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Day 14 Report

Posted by Nick Stone 100 Days, obama 9:09 AM

A mixed bag of news continues for President Obama as he tries to gain focus and momentum in his 100 day leadership blitzkrieg of our nation. Let's see how he's faring.

Keep in mind, this is good/bad news, from the perspective of the administration:

Good news:

Eric Holder has been confirmed by 75 Senators, a much larger margin than expected based on his rocky confirmation hearings, sketchy leadership history, and support for closure of the Guantanamo detention facility without any clear plan for the released detainees.
Bill Lynn, an Obama Pentagon appointee, appears poised to squeak through confirmation after Senator McCain of Arizona released his hold. Questions arised over the nomination of Lynn after it became clear that Lynn lobbied the Pentagon on behalf of Raytheon in recent years. The Obama administration has a strict rule against hiring lobbyists to positions in a department they have lobbied in the past two years. This appointment is a clear reversal of the policy.
Hillary Clinton has been sworn in as Secretary of State and is being dispatched abroad immediately. This is very good news for the administration and the world.
Obama's approval rating is still hovering around 65%.

Bad news:

Tom Daschle is the second Obama appointee to have clearly and blatantly skirted tax obligations in the recent past, and to have made an embarrassing reversal and correction. Daschle is popular in the Senate, and still likely to be confirmed as HHS Secretary.
Despite intense lobbying from the White House and an over-the-top call out for so-called bipartisanship, not only did the Stimulus Bill not achieve a single Republican vote, but 11 Democrats defected as well.
As the debate has moved to the Senate, and more sunshine has been cast on the details of the spending package, excessive pork has made the bill subject to higher scrutiny and may fall short of the 60 votes necessary for passage. A party-line vote would only provide 58 votes, and the Democrats desperately need to pick off at least two Republicans while holding onto their entire caucas.
As of today, the Dow is below 8,000, gas prices are on the rise, more jobs are being shed everyday, and housing prices continue to plummet.
Economists are now estimating that America won't start to climb out of recession until late 2010. That would make for bad mid-term elections for the Dems.

Stay tuned. The 100 Day Report continues, and Drawnlines Blog will be here to bring you the good, bad, and ugly!