The Obama Timeline

Republicans are quick to come out publicly in opposition to Obama’s $3.6 trillion budget, but even some prominent Democrats have some problems with it. Charles Rangel (D-NY), powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, expresses a reluctance to go along with Obama’s plan to reduce the tax deductibility of charitable contributions, saying “I would never want to adversely affect anything that is charitable or good.” Secretary of the Treasury Geithner admits that consumers would face higher utility bills because of Obama’s “greenhouse gas fees,” saying, “…if people don’t change how they use energy, then they will face higher costs for energy.” [1529]

Harvard University economics professor and researcher Robert Barro estimates the odds of the United States falling into a depression are one in five. “If we are lucky,” says Barro, “the current downturn will also be moderate, though likely worse than the other U.S. post-World War II recessions, including 1982.” Barro is not confident that the Obama administration is doing the right things, however, and states, “I think it more likely that the economy will eventually recover despite these policies, rather than because of them.” Investment guru Jim Rogers echoes Barro’s sentiments, and criticizes the government for not allowing businesses to go bankrupt, saying “None of (this) does much for the economy down the road. It’s trying to postpone some pain we’re going to have to take.” [1531]

Democrat Senators Birch Bayh (D-IN) and Russ Feingold (D-WI) sharply criticize Obama’s $410 billion spending bill and say they will vote against it. Bayh slams the bill, calling it “a sprawling, $410 billion compilation of nine spending measures that lacks the slightest hint of austerity from the federal government or the recipients of its largess.” Feingold tells RollCall.com, “I’m going to vote against it. I’m not going to vote on this.” [1536]

Obama nominates Julius Genachowski as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Attorney Genachowski graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 and clerked for Supreme Court Justices William Brennan and David Souter. Conservative criticism over Democrat plans to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine forced Obama to say he will not do so, but it is believed the FCC will attempt to reduce the influence of conservative talk radio by using legal technicalities to yank broadcast licenses from some radio stations; those licenses would then be turned over to minority broadcasters who would remove commentators like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity from their schedules. Legally, the Fairness Doctrine can be reinstated by the FCC; the action does not require an act of Congress or the signing of a bill by Obama. It can therefore be reinstated while he maintains that he is in opposition to it. [1547, 1548]

The administration unveils a new emblem to identify stimulus projects from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The symbol consists of white stars on a blue field with the URL recovery.org, an outline of leaves on a green background, and cogged wheels. All are contained with a large “O” to continually remind the public that Obama is responsible for the project (something that may work against Obama when Americans see taxpayer-funded work crews standing around doing nothing on a construction site). [1590]

Stephanie Miller, host of a barely-listened-to liberal radio talk show, calls CNN’s Larry King talk show on March 3 and states that for daring to criticize Obama and hoping that his policies fail, conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh “…should be executed for treason.” King does not challenge Miller’s remark. [1553]

At a press conference in Israel on March 3, Secretary of State Clinton announces that Obama will be sending senior envoys to Damascus to begin “preliminary conversations” on improving U.S. ties with Syria. The next day U.S. ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), George Schulte, charges at its Board of Governor’s meeting that Syria has been hiding its nuclear weapons activities and blocking U.N. inspectors from four suspected nuclear sites. Hours later, Senator John Kerry, who had just returned from a trip to Syria, tells the Brookings Institution that the United States is attempting to appease Syria’s President Bashar Assad. Obama is apparently willing to loosen sanctions on Syria for its help in pressuring Israel to surrender territory to the Palestinians. Israel will be the loser in the deal, while the United States would seem to be gaining nothing. The Obama administration appears to be working more toward sacrificing Israel for the sake of Palestinian statehood than preventing Iran and Syria from obtaining nuclear weapons. [1583]