Four More Years II- the Third Obama Administration

[TheBeardedOne]

November 9th, 2016

Trump calls Obama to concede; addresses supporters in surprisingly tame morning speech



NEW YORK CITY - After raising fears he would not concede the election during the night, 2016 Republican nominee Donald Trump has called President Obama to concede in the early morning hours, a call that was described by White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest as "gracious". Later, Trump finally addressed supporters in his New York City election night watch party, in a speech described as surprisingly tame. He called supporters to "unite and support our President at this time like in every democracy", but then quickly veered to subtly attacking those he blames for his defeat- the establishment. Trump thanked supporters, who seemed eager to hear a more fiery speech, for "making this movement to Make America Great Again happen", and claimed that "we were almost there, but our country's political establishment doesn't want America to be great again". He finished his speech by calling his supporters to "keep fighting" for what they believe, raising speculation that he was planning another run in four yers. In the night before, many feared Trump would refuse to concede, with only running mate Chris Christie calling Vice President-elect Tammy Baldwin to congratulate her and addressing the campaign's supporters without Trump.

November 10th, 2016

President Obama: team getting to work on building cabinet, crafting agenda



WASHINGTON, D.C. - In remarks given to the press at the White House's Rose Garden, President Barack Obama confirmed that "several" cabinet positions will see "new faces". The current assumption amongst White House officials is that Obama will retain some of his cabinet members and replace others, to create a combination of continuity and a feeling of a fresh start in his administration. Furthermore, the President said that his team was already working on crafting an agenda for his third term, and hinted on the priorities being considered: "guaranteeing quality healthcare coverage to all Americans, protecting our environment, reforming our immigration system and making our justice system equal." The first new cabinet secretary was already confirmed during Obama's election night victory speech- Vice President Joe Biden will serve as Secretary of State. For other cabinet positions, speculation is rampant, as White House sources hinted that there will be "more Republicans" in the cabinet than currently the first two terms, in an attempt to mend divisions.

November 13th, 2016

Republicans 'open' to giving Garland a hearing, McConnell says



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) confirmed today that Senate Republicans are now willing to to give President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland, a hearing, potentially paving the way for his confirmation even before the swearing-in of the new Congress, when Republicans will lose their majorities. McConnell explained the change of mind by the fact that "an election was held" and the identity of the new President was confirmed- "the same one currently in office". Thus, the Kentucky Republican said, there is no use in waiting until Obama's re-inaguration until Garland's hearings. However, it's uncertain if Obama, guaranteed a strong Democratic Senate majority in the next Congress, will keep the centrist Garland as nominee instead of appointing a more liberal judge. Opinions in the Democratic party are split- while progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) urged the President to appoint a more liberal judge who's "guaranteed to upend Citizens United", others like Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen.-elect Evan Bayh (D-IN) have said that the President should "stay the course" and push for Garland's confirmation soon.

November 16th, 2016

Obama national security team to retain two key figures: Jeh Johnson, Ash Carter will remain in cabinet positions



WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama said today that two key figures of his administration, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, will remain in their positions. Carter, 62, has served for less than two years and is said to be close to the President, while Johnson, 60, who served in the position since 2013, is considered a capable and professional secretary, so their retainment doesn't come as a surprise. With the confirmation that Vice President Joe Biden will serve as the nest Secretary of State, President Obama's national security team is shaping up to consist mostly of old faces. But one cabinet-level position remains uncertain- with U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power confirming yesterday that she will retire come 2017, speculation is rampant about the identity of her replacement. Some names raised were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-NY), current Secretary of State John Kerry (D-MA), Fmr. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Fmr. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (D-MD).

November 19th, 2016

President Obama announces major cabinet appointment- Fmr. Gov. Deval Patrick to serve as next Attorney General



In the first major shakeup in the Obama cabinet since Joe Biden was announced as the next Sec. of State, the President announced that Attorney General Lorretta Lynch, known for meeting with Bill Clinton on an airplane to allegedly discuss his wife's email probe, will retire at the end of the current term. Instead, former Massachusetts Governor and close Obama ally Deval Patrick will serve as head of the Justice Department. Though disliked by progressives for his time at Bane Capital, Patrick is considered a solid pick for the job, with extensive legal experience and a strong focus on criminal justice reform, an Obama third term priority. Patrick was rumoured to be one of the main figures urging Obama to seek a third term, and is a close person in the President's circle.

Excited to see who the new Sec. of Treasury will be. Will he pull an FDR and run for a 4th term?

[TheBeardedOne]

December 16th, 2018

Al Gore chosen EPA Administrator, signaling strong environmental agenda



WASHINGTON, D.C. - After weeks of speculation, President Obama announced today that former Vice President Al Gore, a Peace Noble Prize winner for his work to combat climate change and increase awareness to the issue, will be chosen as the new Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. With such a high-profile pick for the Agency, Obama signals that environmental issue will take a high priority in his third term's agenda, and that the EPA's authority will likely increase even more. Environmental activists applauded the choice, and while most conservatives are likely to oppose Gore, it is likely that some moderate Republican Senators will vote for him, guaranteeing confirmation. Gore said that he was "very happy and honoured" by the appointment and promised to "work hard to protect our environment and help save our planet's future". In a CNN Interview, Gore also confirmed that the Obama administration will present an environmental bill before congress "during the first year", making it likely to be one of the first items on the agenda. The Gore pick also has some historic significance- it will mean that President Obama will have three Vice Presidents serving in his cabinet, Vice President-elect Tammy Baldwin, current Vice President Joe Biden and former Vice President Al Gore.

December 18th, 2016

Obama chooses a new Chairman for the DNC- his Secretary of Labour, Tom Perez



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Secretary of Labour Tom Perez was announced today as President Obama's recommendation to serve as the next Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, which means that he's expected to easily be chosen for the job by delegates. Perez will be replacing Interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile, who took over after Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced by the President to resign over a DNC email leak by Wikileaks a bit before the 2016 Democratic National Convention, in which she attacked former Senator Bernie Sanders and indicated that the DNC must work to defeat him in the primary. The choice of Perez is considered unusual, given that he's not a political insider, but not surprising- Obama is likely to want a man close to him heading the DNC, and Perez fits the bill. Secretary Perez was considered one of the most effective and popular cabinet secretaries, having strong executive credentials and good relations with Congress, and speculative future prospects for him included Attorney General, remaining in Labour, or running for Governor in his homestate of Maryland against Republican Larry Hogan, but he was chosen for the DNC- for the time being.

December 22nd, 2016

Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to become next Labour Secretary, a key victory for Progressives



DETROIT - President Obama announced today the identity of the one who will take over from outgoing Labour Secretary Tom Perez, who was chosen to lead the DNC- former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Generally considered a good Governor who helped Obama with the restoration of the auto industry in Detroit, Granholm is staunchly pro-union and enthusiastically supports expanded worker's rights. This is considered a victory for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which was pushing for a strongly pro-organized labour person to fill the job. Indeed, Granholm was lauded by Senator Sanders (I-VT) as "a strong pick for the American workers" , and by Senator Merkley (D-OR) as "a pick that should let the average American worker sleep easier". Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) was especially vocal about his support, calling Granholm "one of [his] favourite cabinet appointtees so far".

December 25th, 2016

Rob Nabors to become new OMB Director; Sandra Black will be Chair of Economic Advisors Council; Marianne Markowitz to be Administrotor of the Small Business Administration



WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama's economic team was bolstered today as three important members of his administration were confirmed- Rob Nabors, an important White House aide and former Deputy Director of the agency, will serve now as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Harvard economist and current member in the Council of Economic Advisors will now serve as Chair, and Marianne Markowitz, a financial aide, will be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, where she briefly served as Acting Administrator in 2014. The appointments of mostly Obamaworld insiders signals that the President is planning to double down on his economic policy of stability and careful growth in the coming term.

December 29th, 2016

BREAKING: Janet Yellen announced Obama appointtee to serve as next Secretary of the Treasury



WASHINGTON, D.C. - Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen will leave her office to serve as President Obama's next Secretary of Treasury, the President confirmed today. It's considered a strong, if fairly surprising, appointment- Yellen was praised for her job in the Federal Reserve, being ranked by media and experts as one of the best economic policymakers in the world. While a less powerful position than her current one, the Treasury Department will allow her to serve for at least four years, while her term in the Federal Reserve is up in a year. Politicians from across the aisle praised the Yellen pick- future Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called her "an excellent woman, the best one for the job", Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called her "a good choice, who will hopefully help implement a progressive economic agenda", and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said that he "approves" of the pick.

I had a feeling Yellen would be chosen. Most of these picks are good!