EXECUTIVE WATCH

Wednesday, August 19

• A federal judge issued an order that restricts the government’s ability to use hearsay evidence to support its detention of enemy combatants. Because the government has indicated that much of the evidence supporting dentition is hearsay, this ruling could have a substantial effect on its ability to justify the continued detention of individuals captured since 2001.
• President Obama met at the White House with President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. This was President Mubarak’s first visit to the White House in five years.

Thursday, August 20

• The White House issued a statement on the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi. The statement expresses “deep regret” that Mr. al-Megrahi was released after serving eight years of the life sentence he received for taking part in the 1988 bombing of Pan-Am Flight 103.
• Conservative radio talk-show host Michael Smerconish interviewed President Obama at the White House. The President defended his health plan and took calls from several listeners.

Friday, August 21

• President Obama issued a disaster declaration for six counties in Tennessee. The declaration makes federal funding available to state and local governments to repair the damage caused in July by severe storms and flooding.
• The President spoke by telephone with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The Associated Press reports that President Lula urged President Obama to meet with South American leaders to discuss the growing U.S. military presence in Colombia.
• President Obama left the White House to begin a ten-day vacation. He traveled by helicopter to Camp David. The President and his family will depart for Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday.

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Wednesday, August 5

• President Obama visited Indiana to highlight the progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Indiana has received $400 million in recovery fund grants.
• Before leaving for Indiana, the President made a statement on the release of two journalists from North Korea. He thanked former President Clinton and former Vice President Gore for their efforts to secure the release of the journalists.
• The Associated Press reports that the Department of Transportation has not provided data it has collected on the “Cash for Clunkers” program. The Associated Press requested the data last week in order to verify claims made by the administration about the program’s impact. The White House is asking Congress for an additional $2 billion in funding for the program.

Thursday, August 6

• President delegated his authority under §601 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to the Secretary of Homeland Security.  Section 601 mandates the selection of a commission to arbitrate claims arising from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, outlined the administration’s approach to combating terrorist groups in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Mr. Brennan indicated that the administration would take a more comprehensive approach, continuing to move away from the “war on terror” paradigm of the Bush administration.
• The Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor by a vote of sixty-eight to thirty-one.President Obama nominated Judge Sotomayor in May to replace Justice David Souter, who retired in June.

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Wednesday, July 29

• The United States and China concluded two days high level discussions on a range of topics, although little concrete results were revealed. China stated it would be sending a high ranking general to visit the United States, and welcomed the U.S. to do the same, although China warned the United States against repeating arms sales to Taiwan.
• President Obama signed legislation renewing sanctions against the military regime of Myanmar, following Congress’ authorization last week.
• President Obama held a town hall meeting intended to pitch his health care proposals to consumers. Telling stories from his campaign days, Obama attempted to clarify his proposals for a government run, public option for health care.
• After extensive negotiations, the Blue Dog Democrats, a group of Conservative Democrats, and the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives reached an agreement on health care legislation. The agreement will allow the bill to move forward, potentially to be voted on in September.
• In a speech, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano outlined a new strategy to educate and incorporate the public as an asset in terrorism prevention.

Thursday, July 30

• Despite efforts by the Obama administration to trim the Defense Department’s budget, the House of Representatives passed funding for various projects which the administration has threatened to veto, including an expensive new line of presidential helicopters.
• President Obama and Vice President Biden met with Professor Gates and Sgt. James Crowley over a glass of beer, at the much anticipated “beer summit.” The meeting was intended to calm inflamed tensions over the arrest of Professor Gates and President Obama’s comments.
• The House of Representatives passed far-reaching legislation to reform food safety laws, empowering the FDA with new authority to issue recalls and requiring more stringent and frequent inspections of factories.
• The over-whelmingly successful “Cash-for-Clunkers” program was almost suspended as funds were running out after only a few days. The program was intended to continue until September, however the program’s estimated maximum of 250,000 cars sold had already been reached.
• The United States, through U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, signed a United Nations treaty protecting the rights of disabled persons, which had previously been rejected by the Bush administration. The Obama administration will present the treaty to the Senate for ratification.

Friday, July 31

• Two American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, which brought to an end the deadliest month for American forces in the eight-year war. Casualities have spiked due to the Obama administration’s push into the southern provinces, held by the Taliban.
• The new national Gross Domestic Product figures showed less loss than anticipated, greatly improved over the previous quarter, which has increased speculation over the decline and end of the recession.
• The Obama administration was reviewing the “Cash for Clunkers” program, in hopes of extending it with additional funds. The program proved to be wildly popular and ran out of funds in only a week of operation. The House of Representatives later approved an additional two billion dollars for the depleted program.
• Saudi Arabia rejected calls from the United States to lessen sanctions on Israel, in exchange for a freeze on Israeli settlements in Palestine, as a step towards peace negotiations. The prime minister rejected the Obama administration’s “incremental” approach, and claimed that the core issues must be dealt with first.
• The House of Representatives voted to impose limitations on pay and bonuses for Wall Street executives, following disclosure of rampant bonuses given with taxpayer money.

Saturday, August 1

• The White House promised to honor “Cash-for-Clunkers” auto sales through the weekend, despite depleted funds and waiting for a Senate vote to extend more money to the program.
• An expected half a million unemployed will exhaust their government benefits by the end of September, and 1.5 million by the year’s end, according to a new report. 

Sunday, August 2

• On a tour of numerous nations in Africa, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is expected to announce increased civilian and military aid to the struggling nation of Somalia. Clinton will meet with the interim president of Somalia, which is intended to continue to show support for the beleagured government.
• President Obama stated that the United States economy will take “many more months” before it clears the current recession. He warned that joblessness will continue to increase in the next weeks, and the current recession is worse than previously expected.
• Showing the signs of the success of the “Cash for Clunkers” program, the Ford Motor Company posted its first monthly sales increase in two years.

Monday, August 3

• President Obama and Congress engaged in discussions considering whether to enact economic sanctions against Iran if it fails to respond to the United States’ offer for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
• President Obama hailed the passing of the first GI bill since 9/11 as an ‘investment.’ The bill will provide public funding for four years of public college for eligible veterans, which would include a stipend and money for books. The new plan offers $78 billion in benefits over the next ten years, making it the most comprehensive since the original GI bill signed by President Roosevelt.
• In an interview with Al Qaeda’s media operation, Osama Bin-Laden’s deputy claimed a conditional truce offer remained on the table to the United States, provided it meets Al Qaeda’s demands. The demands include the withdrawal of all troops from Muslim lands and support from certain regimes.
• Following Saudi Arabia, the country of Jordan also rejected calls from the United States to ease tensions between the countries and Israel by lessening sanctions and beginning a dialogue. Jordan sharply criticized the eviction of two Palestinian families in the increasingly controversial Israeli settlements.
• The Obama administration renewed its campaign promise, stating there would no tax increases on those making less than $250,000, despite increased speculation over the cost of the administration’s health care proposals.

Tuesday, August 4

• The new secretary general of NATO, Anders Rasmussen, called for an increased European presence in the war in Afghanistan, citing that it would achieve an ‘increased balance in the alliance.’
• The Obama administration launched a new internet initiative to combat misplaced rumors about their health care proposals, creating a three minute video which discusses some of claimed misconceptions. The initiative continues the recent expansion of the debate beyond Washington, into the mainstream media through television and internet advertising.
• Former President Bill Clinton negotiated the release of two American journalists who had been convicted in North Korea, and were serving sentences in prison. The trip was private and not an official dialogue between the two nations, however, former President Clinton delivered a message from President Obama for Kim Jong Il.