Obama's first big moves

The last time a presidential transition took place with so much happening in both domestic and foreign affairs was in 1981. President Reagan took office just as the Iranian hostages were being released, tensions with the Soviets were high over the nuclear threat and their occupation of Afghanistan, and the economy was in a recession, notes Mr. Schier.

Already, some hallmarks of Obama’s leadership style are evident. As was clear during the campaign, Obama is a planner, and he exudes the calm of someone who has thought through how he wants events to unfold.

“He sees how the pieces fit together, and I think that’s been pretty clear in the transition; they’ve got a plan,” says Cal Jillson, a presidential scholar at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Clearly, Mr. Jillson adds, this isn’t just Obama sitting down with a yellow pad and sketching out a game plan.

“There’s a back office group that really is seeing pretty far down the road, and tiering the decisions in a way that allows people to see how things will accumulate,” Jillson says.

Of course, not all goes according to plan. His nominee for Commerce secretary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew his name after reports were published of a federal investigation into a political donor’s receipt of a state contract. Obama has yet to name a replacement.

Two of Obama’s other nominees have hit snags. Timothy Geithner, tapped to run Treasury, was caught owing back taxes. And Eric Holder, nominated for attorney general, has faced sharp questions over a controversial pardon at the end of the Clinton administration.

Mr. Geithner was endorsed by the Senate Finance Committee Thursday. Senate Republicans have delayed a vote on Mr. Holder’s nomination until next week.

In the end, Obama is expected to get who he wants at Treasury and Justice, especially given the state of the economy and the complicated legal matters surrounding detainees in the war on terror.

In a way, Obama has shown himself to be similar to Bush. The now-ex-president relished bold actions, seeing the presidency as a vehicle for consequential steps, not incrementalism.

Obama, too, has already begun working down the to-do list of campaign promises in bold strokes.

And he appears well aware that, at the start of his presidency, he may be at the height of his political capital. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans view him favorably, and hopes are high that he can turn around the economy, fix the healthcare system, and get the US out of Iraq responsibly.

The first year will be critical. At some point, he will own the problems he has inherited, and so time is of the essence.

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