Possible early difficulties for Pres. Obama?
Where is President Obama likely to encounter the most difficulty early in his presidency? (PHOTO CREDIT: JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Every president gets a honeymoon period. Some are shorter than others. But with an approval rating in the 80s, President Obama has lots of political capital to spend and presumably a long time before he runs out of good will.
That being said, he's in a precarious position right from the start. We are in the midst of an economic crisis that no one seems to have a firm understanding of, and there are heated debates already about the best way to proceed when it comes to bailouts, spending programs, tax cuts, etc.
Then there are the wars. Pull out of Iraq and step it up in Afghanistan. What if Iran comes into Iraq as we leave through another door?
We haven't been attacked in seven and a half years, but terrorism is still a fact of life. Global warming, health insurance, pick something you like.
Nevertheless, the new president is off to a good start. And this time we appear to be in the hands of someone less inclined to shoot from the hip. But even President Obama's coolness under fire will be tested at some point… either by domestic politics or foreign affairs.
Here’s my question to you: Where is President Obama likely to encounter the most difficulty early in his presidency?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Banning Enhanced Interrogation: Does it invite U.S. enemies?
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama issued three executive orders today that signal a sharp departure from the Bush Administration. One of them bans torture. It ends the CIA practice of so-called enhanced interrogations and requires the Army field manual be followed for terror interrogations.
Leg shackles sit on the floor at Camp 6 detention center at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The Bush administration and intelligence agencies under Bush's command said the tactics were the only way to get information from suspects being held captive in the war on terrorism.
The techniques include forceful grabbing and slapping, forced standing for more than 40 hours while shackled and handcuffed, holding naked prisoners in a 50 degree cell while splashing them with cold water, and waterboarding which simulates drowning.
At one point the former CIA director and former attorney general both testified to lawmakers about the value of the practices.
Human rights organizations, of course, said the U.S. was out of line and said they were violating international laws.
It's been the subject of much debate since coming into practice in 2002 and now President Obama has put a stop to it.
Here’s my question to you: Does forbidding so-called "enhanced" interrogation techniques send an invitation to enemies of the United States?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Can Pres. Obama change the way Washington does business?
Can President Barack Obama change the culture of Washington? (PHOTO CREDIT: SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
President Obama didn't waste time before getting to work and making changes. As he promised on the campaign trail, he is determined to make a clean break from the policies of the Bush administration.
So far he's ordered the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay within a year, ordered all cases of terror suspects be reviewed, and banned torture.
The new President also issued a freeze on the salaries of senior White House staffers and implemented new ethics rules for staff who leave their jobs.
He promised openness and transparency and instructed his team to follow his example. This is a sharp contrast to the secrecy of his predecessors where it seemed the entire eight years was based on executive privilege.
President Obama is moving at lightning speed in a town that usually moves at a snail's pace. He wanted an emergency economic stimulus bill signed before his inauguration but was told by lawmakers it will take until February.
Here’s my question to you: Can President Obama really change the way business is done in Washington?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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