Obama requested Guantanamo war crimes prosecutions to be suspended, pending review. This is considered a first step to closing the facility.
He made calls Middle East leaders this morning: King Abdullah of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
He read a letter left to him from Bush:
CNN: Obama arrived in the Oval Office at 8:35 a.m., according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. The president spent 10 minutes alone in the office, reading a note left for him in the desk by outgoing President George W. Bush. The note had been placed in an envelope marked "To: .44, From: .43″.There were some kinks, very, very minor ones:
CNN: When reporters arrived at the White House around 5 am today, the door to the press office was locked, and the press office phone lines went directly to a busy signal. The lights in the White House residence and West Wing were on, but there were no other signs of anyone.He announced senior staff pay would be frozen for those making more than $100,000.
Just before 6 am, the press office door was unlocked. Each empty office had a paper handwritten sign attached to the door or desk with the name of the anticipated occupant, like Bill Burton, Ben LaBolt and Dan Pfeiffer. Some names were misspelled. Later, the doors were locked again.
Around 7:30am David Axelrod was seen entering the West Wing with a couple of boxes in hand. An usher could be seen in the window of the White House residence moving from one room to another.
He vowed that transparency and an honest government would be the rule.
He announced new lobbying rules.
He met with military leaders to discuss withdrawing from Iraq.
And Hillary was confirmed.
He met with military leaders to discuss withdrawing from Iraq.
And Hillary was confirmed.
