| The current US president appears to be a lame duck | | | | But beyond that stunning cementing of the current |
| after the 2008 US election. In fact, however, he is | | | | administration's legacy, there is a behind-the-scenes |
| quite busy cementing the legacy that has left him | | | | transition taking place even as outwardly the |
| less popular than Richard Nixon at the time of his | | | | "smooth" transition seems to progress. The "smooth" |
| forced resignation, according to CNN on November | | | | transition is attributable mostly to the president-elect |
| 10. A Gallup poll finding released on the day the two | | | | firmly repeating the statement that there can be only |
| presidents met at the White House showed a record | | | | one president at a time for America whenever he is |
| low of 27 percent approval of the outgoing president | | | | pressed to step in, as he was at the APEC summit. |
| versus a 70 percent of Americans holding a favorable | | | | The behind-the-scenes transition is in the form of |
| view of the incoming one. | | | | "midnight regulations" being "churned out" before the |
| The cementing of the performance that gained the | | | | inauguration on January 20. The Washington Post on |
| current president such a low rating is occurring on as | | | | November 11 listed a few. They include a proposal to |
| many fronts as throughout the presidency itself. | | | | end a ban on carrying loaded guns in national parks, a |
| Highlights included the treasonable manufacture of a | | | | plan to make it harder to get funding for |
| cause for America to enter a war and the illegal | | | | reproductive health care and an easing of safety |
| detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, as was | | | | regulations for workers in the chemical industry. |
| judicially ruled during the third week of November, or | | | | Some 130 such rules could be completed before the |
| approximately two weeks after the election. | | | | president leaves office. While most can be challenged |
| The sitting president has promised to ensure a | | | | in court after the transition is complete, the process |
| smooth transition. He and the current first lady did | | | | is lengthy. And an October memo by the White |
| welcome the new first couple to the White House | | | | House chief of staff indicated that, at the discretion |
| and the first twins did show the new first girls their | | | | of the White House, some rules could proceed |
| new digs. | | | | without regard to mandated deadlines. |
| Beyond those gestures, the current president joked | | | | Thus, since that early November Washington Post |
| about his "forced retirement" at a meeting of Pacific | | | | report, the Post reported on November 20 that the |
| Rim countries the same week that the Guantanamo | | | | endangered species act was about to be watered |
| ruling came down. That was a meeting of APEC, | | | | down by a new rule. AlterNet reported on November |
| which the president a year ago famously mistook for | | | | 22 that other rules would cut back on Medicaid, |
| OPEC, the oil producing cartel, while at the summit | | | | would allow mining near the Grand Canyon and would |
| itself, also mistaking Australia for Austria. | | | | allow more emissions from power plants. Rules cited |
| Such gaffes are a commonplace with the current | | | | by on that same day covered such developments as |
| president, whose homespun ways supposedly won | | | | allowing for drilling next to national parks and allowing |
| the hearts of America's midland in two elections. | | | | more mining waste to flow into rivers and streams. |
| Quite possibly, however, the slips of tongue and | | | | The latter safety-related internet site directs readers |
| folksy manner could have been a ploy to get across | | | | to ProPublica for a guide to midnight regulations. It |
| a very serious and hard-headed agenda. The | | | | also states that most regulations are technically |
| cementing of the unpopular legacy suggests that | | | | subject to public comment. |
| may well be the case. | | | | These rules and others like them, however, were |
| The $700 million bailout is one way in which the | | | | pushed through at a rate that gave the Interior |
| current president is cementing his legacy. Nobody | | | | Department only four days to complete a review of |
| knows who is getting the money except that it is | | | | 200,000 public comments. That translated into staff |
| going to financial institutions and not to the | | | | reading comments at a rate of seven per minute, or |
| automobile industry that provides the basis for the | | | | each comment in under nine seconds. |
| bulk of American jobs in manufacture and sales. | | | | |