We have come to the milestone of 100 days for the Obama Administration.  Much progress has been made in this first 100 days, not the least of which is simply a new tone and rhetoric coming from the White House.  The swagger that had become so familiar has been replaced by a quest for diplomacy, thoughtfulness, and citizen involvement.

In the spirit of service and volunteerism that the Obama Administration has championed, SoDeCo would like to encourage each of you to donate your time, money,  talents and/or resources over the next couple of weeks. We believe acting on the philosophies of change we support is the best way to honor the progress that has been made during this first 100 days of the Obama Administration.  We need to look forward to the next 100 days and what can be accomplished with everyone's help.

These are some of the organizations that members of SoDeCo have been involved with and encourage you to contact to lend a hand:

Choose one of these or one of your own, but just do it and get involved!

As we work to improve our own small parts of the world for the benefit of all, let us also be mindful of the enormous challenges our President faces, providing sincere support with a constructively critical eye as our country deserves of us always. To help keep us on task, here are just some of the accomplishments made during the first 100 days of the Obama Administration according to a report from the BBC:

Economy Mr Obama threw himself into the task of rescuing the stricken economy, drawing up a $787bn economic stimulus plan, bailing out banks and offering help to struggling homeowners. But will it work? The Congressional Budget Office says the stimulus package should reduce the severity of the recession. But critics say it is too costly, contains too few tax cuts, is too slow to direct money where needed, will not create jobs quickly enough and will pile up future debt. Iwan Morgan: Good start on the fiscal stimulus but less sure-footed when it came to revitalising the financial system.

Climate change Mr Obama appears to be delivering on a promise to make climate change a priority. The stimulus plan includes $23bn for renewable energy and Mr Obama is backing a draft of a Democratic-led energy bill designed to slash greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency has already decided to regulate CO₂ emissions, in a major shift from the Bush era. But big battles lie ahead with industry and political opponents. Iwan Morgan: The bar was set low after George Bush but Obama has got off to a good start.

Healthcare Mr Obama pledged to reduce health insurance costs while offering a new affordable public plan for some 46m Americans who do not have coverage. He signalled his determination by nominating Tom Daschle as health secretary. But Daschle was forced to withdraw in a row over unpaid taxes, and Mr Obama's next nominee has not yet been confirmed, so the president remains at first base. Iwan Morgan: Three stars is a generous score, largely for intent, but the White House has been largely silent on the issue of healthcare entitlement reform (essential for control of long-term public debt).

Building a team The new president lost two cabinet nominees to tax scandals and another turned down the job. But two key appointments - Hillary Clinton at the State Department and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner - hit the ground running. Iwan Morgan: Obama has put in place good teams for national security and economic policy - though there are concerns about competing lines of authority in each area. It is also a concern that the Treasury, a key department, has still not had appointments made to key posts immediately below the Secretary. The Daschle affair was also a significant embarrassment.

Guantanamo Mr Obama promised to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp quickly. Within days of taking office, he signed an order demanding closure "as soon as practicable". Dozens of detainees have been cleared for release. But the administration faces big legal and diplomatic hurdles as it deals with the remaining 245 men held. Iwan Morgan: As good as can be expected in the first 100 days.

Torture Mr Obama stated his opposition to the harsh interrogation methods of the post-9/11 Bush era - such as sleep deprivation and water-boarding - in his inaugural address. He was quick to ban them, and released memos detailing how they were used under the Bush administration. He has absolved CIA interrogators, but officials who approved the techniques may yet be prosecuted. Iwan Morgan: As above - as good as can be expected in the first 100 days.

Afghanistan Mr Obama promised to step up the battle against the Taleban, and has sent an extra 17,000 troops to join the 38,000 already there. He has also proposed a big spending programme on infrastructure projects, and pledged 4,000 troops to train Afghan security forces. But his efforts to persuade European Nato allies to shoulder more of the burden have yet to bear much fruit. Iwan Morgan: It is difficult to score this one more positively because of setbacks in the area.

Iraq Mr Obama promised the withdrawal of most US troops by the end of May 2010. That timetable slipped just a little when he took office - he now says the US "combat mission" will officially end by August 2010, with up to 50,000 of 142,000 troops now there staying until the end of 2011 to advise Iraqi forces and protect US interests. Iwan Morgan: Obama scores well for reassessing US priorities but the timelines are likely to slip further.

Iran Mr Obama promised to engage with Iran and - possibly - to meet its president. A shift in tone was immediately clear: he talked of extending a hand if Iran "unclenched its fist", and sent a video message to the people of Iran offering a "new beginning". The US will now play a full part in international talks with Iran over its nuclear programme. But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made clear that if dialogue fails, the US will seek tougher sanctions. No results so far. Iwan Morgan: This score is for good intent, but little actually achieved as yet.

Middle East Mr Obama promised that peace in the Middle East would be a top foreign policy aim "from day one". Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian leaders have been invited to the White House for peace talks; seasoned negotiator George Mitchell has been appointed envoy to the Middle East; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited the region herself. US officials have also made diplomatic overtures to Syria, long out in the cold. Iwan Morgan: The US has not done enough to appear an honest broker between Israel and the Palestinians.

Arms control Mr Obama has outlined an ambitious vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. He has called for a global summit on nuclear security, and pledged to reduce the US nuclear stockpile. He and his Russian counterpart have agreed to seek a new arms control treaty. Mr Obama has already stopped funding for a new US nuclear warhead. But he has made clear that the US will keep its arsenal while others have one. Iwan Morgan: Again this score reflects words rather than deeds.

Bipartisanship Mr Obama made a lofty pledge to bridge the bitter partisan divide in Washington, but has only two Republicans in his cabinet. His Republican nominee for the post of commerce secretary refused the job, citing "policy differences". Republicans argue that Mr Obama's choice of Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff - a man they regard as "highly partisan" - was unhelpful. Whichever side is to blame, talk of bipartisanship does not seem to have become reality. Iwan Morgan: US politics is more polarised than at the comparable stage of the Bush presidency - though this is not necessarily Barack Obama's fault.

Come and join us for the SoDeCo book club in March!

(Saturday, March 28 - See Calendar for details)

Our next book will be "Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell. The book came out November 2008 and is a little over 300 pages.

Synopsis

In this stunning new book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"--the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing.

Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, OUTLIERS is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Bring a dish and join us as we discuss the book and talk about where we need to move things here in Denton County in order to ensure success for our group, party, county, state and country.

More details in the calendar and discussion in the forum.