A Promising Start for Obama
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on November 14th, 2008 5:28 am by HL
A Promising Start for Obama
WASHINGTON — So far, so good. The first week of Barack Obama’s transition to the presidency has gone about as well as anyone could imagine. His few public appearances have been gaffe-free and the initial decisions in setting up his administration have been strongly reassuring. One area where there were legitimate questions about the president-elect concerned his ability to organize, direct and motivate his administration. Nothing in his prior life in Illinois or Washington had required or tested those skills. His campaign — a model of efficiency and innovation — certainly augured well. But there is a world of difference between running for the White House and leading the country — as witness the stumbles of every newly elected president since Ronald Reagan.
Soundbites the Least of Bush’s Mistakes
WASHINGTON — Was it something he said? It was nothing President George W. Bush did — no decision he made, no policy he pursued, no faith that he placed in ideological dogma on topics that range from regulating industries to acknowledging global climate change to responding to the terrorist threat — that he finds regrettable. Over the course of eight tumultuous years, Bush told a cable network, “I regret saying some things I shouldn’t have said.”
