Kerry Statement on President Obama's First 100 Days

[ProSense]

04/29/2009

Kerry Statement on President Obama's First 100 Days

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement this afternoon to mark President Barack Obama’s first one hundred days in office:

“These first hundred days will forever be compared favorably to Roosevelt and Reagan for the change in priorities an American president delivered. Gone is go-it-alone, cowboy diplomacy, replaced with a bold approach to engagement and a comprehensive approach to American security. Gone is the willful indifference towards health care, the economy, and global climate change, replaced with a major reordering of domestic priorities, laser-like focus on fixing the fundamentals of the economy and investing in jobs, respecting science, and restoring openness and transparency in government. These are big bold changes, not tinkering around the edges of the old way of doing things.”

[ProSense]

1. A March op-ed by Kerry and Ms. on Obama's first 100 days

KERRY: Economic crisis' new challenges

Ms. Releases Report on Obama’s First 100 Days: Giant Strides for Women

Ms. magazine’s editors conclude President Obama took “Giant Strides for Women” in his first 100 days. He not only reversed some of the most egregious Bush policies, but also took powerful actions to advance and empower women.

“By any measure, the work President Obama has done for women and girls in the first 100 days is impressive. I have been working for women’s rights in Washington since the Carter days and I have never seen anything like these first 100 days,” said Eleanor Smeal, Publisher of Ms. “In employment, reproductive rights, and global women’s rights, thus far he is keeping his promises.

“In looking at the list of accomplishments, we’re checking off major goals for women’s rights at a rapid pace,” said Ms. Executive Editor Kathy Spillar. “We’re excited a large portion of Obama’s appointments are women of color, but his appointments are one area in which he could improve. He has appointed some outstanding women, but only 32% of his top appointments, thus far, are women (using the Washington Post Tracking Poll).”

Listed below are key Obama Administration actions for women and children:

JAN 23 Overturned “global gag rule,” which will help re-fund international family-planning groups
JAN 29 Signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring women’s ability to sue for pay discrimination
FEB 4 Expanded government health insurance to cover 11 million children

FEB 17 Saved and created jobs in traditionally women-heavy fields—health care, child care and education—in $787 billion economic stimulus package; also increased Medicaid, food stamps and unemployment benefits
FEB 27 Moved to rescind the Bush administration’s “conscience” clause—which could have let health-care workers deny patients abortion and contraception
MAR 2 With the choice of Kathleen Sebelius as Health and Human Services secretary, appointed a total of seven women to Cabinet-level positions
MAR 6 Instituted a new ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues
MAR 9 Lifted restrictions on stem cell research
MAR 11 Established the White House Council on Women and Girls
MAR 11 Restarted U.S. contributions to the United Nations Population Fund Reinstated low-cost birth control availability at college health centers and at some 400 clinics serving low-income women
MAR 19 Pledged to sign U.N. declaration to decriminalize homosexuality, which Bush refused to sign
MAR 20 Obama appointee Elena Kagan is confirmed as the first woman Solicitor General
APR 3 Obama calls Afghanistan’s proposed Shia Family Law “abhorrent”
APR 23 To date, Obama’s appointments to posts needing Senate confirmation were 32% women with a substantial portion women of color

The spring 2009 issue of Ms. also reviews the economic stimulus package and reproductive health initiatives of the new Obama Administration as well as the new Obama/Clinton foreign policy approaches.

[Cha]

11. P Obama has taken giant

strides for women and he wouldn't have it any other way.

[Inuca]

2. Great characterization! n/t

[blueclown]

3. Kerry is 100% right.

He has accomplished a good deal in his first 100 days, and most importantly, he has laid the groundwork during this time for the rest of his very important agenda, including health care.

[ProSense]

4. Exactly,

Obama prepared the ground for some dramatic changes take root.

[NYC Liberal]

5. Part of me wishes we were talking about the 1st 100 days of President Kerry's 2nd term

Which would mean we would have had 4 fewer years of Bush & Co. and we wouldn't nearly be in the mess we are in today.

BUT! I think Obama is going to be a fantastic president and he is going an excellent job.

[ProSense]

6. Agree.

It's good to be a Dem.

[wisteria]

9. Sigh, yes me too. n/t

[NYC Liberal]

12. Kerry would have made a great president.

[MH1]

13. Yeah, I hear ya.

Agree with everything you said.

[ObamaKerryDem]

16. Me too. He would've made a wonderful president. I guess I'll never understand that election..*sighs*

But Obama has been incredible thus far and I am so glad he is President! :) I wish both of them could've been President somehow (like Kerry first, then Obama..) They are both awesome and two of my favorite politicians (hence the username :P) And I'd vote for Kerry again in a heartbeat..

All you Massachusetts Dems are so lucky to have JK as your Senator..and Teddy, too! :D Wanna trade for McCain and Kyl? *doubtful* LOL..

[karynnj]

7. The Boston Globe carried Kerry's assessment

"Senator John F. Kerry, who gave Barack Obama his first big national stage and then a key endorsement, praised the new president's bold agenda in the first 100 days, comparing him to Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan.

Kerry picked Obama to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention in Boston in 2004 when he accepted the presidential nomination and is now the news chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“These first hundred days will forever be compared favorably to Roosevelt and Reagan for the change in priorities an American president delivered. Gone is go-it-alone, cowboy diplomacy, replaced with a bold approach to engagement and a comprehensive approach to American security," Kerry said in a statement.

"Gone is the willful indifference towards health care, the economy, and global climate change, replaced with a major reordering of domestic priorities, laser-like focus on fixing the fundamentals of the economy and investing in jobs, respecting science, and restoring openness and transparency in government. These are big bold changes, not tinkering around the edges of the old way of doing things.”

(link though this is the whole thing)
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/04/kerry_touts_oba_1.html

[wisteria]

8. Bravo Senator Kerry, you have said it so well. n/t

[Cha]

10. "Big Bold Changes"

is right and thank you, Senator Kerry, for your interesting statement and reminding us that..

"Gone is the willful indifference towards health care, the economy, and global climate change, replaced with a major reordering of domestic priorities, laser-like focus on fixing the fundamentals of the economy and investing in jobs, respecting science, and restoring openness and transparency in government."

I just love the way it put that!

[politicasista]

14. kick

for Senator Kerry and President Obama. Two good patriots. :kick: :patriot:

[ObamaKerryDem]

15. That's (the man I wish was) my Senator! A true class act all the way. And 100% correct. K&R! :)