President Obama!

A friend who reads my blog expressed surprise that I hadn’t yet posted an item expressing my overwhelming joy at his inauguration.

In fact, I think I owe that same friend another “I was wrong.”…

I was, of course, overjoyed by the inauguration. That being said, I am yet more joyed (over-overjoyed? Uberoverjoyed? Superjoyed?) at what Obama has done in just a few days in office.

• He’s begun the process of closing Gitmo.
• He’s ordered an end to torture by American intelligence.
• He’s begun the process of withdrawing from Iraq.
• He’s also approved a drone-strike on an Al-Qaeda leader within Pakistan
• He’s instituted a pay freeze for White House staff making over $100,000 a year.
• He’s banned anyone who serves in the administration from lobbying the executive branch for the entire duration of his presidency
• He’s directed decision-makers to err on the side of transparency when it comes to Freedom of Information Act requests and other requests.
• He’s been in direct contact with Middle East leaders to reiterate his commitment to pursue peace in the region.
• He’s appointed George Mitchell as Middle East Envoy.
• And he’s lifted restrictions on U.S. government funding for groups that provide reproductive counseling abroad, although he broke with Presidential tradition by waiting until AFTER the anniversary of Roe v. Wade to do so.

Incidentally, and possibly not coincidentally, some other changes have transpired in some sort of synchronicity with the above.

• The Senate has passed a bill that brings women one step closer to fair wages for equal work.
• Key components of his recovery plan are making their way through the House.
• And the FDA has allowed increased stem cell research.

So yeah, I’m happy.