The Chatterbox
The Chatterbox
News and views from the staff of FamilyEducation.
 

January 23, 2009

President Obama... now what?

Were you one of the 60% of Americans who watched Barack Obama's inauguration live? Maybe you watched it on TV, or streamed it over the Internet. Maybe you were one of the millions who traveled to Washington, DC to witness history in person. No matter where you were, it was a day none of us will soon forget. But now that the pageantry is behind us, what happens next?

President Barack ObamaTrue to his word, President Obama wasted no time issuing executive orders reversing some of the Bush Administration's decisions regarding the detention of terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay. Obama pledged to close Gitmo within a year, halt any and all use of torture (or "enhanced interrogation techniques," if you like), and conduct a full review of detainee policy.

Obama also introduced some of his cabinet members, including Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, Senator Ken Salazar as Secretary of the Interior, and Tim Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury. This last appointment is especially noteworthy, as propping up the faltering economy is a major goal of the new administration.

That's not all. A revamped official White House website was launched on inauguration day. The new WhiteHouse.gov is intended to give citizens a place to engage actively with their government, including reviewing executive orders and new legislation, reading the White House blog, and maybe some fun stuff, too.

Although his presidency is only a few days old, we'd like to know what you think about the beginning of the Obama Administration. What has he done that you've agreed with, or disagreed with? What do you wish he'd do next? Or, for the time being, should we all just wait and see?