First 100 Days
One of the most interesting questions in last night's Democratic debate was posed by an audience member:
Well done, Ivy. Too bad the answers and debate ended like this:
But it really is a great question. I'd like to know what readers and other bloggers would do in their first 100 days as president.
To get the ball rolling, here's what DB would do at the beginning of the Dover Bitch Administration:
Restore habeas corpus and all our Fourth Amendment and other Constitutional protections
Issue an Executive Order reaffirming that torture has no place in American military or intelligence operations
Close Gitmo and bring our processes back into the best traditions of American law
Ask my top military commanders for a plan on my desk detailing the U.S. exit from Iraq that I would expect to complete by the end of the calendar year with no permanent bases
Repair our armed forces and ask the Defense Dept. to prioritize our pursuit of al-Qaeda worldwide and our work in Afghanistan
Ask Congress to fully fund the physical and mental health care our returning soldiers require and courageously earned with their service
Restore our National Guard to its proper role protecting America at home and ask Congress to fund the restoration of its equipment and capabilities
Require DHS to outfit our nation's first responders within nine months with the interoperable communications systems they need to do their jobs well and with a minimum of risk to themselves
Permanently and immediately end the indentured servitude, forced prostitution and forced abortions in American territories like the Marianas
Create a pro-business, bipartisan task force to address practical, immediate and effective solutions to climate change, and a similar, ancillary task force to address energy independence
Declare the U.S. aversion to bilateral talks with other nations over
Demand aggressive action from the United Nations and countries and corporations with leverage in Sudan to put an end to the genocide, with a simultaneous commencement of a strategy involving possible intervention by NATO
Ask Congress to fully fund an intensive effort to round up the world's loose nukes by the end of the calendar year
After my first 100 days, I would roll up my sleeves and start working on these important issues, all of which will likely take an entire term to even make a dent in solving:
Sensible immigration reform
Rebuilding our country's education system with a focus on early childhood development
Fulfilling Bush's promise to rebuild New Orleans
Fixing our broken Health Care system
Replacing every unqualified hack at every level in every facet of the government who was installed by the Bush regime for ideological reasons
What would your first 100 days look like?
BLITZER: Let's go back to Jennifer.
VAUGHN: OK, Wolf. We have Ivy Merrill with us tonight. You are a substitute elementary schoolteacher.
QUESTION: Yes, I am.
VAUGHN: What's your question tonight?
QUESTION: Well, thank you for being here. Given that the circumstances in this country and in our world were essentially the same when you take office, what would be your top priority for your first 100 days?
Well done, Ivy. Too bad the answers and debate ended like this:
BLITZER: Senator Dodd, very quickly. We've got five seconds.
But it really is a great question. I'd like to know what readers and other bloggers would do in their first 100 days as president.
To get the ball rolling, here's what DB would do at the beginning of the Dover Bitch Administration:
Restore habeas corpus and all our Fourth Amendment and other Constitutional protections
Issue an Executive Order reaffirming that torture has no place in American military or intelligence operations
Close Gitmo and bring our processes back into the best traditions of American law
Ask my top military commanders for a plan on my desk detailing the U.S. exit from Iraq that I would expect to complete by the end of the calendar year with no permanent bases
Repair our armed forces and ask the Defense Dept. to prioritize our pursuit of al-Qaeda worldwide and our work in Afghanistan
Ask Congress to fully fund the physical and mental health care our returning soldiers require and courageously earned with their service
Restore our National Guard to its proper role protecting America at home and ask Congress to fund the restoration of its equipment and capabilities
Require DHS to outfit our nation's first responders within nine months with the interoperable communications systems they need to do their jobs well and with a minimum of risk to themselves
Permanently and immediately end the indentured servitude, forced prostitution and forced abortions in American territories like the Marianas
Create a pro-business, bipartisan task force to address practical, immediate and effective solutions to climate change, and a similar, ancillary task force to address energy independence
Declare the U.S. aversion to bilateral talks with other nations over
Demand aggressive action from the United Nations and countries and corporations with leverage in Sudan to put an end to the genocide, with a simultaneous commencement of a strategy involving possible intervention by NATO
Ask Congress to fully fund an intensive effort to round up the world's loose nukes by the end of the calendar year
After my first 100 days, I would roll up my sleeves and start working on these important issues, all of which will likely take an entire term to even make a dent in solving:
Sensible immigration reform
Rebuilding our country's education system with a focus on early childhood development
Fulfilling Bush's promise to rebuild New Orleans
Fixing our broken Health Care system
Replacing every unqualified hack at every level in every facet of the government who was installed by the Bush regime for ideological reasons
What would your first 100 days look like?
