eatable politics #91: Inauguration roundup: Expectations; Gates is president in waiting; first 100 days starts at 12:01 pm
January 19th, 2009
-White House photo by Pete Souza-
Bloomberg: “Barack Obama’s inauguration is dedicated to the proposition that all presidencies are not created equal.”
WaPo: “Like President John F. Kennedy, who summoned citizens to think about what they could contribute to the nation, Obama hopes to turn some of the focus back onto the electorate, as he did with his grass-roots-driven presidential campaign. Aides who have seen parts of Obama’s speech said they expect it to meet or surpass expectations of a president-elect known for his soaring oratory.”
Bloomberg: “The world may well see not only a remarkably historic moment on the west front of the U.S. Capitol but also one of a handful of truly memorable inaugural speeches.”
2: According to ABC, Bush and Obama “have agreed that Defense Secretary Robert Gates will stay away from the Inaugural ceremonies and would become President if catastrophe hit the Capitol at noon on Inauguration day. Gates is the only hold-over from the Bush administration staying on, and as Secretary of Defense, he is already sixth in the line of succession to the presidency.”
Over the weekend someone leaked an unclassified threat assessment (marked For Official Use Only) that’s being used by law enforcement for the inauguration and Washington, D.C. Click here to download.
3: Politico: “Vans will be poised at the Capitol to take a few top aides of Barack Obama’s to their new offices at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. as soon as he is sworn in. About 20 senior officials have had their paperwork cleared to enter the White House complex on Tuesday. Some will attend a traditional lunch with the new president in the Capitol, then get to work while the inaugural parade is under way.”
The following day will be intense: He’s expected, according to ABC, to issue executive orders to close Guantanamo Bay on a still-to-be-decided date. He’ll meet with military commanders to finalize a his 16-month withdrawal plan for Iraq. He’ll institute a code of ethics for his administration.
Newsweek: “There’s a plan for what to do with the rest of the first 100 days. We just don’t know it yet because the Obama people are so damn disciplined. It will likely involve setting the table for big changes in energy and health-care policy with bills boosting renewable energy and extending health-insurance coverage to children (which passed the House last week). Obama will soon assume his role as educator in chief with the televised discussions he promised during the campaign.”