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8/10/09 11:13 AMBarack Obama So Far : Rolling StonePage 1 of 5http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/29551986/barack_obama_so_far/print

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Barack Obama So Far

Three leading political observers grad e the President's first six months

ERIC BATES

Posted Aug 05, 2009 9:46 AM

uring Franklin Roosevelt's first 100 days in office,congress granted every request the new president made.Barack Obama, despite enjoying a decisive majority in bothhouses of Congress, hasn't been so fortunate. His economicstimulus package failed to win a single Republican vote inthe House, and conservative members of his own party aretrying to block his ambitious plans to provide universalhealth care and curb global warming. What's more, Obamahimself has alarmed supporters by compromising on keyissues, and he has yet to flex his political muscle bymobilizing the tech-savvy network of grass-roots activists heassembled during last year's campaign. All of which raisesthe question: Is Obama raising false hopes? Or does hehave what it takes to deliver real change?(Photos: look back at Obama's presidential journey)To assess Obama's performance during his first six monthsin office, we sat down in our New York offices with three of America's leading political observers. David Gergen, asenior political analyst for CNN and director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, servedin the White Houses of Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Paul Krugman, a

New York Times

columnist and professor of economics and international affairs at Princeton University, won the 2008 Nobel Prize in economics. Michael Moore isthe Academy Award-winning director of

Bowling for Columbine

and

Sicko

; his new film,

Capitalism: A Love Story

, willpremiere on October 2nd.

Read Gergen, Krugman and Moore's full conversation in our new issue, on stands now. Keep reading for report cardson economic recovery, health care, the environment and education compiled by Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson.

NEXT:Grading Obama on economic recovery

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Biggest Victory

Pulling the economy out of its nose dive."Back in November, much of the world believed that wewere on the precipice of a complete economic collapse,"says Elizabeth Warren, the TARP watchdog. "Today, that'snot the case."

Biggest Blunder

Subsidized failing banks rather thannationalize them.

Real Change

Passed largest middle-class tax cut in history.Negotiated $1 trillion bailout of developing economies at G-20 summit. Steered GM and Chrysler through bankruptcy.Reined in abusive credit card rate hikes. Outlined regulatoryoverhaul to curb hedge-fund excesses and create newagency to protect consumers.

Warning Signs

Few stimulus funds spent to date; only160,000 homeowners aided by $75 billion program to prevent foreclosures. Plan to rid banks of toxic assets —unveiled to great fanfare — still hasn't gotten off the ground.

Gutsiest Moment

"I love those folks who helped get us in this mess and suddenly they say, 'This is Obama'seconomy,'" he said in July. "That's fine. Give it to me."

Needs to Stand Up To

Wall Street. "Some of the terms of Obama's gifts to the banks were even worse than those of Bush — and we got robbed under Bush," says Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel Prize-winning economist.

Experts Say

"Let's not unfurl the 'Mission Accomplished' banner yet," says Warren. "We're not there." Adds Stiglitz:"We may have another very bad negative shock. It's a 50-50 chance that we will wind up in a real mess — a doubledownturn recession."

Grade

B-NEXT:

Grading Obama on health care

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Health Care

Biggest Victory

Extended health insurance to 4 millionmiddle-class kids.

Biggest Blunder

Framed universal health care as key tocurbing costs — only to have the Congressional BudgetOffice counter that reform will balloon federal spending by$240billion.

Real Change

Cut deals to slash drug prices for seniors by$80billion and hospital costs by $100billion. Earmarked$19billion in stimulus funds to computerize medical recordsand $21billion to extend insurance for 7million unemployed.Empowered FDA to regulate tobacco. Lifted Bush restrictionson stem-cell research; made morning-after pill available to17-year-olds.

Warning Signs

Deal to cut drug prices doesn't covergenerics. Has waffled on public option to compete with private insurers. "If the Senate passes a bill without a publicoption, then it's a worthless bill," warns Howard Dean. "Just passing any bill will not be victory, and it's not reform."

Gutsiest Moment

Targeting on-the-fence members of his own party with "Call Your Senators" ads demanding reform.Needs to Stand Up To AFSCME. The union is roadblocking the easiest way to fund reform: taxing employer-providedhealth benefits to the wealthiest Americans. Such a tax, according to the Congressional Budget Office, could generateas much as $500billion a year.

Experts Say

"He thinks several chess moves ahead," says Theda Skocpol, a Harvard professor who studied the failureof Hillary Clinton's reform effort. "Obama has proved himself much more strategic than the Clintons were."

Grade

BNEXT:

Grading Obama on the environment

Environment

Biggest Victory

Secured EPA authority to limit climate-warming pollution under Clean Air Act.

Biggest Blunder

Supported $3.4 billion in stimulusspending for pie-in-the-sky research into carbon captureand sequestration.

Real Change

Protected 2 million acres of public land aswilderness, nearly surpassing Bush's eight-year total.Committed U.S. to treaty phasing out toxic mercury.Revoked Bush-era drilling permits near national parks.Amped up regulatory enforcement; directed billions instimulus spending to jump-start green economy.

Warning Signs

Endorsed House bill that betrays campaignpromise by giving away carbon-pollution permits. Failed topersuade China and India to commit to global plan to cutgreenhouse emissions in half by 2050. Approved logging in Tongass National Forest.