Obama Suspends Carrying In Nat'l Parks

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-obama22-2009jan22,0,6328347.story

By Frank James and Michael Muskal

12:41 PM PST, January 21, 2009

Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington -- President Barack Obama began his first working day in office with a burst of activity today: he froze salaries for top White House staffers, established tougher ethics rules and prepared to focus on the pressing domestic and foreign issues that he inherited.

"The way to make government responsible is to hold it accountable," Obama told his top staffers in a televised session where they took their oaths of office. He announced a salary freeze and outlined the ethics rules "to help restore faith in government, without which we cannot deliver the changes that we were sent here to make."

The freeze on salaries will affect about 100 people earning $100,000 or more. The action was a symbol of Obama's intentions to act on the hard-hit economy.

Obama also toughened ethics rules on lobbying, limiting what administration officials can do if they have lobbied before and, if they leave the administration, blocking them from lobbying during the time he is in office. Both were campaign pledges.

He also ordered new Freedom of Information rules to make his administration more open.

This morning, a day after he formally took office as the nation's 44th president, Obama attended the traditional multi-denominational prayer service at Washington's National Cathedral with his wife, Michelle, and other dignitaries.

Later today, Obama is scheduled to meet with his economic and foreign policy teams to tackle the most pressing issues: what to do about the flagging economy and how to wind down the war in Iraq while stepping up efforts to pacify Afghanistan. Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command with responsibility for Iraq and Afghanistan, was scheduled to meet with Obama.

In addition to his executive orders, Obama has already begun a series of official acts. His administration has asked for a suspension of detainee trials at the Guantanamo Bay naval base so officials could review the cases and the procedures. A federal court approved the request this morning.

Obama also ordered federal agencies to freeze any action on federal regulations promulgated in the Bush administration's waning days so that they could be reviewed as well.

Obama went to work this morning in the Oval Office and received a letter from his predecessor, George W. Bush.

The new White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said in an e-mailed statement that Obama spent 10 minutes alone and read a note left for him in an envelope marked "To: #44, From: #43." The contents were not revealed.

Obama is still building his Cabinet. This morning at the National Cathedral he sat in the front pew in church next to former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who is expected to be confirmed today as secretary of state.

Meanwhile, Timothy Geithner, the nominee for Treasury secretary, appeared before the Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing. Geithner praised the Senate's action in releasing the second $350 billion in aid to the financial industry.

Geithner also apologized for his failure to pay personal taxes several years ago, calling the omission a mistake.

Later today, the president will be briefed on the economy by Lawrence Summers -- his nominee to lead the National Economic Council -- and the rest of his economic team.

Obama will also meet with foreign policy experts including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, National Security Advisor Gen. James Jones and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen.

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

President Barack Obama's new administration ordered all federal agencies and departments on Tuesday to stop any pending regulations until they can be reviewed by incoming staff, halting last-minute Bush orders in their tracks.

"This afternoon, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signed a memorandum sent to all agencies and departments to stop all pending regulations until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the Obama administration," the White House said in a statement issued just hours after Obama took office.

The review is a tool commonly used by a new administration to delay so-called "midnight regulations" put in place by a former president between the election and Inauguration Day.

Midnight regulations have been heavily used by recent former presidents, including the Democrat Bill Clinton, Republican George H. W. Bush, and most recently, the Republican George W. Bush.

Controversial late rules by the outgoing Bush administration include allowing the carrying of concealed weapons in some national parks and prohibiting medical facilities from receiving federal money for discriminating against doctors and nurses who refuse to assist with abortions or dispense contraceptives based on religious grounds.

Federal law requires a 60-day waiting period before any major regulatory changes become law, so some presidents try to publish new major regulations to ensure they go into effect before the new president's inauguration on January 20

[Guest bkelm18]

What is this, thread #4 on this..?

Edited January 21, 2009 by bkelm18

[Reservoir Dog]

What is the, thread #4 on this..?

At least.

[Oh Shoot]

And not only that, but:

"Obama Suspends Carrying In Nat'l Parks "

Guess what - he hasn't.

Maybe he'll try to, but he just hasn't yet.

- OS

[Guest GLOCKGUY]

Sorry guys I didn't see that thread. Mod you can delete this one.