Daily News Rush

Obama reaches out to Muslims, following in Bush's footsteps

Following in former President George W Bush's footsteps, President Barack Obama reached out to Muslims this past week, (1/27/2009) saying:

“Now, my job is to communicate the fact that the United States has a stake in the well-being of the Muslim world, that the language we use has to be a language of respect,”

and...

“We cannot paint with a broad brush a faith as a consequence of the violence that is done in that faith’s name. I cannot respect terrorist organizations that would kill innocent civilians and we will hunt them down. But to the broader Muslim world what we are going to be offering is a hand of friendship.”

Former President George W Bush first reached out to Muslims shortly after 9/11/2001  during his speech to a joint session of Congress on 9/20/2001.  Bush continued to reach out to people of ALL faiths throughout his Presidency.  Here's what he said on 9/20/2001: 

"I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It’s practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them."

...hmmmm. 
Apparently the current President, #44, has a few things in common with the former President, #43.  I wonder if the mainstream media and/or his supporters have realized this.

44 Firsts - President Obama - first things first

An ongoing list of things that President Obama, #44, has done first, or first did, or was not the first to do while in office.  These firsts are only listed because of their slightly or extremely unusual nature, obviously we are not going to list every little thing the President does.  These firsts can be good or bad or just curious - you decide. 

1. 1/20/2009 First black/white American elected to the office of the Presidency (good thing).
2. 1/20/2009 During the Oath of Office, with one hand on the Lincoln Bible and one hand in the high five position, Obama interrupts Justice Roberts as he was reciting the lines Obama was to repeat; causing both to flub their lines.  The result was an inappropriately administered and possibly invalid Oath of Office.
3. 1/20/2009 Obama's first  act as President is to enact A National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation, calling on Americans to serve one another and our common purpose.
4. 1/21/2009 Nielsen Ratings show that President Ronald Reagan's first inauguration in 1981 attracted more viewers (41.8 million) than Obama's first inauguration (37.8 million) in 2009 (it remains to be seen whether Obama enjoys a second as Reagan did) - it is highly likely that more people watched the Obama inauguration around the world however.
5. 1/21/2009 On his first full day as President, first thing this morning President Obama spent 10 minutes alone in the Oval Office and read a personal note written to him by President George W Bush, #43.
6. 1/21/2009 The first person to be invited into the Oval Office was Rahm Emanuel, the second was Michelle Obama.
7. 1/21/2009 On his first day in office, President Obama drafted an executive order that calls for closing Gitmo, Guantanamo Bay, within one year.
8. 1/21/2009 On his first full day in office, the President meets and greets White House employees and then freezes the salaries of highest paid White House employees (those earning over $100,000/year).
9. 1/21/2009 First phone call from the Oval Office was to Palestinian leader, President Abbas
10. 1/21/2009 President Obama's first official act, taking the Oath of Office was flubbed, so Justice Roberts travels to the White House to re-administer the Oath of Office under an abundance of caution.  No Bible and no huge crowds this time.
11. 1/22/2009 Obama visits the State Department to meet with Hillary Clinton for the first time in her capacity as Secretary of State, she was finally confirmed on 1/21/2009.
12. 1/28/2009 Obama becomes the first President to be effecively IMPOTENT on his political honeymoon as 100% of House Republicans stand firm in their rejection of Obama's wooing and vote against the budget add-on spending bill, also known as the 'stimulus' bill.
13. 1/29/2009 During his first 9 days in office, Obama's connection to impeached Governor Blagojevich of Illinois is called into question as the Governor's repeated reference to helping Obama get elected causes concern and wrongdoing by Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is implicated during the Governors Hail Mary speech in the Illinois Senate today.

.......to be continued

Obama to close Gitmo and 'dispose of detainees'

1/22/2009 In a media address and signing process this morning, President Obama issued an executive order that will close Gitmo, the Guatanamo Bay, Cuba prison for terrorist detainees, within one year.  During the signing process, Obama asked one of his staff members if there was a separate executive order that explains how they would 'dispose of the detainees'. 

There was indeed a separate executive order that deals with 'Detainee disposition'.  Is there a difference between saying 'detainee disposition' and 'dispose of detainees'? 

There was also an executive order stating that interrogation will now be based on the current Army Field Manual.

Obama also said we were going to win this war on terror on our terms.