Think Progress

ADMINISTRATION -- OBAMA'S UNSCREENED TOWN HALL AUDIENCE IS CLEAN BREAK FROM BUSH'S SUPPORTERS-ONLY EVENTS: Yesterday, President Obama hosted a town hall meeting in Elkhart, IN to promote his recovery and reinvestment plan. As the Washington Post's Dan Froomkin pointed out, Obama traveled to relatively unfriendly territory, since Obama lost the county to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) in the presidential election 44 percent to 56 percent. Despite this fact, the White House did not screen its audience, which had the chance to ask the president questions. "In a dramatic contrast to former President Bush's town-hall meetings -- which were held almost exclusively in party strongholds, with tickets distributed primarily to supporters -- it was first come, first served in Elkhart" when tickets were distributed," noted the Washington Post. Former President Bush aggressively screened his audience members, even requiring volunteer service or loyalty oaths before being allowed to attend his events. For instance, in March 2005, people seeking tickets to a Social Security event were quizzed about their support of Bush and his Social Security plan ahead of time. At the town hall yesterday, Obama underscored the openness of his events, saying: "Here's the deal on questions: First of all, we didn't screen anybody, so there's some people who like me in the audience, some people that don't, some people agree with me, some people who don't. It doesn't matter. We want to take questions from everybody."

JUSTICE -- LEAHY URGES TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE BUSH: At his first official press conference last night, President Obama got a question from Huffington Post's Sam Stein about Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-VT) proposed "truth commission" to investigate "misdeeds" committed by the Bush administration. Obama said, "My view is also that nobody's above the law and, if there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen. But that, generally speaking, I'm more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards." Leahy first advocated such a commission while speaking yesterday at a Georgetown University forum, proposing a group of people who don't have an "axe to grind," to probe offenses committed by the Bush administration, including  torture and warrantless wiretapping. The commission would be authorized by the Senate and would have subpoena powers and the ability to obtain immunity from prosecutors. "We need to be able to read the page before we turn the page," Leahy said,. He also praised Attorney General Eric Holder for not partaking in a "devil's bargain" with conservative senators, who had wanted a promise from him that he would not investigate Bush officials, in exchange for votes during his confirmation hearing. Leahy's proposal yesterday echoes calls by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-RI)  to investigate various Bush administration crimes. Regardless of Obama's actions on the issue, Whitehouse said, Congress "has an independent responsibility" to pursue a criminal investigation.

TORTURE -- OBAMA DOJ AFFIRMS BUSH'S STATE SECRETS POSITION ON RENDITION CASE: In federal court yesterday, the Obama administration signaled it would uphold the Bush administration's state secrets position in a lawsuit regarding an airline's complicity in Bush's use of extraordinary rendition. Five men who say they were victims of extraordinary rendition -- including current Guantanamo detainee and torture victim Binyam Mohamed -- sued, but the case was thrown out last year after Bush declared it to be a matter of state secrets. In the appeal yesterday, the new administration took the same position. ABC News reported that the Obama administration "stands behind arguments that previous administration made, with no ambiguity at all. The Justice Department lawyer said the entire subject matter remains a state secret." Mohamed was also at the center of a recent case in the U.K. in which two High Court judges ruled against releasing documents -- reportedly at the request of the British government -- that described his harsh treatment while held by Americans and their allies. The London Daily Telegraph reported last weekend that, according to a British intelligence official, the documents reveal that "Mohamed's genitals were sliced with a scalpel and other torture methods so extreme that waterboarding, the controversial technique of simulated drowning, 'is very far down the list of things they did.'"

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was the only Senator not to vote yesterday on the economic recovery package. (Judd Gregg had recused himself.) "He was at a New York gathering of prominent media conservatives and Wall Street Republican donors called the Monday Meeting, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Midtown Manhattan."

The New York Times reports that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner "prevailed" against several top Obama aides in "opposing tougher conditions on financial institutions" in the debate on the bailout. Geithner successfully blocked "more severe limits on executive pay for companies receiving government aid" and replacing top bank executives and wiping out "shareholders at institutions receiving aid."

Yesterday, the struggling General Motors announced that vice chairman and product chief Bob Lutz will retire at the end of 2009, capping off a 46-year career. Lutz came under criticism last year, after declaring that global warming was a "crock of sh*t."

Just weeks before leaving office, former President Bush appointed a number of top aides and GOP lawyers to "potentially lucrative" jobs at an "obscure World Bank agency" that "attempts to broker international finance disagreements." Bush "made more than 100 such end-of-term appointments to a constellation of presidential boards and panel's many of which will outlast President Obama's current term."

During a closed-door speech at the House Republican retreat last month, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that "with George W. Bush, Karl Rove and Tom DeLay out of the picture," voters would embrace Republicans again. One lawmaker in the room later called Gingrich's singling out of other Republicans "gratuitous." Gingrich's office refused to "confirm or deny the comments attributed to the ex-Speaker."

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "appealed to President Obama to attend a hastily planned summit here in late March to promote international efforts to stem the pace of climate change." Officials at the U.N. "are concerned that the world’s richest countries, including the United States, may withhold funding for environmentally friendly programs...because of the financial crisis."

Yesterday, Obama "ordered a 60-day review of the nation's cybersecurity to examine how federal agencies use technology to protect secrets and data." Run by former Bush administration aide Melissa Hathaway, the review will examine "all the government plans, programs and activities underway to manage large amounts of data."

The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm, PMA, founded by a former aide to Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and specializing "in winning earmarked taxpayer funds for its clients." "PMA is the second company with close ties to Murtha to be raided by federal agents recently"; combined, the "companies reportedly have received over $100 million in earmarks, thanks to Murtha's efforts."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad "made a conditional offer of dialogue to the Obama administration" today, saying that Tehran was ready for "talks based on mutual respect and in a fair atmosphere." Ahmadinejad's comments come on the heels of a press conference last by President Obama, in which he said, "Now it's time for Iran to send some signals that it wants to act differently."

And finally: "The head of state was a little bruised" yesterday after President Obama "misjudged either his height or that of the door to a waiting helicopter." After waving goodbye to crowds, he attempted to board Marine One but instead hit his head in the doorway. Watch video of the incident here.