Biden on the gallop

Day One is always so important for a new president. It sets the mood and the urgency for the new administration. So we get 17 executive orders, none of them a great surprise but it shows that Joe Biden was desperate to put a stamp on his presidency as quickly as possible. Reentering the Paris climate change family, offering Russia a five-year extension to the New Strategic Arms Treaty, stopping construction of The Wall, taking charge of the Covid-19 pandemic battle, rejoining the World Health Organisation. These were the headliners. But a whole lot of other things, including renewing the White House's subscription to The New York Times and Washington Post, following Trump's cancellation out of pique. Biden was even more industrious with his executive orders than his predecessors. The first thing Barack Obama signed in 2009 was an order to close Guantanamo. But that never happened and it's still functioning today 12 years later with 40 detainees. No mention of Guantanamo on Biden's list. I guess he sensibly kicked that one down the road. There are no votes in this issue. Most people just want to forget about it. But it's bound to come up now that the US is returning as moral leader of the western world. So well done Biden on your first day. Trump must be spitting blood, especially with Biden's decision to stop building the wall. Trump managed 400 miles of wall but that was largely replacement wall rather than new wall. The Pentagon will be relieved because the cost had to be found from its budget. Meanwhile Lloyd Austin, Biden's nominee for defence secretary, looks set to get Senate confirmation. Despite all the hullabaloo about him being a general not that long ago and therefore requiring a special waiver to take on a civilian appointment, there's enough good will for Biden right now for this nomination to go ahead. Phew, what a day? Biden is off and galloping.