First Read : The First 100 Days

First thoughts: Six months in

Mark Murray — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:19:00 GMT

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg*** Six months in: Six months ago today, Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation’s 44th president. But it seems much longer ago than that, doesn’t it? Since that cold day in January, so much has happened: the legislative fight over the stimulus, the rescue from those Somali pirates, the budget battle, the president’s first European trip, the Obama vs. Cheney duel over national security, the Sotomayor nomination, the Cairo speech, the...(read more)

First 100 days: Last night’s newser

Domenico Montanaro — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:17:00 GMT

The AP’s lead on last night’s Obama news conference: ”President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. ‘In some cases, it may be harder,’ he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.”

The Boston Globe: "Marking the end of a feverish first 100 days in office, President Obama last night laid out his agenda for the rest of the year, pledging to forge ahead on a healthcare overhaul, promote energy independence, and revive the banking and auto industries. In a wide-ranging White House news conference that covered the flu pandemic, Taliban encroachment in Pakistan, and congressional politics, Obama touted his early accomplishments but warned that two of his biggest challenges -- achieving healthcare and energy policy reform -- still await him."

The Wall Street Journal: “President Barack Obama said he wants to get the government out of the private sector as fast as possible -- but that as long as his administration is acting as a major shareholder for large sectors of American commerce, from cars to finance, he won't hesitate to shape decisions at those firms.”

The New York Times: “President Obama said Wednesday that he was “gravely concerned” about the stability of the Pakistani government but that he was confident Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal would not fall into the hands of Islamic militants. Speaking at a prime-time news conference on his 100th day in office, Mr. Obama called the government in Pakistan, where army forces are at war with Taliban insurgents who have been advancing on Islamabad, “very fragile.” Pakistan’s leader … is to visit Washington next week, and American officials have been pressing his government to be more aggressive in battling the insurgency.”

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Obama's Day 100 at MO town hall

Domenico Montanaro — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:01:00 GMT

From NBC's Athena Jones

ARNOLD, Mo. -- President Obama marked the 100th day of his young presidency with an event here in the bluest of 2008's red states, taking stock of his accomplishments and the challenges ahead and fielding questions from a jam-packed high school gym.

Obama narrowly lost Missouri to John McCain -- by roughly 4,000 votes out of about three million cast -- making it the only true battleground he didn't win. He campaigned in the Show Me State just two days before Election Day, and today, he told the crowd of about 1,100 people here that he was glad to get out of Washington and come back to middle America "where common sense often reigns."

The president's own aides may be calling it a "Hallmark holiday," but that hasn't stopped them from trying to shape the narrative about this fledgling administration. Obama spent 22 minutes summarizing his first three-and-a-half months in office before opening it up to the floor.

"After 100 days, I'm pleased with the progress we've made, but I'm not satisfied," he said. "I'm confident in the future, but I'm not contenct with the present."

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Obama on 100: 'Not a miracle worker'

Domenico Montanaro — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:10:00 GMT

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro

President Obama said he is “pleased,” but not “satisfied” with what he and his administration have accomplished in his first 100 days while speaking at a town hall in Arnold, Mo.

“I'm not a miracle worker,” Obama declared, after saying he’s not "content" when workers are out of jobs, some don’t have health care and the U.S. is not leading the world in developing 21st Century solutions to energy.

He tried to buy himself some space, urging patience on solutions and reminding that he inherited these crises, which he said “were many years in the making” and that it’s going to take a while to overcome them.

“We've come a long way,” the president said. “We can see the light on the horizon, but we have a long journey ahead.”

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Sebelius takes lead role

Domenico Montanaro — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:49:00 GMT

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
So far, we've seen Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano out front of the swine flu outbreak.

But this morning, newly minted Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took a leading role with a news conference at the agency.

Sebelius, who was confirmed by the Senate last night 65-31, said it is an "honor" to take a leadership position at HHS, but credited the agency's continuing strategy that has been "underway for some time."

She introduced Dr. Richard E. Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, who broke news via a video that the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States have jumped to 91 in 10 states -- double the number of states previously reported by the CDC.

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First 100 days: The day finally arrives

Mark Murray — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:08:00 GMT

The New York Times uses the president's intervention into the auto industry as a case study of how he makes decisions. It's a worthy read. "For a new president, the automobile industry crisis has tested the boundaries of his activist approach and the acuity of his political instincts. As with so many issues in his action-packed 100 days in office, Mr. Obama confronted choices few of his predecessors encountered. His ongoing intervention in an iconic sector of the economy offers a case study in the education, management and decision-making of a fledgling president.”

“Tutored by veterans of past administrations, Mr. Obama, often after dinner with his wife and daughters, devoured briefing papers until midnight to master the intricacies of the auto industry. But he had advisers deal directly with the car companies and never spoke with the G.M. chief executive he effectively fired. Methodical and dispassionate, Mr. Obama aggravated powerful players in Congress and the unions that helped elect him, then moved to assuage them. He encouraged internal debate but was forced to head off tensions as his treasury secretary and White House economic adviser maneuvered for position. In the end, he struggled with the proper balance between government power and market forces, a theme that has defined his first months in office."

The Wall Street Journal’s Jerry Seib writes, “Some people have become a bit cynical about marking a new president's first 100 days, calling the milestone a kind of faux, Hallmark-card moment. Perhaps. But if ever there were 100 days worth marking, it would be those drawing to an end Wednesday. Consider what the country and its new president have been through.”

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Congress: Sebelius is confirmed

Mark Murray — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:07:00 GMT

Kathleen Sebelius was finally confirmed as HHS secretary last night. The vote was 65-31. The Hill: "Senate Republicans insisted on subjecting Sebelius to a 60-vote margin but Democrats got the result they wanted with votes to spare," The Hill writes. GOPers voting for her: Specter, Brownback, Roberts, Collins, Gregg, Lugar, Snowe and Voinovich....(read more)

Obama's high marks in NBC/WSJ poll

Mark Murray — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:17:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayHere's our take on the latest NBC/WSJ survey: WASHINGTON - As he enters his 100th day in office, President Barack Obama enjoys higher marks from the American public than his most recent predecessors did at similar points in their presidencies, according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. More than six in 10 approve of Obama's job, nearly two-thirds view him favorably, and a majority believe he has gotten off to a solid start during his first three months on...(read more)

NBC poll: 81% like Obama personally

Mark Murray — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:13:00 GMT

From NBC's Mark MurrayHere's another set of numbers we're releasing from our new NBC/WSJ poll: A combined 81% say they personally like President Obama, including 30% who say they like him but not his policies. Indeed, in a very long list of Obama's attributes in the poll, his highest scores are on matters of personality, demeanor, and leadership. Here are his highest scores from respondents (on a five-point scale) in descending order:-- 82% give him a 4 or 5 on his personality and the kind...(read more)

First 100 days: Polls, polls, polls

Domenico Montanaro — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:09:00 GMT

The latest New York Times/CBS poll: “Barack Obama’s presidency seems to be altering the public perception of race relations in the United States. Two-thirds of Americans now say race relations are generally good, and the percentage of blacks who say so has doubled since last July… Despite that, half of blacks still say whites have a better chance of getting ahead in American society.”

More: “Mr. Obama’s 68 percent job approval rating is higher than that of any recent president at the 100-day mark. Mr. Bush had the approval of 56 percent of the public at this juncture. But while Americans clearly have faith in Mr. Obama, the poll revealed something of a disconnect between what the public thinks the president has already accomplished and what it expects him to achieve. Fewer than half of those surveyed, 48 percent, said Mr. Obama had begun to make progress on one of his major campaign promises, changing the way business is conducted in Washington. And just 39 percent said he had begun to make progress on another major promise, cutting taxes for middle-class Americans, even though the stimulus bill he signed into law does include a middle class tax cut.”

The new CNN poll: “The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll … indicates that 63 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling his duties as president. One in three questioned in the poll disapprove. Democrats overwhelmingly approve of how Obama is handling his job as president; 61 percent of independents agree. Only 28 percent of Republicans say the president is doing a good job in office.”

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