President Obama's First Day

President Obama and his team had quite a first day. Yes, the meeting with advisers on national economic issues and shifting focus from the war in Iraq to supporting the government of Afghanistan was critical. Day one saw action and a commitment to take on the big issues and drive to action immediately to make good on campaign promises.

I think the most important order of business for day one had more to do about how President Obama wants the nation’s business done by his administration. The President brought all of his staff into a room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the large historic office building on the grounds of the White House, just to the left of the West Wing as you look at the White House from Pennsylvania Avenue. The President had Vice President Joe Biden give the oath of office to the staff, officially swearing them in.

President Obama announced he was signing Executive Orders restricting pay increases among his top staff and he was restricting the ability of appointees from being able to leave public office and lobby the Administration (called the revolving door) for the entire life of the Obama Administration. This would last until the year 2017, assuming the President serves the maximum two, four-year terms allowed by the Constitution. Staff members and appointees who were lobbyists have a two-year restriction on working on any issue they represented as lobbyists.

The current legal restrictions allow staff to lobby former agencies and colleagues after a one-year timeout. The perception of impropriety in American politics is pervasive. In Washington D.C., there has always been a feeling the revolving door allowed former staffers easy access to decision makers (elected officials and key staff members). Those relationships are the coin of the realm for lobbyists and people with those contacts garner large salaries from lobbing firms – the so-called K Street businesses. As different administrations come and go, staffers move in and out between the White House, multiple agencies and K Street.

Additionally, the President took other actions to make this administration more transparent and open to scrutiny. President Obama undid two Executive Orders signed by former President Bush that restricted the release of Presidential documents and the other that protected executive office documents from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

“Transparency and rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency,” said President Obama.

He added, “However long we are keepers of the public trust, we should never forget that we are here as public servants, and public service is a privilege.”

What a great start to governing and a critical breath of fresh air in the West Wing and hopefully throughout all levels of government in America.