Sometimes, when there is so much to do, we can forget to look at what we've done. There is a lot we must repair in our country. Let's not lose sight of all the steps made a long the way. My goal is to track accomplishments of the new administration especially President Obama's. I've fallen a bit short of my goal, so feel free to add anything that was missed. He did a lot this second week. If you want to see the week one post click here:
Week OneJanuary 26, 2009 Monday 1. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, agreed on the need to stop the "drift" in U.S.-Russia relations in a telephone call on Monday
2. President Obama will direct federal regulators on Monday to move swiftly on an application by California and 13 other states to set strict automobile emission and fuel efficiency standards, two administration officials said Sunday.
January 27, 2009 Tuesday
3.U.S. President Barack Obama phoned the leaders of Colombia and Australia on Tuesday to discuss issues of mutual interest, the White House said.
4. Presidents seldom travel to Capitol Hill. Protocol generally holds that Congressional leaders come to the White House — at the president’s invitation — when it comes time to negotiate legislation. But there Mr. Obama was, standing before an array of microphones without a presidential seal anywhere in sight.
January 28, 2009 Wednesday 5. Obama meets with technology CEOs As part of his efforts to advocate for the passage of the so-called "stimulus" bill, President Obama met with a number of chief executives from the technology sector and other industries on Wednesday to discuss the economy
6. Russia offered a broad gesture of conciliation to the Obama White House, suggesting that it was shelving plans to deploy nuclear-capable missiles close to the Polish border.
7. Obama presses South Africa on Zimbabwe President Barack Obama spoke by phone with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and said Pretoria had an important role to play in helping resolve Zimbabwe's political crisis, the White House said on Wednesday.
8. Obama Administration, Vatican Clash Over Abortion After President Obama ended a ban last week on federal funding to international groups that perform or promote abortions, he is taking heat from the Roman Catholic Church.
9. Barack Obama's initial approval rating is highest since JFK
10. 61 counties in Kentucky will qualify for federal disaster assistance as a result of President Obama’s declaration of a federal emergency as a result of the winter storm that hit the area this week.
11. On Arab TV Network, Obama Urges Dialogue
January 29, 2009 Thursday 12. Obama signs equal-pay bill Obama, choosing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as the first bill to sign as president, called it a "wonderful day" and declared that ending pay disparities between men and woman an issue not just for women, but for all workers.
13. US envoy George Mitchell called for a durable truce in Gaza on Thursday. The 75-year-old former US senator, who helped broker peace in Northern Ireland in 1998, vowed that President Barack Obama's administration would keep up efforts to achieve peace in the region.
14. Obama meets with Joint Chiefs at Pentagon Obama met for nearly two hours with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the secure Pentagon conference room known as Tank. He emerged to shake hands with troops and promised to increase the involvement of civilian U.S. government agencies to work on governance, agriculture, civil justice and other issues in Afghanistan. The pledge addresses a long-standing Pentagon complaint.
15. Stocks rise on reports of Obama plan for bad bank assets The Dow gains 200 points on speculation that the administration may set up a 'bad bank' to acquire soured assets and on the Fed's statement that it expects to keep interest rates low 'for some time.'
16. Officials in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration are drafting a letter to Iran from the president aimed at unfreezing relations and opening the way for direct talks, the Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday.
17. Californians give thumbs-up to Obama, thumbs down to state officials Obama up Arnold down.
18. Obama envoy meets Palestinian leaders in West Bank
19. Bolivia is seeking to renew ties with the U.S. and accept a U.S. ambassador back into the country after President Barack Obama took office, Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said
20. The Obama administration is trying to fix the bank bailout process. But they have their work cut out for them. New Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner put in place new rules this week that restrict lobbying related to the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Geithner also introduced rules to limit political influence on funding decisions, released the full terms of previous rescue deals, and met with a group of congressional appointees charged with strengthening TARP oversight.
January 30, 2009 Friday 21. President Barack Obama issued a series of executive orders Friday that he said should "level the playing field" for labor unions in their struggles with management. Obama also used the occasion at the White House to announce formally a new White House task force on the problems of middle-class Americans, and installed Vice President Joe Biden as its chairman. Union officials say the new orders by Obama will undo Bush administration policies that favored employers over workers.
22. Obama slams Wall Street for rich executive bonuses
23. Organizing for America, the campaign apparatus left over from Barack Obama's presidential run, sent out its first call to action on Friday in support of the president's agenda. The organization, which is now housed within the Democratic National Committee, emailed everyone who has hosted a house party for the president, encouraging them to do the same in support of the White House-backed economic recovery package.
24. Blackwater to Leave Iraq by May
January 31, 2009 Saturday 25. Obama Pledges Mortgage Help With New Financial Plan.
February 1, 2009 Sunday 26. Under Obama, `war on terror' catchphrase fading: The thinking has evolved, he said, to focus on avoiding the kind of rhetoric "which could imply that this was a struggle against a religion or a culture." Obama has made it clear in his first days in office that he is courting the Muslim community and making what is at least a symbolic shift away from the previous administration's often more combative tone.
27. Obama Will Require Banks to Expand Lending as Condition for Aid
February 2, 2009 Monday 28. Obama promises review board for bailout program
29. Obama promises review of FDA operations: President Barack Obama, speaking as the nation's chief executive and a father, promised a comprehensive review of the Food and Drug Administration amid a salmonella outbreak linked to a Georgia peanut processor.
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