The President Elect Doubles Down

Faced with an increasingly severe economic crisis, President-elect Obama made clear Saturday that his immediate economic-stimulus platform -- the first leg in his green energy-economy stool -- will be even larger and more ambitious than previously pledged. This morning Austan Goolsbee, one of his top economic advisors, repeated that Obama would be spending far more than the $175 billion he had previously promised.

This, I think, answers a key question (would Obama listen to the voices saying that he should move more cautiously because of the economy?) with a decisive "no." Because clean energy is a centerpiece of the stimulus package, it also means that Obama is ignoring those who argue that energy reform should wait until there is an economic recovery. Clearly, he is relying on clean energy to help drive the recovery, whatever contrarian voices like The Economist might say.

Last week, in Washington, I had several meetings with officials from the Obama transition -- some old friends, some new. I was struck by the singular clarity they all seemed to have about what they were doing and about what their priorities and limits were -- and by how often those priorities and limits were attributed to directly to Obama. "The President-elect has made clear...." was probably the single most common response to a tough question. This is a huge contrast to the free-form, ad hoc, and often simply confusing atmosphere that characterized the Carter and Clinton transitions  (and, based on descriptions I've read, of Franklin's Roosevelt's launch of the New Deal, for that matter).

The Obama team seems to be bringing to governing the singular discipline that characterized their campaign -- and now it's becoming clearer that the insistence on clarity and focus comes directly from the top. It's about the only reassuring thing you can find on the landscape right now -- so I'm glad it's there.

Follow Carl Pope on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CarlPope

Comments

[garbovatwins]

You have chosen your worlds most important leader wisely. There is so much you must do to secure your future on this, your only home, for now.

[research]

Order billions of dollars of offshore wind turbines.

give individuals and businesses huge tax credits for installing roof top solar.

Create an US Green Bank to help green companies with liquidity problems.

Give those billions to the states, to the unemployed, to folks facing foreclosure. That money will go right back into the economy, unlike the waste on banks.

Pass anti Usury laws cap interest at 10%.

[TRYKER]

Pass anti Usury laws cap interest at 10%."

Really! One certain way to keep Americans out of the poor house and not defaulting on their mortgages would be to pass bankruptcy reform and anti-usury laws.
The credit card companies made $60 BILLION on overdraft and other FEES, thats not even counting what they made with their outrageous interest gouging. They love this mess, its all gravy for them. And they get a tax dodge/credit for everyone who doesn't pay their bills. They can't lose.
I'm not happy that Biden was in the middle of the bankruptcy rip-off change, maybe with his new boss he will be more inclined to think of the citizen now. Getting him out of the Senate might have been the right idea!
What a novel development...."the President-elect has MADE CLEAR...." I love that he speaks so that we understand. It is refreshing and long over-due. And I really love that HE is in charge and not some snake like Cheeeeney.

[nxkindaguy]

This is totally in line with Van Jone's message in 'The Green Collar Economy'. I am grateful that Obama's transition team is listening to the 'blessed unrest' movement and not blindly taking on our challenges with the same old approaches. They see this as an opportunity as much as a crisis ... we all have a role to play.

[Scar1]

How much does the US Government have? Hello !! How much? In the storehouse? In federal reserve? In Kentucky? Gee!! Did anyone ask?

[research]

In the printer.