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The first year of the Obama administration has been a combination of both large and small moves forward in different areas, with the gradualism often being frustrating to those on the left. The Hill reports that Obama has scored well by watch-dog groups on ethics issues:

President Barack Obama scores well among ethics watchdog groups in his first year in office, though they’d still like to see more from the president.

Obama has wielded the power of the White House to craft an executive order that limited lobbyist hires in his administration, push federal agencies to share more of their data with the public and begin releasing visitor records for the executive complex on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

“After the last eight years, it is refreshing to see a president, through his rhetoric and action, who understands the way that the system works is a problem. That just a great place to start with,” said Meredith McGehee, policy director for the Campaign Legal Center.

It’s no surprise Obama has taken a serious view of the issue.

As an senator, Obama championed ethics and transparency. The issue led to the signature legislative accomplishments of his short Senate career — the 2007 ethics bill and a government-spending database he helped create with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oka.).

Watchdog groups that had clashed with the Bush administration have cheered many of  Obama’s moves.

But McGehee said Obama nees to spend more political capital next year on ethics issues, even though this could cause fights with Congress.

“It is like an appetizer. The main course is yet to come,” McGehee said…

The president has repeatedly targeted K Street, limiting contacts between lobbyists and administration officials on stimulus projects and issuing agency guidance banning lobbyists from serving on advisory boards. That has led to consternation among lobbyists who have pushed back against the measures.