Obama's Disastrous Year

First in a Series
"January made me shiver...."

In remarks that some found objectionable, Reverend Joseph Lowery’s inaugural benediction included the following: “…we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around … when yellow will be mellow … when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right.”

--Fox News commentator Cal Thomas remarks presciently: “Here's what's going to happen. As long as Obama continues high in the polls and is perceived as doing well, it (race) won't be a problem, nobody will talk about it. But when he starts making mistakes and criticism begins against him, look for a Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton or a Joseph Lowery to raise the race card.”

Chief Justice John Roberts re-administers the oath of office to Obama one day later after they mix-up the words during the official swearing in.

Obama issues an executive order to close down Guantanamo prison in one year. Attorney General Eric Holder says the deadline will be difficult to meet.

On his third day in office, Obama issues a statement reaffirming his commitment to protecting abortion rights. Later in the week he repeals rules that restrict federal money for international organizations that promote or provide abortions overseas.

Obama issues new rules on government transparency and ethics and new limits on lobbyists saying: “For a long time now there’s been too much secrecy in this city. Transparency and rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.”

--On January 28, Fox News reports:
The White House on Wednesday defended Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's choice of Mark Patterson - an ex-lobbyist from Goldman Sachs - to be his chief of staff. The selection is at least the third high-profile exception to a policy by President Barack Obama that says no one who has lobbied on a set of issues within the past two years can take a role in his administration that deals with the same subject matter.

--On January 31, the New York Times reports:
President Obama’s pick for health and human services secretary, Tom Daschle, failed to pay more than $128,000 in taxes, partly for free use of a car and driver that had been provided to him by a prominent businessman and Democratic fund-raiser, administration officials said Friday……….The confirmation of Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner was held up only briefly after the disclosure that he had failed to pay more than $34,000 in taxes owed to the federal government.

The January Consumer Confidence Index hits a new low.

The House passes a $819 billion stimulus bill with no Republican support. Obama remarks: "I am grateful to the House of Representatives for moving the American Recovery and Reinvestment plan forward today. There are many numbers in this plan. It will double our capacity to generate renewable energy, it will lower the cost of healthcare by billions and improve its quality. It will modernize thousands of classrooms and send more kids to college, and it will put billions of dollars in immediate tax relief into the pockets of working families.”

Obama conducts his first televised interview from the White House…..with Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language channel based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He says: “….Americans are not your enemy” and “we sometimes make mistakes…”