by Christian Fann

Created on: November 14, 2008   Last Updated: January 16, 2009

The first 100 days in office, what does it all mean? To be frank, it means everything. It is the point in time when a President establishes his foundation as both new leader and voice of the United States. It is a transcendent time, as opposed to a transition time, when the President-elect title goes up in flames. For Barack Obama, the mantra of "there can be only one President at a time" will ring no more. He will be the man in charge, not George Dubba-ya.

Being galvanized with the stack of problems that await him in D.C., he will have to perform (positively) like no other President in recent memory.

With that said, what's his agenda? The better question, my friends, what isn't his agenda? Within his first 100 days of office Barack Obama will need to recommit to human rights. By way of Bush's malignining of policies for the benefit (used loosely) of counter-terrorism and national security, Obama, the next President, will have his pretty little hands full.

Specifically, Obama needs to commit himself to announce a detailed strategy to bring about the close of Guantanamo; as well he will need to flex a little executive muscle and place a ban on torture. In addition, he will have to oversee that an Independent Commission is in place making sure no abuses on the war on terror by the United States Government is taking place.

Obama needs to stay true to his word and timeline on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq. He needs to bone up on the Health Care situation. Making sure that he expeditiously passes a law that covers all children, he also needs to make sure the State Children's Health Insurance Program gets passed, which was shut down by the 43rd President, you know his name.

Burning the midnight oil, Obama will also have to figure out how to solve the Bailout on Main Street situation. Homeowners need a real chance at being able to renegotiate their mortgages and keep their homes. In this struggling economy, this was an issue that was brought up time and time again.

Anything else? How about an Economic Stimulus? Obama will need to act in haste to make sure health and unemployment benefits are extended to both state and local governments. Without money those public services that we all know and love, well, they go bye-bye.

Furthermore, Al Gore received a Noble Peace Prize for his work on Global Warming. Obama will need to appoint him as the head of that front in announcing the reversal of George W. Bush's EPA decision, allowing California to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

HmmI'm feeling Energetic. Obama will need to announce a clean energy strategy which will reduce oil dependence, voice global warming, construct thousands of green jobs, and nurse national security. Where can Obama turn for advice on this effort? How about: Apollo Alliance, Center for American Progress, and Natural Resources Defense Council. Those groups are real winners in this regard. Taking bit pieces of their ideas into account, and rolling them into a stimulus package would be ideal.

Lastly, Obama will need to Protect Dissent. He will need to make sure that the FBI is following their mandate. He will need to Open Justice Department review into surveillance related malpractice. He will need to be transparent, pledging that he will put a stop to all surveillance programs not reviewed by courts or congressional committees.

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