First Hundred Days

Our look back at Obama's second 100 days will begin with a short overview, and then move on to the categories: "the best of times," "the worst of times," and "the age of (media) foolishness."

Why does it seem as if Obama is everywhere all the time, if he's really not?

On this 100th day for the new president, in 2009 A.D., which, in the new Obamian calendar is the year 1 A.B., we will all dissect an administration that hasn't really had a chance to do much more than talk the talk.

The recent incidents of gun violence are just discrete examples of the estimated 84 Americans who die on average each day in our nation from guns. Yet in the White House, the response remains muted.

If his first 100 days are an indication of how Barack will perform against these nine measures of leadership, he is poised to be a transformational president.

Is Obama behind schedule on defining his health policy? That's the wrong question. He's on a different schedule, one that favors process over policy.

Now is the time for the Supreme Court to reject this latest threat to realizing our promise of democracy and assure every American can vote.

If we kill people, we lose the war. The most significant achievement of the Obama Administration thus far is a consistent and systematic understanding that security as we know it has fundamentally changed.

What is striking is how often the media gets it wrong when measuring up new presidents. Journalists should approach judging a president's first 100 days with some humility.

Anthony Badger's FDR: The First Hundred Days reveals the truth behind the myths circulating in Washington about whether a president can undertake major initiatives during a crisis.