10 Reasons I LOVE the Obama Administration

I'm mindful that we're still in the honeymoon phase of governance, and that Bill Clinton let me down repeatedly during his early years in the White House, but there's something to be said about President Obama's initial flurry of executive orders and public statements. In fact, here are 10 good things to be said about them:

1. Obama's Memorandum on Transparency promises to create "an unprecedented level of openness in Government."
2. The January 21 memo on the Freedom of Information Act sets a new tone across the federal government about the public's right to access information.
3. A ban on lobbyist gifts and post-employment lobbying by executive appointees is a welcome change in expectation, as is the wage freeze for executive employees during a time of economic difficulty. The freeze will save the federal government $443,000 next year.
4. He's closing Gitmo -- and doing it in a measured way. But he's doing it after receiving "a passionate plea," from military flag officers, "that we restore the standards of due process and core constitutional values that make this country great even in the midst of war." He also prohibited the CIA from holding detainees in so-called "black prisons."
5. Torture is officially less likely to happen under the Obama administration: "We can abide by a rule that says 'We don't torture,' " he said. He added that doing so follows a campaign promise but also "an understanding that dates back to our Founding Fathers that we are willing to observe…standards of conduct not just when it is easy but also when it's hard."
6. He acknowledged the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, stating that "we are reminded that this decision not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose."
7. He just screwed Bush's ability to invoke executive privilege and prevent the release of Presidential records.
8. The White House website actually looks and feels more open and free now.
9. He pissed off some Bush staffers during his inaugural address. Karl Rove wrote, "in a last angry frenzy his critics again distorted his record, maligned his character and repeated untruths about his years in the Oval Office." I'm not sure we've had the last angry frenzy related to Mr. Bush.
10. This headline: "Obama Picks Critics of Warrantless Wiretapping for Slot at Justice Dept."