WEEK IN REVIEW: MAR 2-6

Much has transpired over the past two days but I won't get into it yet. Unfortunately, we've been too busy to post the most recent week in review well and on time, but here goes nothing...

The big story in the first days of March was healthcare, an area that needs a whole lot of work. There is no good reason for the all the problems plaguing the medical system in the US. Pharmaceutical and insurance companies continue to rake in billions at the expense of all the rest of us (including many doctors). Unless Obama's healthcare agenda reverses this trend, it will only make matters worse, especially since there is no money to spend. Whatever his plan may be, it will not be easy to fix the problem.

Here's a brief rundown of some things that happened in week nine... 

MONDAY:
 - Obama announced Kathleen Sebelius - a former insurance executive - as his latest pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services. There are still many posts left to fill...

TUESDAY:
 - The President of the United States met with the British Prime Minster... no big deal.
 - Meanwhile, members of Congress debated Obama's massive budget on Captiol Hill
 - In other news the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir. In ambiguously supporting the ICC decision, The president seems to be suggesting that he values justice over peace. If only that were something that applied in other hot zones.

WEDNESDAY:
 - Obama announced plans to overhaul the way that contracts are managed and awarded. While this may seem like bad news for big firms with well-to-do shareholders, it is probably little more than a publicity stunt. 
 - In the evening he hosted members of Congress at the White House in hopes of convincing them to back his budget plans.

THURSDAY:
 - A mass of people attended the White House Forum on Health Reform that lasted all afternoon despite the fact that there is still nobody in charge of that department. Nevertheless, President Obama called for a comprehensive overhaul of the healthcare system (his reforms could cost US taxpayers $2.5 trillion while still leaving over 45 million uninsured) 
 - VP Biden spoke to the AFL-CIO Executive Council in Miami – he reitetreated the WH position that “a strong middle class needs a strong labor movement.” Considering most middle-class workers in the US are not members of any unions, he is probably wrong.
 - While participating in some positive charity work, FLOTUS Michelle Obama had a rather bizarre phot-op at a homeless shelter. 
 - US District Judge James Robertson threw out a lawsuit questioning Obama’s citizenship. He ordered the prosecution to to show why it hadn't violated court rules barring frivolous cases and why the plaintiff' should not have to pay Obama's attorney for wasting his time. Amen to that! Still no news on the other case I keep yapping about.

FRIDAY:
 - Obama spoke at a graduation ceremony for police recruits in Ohio where he sought to justify his gigantic spending bill.
 - Barack toughened his stance on whaling, a move that is sure to upset some people in Japan. I'm not fan of animal cruelty, but I've heard that whale meat is absolutely delicious. 
 - The president announced plans for some more foreign policy appointments... More on this later.
 - Right before the weekend, the White House signaled that limits on stem-cell research would be lifted (more on that some other time).