Barack Obama ran on a platform of change. What kind of change has he brought so far? At 4:00 pm Eastern Time this afternoon, the first one hundred hours of the Obama administration were complete.
Let's examine what President Obama has already achieved in his first one hundred hours in office.
He issued executive orders requiring closure of the Guantánamo detention center in one year; requiring the U.S. to follow the Geneva Conventions and cooperate with the Red Cross; requiring the CIA to close all detention facilities; requiring a review of rendition policies; and requiring interrogation to follow the Army Field Manual and forbidding torture.
He requested a 120-day suspension, which was granted, of a military commissions trial for Guantánamo detainees, to allow the new administration time to determine how to proceed in these cases.
He met with his national security team to begin to forge a fresh policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. He met with Vice President Biden, Defense Secretary Gates, National Security Advisor James Jones, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command David Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq General Ray Odierno to discuss the redeployment of U.S. troops in Iraq. And he asked the military leadership to engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq.
He issued a press release commemorating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and expressing the White House's commitment to protecting a woman's right to choose.
He revoked the rule that barred federal money from going to international family planning groups that provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion services known as the "Mexico City Rule", or the "Global Gag Rule".
He placed calls to President Mubarak of Egypt, Prime Minister Olmert of Israel, King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and expressed his "commitment to active engagement," in pursuing peace in the Middle East, and announced George Mitchell as special envoy to the Middle East.
He issued orders and memoranda freezing his White House senior staff pay at current levels to the full extent allowed by law; prohibiting executive branch employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists, closing the revolving door that allows government officials to move to and from private sector jobs, requiring that government hiring be based upon qualifications, competence and experience, not political connections; ushering in a new era of openness and transparency; and ending the practice of having others besides the President assert executive privilege for records after an administration ends — now, only the President will have that power.
He gave a face lift to the White House Web Site.
He gave an inspiring first inaugural address.
He also gave his first weekly address (mp3).
He even took the oath of office twice!
With a first hundred hours like this, the first hundred days are going to be fantastic!
Update:
Under his watch, strikes were made on two compounds in northwestern Pakistan, as pointed out by ChiTownBlue2000 in the comments.
And, as grannyhelen pointed out, in a meeting on the economic stimulus package he told Republicans point-blank "I won."