Christina Romer: Obama's Chair Of The Council Of Economic Advisers

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Christina Romer, University of California-Berkeley economics professor, will be tapped to be President-elect Barack Obama's chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.

From ABC:

Romer, a widely respected economist with an expertise on the U.S. economy, will be one of the key economic advisers whom Mr. Obama will introduce to the nation this morning, along with New York Federal Reserve president Timothy Geithner, tapped to be Obama's nominee for Secretary of the Treasury, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, who will serve as the director of the National Economic Council.

Romer and her husband David, also an economist at Berkeley, are members of the Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research, which decides when a recession has officially started or ended.

Comments

[munki]

YEAH!!!! BERKELEY!!!
Home of Change! - refer to Forest Gump...for simple answer

[momforbetterworld]

Obama has shown yet again how smart he is to pick smart people, you got to pick people who have been putting their time to do homework and have proven they could excel in what they love to do.

[CommentSense]

This woman is the sleeper of the bunch. I am familiar with her work here in the Bay Area at Berkeley. Brilliant, bright and probably the best pick of everyone so far, although each member of Obama's team so far is among the best in the country. No one knows this woman, but I guarantee she will be one of the most influential on the team.

[ArturoYee]

Reading some of her papers - her knowledge of post war economic activities are indeed impressive.

[PlugINCarsRule]

We seriously need to get on with the business of becoming energy independent. While we are doing the happy dance around the pumps with the lower prices OPEC is planning yet more production cuts and will not quit until they achieve their desired price per barrel. The record high prices this past year have done serious damage to our economy and society. WE must move forward with energy independence. We have the knowledge, we have the technology, what America lacks is a plan. Jeff Wilson has a new book out that is beyond awesome. The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW. He walks you through every aspect of oil, what it is used for besides gas, our depletion of it. The worlds increased need ie 3rd world countries becoming more modernized and consuming more. He explains EVERY alternative energy source and what role they can play to replace oil. His research is backed up with hard data and even includes a time frame and proposed legislative agendas to wean America off oil. www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com

[canucklivinginUSA]

Don't you worry, we are going full-steam ahead

[Obama4change]

O.K. I have to get in to the Affirmative Action debate. For the people that believe that Affirmative Action is an action taken to give less qualified people a job and therefore forgoing the most qualified candidate, this assumption is incorrect. The true meaning is: Affirmative action is a set of actions designed to eliminate existing and continuing discrimination, to remedy effects of past discrimination, and to create systems and procedures to prevent future discrimination. Affirmative Action works best when a white candidate and minority candidate are both equally qualified and the minority is chosen in order to diversify the work force, school, etc. The reason that this law is necessary is that without it minorities will not stand a chance in getting jobs or an equal education because white privilege takes over. For example, in a company where all the managers are white, the manager probably will hire whites because he feels most comfortable with them. He may not intentionally mean to exclude the minorities but that is what will happen. The result will be that his company's personnel will all end up being white and therefore no minority will have an opportunity to land a job at this company. Affirmative Action comes in to play to remind the manager that he should hire some minorities. This is a small percentage, but it ends up being a big deal when whites claim that minorities are taking their jobs from them.

[robXdion]

It goes even further -

When pressed to hire minorities they opt for minority females because male employers feel less threatened and challenged by them, plus they cover two criteria for diversity hiring. Then you have a resulting situation where minority males, specifically black males, can't get hired. This along with the shift from a manufacturing economy to a service economy has created a situation of malaise and dysfunction in the black community because everything flows from men being able to provide for their families. That's a reality feminists can't erase.

[canucklivinginUSA]

Did you see how no one is mentioning Melody(Melanie?) in the MSM? No mention of her at all. How annoying

[Leslib]

Gosh, isn't it refreshing to see the words "widely respected" and "expertise" associated with Obama's cabinet picks. Now THAT'S change I can live with.

[flamflurm]

Yep. Nice that the media isn't rowing against anymore. Seems a sop to the Summers opponents, though the resemblance is jarring.

[PhilipTaylor]

I prefer Kool Aid to the WHITE LIGHTENING most of the TRO//S are drinking!

[ArturoYee]

Interesting (good) pick -
Expert on taxes, economic legislation, ... and its impact -
Concluded that 1% increase in taxes decreases GDP by 2.5% to 3%.

[schatsie]

I never heard that mentioned when Payroll taxes were increased.... Get with it, trickle down is as dead as the King and Queen of France....

[westcoastsc]

I am partial to Berkeley. They always seem to be light years ahead of everybody else.

[franklin opt]

Please don't feed the tro//s.

[Ocean girl]

I hope he picks some qualified intelligent non-white/blacks. I would like to see a TRULY diverse and accomplished cabinet (When is the last time you saw an Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern, Indian or Native American in an important post???)

[noamjunior]

Alberto Gonzolez

[The Impartial]

Yes, he is a Hispanic alright, but the kind you often see in old Western movies, right?

[CUL8R]

Gonzalez loses on the "accomplished" criteria.

[1201SLD]

only if we can't get him a room at Guantanamo.

[robertny49]

Right now is not the time for affirmitive action for these high level government posts. He needs to pick the top experts no matter what their race or gender.

[returnofthejedi]

I could not agree more. This should not be about race butabout who can do the best job.
I say that as an African American. I don't care if the team members are orange and purple.

[drgrph]

That is a ridiculous idea, one that clearly insults all minorities. Your making an assumption that there are no qualified non-whites or blacks available. It implies that when using diversity as a means of selection during "non-critical" times you automatically obtain a less than expert group.

Either affirmative action is appropriately used all the time or should be eliminated entirely. It is wrong to pick and choose when to discriminate and when not to. Putting anyone in a position they are less than qualified for is a recipe for disaster.

[thereWego]

Umm, afirmitive action is dead! There's a half black man that's going to be pres. Time to stop the pissing and moaning and get to work like everyone else!

[lizr]

Meritocracy anyone?

we need the best, skin color not a factor...

this is a duh...

[canucklivinginUSA]

I guess you haven't been paying a lot of attention on his picks? I won't help you though

[dc2nm]

Bill Richardson?

[SnapShots]

If you were in a dark room during a life or death situation with a bunch of experts who could collectively solve the problem and everyone could hear but not see each other, would you be thinking about skin color?

[yorkie]

Interesting picks,,I also hope he ads to fill out the econ councils with James Galbraith, Robert Kuttner, and Paul Krugman,,,,,,also bring great policy pols like GARY HART and BILL BRADLEY,,,,,--both would have been great progressive presidents !

[flamflurm]

and Barney Frank should have a place too!

[bebe5801]

Drinking the Obama kool aid, huh? Funny how you types are always complaining but say nothing of substance. So if you have any better ideas as to how to fix these economic issues, please, grace and amaze us with your earth-shattering intelligence.

[noamjunior]

stimulate the ecconomy with government spending that helps the middle class
rasie taxes on those top 2% that can afford it
cut everyone else's taxes
regulate the default credit swaps that got us into this mess
cut uneeded spending that doesn't help the ecconomy ( war in Iraq, missle defence, other wasteful pentagon spending)
increase aid to states
restore aid to college students
invest in infrastructure and green technology
hire competent people to oversee the ecconomy, rather than college drinking buddies

any other questions

[PhilipTaylor]

Excellent Starting List!

[PhilipTaylor]

Specifics: Please STOP your LEVERAGED SHORTING of Company after Company into or near Bankruptcy so we are continuously providing NOW POOR Middle Class funds to Rich Banksters.

[Veritas-equitas]

You are embarassing yourself with the backward -thinking prejudices "kool aid" comment and speaking of complaining but nothing to say.... HMMM read your letter in front of the mirror. Can you please get a little substance of character before you blog again. I usually don't bother responding to this drivel, but someone should let you know WHY you are being ignored so you can try to grow a bit into a better person.

[Gifts]

Sorry Obama lovers, She looks as though she has been drinking a special Obama kool aid. The glazed look of ..."the suspension of total disbielf" Hillary Quote..., true worship. Keep borrowing, printing, and bailing, the ship is sinking because the government is in it.

[Ocean girl]

Stop judging people (esp women) on their looks and start judging them on their minds and achievements.

[noamjunior]

cons always complain that the government is the problem- and when cons control the government - they prove themselves right

[canucklivinginUSA]

Oh my god, you guys are making me laugh

[JiminNC]

That will get you about half as far as it got Hillary ... at least she had some intelligence to go with her silly ideas.

[JiminNC]

Was there air conditioning on the short bus?

[SethBLiNK]

You're right, Gifts. Obama promised us change. But it's been three weeks since we elected him and the way things are going, you would think Bush was still President.

[sociocanuck]

Good one.

[Gifts]

Isn't more like trickle from the Control of the Government to the people on programs vs. letting the people spend their own money. Do you have to have a PHD in Economics from MIT to see that government is too big and is printing and borrowing money. Praise the Lord Obama has come, he is the smartest dude on the face of the earth and his team is so wonderful and can solve all the problems. The solution, a bigger bailout, more taxpayer money. Really smart, certainly a PHD can see that is the best thing ever. NOT.

Check out the people in history that have had no PHD and have become successful and have contributed to this Great Country in many valuable ways, your comment...very elite.. Freedom is not that complicated.

[johnnygoodwud]

patience, try thinking positive. change will not happen overnight. obama is not a miracle worker. if you want someone to blame, how about the two knuckleheads currently leading this country.