44, day 49: Sign on the Dotted Line

An ongoing log of the daily activities of the 44th president of the United States during his first 100 days:

-As expected, President Obama lifted the ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research today. And in case you were wondering, he came out against human cloning. The concept is "dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society, or any society."

-Fed chairman Ben Bernanke sat in on the president's daily economic briefing today. According to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, Bernanke offered views on "where the Fed chair sees the economy going over the next several years and steps that can taken to change the course that we're currently on."

-In the having-it-both-ways department, the president ordered executive officials to consult with the attorney general if they intend to use any of the signing statements issued by former President George W. Bush. But then he also indicated he's issue the same kind of signing statements if Congress sends him bills with provisions that Obama thinks are unconstitutional. Bush used the statements to help put his own spin on Congress' work. Obama says he'll take a modest approach to the process.

-The president's task force to tackle the plight of the nation's auto industry is in Detroit. They're going to get a peak at the GM Volt, which gets charged by a regular electrical socket, and hear why GM and Chrysler need more help. They'll also have to contend with calls from Republicans who have settled on a message of no more aid and let General Motors go bankrupt.

-Warren Buffett thinks that Republicans need to get with the Obama program. "I think that the Republicans have an obligation to recognize this as an economic war and realize you need one leader," Buffett said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" this morning.

by J. Jennings Moss

Sources: The White House, the New York Times, Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters, Related LinksThe Case for OptimismFinally, Drama! A Geithner vs. Bair Clash?Worst of Times