Deeds Vs. Promises: A Scorecard
遏止经济衰退奥巴马的承诺到总统选战结束时，奥巴马的竞选主题已经从恢复和平变成了重现繁荣。他承诺要通过一项大规模经济刺激法案来给美国经济注射一剂强心针；他说要把布什总统准备用于救助华尔街的7,000亿美元资金更多地用于美国普通民众；他保证要重塑金融监管体系，以杜绝类似的金融危机再次发生；他还为美国设想了一条经济复苏之路，这将是帮助中产阶级脱离困境的长久之策。迄今为止所取得的进展作为就任总统后的第一个重大举动，奥巴马在就职数周后推出了7,870亿美元的经济刺激计划。奥巴马政府还略微减轻了夫妻年收入不足19万美元家庭的税负，延长了可领取失业救济的时间，增加了食品券发放额，提高了对州政府的援助。资金正开始源源流向基础设施项目。奥巴马政府还从金融业救助资金中拿出了数十亿美元，以帮助陷入困境的房主调整按揭贷款，并推动信贷向小企业流动。奥巴马虽然向通用汽车(General Motors)和克莱斯勒(Chrysler)抛出了救生索，但却解雇了通用汽车的首席执行长。财政部长盖特纳(Geithner)为改革金融监管体系制定了指导原则。下一步要做的工作现在该去啃硬骨头了。奥巴马政府必须就重组克莱斯勒(不晚于四月底)和通用汽车(不晚于五月底)做出艰难决策。它还需要对银行业实施“压力测试”，或许仍需要向国会申请更多金融体系救助资金，这笔钱可不是好要的。如果美国经济继续下滑，国会议员们今年秋天可能需要再制定一项经济刺激计划。国会还必须着手制定新的金融监管法规，而这肯定会在企业游说人士中激起一场争斗。由于经济衰退仍然漫无尽头，为了将讨论重点引向对美国长期复苏的关注，奥巴马一直在欢呼美国经济显现的希望曙光。他保证要在“岩石”上重建美国经济，他雄心勃勃的能源和医疗保健计划将构成美国经济的坚固基石。但要实现这一目标，奥巴马在国会还要经历一番恶战。外交在竞选总统期间，奥巴马经常说布什政府损害了美国与盟友的关系，并保证要“重新发现外交的力量”，要“与所有的国家打交道，不管它是朋友还是敌人”。奥巴马政府已发布了一份向伊朗表示接触意愿的视频信息，并取消了限制古巴裔美国人去古巴旅行和向古巴汇款的限制。虽然其他国家已经注意到了美国外交口径的变化，但奥巴马迄今为止尚未从其他国家赢得什么显著让步。干细胞研究3月9日，奥巴马总统放松了向胚胎干细胞研究提供联邦资金的限制，实践了他竞选时的承诺。布什政府认为这项研究毁灭人类生命，按照布什政府的相关规定，美国国家卫生研究院(National Institutes of Health)仅限于向少数几个从人类胚胎中提取干细胞群的研究提供资助。现在这家机构的新指导原则允许它将大约700个现有干细胞群研究项目列为资助对象，但不允许为提取新的干细胞群以及胚胎克隆提供联邦资金。政府的道德规范作为总统,奥巴马承诺他的政府将具备“空前的”透明度，并禁止过去两年内曾充当游说人士的任何人在他的政府中任职。白宫已经因对某些被提名人网开一面以及任命的部分高层官员涉嫌逃税而遭受批评。还有人指责奥巴马政府的禁令太过严厉，很难找到合格的人来填满重要职位。贸易奥巴马上任之后的贸易立场远不如竞选阶段那么强硬。当他为争夺民主党提名资格而在以工业为主的中西部地区与希拉里对阵时，他着重强调要对北美自由贸易协定(North American Free Trade Agreement)进行重新谈判提高劳动力和环保标准的承诺。那时，他给中国打上了操纵汇率的标签，通常会提出这一指控的都是强硬的贸易怀疑论者。不过，当前的美国财政部在不久前的一份报告中却选择不要重复中国操纵汇率的论调。税收竞选期间，奥巴马说他将减轻中产阶级家庭的税负，而对高收入者加税。奥巴马政府的经济刺激计划中包括对年收入不足15万美元的夫妇减税800美元，总统还在寻求对抵押贷款利息和慈善捐赠的详细抵税额度设置上限，以此来帮助为医疗卫生改革提供资金。现在，随着政府出台规模庞大的开支计划，同时又承诺要缩减赤字，奥巴马不得不调整自己作出的不向年收入不足25万美元者加税的承诺。信心与变革跟任何政策问题一样，奥巴马竞选时的中心口号就是呼吁政治“信心”和“变革”，主要表现在减轻两党分化现象。奥巴马已经做出了两党合作的初步姿态，让共和党人担任内阁要职，并邀请他们参与刺激计划等重大问题的讨论。不过，大多数共和党人抱怨这些讨论只是装门面，并继续投票反对总统。民意调查也表明，美国公众的看法仍然存在很大分歧。Jonathan Weisman / Louise Radnofsky
Tackling the RecessionPromisedBy the end of the campaign, Obama's candidacy -- once framed around restoring peace -- had become consumed by the need to restore prosperity. He promised a massive economic-stimulus bill to give the economy a quick shot in the arm, said he would steer President Bush's $700 billion Wall Street bailout more toward Main Street, vowed to remake the financial regulatory system so such a crisis wouldn't happen again, and envisioned a path to recovery that would restore the faltering middle class for the long haul.Done So FarAs his first major act, Obama muscled through a $787 billion economic-stimulus plan within weeks of taking office. A small tax cut for those earning less than $190,000 a year for couples is already in effect, along with unemployment-insurance extensions, increased food-stamp allotments and aid to state governments. Money is beginning to flow to infrastructure projects. The administration has directed several billion dollars of financial bailout money to restructuring mortgages for struggling homeowners and getting credit flowing to small business. He threw a lifeline to General Motors and Chrysler, but fired GM's chief executive. Treasury Secretary Geithner laid out the principles for a financial regulatory overhaul.What's NextNow comes the hard part. Tough decisions loom about restructuring Chrysler (end of April) and GM (end of May). The administration needs to implement 'stress tests' for banks, and may need to ask Congress for still more financial-system bailout money, a tough sell. If the economy continues to slide, lawmakers may this fall craft another stimulus plan. Congress still must take up the financial regulation proposal, which promises to spark a battle among corporate lobbyists.While the recession is far from over, Obama has been hailing glimmers of hope as he tries to shift the debate to stage two: the long-term recovery. He has vowed to rebuild the economy on a 'rock' of ambitious energy and health plans, but faces fierce legislative fights.-- Jonathan WeismanDiplomacyDuring the campaign, Obama frequently said the Bush administration had hurt American alliances abroad, pledging to 'rediscover the power of diplomacy,' and 'meet with all nations, friend and foe.' The administration has also released a video message to Iran offering to engage and has lifted restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba for Cuban-Americans. While other countries have noted the change in tone, Obama has had little visible progress so far in winning concessions.Stem CellsPresident Obama loosened restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research on March 9, fulfilling a campaign promise. The Bush administration viewed the research as the destruction of human life and under its rules, the National Institutes of Health was limited to funding a few dozen cell lines derived from human embryos. The agency's new guidelines could make about 700 existing lines eligible for funding, but stop short of allowing federal support for derivation of new lines and a form of embryonic cloning.Government EthicsAs president, Obama has committed his administration to 'unprecedented' transparency and a ban on employment for anyone who had worked as a lobbyist within the past two years. The White House has drawn criticism for giving waivers to some nominees, and for some high-level appointees who had failed to pay their full taxes owed. The Obama administration is also facing charges that the ban is too strict and has made it too difficult to get qualified people to fill key positions.TradeObama took a far tougher trade stance on the campaign trail than he has pursued in office. When he was battling Clinton in the industrial Midwest for the Democratic nomination, he emphasized his promise to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to raise labor and environmental standards. He branded China as a currency manipulator, an allegation usually made by hard-line trade skeptics. However, his Treasury chose not to repeat the currency manipulator label in a recent report.TaxesDuring the campaign, Obama said he would cut taxes for middle-class families and raise them on upper-income taxpayers. The stimulus bill included an $800 tax cut for couples earning less than $150,000, and the president is pursuing a cap on itemized deductions for mortgage interest and charitable donations to help fund health-care overhaul. Now he has to square promises not to raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 a year with considerable spending plans and a pledge to cut the deficit.Hope and ChangeAs much as any policy issue, the centerpiece of the Obama campaign was a call for 'hope' and 'change' in politics, chiefly by reducing polarization. The president has made early gestures of bipartisanship, offering cabinet positions to Republicans and inviting them to join discussions on major issues such as the stimulus package. Most Republicans complain that these discussions are only cosmetic, and continue to vote against the president. Polls also suggest that the American public remains deeply divided.Jonathan Weisman / Louise Radnofsky
Tackling the RecessionPromisedBy the end of the campaign, Obama's candidacy -- once framed around restoring peace -- had become consumed by the need to restore prosperity. He promised a massive economic-stimulus bill to give the economy a quick shot in the arm, said he would steer President Bush's $700 billion Wall Street bailout more toward Main Street, vowed to remake the financial regulatory system so such a crisis wouldn't happen again, and envisioned a path to recovery that would restore the faltering middle class for the long haul.Done So FarAs his first major act, Obama muscled through a $787 billion economic-stimulus plan within weeks of taking office. A small tax cut for those earning less than $190,000 a year for couples is already in effect, along with unemployment-insurance extensions, increased food-stamp allotments and aid to state governments. Money is beginning to flow to infrastructure projects. The administration has directed several billion dollars of financial bailout money to restructuring mortgages for struggling homeowners and getting credit flowing to small business. He threw a lifeline to General Motors and Chrysler, but fired GM's chief executive. Treasury Secretary Geithner laid out the principles for a financial regulatory overhaul.What's NextNow comes the hard part. Tough decisions loom about restructuring Chrysler (end of April) and GM (end of May). The administration needs to implement 'stress tests' for banks, and may need to ask Congress for still more financial-system bailout money, a tough sell. If the economy continues to slide, lawmakers may this fall craft another stimulus plan. Congress still must take up the financial regulation proposal, which promises to spark a battle among corporate lobbyists.While the recession is far from over, Obama has been hailing glimmers of hope as he tries to shift the debate to stage two: the long-term recovery. He has vowed to rebuild the economy on a 'rock' of ambitious energy and health plans, but faces fierce legislative fights.-- Jonathan WeismanDiplomacyDuring the campaign, Obama frequently said the Bush administration had hurt American alliances abroad, pledging to 'rediscover the power of diplomacy,' and 'meet with all nations, friend and foe.' The administration has also released a video message to Iran offering to engage and has lifted restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba for Cuban-Americans. While other countries have noted the change in tone, Obama has had little visible progress so far in winning concessions.Stem CellsPresident Obama loosened restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research on March 9, fulfilling a campaign promise. The Bush administration viewed the research as the destruction of human life and under its rules, the National Institutes of Health was limited to funding a few dozen cell lines derived from human embryos. The agency's new guidelines could make about 700 existing lines eligible for funding, but stop short of allowing federal support for derivation of new lines and a form of embryonic cloning.Government EthicsAs president, Obama has committed his administration to 'unprecedented' transparency and a ban on employment for anyone who had worked as a lobbyist within the past two years. The White House has drawn criticism for giving waivers to some nominees, and for some high-level appointees who had failed to pay their full taxes owed. The Obama administration is also facing charges that the ban is too strict and has made it too difficult to get qualified people to fill key positions.TradeObama took a far tougher trade stance on the campaign trail than he has pursued in office. When he was battling Clinton in the industrial Midwest for the Democratic nomination, he emphasized his promise to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to raise labor and environmental standards. He branded China as a currency manipulator, an allegation usually made by hard-line trade skeptics. However, his Treasury chose not to repeat the currency manipulator label in a recent report.TaxesDuring the campaign, Obama said he would cut taxes for middle-class families and raise them on upper-income taxpayers. The stimulus bill included an $800 tax cut for couples earning less than $150,000, and the president is pursuing a cap on itemized deductions for mortgage interest and charitable donations to help fund health-care overhaul. Now he has to square promises not to raise taxes on people making less than $250,000 a year with considerable spending plans and a pledge to cut the deficit.Hope and ChangeAs much as any policy issue, the centerpiece of the Obama campaign was a call for 'hope' and 'change' in politics, chiefly by reducing polarization. The president has made early gestures of bipartisanship, offering cabinet positions to Republicans and inviting them to join discussions on major issues such as the stimulus package. Most Republicans complain that these discussions are only cosmetic, and continue to vote against the president. Polls also suggest that the American public remains deeply divided.Jonathan Weisman / Louise Radnofsky