Ack! Here come Trump's first 100 days: Column

 Ack! Here come Trump's first 100 days: Column

If you listen carefully, the Donald will tell you exactly what he'd do on stepping into the Oval Office.

(Photo: Mary Altaffer, AP)

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A little less than a year from now the next president will be sworn in. The first 100 days of a new presidency sets the tone for every other day. They send a message to Congress and the world about the kind of leader we have elected — not just in terms of policy, but also in tone, style and temperament.
Beyond an assassination attempt on his life, Ronald Reagan’s first 100 days were focused on economic issues. Breaking congressional gridlock, he displayed the art of presidency, meeting with Senate and House leaders, gaining their trust and then convincing them to adopt the most sweeping tax and budget changes in the 20th century.
Bill Clinton began his first 100 days with two controversial executive orders on abortion and gay rights followed by what admirers called deficit reduction and opponents called the largest tax increase in history. By the time George W. Bush slogged his way through court cases about hanging chads, a confrontation with China, and Bill Clinton’s scandals, there was hardly any time left in his first 100 days to confirm his unexpectedly controversial selection for attorney general and pass a large tax break.
And while Barack Obama’s first 100 days included trying to shut down Guantanamo Bay detention camp, passing an economic “stimulus” package, and getting several controversial nominees through the confirmation process, we could reasonably ask, following a tradition of examining presidential leadership dating back to Franklin Roosevelt, what would President Donald Trump’s first 100 days look like?
Based on Trump’s comments and claims so far on the campaign trail, as well as extensive research into his activities, we have a reasonably certain idea of what Trump would do bursting out of the gate as our new president.

Debate over refugees will be heated in 2016 presidential race

When President Obama invited a Syrian refugee to watch his State of the Union Address in person last Tuesday, he all but guaranteed the controversy over admitting refugees into the United States will be a major theme of the 2016 presidential election.

From Syrians fleeing their country's civil war to Central Americans escaping their countries' drug wars, the U.S. has faced a rush to its borders that has sparked a heated political debate.

On one side, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump called for a temporary ban on all Muslim immigrants and the GOP-controlled House passed a bill to halt the Syrian and Iraqi refugee programs. Their reason: the federal government needs to upgrade its screening of refugee applicants to ensure that terrorists aligned with the Syria-based Islamic State don't sneak into the U.S.

On the other side, the Obama administration says refugees already are vetted thoroughly, and Democratic presidential candidates say the U.S. needs to remain a refuge for those fleeing for their lives. They argue that the current vetting process is already sufficient, and, as proof, point to the fact that no refugees have committed acts of terrorism in the U.S.