The First 100 Days

We've made it. We have survived the first 100 days but we ended it with a wild ride having a couple of fighter jets chase Air Force One across New York at a very low altitude frightening New Yorkers on the street. Ah, but it only cost $329,000 for a very important photo-op.

President Obama denied during his prime-time press conference that he wanted to grow government, describing the meltdowns in the auto and financial industries as unwanted distractions that his administration had to address with federal intervention. Unwarranted distractions? Hmmm.

Offering a summary of his first 100 days in office, Obama also looked back even further, complimenting his predecessor's preparations to fight a possible flu pandemic while accusing the Bush administration of sanctioning torture. Obama addressed questions on everything from the economy to swine flu to Sen. Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party at his third prime-time news conference since taking office.

The first 100 days for any president is more window dressing than substance; however, Obama has taken the effort to a higher level in part because he has such a majority backing in the House and Senate. Obama defended key moves he's made in the first 100 days, including his decisions to ban harsh interrogation techniques and release a string of legal memos that outlined the justification for such "enhanced" techniques under the Bush administration, like waterboarding which was eventually abandoned.

The president, speaking at a town hall meeting in the St. Louis suburb of Arnold, Missouri, said that while the U.S. still faces challenges in recovering from a recession, the country is making progress. “We have begun to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off,” Obama said. “I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made, but I’m not satisfied. I’m confident in the future, but I’m not content with the present.”

I'm pleased that we're still here. A deep recession and the swine flu hasn't taken us out. On the 101st day!  :-)