Already
From Harper’s Weekly, a reminder of what an incredible sea change our new president represents:
Upon taking office, Obama ordered all secret U.S. prisons closed immediately, and the detention center at Guantanamo Bay closed within a year; he stopped the torture of American prisoners; granted access to all U.S. detainees to the International Red Cross; ended the practice by which detainees could be sent to countries where they might be tortured; froze the salaries of all White House officials making more than $100,000; ordered all government agencies to “adopt a presumption in favor of disclosure” regarding Freedom of Information Act requests; ordered all administration appointees to take an ethics pledge; ended a government ban on funding for groups that provide abortion services or counseling abroad; and revoked Executive Order 13233, which placed limits on public access to the records of former presidents.
Lately, I’ve been grumbling dyspeptically about all the things Obama hasn’t done since he was sworn in, or has done but shouldn’t have. Seriously, though — whatever happens in the next four years, as far as I’m concerned, he’s already saved the country.
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