President Obama's First Day

YES to ethics and transparency.

NO to secrets prisons and Guantanamo.

NO to the Iraq War.

According to news briefs, President Obama's second day will focus on foreign affairs, particularly the Mideast. But other problems may be brewing, including what seems to be growing anxiety about Mexico, according to this AP report. The Senate confirmed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State on Wednesday.

On the Economy, while Congress begins discussions on the recovery plan, there are stories that banks and the financial system require more attention. This intriguing piece at TPM suggests how big the plans may be to deal with this. However, due in part to the fact that the Treasury Secretary has not yet been confirmed, proposals that some said would come as early as this week may not happen for a couple of weeks.

Of course there were lots of stories Wednesday about the Inauguration, and accounts of experiences in Washington and elsewhere. This one caught my eye for its link to what began with the JFK Inauguration (the one I went to Washington to see) through the Peace Corps and Harris Wofford, who I worked with on a project in Pennsylvania when he was PA Sec. of Labor in the late 80s--and heard some of these Peace Corps and JFK stories first hand. I'm happy to hear how well he's doing--and how well he's dancing!