thirsting for change: obama’s first 100 days

ThirsTing for change Obama’s First 100 Days

I PS -DC.ORG

InstItute for PolIcy studIes (iPs-DC.Org) strengthens social movements with

independent research, visionary thinking, and links to the grassroots, scholars and elected officials. Since 1963

it has empowered people to build healthy and democratic societies in communities, the United States, and the

world.

Mandate for change (manDate4Change.Org) aims to strengthen the Obama

administration at a time when the need for progressive policies — and appointing progressive people to lead

such efforts — is most urgent.

I PS -DC.ORG

about the authorsChester Hartman is an associate fellow at IPS

and the founding Executive Director of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council.

John Feffer is the codirector of the Foreign Policy In Focus project at the Institute for Policy Studies.

acknowledgMentsErik Leaver for editing and coordinating the report.

Nate Kerksick for design and layout.

Devin West, Mary Tharin, and Alex LaBue for assistance.

Financial support: Wallace Global Fund

Contact: Institute for Policy Studies

Tel: 202 234 9382 x 227

Email: [email protected]

1112 16th St. NW, Suite 600

Washington, DC 20036

http://www.ips-dc.org

contents

I. IntroductIon ................................................................................................ 3

inaugural aDDress ........................................................................................5

Climate ................................................................................................................5

health Care ....................................................................................................8

eDuCatiOn ....................................................................................................... 10

II. doMestIc PolIcy rePort ....................................................................... 13

POverty ................................................................................................................... 18

hOmelessness ...................................................................................................20

Drugs ........................................................................................................................ 22

inequality ............................................................................................................24

tax POliCy ............................................................................................................ 26

raCe ........................................................................................................................... 28

WOmen’s rights ...............................................................................................30

agriCulture ....................................................................................................... 32

labOr ........................................................................................................................34

OPen gOvernment ........................................................................................36

lOCal DemOCraCy .........................................................................................38

III. foreIgn PolIcy rePort ........................................................................41

aFghanistan ......................................................................................................46

iraq .............................................................................................................................48

COunterterrOrism ......................................................................................50

nuClear .................................................................................................................. 52

military sPenDing .........................................................................................54

traDe anD glObalizatiOn .....................................................................56

human rights .................................................................................................... 58

glObal envirOnment .................................................................................60

aFriCa .......................................................................................................................62

asia .............................................................................................................................64

miDDle east .........................................................................................................66

latin ameriCa ....................................................................................................68

IV. author bIos ...............................................................................................71

IntroductIon

3

the world cheered his victory. The new president

takes office with a mandate for change. But has the

new U.S. president offered the change necessary to

confront the multiple new threats that assail America

and the globe? Or has he only addressed the tip of

the iceberg?

It is difficult to evaluate an administration after only

100 days. George W. Bush, who ended his two terms

with one of the lowest grades of any U.S. president,

received quite positive evaluations after his first three

months in office. The Obama team is still bringing

people on board and identifying its priorities. Still,

the crises facing the United States and the world

require immediate and comprehensive action. And,

as no less an authority as Aristotle once put it, well

begun is half done.

In our book Mandate for Change, we lay out a de-

tailed, progressive agenda for repairing the damage

of the last decade and rebuilding America’s capabili-

The United States is facing the largest economic

crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Un-

employment rates are soaring, people are losing their

houses, and the social safety net is too weak to catch

everyone from slipping into poverty. Meanwhile, on

the global front, the United States faces the threat of

climate change, nuclear proliferation, and diminish-

ing sources of energy to fuel the economy. We are

bogged down in wars abroad and losing the war on

poverty at home.

Anyone who wants to lead the United States at such

a time must be either crazy or very, very confident.

Barack Obama, who comes into office at this peril-

ous moment for his country and for the world,

certainly falls into the second category. During

the presidential campaign, he promised sweeping

changes. Since taking office in January, he has

quickly assembled his administrative team, given

several authoritative addresses to the nation, and

acted very decisively on several fronts. Rolling back

many of the policies of the Bush administration,

the new president has embraced a nuclear abolition

agenda, changed U.S. approach to counterterror-

ism, announced the withdrawal of troops from Iraq,

introduced several large domestic spending packages,

and promised a great deal more.

Many U.S. progressives worked hard to get Barack

Obama elected. And many progressives around

manDate FOr Change gradIng the fIrst 100 days

IntroductIon by John feffer

oVerall

7 Obama scores high on

rhetoric; on action, the

review is mixed.

thirsting FOr Change: obaMa’s fIrst 100 days

4

The president scored high marks for his rhetoric.

At the level of action, however, the record so far

is mixed. In general, the Obama administration

has acted cautiously in its foreign policy even as it

has moved quickly to institute some far-reaching

changes at home.

In our overall evaluation of the first 100 days, we

gave the administration a score of 7. In other words,

President Obama has certainly raised the level of

U.S. foreign and domestic policy. But honestly it

wouldn’t have taken much to improve on the legacy

left by the previous administration. We’re still a long

way off from reaching the top and earning a whole-

hearted “cheers” from our Change Index contributors.

ties at home and reputation abroad. Beginning with

this report on the first 100 days, we will track the

administration’s progress in meeting this ambitious

agenda.

This report will inaugurate our Change Index. Every

administration promises great change and must

deal with the messes created by its predecessor. Our

Change Index represents the administration’s record

as a glass of water. It starts out with the water level at

halfway. Whether the glass is half full or half empty

depends on your perspective. We have asked 35 con-

tributors to evaluate the administration on several

dozen issues according to a variety of indicators in-

cluding appointments, executive orders, legislation,

budgetary actions, and so forth. They scored the

administration’s policies on a scale of 1 to 10, with 5

representing no change.

IntroductIon

5

Inaugural hIghlIghts

clIMateby betsy taylor, 1sky

The Bush White House placed its blind faith and

taxpayer subsidies in big oil, gas, and nuclear com-

panies. The Obama administration, in contrast,

enthusiastically communicated a vision of a clean-

energy revolution that will create five million green

jobs, increase energy independence, and protect the

climate.

This White House has done more to advance the

cause of energy efficiency, renewable energy, green

jobs, and action on climate change in its first 100

days than all the combined actions by local and

state governments over the past 20 years. President

Obama has done this in the context of a global

economic meltdown and despite intense opposition

from fossil fuel companies. He deserves our gratitude

and support.

And yet, despite this exceptional performance, the

president must do more. This isn't an ideological

demand; it's a geologic imperative. When it comes

to climate change, any hint of gradualism (and there

are some recent worrisome signals coming from the

administration) must be challenged. But first the

good news.

In his first 100 days, the president took a series of

extraordinary actions:

He appointed a dream team of energy and •

environmental scientists, regulators, and politi-

cal operatives, most notably Stephen Chu at the

Department of Energy, Lisa Jackson at the Envi-

ronmental Protection Agency, Jane Lubchenco,

Administrator of NOAA, John Holdren as sci-

ence adviser, Ken Salazar at the Department of

Interior, and Carol Browner as the White House

energy and climate czar.

He passed the American Recovery and Rein-•

vestment Act, which contains an estimated $43

billion for direct energy and efficiency programs,

energy-related tax provisions of more than $20

billion supporting renewable energy, and $500

9 Dramatic change in

direction and strong

commitment to green

energy in the stimulus

package.

oVerall


6

million for green job training. This package also

includes funds for low-income home weatheriza-

tion programs. The bill contains $11 billion for

smart-grid technology, including $4.5 billion

for a federal matching grant program to invest

in smart-technology projects. Notably, the bill

didn't include a loan guarantee package backed

by fossil fuel companies that would have handed

$50 billion to the coal and nuclear industries.

He strongly supported California’s tough •

fuel efficiency standards and also directed the

Environmental Protection Agency to issue a

finding on whether the EPA should regulate

greenhouse gases. That finding was released in

mid-April, when the EPA unequivocally asserted

that greenhouse gases endanger public health

and welfare, and must be regulated. This enables

stronger EPA regulation, possible shutdown of

coal-fired power plants, and a regulatory stick

for pushing reluctant lawmakers and industries

toward support of climate legislation.

He traveled to Europe, Mexico, and Trini-•

dad for meetings with leaders from around the

world, and in each venue called for a global

commitment to clean energy, green jobs, and

action on climate change.

This administration has arrived just in time. As we

celebrate this magnificent momentum, we must

also consider what has happened in these past 100

days, not in the political domain but in the geologic

world:

On January 30, 2009, a group of prominent •

marine biologists from around the world issued

a statement indicating that ocean acidification

may result in the death of most coral reefs by

2050 if atmospheric CO2 levels continue to

increase. This could lead to the collapse of global

commercial fish stocks, threaten food security

for hundreds of millions of people, and kill off a

multibillion-dollar fishing industry.

On February 16, Chris Field, director of •

the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global

Ecology and a prominent leader of the Nobel

Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change, reported that global warming

gases in the atmosphere are rising more rapidly

than expected. He warned that Arctic warming

is expected to speed up the decay of plant matter

and that melting permafrost could release vast

amounts of new climate altering gases. “There

are about 1,000 billion tons of carbon in these

soils,” says Field. “When you consider that the

total amount of carbon released from fossil fuels

Flickr photo by rasmithuk, under a Creative Commons license.

IntroductIon

7

since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution

is around 350 billion tons, the implications for

global climate are staggering.”

On February 25, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-•

CA) gathered some of the world’s preeminent

climate scientists, and they warned of droughts

that could reduce the American Southwest to a

wasteland, and heat waves that could make life

impossible even in northern cities — potentially

in our lifetimes.

On April 3, a new study was released by the •

Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-

istration predicting that Arctic sea ice is melting

so fast that most of it could be gone in 30 years.

Summer ice in the Arctic may be gone as soon

as 2013.

On April, 5, 2009, an ice-bridge linking a •

shelf of ice the size of Jamaica to two islands in

Antarctica unexpectedly collapsed. Scientists say

this could mean the Wilkins Ice Shelf (which is

the size of Scotland) is on the brink of breaking

away, and provides further evidence of rapid

change in the region.

The president needs an “all hands on deck” approach

to our energy future. In his April 14 keynote ad-

dress on the economy, Obama called for a “gradual”

cap-and-trade program. His senior advisers have

tempered their calls for climate action, seeming

intent on early compromises on critical issues, such

as whether to auction or give away pollution permits

to heavy industry. They have set modest rather than

aggressive targets for short-term CO2 reductions,

potentially jeopardizing successful climate negotia-

tions in Copenhagen later this year. And the United

States has not yet sufficiently stepped up to help

with critical financing for clean-tech transfer, global

forest protection, and adaptation in the developing

world.

These early compromises may ultimately help move

a bill through Congress, but, ominously, one with

so many loopholes that it may not do much in the

short term to reduce carbon emissions or spark

action by China, India, and other nations. The presi-

dent must keep his eye on the ball. We must reduce

carbon emissions deeply and quickly. Period.

We are extraordinarily fortunate to have a president

with the vision, courage, and obvious intellectual

brilliance to lead us toward the promise of a global

green deal with development that lifts people out of

poverty while sustaining our natural world. He must

resist the Beltway-insider calls for moderation, as

well as those who say a price on carbon is too costly

to the economy. This is physics versus politics, and

since we can’t change the physics, it's time to change

the politics. Obama campaigned on "change;" so far,

he's coming through on climate.


8

coverage, whereas the version that passed the House

overwhelmingly in 2007 did not. Third, he did it

with lightning speed, being clear that SCHIP was

essentially unfinished congressional business, not

systematic health reform.

Then, in his jobs and economic recovery legisla-

tion, he committed $140 billion to health care,

including $87 billion to help states pay the cost of

Medicaid, which provides medical care for the poor

and disabled; and billions more to help unemployed

Americans pay for private insurance and put medi-

cal records online, a move that down the road will

improve patient care and save considerable sums.

The jobs and economic recovery package was the

second step toward quality, affordable health care for

all Americans.

Then, and most importantly, he turned the tables on

the health care debate by proposing a $634 billion

“health care reserve fund” in his 2010 budget. For

the first time, a president said to Congress, “I’ll take

the heat for the money, now you give me a program

health careJeff bluM, usactIon

The year 2009 should go down in history as the year

that the United States finally joins the rest of the

industrialized world and guarantees every American

high quality, affordable health care. Although much

work remains to be done for health care legislation

to be enacted later this year, three key advances al-

ready are taking us down the road of comprehensive

health care reform, even as President Obama marks

his 100th day in office.

That health care is such a priority should surprise no

one; in October, two-thirds of Obama’s campaign

advertising dollars were spent on the issue of health

care — an issue that was prominent in the collective

mind of the country even before economic crisis

added millions of people to the rolls of the under-

and uninsured.

One of the first bills he pushed through Congress

was for a $32.8 billion expansion of the State

Children’s Health Insurance Program, SCHIP,

extending the program for 7 million children whose

benefits were set to expire and expanding it to

cover 4 million children currently without cover-

age. Three things stand out about this bill’s speedy

passage, signed into law on just the 15th day of his

presidency. First, he raised taxes to pay for services

whose primary beneficiaries are low-income work-

ing families. Second, he included all citizens in the

Building a plan for

comprehensive health

care, providing funding,

and building political

capital to make it real.

oVerall

10

IntroductIon

9

and support the funding to pay for it.” Equally im-

pressive, he proposed two roughly equal progressive

sources of funding — raising revenues on wealthy

Americans, and squeezing waste out of the health

insurance system itself.

Finally, he has put forward the essential building

blocks of a national system that can do all the things

we need:

Bring affordable care to all, under-insured •

and uninsured alike;

Expand quality initiatives that will move •

our system in the direction of promoting and

protecting health, not just treating disease;

Bring down the overall cost of health care •

in ways that will promote American economic

growth and security in a globalized world, while

reducing the differential burden of health care

felt by unionized vs. non-union companies. One

of the main ways to do this is to make a high-

quality public health care plan an option for

every American individual and business. This is

the critical building-block for a more simplified,

efficient, accountable system over the long run.

As important as Obama’s leadership has been in tak-

ing these first steps, it’s worth recalling what Frank-

lin Delano Roosevelt once said to a group of people

urging him to take action: “I agree with you, I want

to do it, now make me do it.”

Flickr photo by bright strangely, under a Creative Commons license.


10

educatIonglorIa ladson-bIllIngs unIVersIty of wIsconsIn-MadIson

Now that the glow of the election and inauguration

has faded, the hard work of governing reminds us

that no administration, no matter how popular,

can avoid obstacles to its policymaking and imple-

mentation. The fact that the Obama administration

continues to identify education among its priorities

is encouraging. However, those good intentions may

not turn into reality in the short term. The lingering

economic downturn that has resulted in the deepest

recession since the 1940s is more than cyclical; it's

structural. Thus, rather than merely trying to jump-

start the economy, this administration must remake

a number of systems to create greater transparency

and regulatory responses.

In addition to the dismal economic situation, the

United States remains embroiled in two wars in Iraq

and Afghanistan. These events reduce optimism

about education finding a place on the administra-

tion’s docket. However, President Barack Obama has

pleasantly surprised education professionals with a

series of proposals to improve education.

On March 10, 2009, just 50 days after taking office,

Obama addressed the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of

Commerce to urge a revamping of the U.S. public

education system from “cradle to career.” The specif-

ics of these changes include the following:

An additional $5 billion for Head Start in •

the $787 billion stimulus package;

A proposal to offer $55,000 to first-time •

parents to have regular visits from trained

nurses, to make sure their children are healthy

and able to benefit from schooling;

Plans to increase federal support in the form •

of “Early Learning Challenge” grants to states

that develop plans to strengthen early education

programs;

A call for higher and clearer state standards •

for teaching and learning;

A pledge to fund investment in innovation •

as a part of the “No Child Left Behind” initia-

tive of the previous administration;

Federal money in the stimulus package to •

prevent teacher layoffs;

A promise to support merit pay, as well as •

extra pay for mathematics and science teachers,

in order to end shortages in those subject areas;

8 Education funding in

the stimulus suggests

forward thinking about

education.

oVerall

IntroductIon

11

A call for “innovation and excellence” •

through increasing the number of charter

schools;

A promise to increase college access by rais-•

ing the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,500 a

year (and indexing it above inflation);

A push to provide $2,500 a year tuition tax •

credit for students from working families.

This is an ambitious agenda, and the biggest fly in

the education policy and implementation ointment

is that the Department of Education continues to

be unstaffed in a number of key positions. Thus,

the actual work of changing these policies will take

considerable time. Some educators see the selection

of Arne Duncan as a nod toward a more corporate

model of education rather than a respect for the

increasing body of knowledge on teaching, learning,

and school leadership that is emerging from learning

theory, policy, and administrative literatures. Howev-

er, the Duncan selection could be a good public rela-

tions move, wherein the general public appreciates

the appointment of a big-city school superintendent

who is a close friend to the president as a signal that

education will indeed receive a fair hearing.

The greatest concerns with the priorities laid out

in the March address are about merit pay, charter

schools, and alternative teacher certification. In

general, the idea to provide more incentives to

good teachers is an excellent one. However, the

complications of the enterprise are such that we have

to consider who in the current system is capable of

truly judging merit. Should this be a judgment made

by administrators and test scores, or could there be a

more robust assessment of teachers that includes peer

review? And is pay the only possible incentive? Of

course teachers want to be adequately compensated,

but there are additional perks that could be given,

such as university credit, time, leadership opportuni-

ties, and teacher exchanges.

Second, the issue of charter schools is a concern be-

cause they vary so widely in emphasis and effective-

ness. Just calling a school a charter does not make

it excellent. In some cases, the creation of charter

schools has created the same school segregation gen-

erations of people fought to dismantle. Thus, while

charter schools can bring innovation we would ex-

pect that school districts, states, and the Department

of Education place them under increased scrutiny

to ensure that students are receiving a higher quality

of education than they could at their local public

school.

Finally, the issue of teacher certification (which was

not specifically called for in the March address but

has been mentioned by Secretary Duncan and For-

mer House Speaker Newt Gingrich) is worrisome.

Flickr photo by barnabywasson, under a Creative Commons license.


12

The wholesale embrace of a specific alternative—

Teach for America — is puzzling because the evi-

dence doesn't support its claims of effectiveness. The

data suggest that Teach for America program teach-

ers are performing (in terms of student outcomes)

at the same level as unqualified teachers. In no other

profession would this be a mandate to expand. We

must raise the public regard for teachers and their

professionalism. Yes, we need to find multiple paths

for helping knowledgeable and willing people to

enter teaching, but this doesn't mean the only thing

poor children, particularly poor children of color, are

entitled to are well-intentioned missionaries. They

need expert teachers who are committed to their

success.

At this juncture in the administration the air of

optimism and hope remain, and we want to give

President Obama a fair chance to make good on

his promises. We also want to remind the electorate

that its role didn't evaporate with the counting of

the votes. This may be one of the more participatory

administrations we have seen in some time, and

we must do our part at every level — local, state,

national, and international.

doMestIc PolIcy

13

In the wake of the Recovery Act, Obama put for-

ward his budget request, which has many positives

and many negatives. On the plus side, the budget

finally opens the door to higher taxes on the very

doMestIc POliCy

At various points over the first 100 days of the

Obama administration, domestic media and political

attention focused heavily on the economic stimulus

package and the budget.

Specifically there has been a lot of attention paid

to the mortgage meltdown and consequent fore-

closures, which caused displacement of thousands

of both homeowners and renters. Of course it will

be awhile until we can ascertain the longer-range

impacts of measures taken to deal with this wide

range of issues. And many of these domestic issues

are linked: job loss leads to foreclosures and loss of

health care; sudden forced displacement damages

children’s education; joblessness can produce criminal

behavior, etc.

Obama started his presidency with great success, as

he worked with Congress to craft and pass the huge

(close to $800 billion) Recovery Act within four

weeks of his inauguration. The bill provides critical

relief to people in distress (through more money for

food stamps, food banks, unemployment insurance,

and Medicare) and it will create a lot of new jobs,

many of them "green jobs." The big tension to

watch is how the administration tempers the pres-

sure to get the money out quickly, which will favor

traditional funding routes that favor white commu-

nities, with the need to target a lot of the money to

people of color and those who are most vulnerable.

IntroductIon by chester hartMan

doMestIc aVg.

doMestIc PolIcy

Topic Score Topic Score

Climate 9 Tax Policy 7

Health Care 10 Racial Equality 6

Education 8 Women’s Rights 7

Poverty 9 Agriculture 7

Homelessness 8 Labor Rights 7

Drug Policy 8 Open Government 7

Inequality 6 Local Democracy 6

Average 7.4

Cautious optimism

through troubled waters

7.4

14


Gilded Age. The president supports passage of the

Employee Free Choice Act but hasn't spoken out

against recent serious attempts to undermine its

effects through damaging amendments. Passage of

this act, unweakened, can bring about higher wages

and needed medical, retirement, and other benefits

for millions of workers as a product of strong

unionization.

Reinstituting a truly progressive income tax system

can both provide additional government revenue to

support a range of anti-poverty programs and reduce

current levels of inequality.

The administration needs to do more to acknowledge

the importance of these steps.

wealthy and it suggests cutting a number of obsolete

weapons programs. On the negative side, it actually

would increase defense spending, and the tax code it

recommends is still far from fair.

As is inevitable, appointments to high places pro-

duce mixed reactions. It's disturbing that so many

key economic advisors and appointees derive from

the very actors that created the present economic

miasma. In other domestic areas — housing/urban

development, labor, interior, environment, justice,

energy, education, to name some — appointments

have been imaginative and progressive. At least

on the promise level, access and accountability are

in the offing. We sincerely hope that the destruc-

tive policies of the former administration will be

reversed.

The three areas the president stressed in his February

24 message to Congress were education, health, and

climate change. Beyond these, there are three other

key domestic issues. Our evaluation is as follows:

reducIng PoVerty and endIng current leVels of extreMe InequalIty

Here, job creation is essential, and our hope is that

the economic stimulus package — particularly the

president's emphasis on green jobs — will begin the

process of lowering the nation's totally unacceptable

level of poverty and begin to close the equally unac-

ceptable vast inequality gap — the largest since the

Photo Credit: Mandate for Change

doMestIc PolIcy

15

funds for food, medical care, transportation, child

care, and other necessities. A high proportion of

those families have more than one of these problems.

For some, their plight is outright homelessness — a

situation nothing short of obscene in 21st-century

America. The administration has said and done all

too little about this basic social problem.

We need the administration to come up with pro-

grams to meet the National Housing Goal — passed

by Congress in 1949 — of "a decent home and suit-

able living environment for every American family."

housIng

The housing issue has obviously been prominent,

almost exclusively as a result of the mortgage crisis

and extraordinarily high rates of foreclosure. The

administration must do more to ensure that renters

as well as homeowners are not forced to move, with

all the damage that does to families. Moving all too

often means moving to substandard quarters and

even homelessness.

But the nation's housing problems extend well

beyond the recent mortgage/foreclosure issues. Some

one-third of the nation still is ill-housed — echo-

ing FDR's lament in his second inaugural address

in 1937. Tens of millions of American families are

living in housing that is physically substandard,

overcrowded, or in derelict neighborhoods. And

many families are forced to pay half or more of their

income for their housing — leaving insufficient

achIeVeMents &

1) Pushing through a sizable stimulus package

2) Signing into law a bill on health care for chil-

dren that the Bush administration twice vetoed

3) Significant investments into green jobs and

clean technologies

dIsaPPoIntMents

1) Financial bailout has put taxpayers on the line

for mega-billions while failing to jump start lending.

2) Waiving the stricter rules on the appointment

of corporate lobbyists (such as the appointment

of Raytheon’s William Lynn at the Pentagon)

3) Reluctance to confront structural racism,

exemplified by refusal to participate in United Na-

tions conference on racism in Geneva.

16


racIsM

We understand President Obama's dilemma: He

wants and needs to be president for all Americans.

But we will never achieve true democracy until we

acknowledge the ways in which racial hierarchies

and racism are structured into every important facet

of our lives, individually and collectively: our health

system, our job structure, our criminal justice sys-

tem, our housing and consequently school patterns.

Obama did bring out this essential truth in his great

Philadelphia speech. But now that he is president, he

must follow up as the nation's teacher and put for-

ward ideas, policies and programs — not only at the

federal level, but for states, cities, and the private sec-

tor — to tear down these structural barriers and bring

to fruition a truly egalitarian, democratic America.

Finally, we would like to see the president add

more of the USA to his travels, taking with him key

members of Congress from both parties and relevant

cabinet members. His international trips have been

extraordinarily successful, and his (and his family’s)

presence around his home city is a real turn-on for

those living in Washington, DC. Adding visits to

New Orleans, Sacramento’s tent city for the homeless,

Detroit’s sagging auto plants, the comeback borough

of The Bronx, Texas’ border colonias, and Baltimore’s

failing schools would go a long way to focus needed

public and political attention on all that needs to be

done at home. These visits could re-stimulate Barack

Obama’s past as a community organizer, so that we

get the kind of specific policies and programs detailed

in each of the 47 chapters in Mandate for Change that

deals with major domestic issues.

doMestIc PolIcy

17

doMestIc POliCy rePort cards

doMestIc rePort

POverty ................................................................................................................... 18

hOmelessness ...................................................................................................20

Drugs ........................................................................................................................ 22

inequality ............................................................................................................24

tax POliCy ............................................................................................................ 26

raCe ........................................................................................................................... 28

WOmen’s rights ...............................................................................................30

agriCulture ....................................................................................................... 32

labOr ........................................................................................................................34

OPen gOvernment ........................................................................................36

lOCal DemOCraCy .........................................................................................38

18


MeasurIng PoVertyby Peter edelMan

executIVe orders

-The stimulus package has created

immense investment funds, as

well as an expansion of programs

and assistance to vulnerable people. This

includes a significant increase from reforming

the unemployment compensation system. The

stimulus package and the budget include items

that will be beneficial for low-income people.

legIslatIon

This is covered above in the legis-

lation section.

sPendIng

oVerall

9

The Obama administration hasn’t

publicized in detail the extent of the

steps it has taken or proposed that are

helpful for low-income people.

coMMunIcatIons

7

The people appointed to signifi-

cant positions in Obama’s cabinet

and the White House whose

responsibilities include issues regarding low-

income people are extremely impressive. These

appointments include people such as Arne

Duncan and Melody Barnes.

aPPoIntMents

10

10

10

doMestIc PolIcy

19

The administration’s achievements

and proposals with regard to low-

income people will be cost-effective.

These include programs such as the Earned

Income Tax Credit, the child credit, and unem-

ployment reform.

cost / regulatIon

9The Recovery Act and budget contain

significant items that will have the

effect of raising income at the bottom

and causing the wealthiest people to contribute

a fairer portion of their responsibility to our

society.

econoMIc equIty

9

Strengthening the economic position

of low-income people will enable

them to participate more fully in our

democracy, but the administration has been

less communicative than it might have been

in calling attention to his achievements and

proposals in this area.

deMocracy / transParency

8

The administration’s proposals for

green jobs appear to have positive

implication for low-income people,

but the extent of this isn’t entirely clear.

green / enVIronMent

6 The administration’s achievements

and proposals thus far contribute

extensively to human dignity and hu-

man rights in the United States.

huMan dIgnIty / huMan rIghts

9

20


MeasurIng hoMelessnessby MarIa foscarInIs

executIVe orders

-The stimulus provides $1.5 billion in

funding for new homeless re-housing

programs. Smaller amounts were al-

located for ameliorating homelessness. But this

will only provide, at most, 18 months of rental

support; longer term assistance is needed, with

greater levels of funding.

legIslatIon

8

See above comments regarding the

stimulus — still waiting to see details

of the budget request.

sPendIng

8

oVerall

8

During a prime-time press confer-

ence Obama responded to a question

about homeless children by saying

he’d like to see a changed national attitude, rec-

ognizing that homelessness is unacceptable, a

presidential first in over 20 years. This is pretty

close to change we can believe in.

coMMunIcatIons

9

Shaun Donovan was a very good

choice for HUD secretary: He has

knowledge of and commitment to

low-income housing and homelessness. But

an Interagency Council appointment is still

outstanding, whether it’s the current director or

a new appointee.

aPPoIntMents

8

doMestIc PolIcy

21

cost / regulatIon

-Stimulus funding for homeless

prevention was an important step,

showing receptiveness to some of the

recommendations of a national homelessness

advocacy coalition. But with new increases

in homelessness, it’s not enough. And HUD’s

oversight of housing provisions in the 2006

Violence Against Women Act is lax.

econoMIc equIty

7


-

green / enVIronMent

- Obama hasn’t yet framed homeless-

ness as a human-rights issue.


6

22


MeasurIng drug PolIcyby sanho tree

Obama has come through on his

promise to support needle-exchange

programs and has taken steps to ban

medical marijuana raids. However, his commit-

ment to harm reduction policy isn’t at the same

level as most leaders of the European Union.

executIVe orders

8legIslatIon

-

sPendIng

-

oVerall

8

Most of Obama’s drug policy

changes have been done under the

radar, which is smart considering

their highly controversial nature. However, in

the incident with the online poll and public

press conference, when marijuana policy was

brought up as a top issue by the American

public, Obama was rather dismissive.

coMMunIcatIons

7

Obama’s pick of Gil Kerlikowske

as drug czar was inspired. As police

chief in Seattle, Kerlikowske was on

the cutting edge of drug reform in the United

States.

aPPoIntMents

8

doMestIc PolIcy

23

Obama has moved to cut back on

costly, ineffective drug initiatives.

However, he has not yet made any

changes to the drug war bureaucracy, which

costs the federal government approximately

$23 billion per year.

cost / regulatIon

7Obama has emphasized alternative

development policies in Colombia to

replace strict eradication, but hasn’t

submitted any concrete proposals as of yet.

econoMIc equIty

6


-

The administration has indicated a

desire to shift away from the failed

aerial fumigation policy which has

scorched millions of acres of both legal and

illicit crops in Colombia.

green / enVIronMent

7 Obama had blocked the Colombia

FTA because of human rights viola-

tions, and has indicated that he cares

deeply about these issues, however, negotiations

have recently resumed.


8

24


MeasurIng InequalItyby saM PIzzIgatI

Obama announced a $500,000 cap

on executive pay but it didn’t apply

to most enterprises getting bailout

dollars. And even “capped” bankers could still

eventually pocket millions in stock awards. The

Washington Post revealed that Treasury was cir-

cumventing the pay restrictions that had passed

in Congress.

4The economic stimulus package

includes a series of meaningful limits

on bailout-related executive pay.

But the best pay-limit provisions came from

lawmakers, not the administration, and Trea-

sury Secretary Geithner, in negotiations with

Capitol Hill, pressed to weaken the pay-limit

legislative language.

6

The White House budget actually

calls for stiffer taxes on the nation’s

rich than the Obama campaign tax

plan. The welcome new addition to the Obama

tax agenda: a new limit on the deductions the

rich can claim off their taxes.

7

oVerall

6

Obama and his administration

have consistently linked the con-

centration of income and wealth

to our nation’s economic ill-health, most nota-

bly in the budget narrative. The budget holds

the rich and powerful responsible for making

the “ladder into the middle class and beyond”

ever “harder and harder to climb.”

Only one of the key economic posi-

tions in the administration has gone

to a veteran advocate of policies that

can counter America’s growing concentration

of income and wealth, Jared Bernstein. Most

of the other picks, most notably Treasury Sec-

retary Timothy Geithner, have long histories

carrying Wall Street’s water.

aPPoIntMents

5

10

executIVe orderslegIslatIon

sPendIng coMMunIcatIons

doMestIc PolIcy

25

-The administration has championed

greater equity as a core American

value. In the inaugural address

Obama stated “a nation cannot prosper long

when it favors only the prosperous.” But actual

proposals and behaviors have not caught up

with the spirit of equity the administration has

radiated.

7

The Treasury Department’s ongo-

ing, behind-the-scenes attempts to

weaken and end-run bailout limits on

executive pay have not been consistent with the

administration’s overall commitment to open

and transparent government.

2

- -

cost / regulatIoneconoMIc equIty


green / enVIronMent huMan dIgnIty / huMan rIghts

26


MeasurIng tax PolIcyby chuck collIns

-Obama campaigned on significant

changes, many of which are included

in his budget. For example, President

Obama and his wife earned $2.73 million

last year and paid $855,323 in federal taxes,

an amount that would be higher by about

$102,000 if his budget plan were in effect, as

reported by Bloomberg News.

7

The administration is talking about

real tax increases and has sent good

proposals to Congress. 7

oVerall

7

Instead of shying away from discus-

sion about taxes, Obama has used the

presidential bully pulpit to talk about

the rationale for taxes.

8

Few appointments have been made for

those in charge of tax policy. Obama

loses points as many of his cabinet-

level appointments, most notably Tom Daschle

but also Timothy Geithner, Kathleen Sebelius,

and Hilda Solis all had problems with failure to

pay their taxes.

5



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

27

Given the immense deficits and

neglect of social structure spending,

much more can be done to raise

government revenues. According to a new Tax

Day report by IPS, if the top 400 taxpayers of

2006 had paid taxes at 1955 rates, the Federal

Treasury would have collected an additional

$35.9 billion in revenue.

5Communications around economic

inequality have been backed up by

proposals to shift the disparities

between rich and poor. Implementing the tax-

haven abuse act and the progressive estate tax

are important contributions to shrinking the

income gap. Yet, a more progressive estate tax

is needed.

7

Recovery.gov and other oversight

mechanisms are raising oversight to a

whole new level.9

The new cap-and-dividend plan in

the budget sets the stage for a greener

tax policy.7 Over the last 30 years, the tax bur-

den has shifted off wealth and onto

wages, off the federal tax system and

onto the regressive tax systems of states and

localities. Obama’s budget and tax plan seeks to

address this growing gap.

8




28


MeasurIng racIal equalItyby bIll fletcher and dedrIck MuhaMMad

Establishing the White House Office

of Urban Affairs is a positive step in

the long run, but the appointment of

Adolfo Carrion as director is a weak offering

to inner city communities that have been dis-

enfranchised for generations. Continuing the

faith-based initiatives offer the same band-aid

solutions to critical injuries.

6The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act pro-

vides an opportunity for those who

have faced pay discrimination. The

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is

a good example of legislation that is more fo-

cused on making political rather than practical

progress in dealing with an economic crisis that

is devastating to the middle and working class.

6

There haven’t been any administra-

tion initiatives specifically targeting

race, except for the stimulus package.

The fact that about $8 trillion dollars has gone

to bail out the financial sector – compared to

$700 billion going to the real economy with

half going to tax cuts of little practical signifi-

cance – brings down the score.

6

oVerall

6

President Obama has more effectively

embodied the symbolism of change

than any presidential candidate

since Rev. Jesse Jackson’s run in 1988 and has

utilized modern technology very effectively.

Holder has been very powerful rhetorically;

however there has not been a lot of substance.

6

Cabinet appointments have been av-

erage, not a substantial improvement

from the Clinton era. However Erik

Holder’s appointment and comments on race

have been very good.

6



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

29

There have been positive outlines

of stronger financial regulations but

little concrete action.7

Obama’s rhetoric around spreading

the wealth and strengthening an

economy from the bottom up is a

major departure from Bush. Obama has also

promised to allow the Bush tax cuts, which

disproportionately benefited the rich, to end in

2010 or 2011.

6

Obama’s budget is more transparent

than past budgets and is utilizing the

web well to highlight what has been

done. During the campaign, there was also a

large increase in non-traditional voters.

7

Obama has put in environmentally

friendly aspects to the American Re-

covery and Reinvestment Act as well

as in the outline of his first budget.

6 Signing an order to close Guan-

tánamo Bay detention center was an

important symbolic first action.6




30


MeasurIng woMen’s rIghtsby kIM gandy

Obama repealed the Global Gag Rule,

restored international family planning

aid, acted to rescind Bush’s health care

refusal rule, and created the Council on Women

and Girls. His Middle Class Task Force takes on

important work and family issues. But only the

Faith-Based Initiative is publicly charged with

addressing abortion and family planning.

8Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter

Fair Pay Act and the reauthorization

of the State Children’s Health Insur-

ance Program, including important provisions

for lawfully present immigrant children and

pregnant women. Stimulus programs targeting

education and healthcare jobs will help balance

mostly-male oriented “shovel-ready” projects.

8

Affordable birth control for campus

and low-income health clinics was re-

stored. The Medicaid Family Planning

State Option is now in the 2010 budget, but

only after pressure from advocates. The budget

also funds comprehensive, age-appropriate and

medically-accurate sex education, but doesn’t cut

much from discredited abstinence-only programs.

7

oVerall

7

President Obama has been vocal about

the importance of women’s rights, al-

though the new White House Council

on Women and Girls has yet to begin its work.

Economic Justice, violence against women, and

exploitation of women in the media are areas

where communicating his commitment would

have an impact and set an example.

7

Appointments of women have been

high-quality, but far short of gender

parity. Of the 16 cabinet positions,

only four were filled by women — although

all are top choices. If you count all high-level

presidential positions, appointments so far are

about 32 percent are women.

6



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

31

There has been enormous focus on

the recovery plan, as there should be,

but the administration must quickly

halt all funding for misleading and ineffective

abstinence-only education, as well as so-called

Faith-Based Initiatives that lack meaningful

restrictions against discrimination and prosely-

tizing.

6The first piece of legislation President

Obama signed into law was the

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. He has

indicated that he will champion and sign ad-

ditional legislation necessary to ensure equal

pay for women. Welfare reform is up next, and

much more. We have a long way to go, but the

president is off to a great start.

8

So far, decisions have been publicly

available, and many advocates are

included in regular meetings and con-

ference calls. But the process for actually reach-

ing those decisions, and who is included in the

decision-making, has been less transparent.

8

The administration has made a com-

mitment to millions of “green jobs”

and has consulted with a variety of

women’s organizations to identify ways of mak-

ing sure that women are fairly included. Com-

munity and outreach efforts in low-income

communities will be a key element.

8 The administration has taken action

to fund family planning here and

abroad, the availability of which is a

major factor contributing to women’s dignity

and human rights. The choice of Secretary of

State Hillary Clinton was an important indica-

tion of the president’s commitment to this

issue.

7




32


MeasurIng agrIcultureby ben lIllIston and JIM harkness

--

The president’s budget supports some

positive changes for agriculture,

including funding for child nutrition,

renewable energy, organic farming, conserva-

tion programs, food safety, and local food

systems. It also includes greater enforcement

of the Packers and Stockyards Act, legislation

essential for restoring competitive markets.

8

7

Vilsack is much more open to meet-

ing with family farm and sustainable

agriculture organizations. The White

House garden and the USDA’s community

garden project show commitment to a better

food system. But there is still a push for geneti-

cally engineered seeds, both domestically and

internationally.

7

New Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vil-

sack seems eager for change, despite his

previous support for agribusiness and

biotechnology. Deputy Secretary Kathleen Mer-

rigan is a supporter of sustainable agriculture.

Appointing National Farmers Union economist

Jim Miller as foreign food and agriculture service

undersecretary was also positive.

7oVerall



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

33

The administration’s budget includes

increased support for competition in

agriculture. This is a good start. Coor-

dinating with the Justice Department on stron-

ger antitrust enforcement in agriculture would

help. Greater enforcement of environmental

and public health regulations on confined ani-

mal feeding operations is a next step.

8Support for child nutrition, food

stamps, and the WIC program are all

positive steps. However, the adminis-

tration has yet to support or propose strategies

to ensure fair prices for farmers, essential to

strengthening the U.S. food system.

5

Thus far, the administration has been

very open in discussing and getting

feedback on its proposals and budget.

This is a good start.

8

Obama supports sustainable practices

and renewable energy. But the poten-

tial inclusion of agriculture as a pol-

luter-offset source is troubling. Also disturbing

is strong administration support for genetically

engineered crops, which are resource intensive,

environmentally risky, and don’t work well for

local food systems.

5 Vilsack and Obama pledged to ad-

dress decades-long racism towards

African-American farmers in admin-

istering USDA programs. Hillary Clinton’s

decision to seek a Human Rights Council seat

is a strong statement on the importance of

human rights. Attention to the treatment of

farm-workers should come next.

8




34


MeasurIng labor rIghtsby kate bronfenbrenner

Obama reversed four Bush executive

orders on federal contracts. Highlights

include: federal contractors cannot

get reimbursed for expenses used in anti-union

campaigns, and federal contractors are now

required to offer jobs to current workers when

contracts expire.

7Obama and Congress have already

shown their commitment to helping

American workers by passing the Lilly

Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fair-

ness Act. Obama is supporting the Employee

Free Choice Act, but isn’t expending any politi-

cal capital for its prompt passage.

6

The Labor Department was one of

the few agencies with a significantly

increased budget of 4.7%. Increased

funding will help restore labor standards and

reverse the problems created by the gutting of

staff allocated to labor law enforcement agen-

cies during the Bush administration.

8

7

Labor feels warmth from the president

after decades of being out in the cold.

But a seat at the table hasn’t resulted

in enough action.

7

The Labor Department is now led

by Hilda Solis, who is committed

to making the department fulfill its

mission of protecting the rights and interests of

workers. But the dominant role played by free-

traders such as Ron Kirk on Obama’s economic

team will stand in the way of the real reform

needed for labor rights and economic reform.

7oVerall



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

35

The stimulus package could have been

built to offer stronger worker rights.

It could have provided much stronger

economic support to the working class, creat-

ing the foundation for a stronger economy.

An opportunity was lost to provide a greater

stimulus to the economy at a cheaper price.

6While the nation’s gross domestic

product has tripled in the last two

decades, workers have witnessed the

steady erosion of their economic security and

workplace rights. We have yet to see if Attorney

General Eric Holder will take action against

the employment law violators, including wage

and hour laws, civil law, and child labor laws.

6

While Obama’s labor team looks like

a significant improvement, his entire

trade team supports free trade. Many

of the decisions that will likely be made at in-

ternational agencies such as the WTO, World

Bank, and IMF will likely favor big business

over workers. Labor must be included in these

decisions if this score is to rise.

5

Obama is working on legislation to

create 5 million “green jobs.” The

administration plans to invest $150

billion over 10 years to deploy clean technolo-

gies, protect our existing manufacturing base,

and create millions of new jobs.

8 Since the 1935 National Labor

Relations Act passed, the right to

organize, the right to collective

bargaining, and the right to strike have been

under attack and severely curtailed by capital-

ism and the political right. By failing to step

out in front on the Employee Free Choice Act,

Obama is sending the wrong signal to workers.

5




36


MeasurIng oPen goVernMentby PatrIce McderMott

Obama called for new guidelines to

be issued governing the Freedom of

Information Act. He also released

a broad statement directing key agencies to

develop recommendations for an “Open Gov-

ernment Directive” that moves government

toward being “transparent,” “participatory,” and

collaborative.”

9With the stimulus package, Obama

didn’t fulfill his pledge to allow five

days of public comment before sign-

ing bills. During the campaign, he pledged he

“will not sign any non-emergency bill without

giving the American public an opportunity

to review and comment on the White House

website for five days.”

5

-

7

The administration has focused on

moving forward on social media proj-

ects, but the process is slow-going.7

Many key positions such as the

chief of information policy at OMB

have not yet been filled, but Barack

Obama’s appointments so far show promise.

Vivek Kundra will energize the executive

branch to get its data up and out to the public.

7oVerall



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

37

Open government will lower overall

costs in numerous ways: making in-

formation and records easily available

online cuts FOIA requests and processing; let-

ting the public help put information to creative

uses allows agencies to learn from them, and

use their ideas and products; open-source soft-

ware will decrease government costs.

6-

The lobbyist disclosure policy is on

the wrong track and will encourage

less transparency; those who don’t

have to register will not do so. On whistleblow-

ers, the White House has not yet taken a posi-

tion, and this is troubling.

6

The administration has taken im-

portant steps to restore the position

of science and create openness on

environmental topics.

9 -




38


MeasurIng deMocracyby karen dolan and ben ManskI

There is potential for strengthening

democratic federalism, with a move-

ment for Obama to pass an executive

order acknowledging the positive role of state

and local governments. The OMB has made

a positive move forward by soliciting public

comments on regulation reform to be con-

tained in upcoming executive orders.

6The administration has continued

the unlawful Bush-era policy federal-

izing state National Guard units for

deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Fur-

thermore, the new administration, along with

congressional leaders, hasn’t yet signaled any

move toward preemption reform.

5

The stimulus bill puts forward much-

needed funds for state and local

governments, but fails to mandate

local citizen participation regarding the use of

those funds, or to provide significant additional

support for cooperatives or other forms of

democratic economic development.

7

6

Obama took a positive step forward

in meeting with state and local elected

officials early on. And the creation of

the Office of Urban Policy is also a move in the

right direction.

6

The new Director of Intergovern-

mental Affairs, Cecelia Muñoz, is

progressive. She has great potential for

forward movement in Intergovernmental Af-

fairs. The creation of the Office of Urban Policy

is a step in the right direction. Former Bronx

Borrough President Adolfo Carrión is a moder-

ate appointment.

7oVerall



aPPoIntMents

doMestIc PolIcy

39

On questions of war and peace, the

administration is continuing the

Bush-Clinton policy of state National

Guard federalization without authorization.

5-

There are signs of limited movement

toward greater federal support for

democratic federalism. The adminis-

tration is moving to review implied preemption

and regulatory preemption of local and state

laws. But Obama has failed to end the misuse of

the National Guard overseas. Overall, there has

been less progress in this arena than in others.

6

- -




40


foreIgn PolIcy

41

cated a more cooperative relationship with Iran and

indicated, in general, a willingness to use diplomacy

over force.

This change in tone extends to a more positive at-

titude toward multilateral treaties and institutions.

While visiting Prague in early April, Obama pledged

The Bush administration transformed the way the

United States dealt with the world. It invaded two

countries, began a war on terror that had no geo-

graphic or time limits, boosted military spending,

acted unilaterally, and ignored international law. Al-

though his second term was more pragmatic than his

first — with an important reversal on North Korea

policy and rapprochement with Libya — George W.

Bush generally emphasized military force over dip-

lomatic negotiations and acted more like a cowboy

than a statesman.

Barack Obama promised a different foreign policy:

more diplomatic, more modest, more in keeping

with international institutions and international law.

On some issues, such as torture, nuclear weapons

policy, and climate change, he has made an early

down-payment on his promises. But whether he's

adding to an already gargantuan Pentagon budget or

sending more troops to Afghanistan, the president

has also maintained some disturbing continuities

with Bush-era policies.

Perhaps the most important change the Obama ad-

ministration brought to the White House has been

its new tone. The president has reached out to the

Muslim world, giving his first press interview to al-

Arabiya and telling Turkish audiences in his first trip

to a Muslim country that the United States "is not

and never will be at war with Islam." He has indi-

foreIgn PolIcy aVg.

You might call the glass

“half full.”

foreIgn POliCyIntroductIon by John feffer

foreIgn PolIcy

Topic Score Topic Score

Afghanistan 4 Human Rights 7

Iraq 6 Global Environment 6

Counterterrorism 6 Africa 6

Nuclear Policy 6 Asia 5

Military Spending 6 Middle East 6

Trade & Globalization 5 Latin America 7

Average 5.8

5.8

42


In another promising change towards multilateral-

ism, the United States is poised to reverse the Bush

administration policies on climate change. The U.S.

Congress, both houses of which are controlled by

the Democratic Party, is likely to introduce a cap on

U.S. carbon emissions for the first time. Obama is

leaning toward a cap-and-trade system, by which the

government auctions off carbon emission permits

and raises an estimated $650 billion that would

offset the higher energy costs to consumers. While

a straightforward carbon tax would avoid the many

problems associated with cap-and-trade, the admin-

istration at least wants to bring the United States

into compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and, more

importantly, advance efforts to replace Kyoto with a

stricter treaty.

to seek the abolition of nuclear weapons, a break

with several decades of U.S. foreign policy. This

commitment, if followed up with vigorous negotia-

tions with Moscow and support for multilateral

agreements like the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,

would go a long way toward making the United

States a responsible global actor. At the same time,

however, the president renewed his conditional

support for missile defense, a still largely hypotheti-

cal system that has undercut past efforts to reduce

nuclear arsenals.

On his first European trip, Vice President Joe Biden

made a speech at the Munich conference on security

promising European allies a "new era of coopera-

tion." But he also warned that the United States

would "work in a partnership whenever we can, and

alone only when we must." This phrase echoed the

Clinton administration's commitment to "multilat-

eralism when we can, unilateralism when we must."

In other words, the Obama administration will con-

tinue to act unilaterally in situations where it can't

get international support.

achIeVeMents &

1) Executive orders on closing the Guantánamo Bay

detention center and ending torture

2) Declared commitment to nuclear abolition

3) More respectful tone and more diplomatic ap-

proach coming from the White House

dIsaPPoIntMents

1) Increase in troops sent to Afghanistan

2) Increase in military budget by 4%

3) Falling back on the International Monetary Fund

to bail out the global economy

foreIgn PolIcy

43

On other multilateral issues, the administration

lifted a ban on U.S. funding for international groups

that perform abortions. It has supported the Six

Party Talks in Northeast Asia. And although U.S.

ratification of the Rome Treaty isn't in the offing,

Obama has pledged to work more closely with the

International Criminal Court.

MIlItary sPendIng

The U.S. military budget increased more than 70%

under the Bush administration. At a time when the

federal government is scrambling to locate enough

money to bail out banks, stimulate the economy,

and maintain current social services, the Pentagon

budget would seem to be a perfect target for reduc-

tion. The United States is currently spending more

than $700 billion a year on the military, which is

roughly equal to the economic stimulus package.

Yet, when the new administration released its first

budget figures, the Pentagon still got a raise. For

2010, the Obama administration is requesting $20

billion more in military spending than Congress

allocated for 2009. Pentagon chief Robert Gates

was overjoyed. He had expected the budget to grow

"only at the pace of inflation," and instead he did

better than that.

In early April, Gates did take aim at a couple weap-

ons systems — such as the F-22 Raptor and the

DDG-1000 Destroyer — which is an important

step toward ending the Cold War force posture. But

the overall Pentagon budget will, for the time being,

remain high.

global war on terror

In his first decisions as president, Obama fulfilled his

election pledge by recasting counterterrorism policy.

In a series of executive orders, the new president

mandated the closure of the Guantánamo detention

facility in Cuba within a year, outlawed the use of

torture in interrogations, and put the CIA out of

the secret prisons business. Obama announced that

he wanted to "send an unmistakable signal that our

actions in defense of liberty will be as just as our

cause."

Flickr photo by Rick Galvan, under a Creative Commons license.

44


nates extraordinary rendition, the larger framework

of the war on terrorism remains. The Obama ad-

ministration has maintained the policy of airstrikes

within Pakistan that have killed numerous civilians

and enraged Pakistanis for the violations of their sov-

ereignty. Then there's Afghanistan, which will be the

new epicenter of U.S. counterterrorism strategy. The

Obama administration has backed a "surge" in U.S.

troops in Afghanistan and is trying hard to persuade

its NATO allies to also increase troop levels. In Iraq,

although the administration announced the with-

drawal of soldiers, as many as 50,000 "non-combat"

troops will remain in the country. We're still selling

arms to Indonesia, Israel, and Colombia as part of an

overall counterterrorism approach. The Pentagon's

new Africa Command (AFRICOM) still looks at

counterterrorism through a military lens.

In short, the United States is still using terrorism as

a justification for the maintenance of a worldwide

network of military bases, a set of alliances sustained

by a high level of military assistance, and a set of

strategic relationships with often unsavory regimes

around the world.

After 100 days, the Obama administration has right-

ed the most egregious of the Bush administration's

wrongs in the realm of foreign policy. But whether

it's the surge in Afghanistan, the ever-rising tide of

military spending, or the continued commitment to

missile defense, the new president hasn't yet escaped

the long shadow of his predecessor.

These immediate changes were part of an overall

effort to signal a change in U.S. image in the world.

During the eight years of the Bush administration,

U.S. popularity in the world plummeted to new

lows. U.S. reputation suffered tremendously because

of the violations of international law committed

at Guantánamo, the revelations of torture at Abu

Ghraib, and the extraordinary renditions by which

the CIA secretly abducted suspects and transferred

them to third countries without trial. The Obama

administration restored a good deal of confidence

by bringing U.S. policy in line with the norms of

international law.

Although the Obama administration acted cou-

rageously with these executive orders and retired

the aggressive phrase "global war on terrorism" in

favor of "overseas contingency operations," it didn't

fundamentally change U.S. counterterrorism policy.

On the civil liberties front, for instance, the admin-

istration retains the right to use renditions, a policy

introduced by the Clinton administration. Also,

the inmates at the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan,

which holds more prisoners than Guantánamo, and

the thousands held in Iraq won't get the case-by-

case review accorded to their counterparts in Cuba.

Although the administration courageously released

Bush-era memos on torture techniques and the

complicity of high-level officials, the new president

has been cool to the idea of prosecuting those

responsible or even holding an independent inquiry

into these violations of international law.

Even if Obama holds to his word on torture, closes

Guantánamo within the year, applies the same yard-

stick to detainees at Bagram and in Iraq, and elimi-

foreIgn PolIcy

45

foreIgn POliCy rePort cards

foreIgn PolIcy rePort

aFghanistan ......................................................................................................46

iraq .............................................................................................................................48

COunterterrOrism ......................................................................................50

nuClear .................................................................................................................. 52

military sPenDing .........................................................................................54

traDe anD glObalizatiOn .....................................................................56

human rights .................................................................................................... 58

glObal envirOnment .................................................................................60

aFriCa .......................................................................................................................62

asia .............................................................................................................................64

miDDle east .........................................................................................................66

latin ameriCa ....................................................................................................68

46


MeasurIng afghanIstanby erIk leaVer

While Obama was swift to act on

closing the prison at Guantánamo

Bay and has asked for policies and

funds to close it, he hasn’t said a word about

the 550 or more prisoners in the Bagram

Prison held without any legal recourse, many of

whom have been subjected to similar torture.

executIVe orders

4No major legislation has been passed.

legIslatIon

-

Obama has requested $83 billion for

the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan be-

tween now and October. The request

includes billions for building additional bases, a

new mega-embassy in Pakistan, and unneeded

weapon systems such as the F-22.

sPendIng

4

oVerall

4

Unlike domestic policy, where Obama

has included large groupings of civil

society in discussions at the White

House, little input has been sought on military

policy and Afghanistan specifically. Obama gets

a bump over Bush, as he has properly put the

issue of Afghanistan front and center on the

U.S. policy landscape.

coMMunIcatIons

6

Led by Lieutenant General Karl

Eikenberry as ambassador, Obama’s

Afghanistan team is dominated by

the military: Gen. Petraeus, head of Central

Command; Gen. McKiernan, top commander

in Afghanistan; and Gen. Jones, national secu-

rity adviser. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke

recycles a long-time friend of dictators.

aPPoIntMents

4

foreIgn PolIcy

47

In the nine months the oversight

agency, SIGAR, has been in place,

they’ve only managed to grow their

staff to 21. They’ve issued two reports but have

not completed any audits or investigations.

Obama has requested additional funding but

hasn’t used the bully pulpit to try to get better

results.

econoMIc equIty

5The international meeting marking

NATO’s 60th anniversary presented a

good opportunity to refocus Afghani-

stan policy. However, by announcing a new

U.S. policy just days before the meeting, he

lost the chance of getting greater buy-in from

the alliance. As a result, there are few commit-

ments of increased troops or resources.

InternatIonal dIPloMacy

6

Troop increases are supposed to

bolster the chances for peaceful elec-

tions this summer. But the upcoming

elections don’t seem to be a key element in the

administration’s plans. Keeping Bagram open

while closing Guantánamo keeps the United

States outside the bounds of international law.

huMan rIghts / deMocracy

4

Before many of the policy reviews

were complete or a strategy was

developed, Obama ordered 17,000

more troops into Afghanistan. When his review

was completed and policy was announced, it

lacked timelines, deadlines, costs, or exit strate-

gies. Worse, the plan outlined follows the same

prescriptions of a failed Iraq policy.

war / Peace

3 Ambassador Holbrooke noted that

the counter-narcotics program has

been “wasteful and ineffective.” Un-

der Bush, a key element included aerial fumiga-

tion, which can cause environmental damage.

Obama’s funding request includes $129 million

for counternarcotics, but doesn’t indicate if

aerial fumigation will continue.

green / enVIronMent

5

48


MeasurIng Iraqby erIk leaVer and PhyllIs bennIs

Ordering the closure of the Guan-

tánamo Bay facility and banning the

use of torture are the first steps to re-

storing U.S. adherence to international law and

respecting human rights. Other facilities across

the globe, including Bagram in Afghanistan,

should also be shuttered.

8-

Calling for the end of war spending

in supplementals is fiscally respon-

sible. But the final Iraq supplemental

tops $85 billion, includes unneeded weapon

systems, and doesn’t include funding for

withdrawal planning. Most importantly, it con-

tinues the funding for the war and occupation

of Iraq.

5

6

Obama’s first interview was with the

Arabic station al-Arabiya. Allowing

photography of returning fallen

soldiers at Dover illustrates the human price of

war. But Obama’s trip to Iraq was only for four

hours, during which he didn’t leave the U.S.

military base. He hasn’t communicated well to

the people that matter most — the Iraqis.

8

Choosing Christopher Hill over Gen.

Anthony Zinni (ret.) as the U.S. am-

bassador to Iraq was a wise decision.

Long-term stability can only come from the

political negotiations needed on the way out.

Hill has the experience to do this. And George

Mitchell is an important choice for envoy to

the Middle East.

7


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

49

Levels of economic assistance to Iraq

have been very low, and the supple-

mental continues this trend. With a

planned withdrawal, a long-term commitment

for aid is needed. What aid is given is chan-

neled through U.S. institutions primarily to

U.S.-based contractors and war profiteers, and

the U.S. continues to pressure Iraq to pass laws

friendly to privatization.

3Middle East Envoy Mitchell has

visited key regional countries Jordan

and Saudi Arabia, as well as Egypt,

Israel and the West Bank, but it’s unclear what

the plan is for engaging regional partners into

a long-term solution. More importantly, the

United Nations has not been consulted.

5

Calling for the closure of the Guan-

tánamo Bay detention facility is a

great step forward. No statements

have been made concerning the Iraqi refer-

endum on the status of the upcoming SOFA

agreement. The size of the embassy and the

large military footprint reinforce the notion

that the U.S. is calling the shots on the ground.

6

Obama’s withdrawal plans call for

a gradual withdrawal of troops, al-

lowing the war to continue for three

more years. General Ray Odierno, has ques-

tioned the terms of withdrawal since the SOFA

was signed. However, his April statement say-

ing it was certain that the U.S. would be out by

the end of 2011 provides room for optimism.

7No plans have been detailed for the

environmental cleanup for the bases

being left behind. Historically, U.S.

military bases are highly toxic and the U.S. has

a poor record of environmental cleanup.

3

econoMIc equItyInternatIonal dIPloMacy


war / Peace green / enVIronMent

50


MeasurIng counterterrorIsMby John feffer

Obama fulfilled his promise to close

Guantánamo within a year and ban

the use of torture. But he hasn’t

conclusively ended extraordinary rendition, the

status of prisons like Bagram remains unclear,

and Gates is in charge of the Gitmo review.

8-

-

6

Obama dropped references to the

“Global War on Terror,” reached out

to Muslim communities in his inau-

gural address, gave his first interview to Arab

newspaper al-Arabiya, and made his first phone

call to a foreign leader, the head of the Palestin-

ian Authority. But he has still retained some of

the warlike language (“We will defeat you”).

8

Eric Holder as Attorney General was

an excellent choice, and Leon Panetta

at the CIA isn’t bad; but keeping

Robert Gates on at the head of the Pentagon

brings down the score.

7


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

51

-At Munich, Biden stressed the im-

portance of diplomacy, development,

and democracy over military inter-

vention. The administration has reached out to

Iran and there is talk of negotiating with mod-

erate elements of the Taliban. Adding troops in

Afghanistan and escalating the conflict with the

Somali pirates bring down the score.

5

The appointment of George Mitchell

as Middle East envoy was a good

choice, but the administration is still

isolating Hamas, a democratically elected party.

4

Obama followed through on his

pledge to set in motion the plan to

withdraw troops from Iraq within 16

months, but has backed the surge in Afghani-

stan and airstrikes in Pakistan. These actions

will likely encourage more terrorist recruitment

and potentially acts of terrorism.

2 -




52


MeasurIng nuclear PolIcyby bob alVarez and Marcus raskIn

--

The president has set forth the

elements of a positive energy plan,

but no action has been taken yet.

Dangerous funds for the nuclear weapons

infrastructure were stripped out of the stimulus

bill. Despite Obama’s campaign pledge to cut

nuclear arms, spending for bombs won’t come

down that much.

5

6

Obama’s call for the elimination of

nuclear weapons is a much needed

shift in favor of comprehensive arms

control agreements and international coopera-

tion. His speech and meeting with Russian

President Dmitry Medvedev set a new course

of cooperation for nuclear reductions.

8

The president’s science adviser, Dr.

John Holdren, recommended reduc-

ing U.S. and Russian nuclear forces

to 1,000 warheads and exploring going lower,

taking nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert,

and adopting a no-first use policy. Energy Sec-

retary Steven Chu has the right stuff but will be

challenged to reform the Energy Department.

6


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

53

For most of its existence, two-thirds

of Energy’s annual spending has gone

to maintaining the U.S. nuclear weap-

ons complex. Until the complex is cleaned up

and seriously downsized, the poor communities

nearest to the plants will continue to be nega-

tively impacted.

5Obama has ordered the administra-

tion to “immediately and aggressively

pursue U.S. ratification of the Com-

prehensive Test Ban Treaty.” He also called for

strengthening the nuclear Non-Proliferation

Treaty. Both these steps move in the right di-

rection toward international arms control and

reductions, rather than unilateral agreements.

8

By calling for greater support for

international regulation and oversight

of global nukes, the administration

is taking a much-needed step toward democ-

ratizing arms control and disarmament — a

critical step in stemming the dangers of nuclear

proliferation.

5

Secretary of Defense Gates an-

nounced a plan to cut 15% of the

missile defense budget. Yet the

administration has waffled on the construc-

tion of a missile defense base in Poland. The

administration should be commended for not

overreacting to North Korea’s missile launch.

7 Obama’s proposed budget all but

kills the Yucca Mountain project, a

planned nuclear waste storage facility.

Killing the project is a good move, but a long-

term plan for dealing with the nuclear waste is

still needed.

6




54


MeasurIng MIlItary sPendIngby MIrIaM PeMberton

The administration is sending mixed

signals on whether the “Global War

on Terror” is inoperative. Obama

should issue an order calling an official end

to the Global War on Terror, which could lay

the groundwork for a security policy that puts

more emphasis on non-military approaches.

5The recovery package is strong on

civilian job creators and largely rejects

a “military stimulus.”9

The administration gains points for

presenting the most ambitious pro-

posed cuts in Cold-War weapons sys-

tems since the early 90s, but they are couched

in a military budget that’s larger than any from

the Bush administration. The overall budget

includes a strong investment in domestic needs

but without a clear plan to pay for them.

6

6

The administration is reaching out

much more to NGOs — a recogni-

tion that they’re needed to push a

change agenda.

6

The appointment of William Lynn,

a former vice president of Raytheon,

as deputy defense secretary takes the

wrong direction for rethinking military spend-

ing. The appointment of a climate change czar

who actually cares about climate change, how-

ever, signals that the new administration may

be prioritizing alternative kinds of job creation.

3


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

55

The administration’s intent to reform

the defense contracting process holds

considerable promise to reduce Penta-

gon waste.

7While the U.S. still spends more on

the military than the next 25 coun-

tries put together, the first Obama

budget does invest more security resources

in engaging the world through non-military

means.

6

-

Spending requests for the wars we

are actually fighting have begun to

decline, and “emergency” requests to

pay for them are being phased out.

6 The military — still the largest insti-

tutional producer of greenhouse gases

in the world--is taking steps to reduce

its emissions.

5




56


MeasurIng trade and globalIzatIon

by sarah anderson and John caVanagh

-The USTR has not yet pushed Con-

gress to approve pending free-trade

agreements. As a senator, Obama was

a strong supporter of legislation to cancel impov-

erished country debts. But with Geithner and

former World Bank economist Larry Summers

in key positions, Obama will not likely try to

overhaul the international financial institutions.

6

-

5

In light of the global crisis, Obama

decided to postpone decisions on

NAFTA renegotiation. Obama has

spoken powerfully about the need to “put an

end to the bubble-and-bust economy.” The

steps taken so far are insufficient, but at least

he’s recognized the need for stronger financial

regulation.

6

The appointments of Timothy Geith-

ner, a former IMF official, at Treasury

and a NAFTA promoter, Ron Kirk,

as Office of the United States Trade Represen-

tative, were not encouraging. Labor Secretary

Hilda Solis may have a chance to bring her

progressive internationalist vision to bear on

the globalization debate.

4


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

57

See International Diplomacy

5Obama has called for a global green

stimulus and has acknowledged

that there should be a North-South

resource transfer to help poorer nations. But he

couldn’t deliver on the global green stimulus.

And Treasury has taken the lead in pumping in

new resources to the IMF, whose fiscal austerity

measures have traditionally made matters worse.

5

-

- See International Diplomacy

5




58


MeasurIng huMan rIghtsby catherIne albIsa, Martha f. daVIs, cynthIa soohoo

Executive orders established a White

House Office of Health Reform and

removed barriers to stem-cell research.

A presidential memorandum restored states’

ability to set higher income limits for SCHIP

eligibility. But the administration loses points

for failing to adopt a rights-based framework or

setting up stronger monitoring mechanisms.

7In the healthcare debate, cost control

and protecting private insurers appears

to have greater weight than human

rights. However, a vigorous public plan sup-

ported by the administration could outweigh

these troubling factors. On housing and educa-

tion, the administration has set important goals,

but a change in policy has not yet occurred.

7

The stimulus package provided real

support for education, health care, and

jobs — all of which involve funda-

mental human rights issues. Also commendable

are the proposed changes in taxation to make the

system more equitable. However, the adminis-

tration loses points for failing to undertake a hu-

man rights assessment of the stimulus package.

8

7

The administration receives high

marks for communicating the

importance of international human

rights and the need for America to live up to its

values. But the administration has so far failed

to explicitly communicate the need for the gov-

ernment to protect and ensure human rights in

the United States.

8

In prior positions, Secretary of State

Clinton called repeatedly to “bring hu-

man rights home.” Attorney General

Holder has been less outspoken, but previous ex-

perience in the Justice Department exposed him

to human rights issues. Koh’s nomination to the

State Department gets high marks, but Obama

must do more to defend the nomination.

6


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

59

Obama’s first official act was to sign

the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

restoring the ability of plaintiffs to

recover for wage discrimination, followed by

reauthorization and expansion of the CHIP

program, providing healthcare coverage to low

income children. But the administration hasn’t

articulated a broad, human-rights agenda for

economic equity that would engage and lift up

the poorest Americans.

7The new administration has had a

stellar start, with great openness to

domestic human rights advocates,

gradual release of the notorious “torture

memos,” and user-friendly web access to a wide

range of information. Developments at Guan-

tánamo are addressed elsewhere in the 100 Day

report and are not included in this score.

9

Though the Obama administration’s

actions have generally been positive,

it has so far failed to affirmatively

articulate a human rights agenda for the nation

or take concrete steps to develop the domestic

human rights institutions necessary to move

that agenda forward.

7

- -




60


MeasurIng global enVIronMentby daPhne wyshaM and Janet redMan

-The draft American Clean Energy and

Security Act allows for 2 billion tons

of carbon offsets a year, meaning U.S.

emissions could continue to rise until 2026. The

bill includes technology giveaways to polluters

and waivers for the Clean Air Act. But it also

establishes funds for low-carbon technology

transfer to developing countries.

6

The FY09 budget included $10 mil-

lion to finance poor countries’ adap-

tation to climate change, but at least

$2 billion is needed. Treasury officials have

signaled that Obama will fulfill Bush’s com-

mitment to put $2 billion in the World Bank’s

Climate Investment Funds, despite opposition.

5

6

The new administration gets high

marks for a recent ruling by the EPA

that greenhouse gases are harmful to

human health, and for urging G-20 leaders to

coordinate stimulus spending on a green new

deal.

8

Obama’s appointments overall sug-

gest support for a global climate deal

and recognition that environmental

justice issues are critical. Obama’s Treasury

Department thus far has clung to a naïve belief

that the World Bank will be induced to trans-

form its fossil-fuel-heavy portfolio with a small,

new climate fund.

7


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

61

The administration is turning a deaf

ear to G-77 leaders who want a global

climate fund under the authority of

the more democratic UNFCCC, not the World

Bank.

5Special Envoy on Climate Change

Todd Stern announced that the U.S.

“recognizes our unique responsibil-

ity…as the largest historic emitter of green-

house gases.” But the administration claims it

can only return U.S. greenhouse gas emissions

to 1990 levels by 2020, when we need cuts of

25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020.

7

The administration remains silent on

implementing the UN Declaration

on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.5

- The strong White House environme-

nal team must focus more attention

on eliminating subsidies to fossil fuels

via multilateral development banks and export

credit agencies and show global leadership in

making deep emissions cuts.”

7




62


MeasurIng afrIcaby eMIra woods

President Obama enacted Deferred

Enforced Departure for Liberians,

which prevents the forced deportation

of Liberians living in the United States.

6-

-

6

Little communication has been forth-

coming from the Obama administra-

tion on overall Africa policy. Similar

to the Bush administration, there seems to be

no comprehensive policy articulated as of the

first 100 days.

5

Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gra-

tion’s meeting with the Darfur

advocacy community before a trip

to Sudan was welcome. Assistant Secretary of

State for Africa Johnnie Carson has already

reached out to the Africa advocacy community

before his confirmation. But many key posts

relating to Africa, however, remain unfilled.

6


sPendIng

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coMMunIcatIons

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63

The Obama administration joined

other wealthy nations in giving addi-

tional power, leverage, and resources

to the International Monetary Fund, the very

institution that caused the severe economic

crisis in Africa and much of the world.

5The administration has supported

the indictment of Sudan’s President,

Omar Al Bashir, by the International

Criminal Court for crimes against humanity,

war crimes, and possibly genocide. Yet, the

United States still hasn’t signed on to the Rome

Statute to participate in and strengthen this

global tribunal.

5

The administration condemned

the coup in Madagascar. It has also

supported the African Union’s call

for sanctions against the coup leaders in Mau-

ritania. This is a change from the Bush admin-

istration, where U.S. interests in oil and other

strategic resources often led to deal-making

with undemocratic governments.

6

There is no clear position from the

Obama administration on AFRI-

COM. The Obama administration

has done little to address the conflict in the

Congo. Remarks on Somali piracy didn’t address

root causes or recommend positive solutions to

the crisis, but the administration recognizes that

there can be “no purely military solution.”

6 Obama administration pledges

toward a new global green economy

make little mention of the African

continent.

5




64


MeasurIng asIaby John feffer

--

-

5

The administration has been careful

with its policy toward China and

has begun to repair the relationship

with Japan. But it overreacted to North Korea’s

rocket launch.

5

Stephen Bosworth was a good choice

for North Korea envoy but, unbeliev-

ably, he’s only part-time. Kurt Camp-

bell as assistant secretary of state for East Asian

and Pacific affairs brings a strong environmen-

tal concern to his position. Actor Kal Penn as

liaison to the Asian-American community was

an inspired choice.

7


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

65

-Discussions with all sides in the

Burma conflict point to a more nu-

anced diplomatic approach, but the

administration failed to engage North Korea to

preempt the rocket launch.

5

Hillary Clinton’s underemphasizing

of human rights in her discussions

with China was a smart geopolitical

move but sends the wrong signal on the prior-

ity of human rights for the administration. The

same holds true for the failure to bring up West

Papua and other human rights concerns on the

Indonesia leg of her trip.

4

The Pentagon fortunately decided

not to try to shoot down North Ko-

rea’s April rocket launch. But the sub-

sequent overreaction to Pyongyang’s gambit, as

well as the confrontation with China over the

USNS Impeccable, drops the score.

4 Hillary Clinton made environmental

concerns a major part of her discus-

sions with China, and Kurt Campbell

in the State Department will keep this a focus

of administration concern.

8




66


MeasurIng MIddle eastby PhyllIs bennIs and farrah hassen

--

Obama agreed to continue imple-

menting the $30 billion in U.S.

military aid to Israel committed to by

President George W. Bush.

5

6

The administration has not appointed

or met with serious critics of U.S.

military aid to Israel. Obama pledged

to the Muslim world a “new way forward”

based on “mutual interest and respect” in his

inaugural address. Obama signaled an opening

for U.S. dialogue with Tehran in his March

video greeting to Iran’s “people and leaders.”

7

Senator George Mitchell as special

envoy to the Middle East indicates a

serious commitment to future diplo-

macy; But Obama’s selection of Dennis Ross as

his special adviser for Iran is dangerous. Ross’s

hawkish views on Iran contradict Obama’s

efforts to seek engagement based on “mutual

respect.”

7


sPendIng

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67

Despite the economic embargo on

Syria, the Treasury Department in

February authorized the transfer of

$500,000 raised by Syrians in the U.S. to a

Syrian cancer charity, a goodwill gesture from

the Obama administration. Obama provided a

large-scale aid package to the Palestinians after

the Gaza assault, but two-thirds of the $900

million package is going to the West Bank-

based Palestinian Authority leadership, with no

requirement that it be used for poverty allevia-

tion or rebuilding in Gaza.

6The administration invited Iran to

attend the international conference

on Afghanistan, and opened the

door to engagement with Syria by sending the

highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Damascus

since 2005. So far, Obama refuses to talk to the

elected Hamas leadership (or Hezbollah) and is

continuing uncritical support for Israel.

7

Obama missed a major opportunity

to criticize Israel’s violations of U.S.

and international law during the

Gaza assault that ended on the eve of his in-

auguration. He has still failed to acknowledge

those violations or hold Israel accountable by

cutting U.S. military aid, leading to Israeli as-

sumptions of continued impunity.

5

Obama didn’t criticize Israel’s war on

Gaza and continued full support for

Israel’s military. The escalation of war

in Afghanistan risks sidelining any potential

effort to press Israel in Palestinian-Israeli and

Syrian-Israeli negotiations.

5 There is no announcement yet of

any plans for taking seriously and

providing resources to help resolve

the Middle East water crisis, the dependence

on oil exports of one-commodity countries

closely tied to the U.S. (like Saudi Arabia), and

the environmental catastrophe caused by U.S.

military installations across the Middle East.

5




68


MeasurIng latIn aMerIcaby sarah anderson and Manuel Pérez-rocha

Announcing plans to close the Guan-

tánamo detention facility was a big

step forward, while Obama’s removal

of Cuban Americans’ travel and remittances

restrictions was a baby step toward lifting the

embargo, which has only inflicted suffering on

the Cuban people.

7-

-

7

At the Summit of the Americas,

Obama spoke favorably of Cuba’s

medical programs, acknowledged the

U.S. role in the drug trade, condemned efforts

to overthrow Bolivian President Evo Morales,

and deflected criticism of his polite interaction

with Hugo Chávez. And in perhaps his most

eloquent statement, he spoke for only one min-

ute, explaining that he preferred to listen.

9

Obama hasn’t yet named a new as-

sistant secretary of State in charge of

Latin America, but the Bush admin-

istration holdover, Thomas Shannon, has made

efforts to be even-handed and tamp down,

rather than inflame, rhetorical skirmishes that

have been a distraction in U.S. relations with

some countries.

6


sPendIng

oVerall

coMMunIcatIons

aPPoIntMents

foreIgn PolIcy

69

Obama’s decision to avoid talking

about alternatives to the discredited

“free trade” model at the summit was

a missed opportunity to build on the common

ground that exists between his own critiques

of U.S. trade policy and proposals coming out

of many Latin American countries. Coming

on top of the administration’s support for a big

blank check to the IMF to handle the global

economic crisis, this was a disappointment.

5“There is no senior partner and junior

partner in our relations,” Obama

told 33 other heads of state from the

Americas. Time will tell whether the Obama

administration will actually function as a more

cooperative partner in the hemisphere, but it

was a welcome opening line.

8

Closing Guantánamo was positive,

but a White House announcement

on April 17 indicating plans to move

ahead with a U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agree-

ment was bad news for human rights and labor

groups. Obama also called for increased sup-

port to the Mexican military, despite evidence

of human rights violations.

6

- At the summit, Obama announced

a new clean-energy partnership

between nations of the Americas

to fight global warming. The details of this

partnership are not yet clear, but this appears

to be a positive step toward broadening a U.S.

agenda that has been fixated on drugs and free

trade.

7




70


authors

71

Catherine Albisa is the Executive Director of the

National Economic and Social Rights Initiative in

New York City.

Robert Alvarez is a Senior Scholar at the Institute

for Policy Studies, where he is currently focused on

nuclear disarmament, environmental and energy

policies. His articles have appeared in many publica-

tions, including Science Magazine, the Bulletin of

Atomic Scientists, Technology Review, and The Wash-

ington Post.

Sarah Anderson is the Director of the Global

Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.

She is co-author (with John Cavanagh and Thea Lee)

of The Field Guide to the Global Economy (New Press,

2004) and numerous studies and articles on the

global economy.

Phyllis Bennis is a Fellow at the Institute for Policy

Studies, where she directs the New Internationalism

Project. Her recent books include Understanding the

US-Iran Crisis: A Primer (Olive Branch Press, 2008)

and Ending the Iraq War: A Primer (Olive Branch

Press, 2008).

Jeff Blum is Executive Director of USAction, a

progressive grassroots advocacy organization with

affiliates in twenty-four states.

authors

Kate Bronfenbrenner is Director of Labor Educa-

tion Research at Cornell ILR. A former organizer

and union representative with the United Woodcut-

ters in Mississippi and SEIU in Massachusetts, her

most recent publication is the edited volume, Global

Unions: Challenging Transnational Capital through

Cross-Border Campaigns (ILR Press, 2007).

John Cavanagh is the Director of the Institute for

Policy Studies and co-author (with Robin Broad)

of Development Redefined: How the Market Mets its

Match (Paradigm Publishers, 2009).

Flickr photo by Zoriah, under a Creative Commons license.

72


Bill Fletcher, Jr. is the Executive Editor of the Black

Commentator and Co-Founder of the Center for La-

bor Renewal. He serves as Director of Field Services

& Education for the American Federation of Gov-

ernment Employees in Washington, D.C. His new

book is Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized

Labor and a New Path Toward Social Justice (Univ. of

California Press, 2008).

Maria Foscarinis is the founder and Executive Di-

rector of the National Law Center on Homelessness

& Poverty in Washington, D.C., the legal arm of the

national movement to end and prevent homeless-

ness. She is a primary architect of the landmark

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; has

litigated to enforce critical legal rights of homeless

people; and written widely on homelessness and

poverty.

Kim Gandy is serving her second term as President

of the National Organization for Women in Wash-

ington, D.C., elected by the group’s grassroots mem-

bers in 2001 and 2005. An attorney, she oversees

NOW’s multi-issue agenda, which includes: ending

sex discrimination, advancing reproductive freedom,

promoting diversity and ending racism, stopping

violence against women, winning LGBT rights and

ensuring economic justice.

Jim Harkness is the President of the Institute for

Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis. Before

joining IATP he lived for sixteen years in China,

working on rural development and sustainability

issues.

Chuck Collins is a Senior Scholar at the Institute

for Policy Studies, where he directs the Program on

Inequality and the Common Good and the Working

Group on Extreme Inequality. He is a contributor to

Ten Excellent Reasons Not to Hate Taxes (New Press,

2008).

Martha F. Davis is a Professor of Law and Co-

Director of the Program on Human Rights and the

Global Economy at Northeastern University. She is

co-editor of Bringing Human Rights Home (Praeger,

2008), a three-volume series chronicling the U.S.

human rights movement.

Karen Dolan is a Fellow at the Institute for Policy

Studies and Director of its Cities for Peace program,

working with citizens, national peace and human

needs organizations, locally elected officials and

federal lawmakers.

Peter Edelman is a Professor of Law at the

Georgetown University Law Center and directs the

Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality and Pub-

lic Policy. He co-chaired the Center on American

Progress Task Force on Poverty.

John Feffer is Co-Director of Foreign Policy In

Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. He is the

editor of Power Trip: U.S. Foreign Policy After Septem-

ber 11 (Seven Stories Press, 2003) and the author of

North Korea/South Korea: U.S. Policy & the Korean

Peninsula (Seven Stories Press, 2003).

authors

73

Patrice McDermott is the Director of OpenThe-

Goverment.org, a coalition of journalists, consumer

and good government groups, environmentalists,

library groups and others united to make the federal

government a more open place in order to make us

safer, strengthen public trust in government and sup-

port democratic principles. She is the author of Who

Needs to Know? The State of Public Access to Federal

Government Information (Bernan Press, 2007).

Dedrick Muhammad is the Senior Organizer and

Research Associate for the Program on Inequality and

the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Stud-

ies. He formerly was National Field Director for Rev.

Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and Coordi-

nator for the Racial Wealth Divide Project of United

For A Fair Economy. He is author of the report “40

Years Later: The Unrealized American Dream”.

Miriam Pemberton is a Research Fellow at the

Institute for Policy Studies, writing and speaking on

demilitarization issues for its Foreign Policy In Focus

project. She leads a group that produces the annual

“Unified Security Budget for the United States.”

With William Hartung of the New America Foun-

dation, she is co-editor of Lessons from Iraq: Avoiding

the Next War (Paradigm Publishers, 2008).

Manuel Pérez-Rocha is an Associate Fellow at the

Institute for Policy Studies, where he directs an ad-

vocacy and research project, “The Security and Pros-

perity Partnership and the NAFTA Plus Agenda.”

He works in coordination with the Alliance for Re-

sponsible Trade in the United States and is a member

of the Mexican Action Network on Free Trade.

Chester Hartman is the Director of Research at the

Poverty & Race Research Council in Washington,

D.C. and an Associate Fellow at the Institute for

Policy Studies. His recent books include There Is

No Such Thing As a Natural Disaster: Race, Class

and Hurricane Katrina (Routledge, 2006), A Right

to Housing: Foundation for a New Social Agenda

(Temple Univ. Press, 2006) and City for Sale: The

Transformation of San Francisco (Univ. of Calif. Press,

2002).

Farrah Hassen is the 2008 Carol Jean and Edward

F. Newman Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies.

She writes and researches on U.S.-Syrian relations

and the Middle East.

Gloria Ladson-Billings is the Kellner Family Chair

in Urban Education at the Univ. of Wisconsin-

Madison. She is the author of The Dreamkeepers:

Successful Teachers for African American Children

(Jossey-Bass, 1994).

Erik Leaver is a Research Fellow at the Institute

for Policy Studies. He writes about and organizes

around the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ben Lilliston is the Communications Director at

the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in

Minneapolis and editor of IATP’s Think Forward

blog.

Ben Manski is a Wisconsin attorney and Executive

Director of the national pro-democracy group, the

Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolu-

tion in Madison, WI.

74


Sanho Tree is a Fellow and Director of the Drug

Policy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. The

project works to end the domestic and international

“War on Drugs” and replace it with policies that

promote public health and safety as well as economic

alternatives to the prohibition drug economy.

Emira Woods is Co-Director of Foreign Policy In

Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies and serves

on the Board of Directors of Africa Action, Just

Associates, Global Justice, and the Financial Policy

Forum. She is also a member of the Network Coun-

cil of Jubilee USA.

Daphne Wysham is a Fellow and Board member

at the Institute for Policy Studies. She is founder

and director of its Sustainable Energy and Economy

Network. She serves on the board of Nuclear In-

formation and Resource Service, is on the advisory

board of the Carbon Free Nuclear-Free Alliance, and

co-hosts the one-hour weekly broadcast of Earthbeat

Radio, which airs on 50 radio stations in the U.S.

and Canada.

Sam Pizzigati, an Associate Fellow at the Institute

for Policy Studies, edits “Too Much,” an online

weekly on excess and inequality. His most recent

book, Greed and Good: Understanding and Overcom-

ing the Inequality That Limits Our Lives (Apex Press,

2004), won an “outstanding title” of the year rating

from the American Library Association.

Marcus Raskin is Co-Founder and Distinguished

Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and cur-

rently directs its Paths for the 21st Century project.

He was a member of the special staff of the National

Security Council in President Kennedy’s Administra-

tion, as is the author of over a dozen books.

Janet Redman is a Research Associate for the

Sustainable Energy and Economy Network at the

Institute for Policy Studies. She is the author of the

recent reports “World Bank: Climate Profiteer,” and

“Dirty is the New Clean”.

Cynthia Soohoo is the Director of the Domestic

Legal Program at the Center for Reproductive Rights

in New York City.

Betsy Taylor is the President of 1Sky, a Takoma

Park, MD-based national campaign of over 100

diverse organizations working to ensure that the next

President and Congress enact bold policies at the

scale of the climate change problem.

Members of the IPS community were invited to share

their comments on Obama’s first 100 days. Here are

some of the responses:

Not sure what to think. Part of me wants justice,

right now. On the other side I want the Obama

administration to be able to solidify their presence to

start tackling strategic issues.

-Gustavo Rearte

Sadly, without accountability from officials to the

rule of law, Obama/Holder reaffirm the precedent

that deciding whether or not to torture is subject to

a policy decision of whomever is president and AG.

It is not good enough for a new president to reject a

policy that uses torture. It must be enforced under

domestic and international law.

-Margaret Swedish

Overall, President Obama has made a good start

on handling our country’s and the world’s terrible

dilemmas, but I hope he can back away from causing

further carnage and suffering in the Middle East.

-Kathleen Conway

IPs reader grades

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