. Although few know what hope and change really mean other than anti-Bush. He has been very light on specifics. Also, the cult of personality around him is a bit scary since no one really knows who he is, and expectations of him are so high. Should be an interesting 4 years

1/20/2009 9:06:01 PM

^^ on some of those, I think he would need to move quickly before the possibility of a republican legislature taking power.

I can also see some of the gay-rights stuff costing some senators/congressman their seats (like gay adoption).

^ I sense some sarcasm there... but just in case:

Quote :

"There are several elements of Obama's platform that he never explicitly spelled out, but are clear from the subtext of his speeches, [gay rights] being one of them. I think this is what's confusing a lot on the right, they were ignoring the subtext. Now he's sworn in, he doesn't have to beat around the bush (no pun intended...) anymore."

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:08 PM. Reason : ]

1/20/2009 9:06:26 PM

Quote :

"I sense some sarcasm there"

1/20/2009 9:10:01 PM

if they keep spending all this bailout and "stimulus" money, change is all anybody can "hope" to have.

1/20/2009 9:10:10 PM

ZING!

1/20/2009 9:10:47 PM

^^ If McCain had won, what cute little phrases would you have used then?

Quote :

"if they keep spending all this bailout and "stimulus" money, there won't be a "country" to put "first" change is all anybody can "hope" to have. "

1/20/2009 9:13:06 PM

if McCain had won, he would probably be doing the same stupid mess, but hopefully to a lesser degree. We didn't have a conservative choice.

1/20/2009 9:16:18 PM

^ to a "lesser degree?" how do you figure? McCain suspended his campaign to push the bailout through.

Encouraging spending (which is theoretically what the bailout is suppose to do) has been a core tenant of Republican ideology for the past 8 years.

You're right about one thing, in the traditional sense of the word, there was no "conservative" candidate.


[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:19 PM. Reason : ]

1/20/2009 9:17:46 PM

Quote :

"We didn't have a conservative choice."

Yes you did, but you assholes booed him at the primaries.

His name is Robert Paulson Ron Paul.

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:19 PM. Reason : ^^]

1/20/2009 9:18:46 PM

McCain's campaign rhetoric was lighter on spending than Obama's, but as far as the bailout stupidity goes, one was as bad as the other.

1/20/2009 9:20:12 PM

^^ It was (sadly) the Republican leadership and the media that was mocking Ron Paul.

Ron Paul wouldn't have won anyway, but he would have inspired a more reasonably Republican party.

[Edited on January 20, 2009 at 9:20 PM. Reason : ]

1/20/2009 9:20:32 PM

For the record, I supported Ron Paul from the beginning.

1/20/2009 9:21:35 PM

if nothing else, it's a beautiful website

1/20/2009 9:21:43 PM

^ did you see this? http://www.kottke.org/09/01/the-countrys-new-robotstxt-file

1/20/2009 9:24:24 PM

yeah. that's awesome

1/20/2009 9:27:30 PM

^^^very true

1/20/2009 9:52:47 PM

^^^hahaha, nice

1/20/2009 9:53:13 PM

Quote :

"if nothing else, it's a beautiful website "

It really is.

The healthcare section is pure fantasy.. but it looks great.

1/20/2009 11:01:23 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/20/AR2009012004743.html?hpid=topnews

Obama calls for a 120 day suspension if the secret military tribunals at Guantanamo.

I'm glad the gov. is going about more honest ways of detaining our enemies, but I also don't get the exuberance some on the left have for this move. I always thought this was somewhat of a minor issue, because I don't think anyone is going to believe that we'll still don't have CIA Black sites in operation. I've always viewed Guantanamo and Waterboarding as the Red Herrings for our real torture operations.

1/21/2009 12:28:54 AM

I just stepped outside in Hawaii, and I noticed the sky was a little bluer, and the sun was a little brighter.

Does that mean global warming is going to get worse, because I thought everything was supposed to get better?

1/21/2009 2:33:43 AM

Freezes salaries of high-paid employees, enacts new lobbying rules.

Quote :

"The pay freeze, first reported by The Associated Press, would hold salaries at their current levels for the roughly 100 White House employees who make over $100,000 a year. "Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," said the new president, taking office amid startlingly bad economic times that many fear will grow worse. ... Obama's new lobbying rules will not only ban aides from trying to influence the administration when they leave his staff. Those already hired will be banned from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they once targeted. The rules also ban lobbyists from giving gifts of any size to any member of his administration. It wasn't immediately clear whether the ban would include the traditional "previous relationships" clause, allowing gifts from friends or associates with which an employee comes in with strong ties. The new rules also require that anyone who leaves his administration is not allowed to try to influence former friends and colleagues for at least two years. Obama is requiring all staff to attend to an ethics briefing like one he said he attended last week. Obama called the rules tighter "than under any other administration in history." They followed pledges during his campaign to be strict about the influence of lobbyist in his White House."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/21/obama-freezes-salaries-of_n_159739.html

1/21/2009 5:48:17 PM

Even though I like a lot of the things being quoted, a part of me wants to see moron's true-believer dreams crushed.

1/21/2009 6:12:58 PM

good move today by the pay freeze. It really doesnt do a whole lot mathmatically but its good for public perception.. esp before the BS stimulus.. But today, we seem to be moving in the right direction at least. Kudos to obama.

1/21/2009 6:32:26 PM

Has anybody else gotten their checks from rich people yet? I know the guy just started yesterday, so HOPEfully they'll be in the mail in a day or two.

1/21/2009 6:41:23 PM

In addition to the pay freezes for government staffers, there's also a whole host of new lobbying clean-up ethics reforms he signed through today. Supposedly tighter "than under any other administration in history"

Also issued an executive order to begin the process of closing down Guantanamo Bay.

Good first day.

1/21/2009 6:58:28 PM

gas went up today, tsk, tsk.

1/21/2009 7:39:31 PM

Quote :

"Also issued an executive order to begin the process of closing down Guantanamo Bay."

clusterfuckinwaiting

1/21/2009 7:49:53 PM

awesome - the first 2 executive orders are on his site
http://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing_room/executive_orders/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrderPresidentialRecords/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrder-EthicsCommitments/


btw.... why haven't I noticed this before:

1/21/2009 8:09:59 PM

Quote :

"gas went up today, tsk, tsk."

that's the best you could come up with?

hahahahaha. damn it's going to be tough to be so bitter for the next 8 years

1/21/2009 8:22:49 PM

Quote :

"that's the best you could come up with? hahahahaha. damn it's going to be tough to be so bitter for the next 8 years"

thats the type of sniping taken at W. the whole time he was in office...some deserved some not. its frustrating. get used to it.

1/21/2009 8:29:46 PM

yeah you're right, all that stuff with bush was just nitpicking

1/21/2009 8:58:33 PM

clearly not all of it was nitpicking and I said that if you would READ and COMPREHEND what I said.

1/21/2009 8:59:44 PM

Quote :

"damn it's going to be tough to be so bitter for the next 8 years"

oh yeah, it is day one asshole. And we will see about another four years after our country goes to shit in the next few.

[Edited on January 21, 2009 at 9:17 PM. Reason : .]

1/21/2009 9:16:58 PM

this forum has now become one with GOLO

1/21/2009 9:25:27 PM

If gitmo "closes" before he is out of office ill be surprised.

1/21/2009 9:48:08 PM

I don't get why gitmo needs to close, exactly.

He should just do away with the secret military tribunals where the accused don't have habeus corpus, and the torturing. And get the people who were innocent out of there.

1/22/2009 1:42:59 AM

^yeah, i'm fine with having Gitmo as a holding area, just not it being an indefinite holding area.

although by now the stigma of the name is probably enough to warrant it being shutdown even if he just opens another one somewhere else

1/22/2009 7:19:29 AM

habeus corpus? seriously? its a battlefield, not a crime scene. troops arent collecting chains of evidence.

if anyone is obviously innocent, of course they should be freed. why would we want to spend money keeping innocent people? that makes no sense.

1/22/2009 8:17:19 AM

who's innocent?

1/22/2009 8:30:13 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5O4ZGbWKaM

1/22/2009 8:30:13 AM

Quote :

"if anyone is obviously innocent, of course they should be freed. why would we want to spend money keeping innocent people? that makes no sense."

don't know. why don't you ask Bush?

1/22/2009 9:09:49 AM

so, who are the "obviously innocent?"

or, are they people who are likely innocent, yet are still suspected of being involved?

big difference chief.

1/22/2009 9:19:33 AM

Quote :

"habeus corpus? seriously? its a battlefield, not a crime scene. troops arent collecting chains of evidence. if anyone is obviously innocent, of course they should be freed. why would we want to spend money keeping innocent people? that makes no sense."

Here's the problem - plenty of these people - even by the Bush administration's own reckoning - were rounded up carelessly - often by unscrupulous bounty hunters who would simply turn in folks they had a grudge against.

Read these next words carefully, because they're awfully important: U.S. soldiers did not capture many - if not most - of these people. Therefore, we didn't capture many of them "off the battlefield." A lot of them were simply handed to us, where we were told they were very "bad and dangerous men."

Then, compounding this, you have jackasses like yourself, who for the last several years have kicked and screamed against the very idea of say, holding a hearing to determine whether these people are actually being lawfully detained (and say, where these people can challenge whether or not we have any evidence on which we should be holding them). You know, a habeus corups hearing.

1/22/2009 10:28:16 AM

I willingly concede that there are individuals locked up who dont deserve to be there. I also willingly concede that it is probably in the 10% range of the total population. In a perfect world we would be able to immediately diagnose who those people are and immediately free them, apologizing at every turn. In the real world, this takes longer. I am all for the appropriate staff...military intel, CIA, interrogators, etc...to determine who these people are and release them. What I am absolutely 100% against is treating them as American citizens and allowing them to petition our already overcrowded judicial system for their release, whereby a bunch of appointed, uneducated (on military evidence and procedures), constituency-minded judges determine their fate. judges unfamiliar with intel have no business making snap judgments.

What fools like yourself are unable to comprehend is the complexity of the situation and how this actually works in real life. All you do is cry and stomp your feet instead of offering any real solution. You cant have fucking soldiers collecting evidence on people they perceive as threats when they detain. Thats fucking moronic. Further, you cannot retroactively insist on seeing said evidence that wasnt collected, then use that as an excuse to free someone who LIKELY will go and try to kill innocent people again. Those deaths are on your conscience. The imprisoned, who are treated pretty fucking good, are on mine. I accept that.

Bush fucked up when he didnt label them as POWs...because that is what they are. They should remained locked up like any soldier until the conflict is over. PERIOD.

your great leader will now struggle with these same realistic situations. I hope you are as tough on him and hold him accountable for his actions as you did Bush. as much as you hate him, there were no attacks after 9/11, which is unfathomable. every terrorist weapon and asset in the world is pointed at us and we have prevented it. imagine that.

1/22/2009 10:46:09 AM

^^I am all for closing down Gitmo, but habeas corpus is not a common law right, it's a constitutional right and the US constitution has no authority in Gitmo. That's been the whole issue for the Supreme Court, basically.

[Edited on January 22, 2009 at 10:52 AM. Reason : ^]

1/22/2009 10:51:57 AM