A Faster 100

GOOD Magazine has an interesting chart encapsuling the first 100 days of every Administration since FDR. What jumps out to me is that these Presidents didn't actually do a heck of a lot in those 100 days. It's a familiar trope of the media that a President must get a lot done in that early period, but it doesn't actually happen very much.

However, in this case there are a number of things Obama is going to be able to get done early in the term, because of two things. One, he's signaled his willingness to reverse lots of Bush-era executive orders. Second, there are lots of bills that were able to pass Congress or nearly break a Republican filibuster in the Senate that, with the expanded majorities in that chamber, could be on Obama's desk within a matter of weeks. Chris Bowers has a list:

Democratic trifecta legislation

H.R. 1591, U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. Withdrawing between 100,000 to 120,000 of the 160,000 American military troops in Iraq.

Webb amendment to HR 1585: To specify minimum periods between deployment of units and members of the Armed Forces for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Employee Free Choice Act of 2007. Making it easier to join a union.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Another worker's right's bill.

District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act : A bill to provide the District of Columbia a voting seat and the State of Utah an additional seat in the House of Representatives.

Rush Holt's verified voting bill. A verified paper trail for every vote cast in America.

Specter amendment to HR 1585: To restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.

H.R. 976, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007. Expanding children's health care.

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act : A bill to amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for fair prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.

Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007. Increasing stem cell research.

Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act. Increased investment in renewable energy.

Harkin amendment to the Farm Bill. Not sure what this is, but it probably will pass when we get six more votes in the Senate.

Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. A centrist global warming bill that doesn't do much to stop global warming, from what I have heard.

I'm not sure all of these will be offered (Lieberman-Warner is probably dead), but most of them will. And compared to the GOOD chart, that's quite a lot to keep busy, checked only by Congress' speed in acting. It's much more preferable if Congress provides input on these issues rather than executive orders, in my view. And supporting a renewable energy standard, allowing bargaining for prescription drugs, expanding SCHIP and funding for stem cell research, Webb's dwell time amendment and many more of these would be significant.

Of course, none of them have much to do with the urgent economic challenges that we're facing right now, which is why Obama yesterday tried to push President Bush to put together a second stimulus and help to automakers (in exchange for their building cleaner cars) during the lame-duck session of Congress. Bush said, "Well, you scratch my back...."

Mr. Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia, a measure for which Mr. Bush has long fought, people familiar with the discussion said.

The Bush administration, which has presided over a major intervention in the financial industry, has balked at allowing the automakers to tap into the $700 billion bailout fund, despite warnings last week that General Motors might not survive the year.

Mr. Obama and Congressional Democratic leaders say the bailout law authorizes the administration to extend assistance.

Mr. Obama went into his post-election meeting with Mr. Bush on Monday primed to urge him to support emergency aid to the auto industry, advisers to Mr. Obama said. But Democrats also indicate that neither Mr. Obama nor Congressional leaders are inclined to concede the Colombia pact to Mr. Bush, and may decide to wait until Mr. Obama assumes power on Jan. 20.

January 20, which isn't all that far away. Does Bush really think he still has any leverage? If the guarantees are ensured publicly the auto industry can probably muddle through until then. It's not preferable to wait a few months, but at the expense of bad policy, it certainly is. But this is of course Obama's problem for expecting a good faith discussion with Bush.