Obama and his Economic Team
President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden officially announced key members of their economic team today, naming Timothy Geithner as Secretary of the Treasury and Lawrence Summers as Director of the National Economic Council. Obama and Biden also named Christina Romer Chair of the Council of Economic advisors, and named Melody Barnes and Heather Higginbottom to serve as Director and Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council.
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Economic Rollout
There is no question or doubt about what is the key most important issue at hand in this country, the economy.
Obama is getting high marks for his handling of his transition team.
Approval of Obama's handling of the transition is slightly better than Bill Clinton's 62 percent in mid-November 1992. Clinton improved from there, to 72 percent in mid-December and 81 percent just before his inauguration in mid-January 1993. George W. Bush's grade late in his transition also was high, albeit not as high as Clinton's – 72 percent in mid-January 2001.
Financial firms are lined up with hands out. Like Citibank?
Although investors sensed late last week that a rescue of Citigroup was forthcoming, investors nonetheless were heartened, even emboldened, by the U.S. government's decision late Sunday to invest $20 billion in Citigroup and guarantee $306 billion in risky assets.
Here we go again. Another bank, financial giant who can not manage their business. Again, the American Public has no say on who gets what, what plan is involved, or anything. We will just be given the bill for another money giant who does not give any Americans breaks on anything. Sorry, but that is just how it is, and we all know it.
Watch: Government Rescues Citigroup
The Big 3 Automakers came to Capitol Hill last week unprepared. They each got an earful, but what I don't like coming out of this is the right winged talking points of Detroit workers making more than $70.00 an hour, when in fact the average median is around 25-28 bucks an hour. This is good money, but when you have a family of four, 28 bucks an hour is not a lot of money. The Big 3 Automakers need to control this narrative before it gets out of hand.
I am on the side of the workers here, the auto workers. It is not their fault that the Big 3 Automakers decided to continue to create gas guzzlers, stay in bed with the oil industry and refused to be futuristic and innovative. These workers should not be penalize with reduce wages and healthcare coverage.
The healthcare industry in this country must be as important as all these banks falling by the waistside. The monies in healthcare walks hand and foot with jobs, creation of jobs, saving of jobs, etc.
The next movement of President-Elect Obama must be the overhaul of the healthcare industry. There are too many folk walking around here uninsured, sick, with families and no coverage.
Finally, the economic mess is just that, a mess. This failed leadership under President George W. Bush, who will go down as one of the worst presidents ever, is a signal that this economic crunch will get worse before it gets better. To show how relevant Bush was or irrelevant, he had an impromptu meeting with the uncommunicative Hank Paulson, Treasury Secretary. What Bush said was so unimportant that President-Elect Barack Obama's Press Conference interrupted him, completely.
Wow, see how badly the country just wants Bush to go away. We truly do.
See Obama's Press-Conference to introduce his Economic Team, here.
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Obama Books Flying Off the Shelves
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Joe Biden's Senate Replacement Named
Ted Kaufman, longtime aid to Senator Biden, will serve as Senator from Delaware until the 2010 elections as reported today by The Hill. He is not expected to run for the seat, but rather to serve as an interim office holder until Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, returns from his tour of duty in Iraq.
So, Mr. Kaufman is keeping the seat warm for Beau Biden to run in 2010. Gotcha!!! And Beau Biden will be a great senator.
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Obama Announcements or Rumors
Well, we got the Economic Team above.
Bill Richardson for Commerce Secretary.
White House Communication Staff
Dr. Susan Rice, rumored for UN Ambassador
Peter Orszag, Obama's Budget Director
Desiree Rogers, will serve as special assistant to the president and social secretary; and Melissa Winter will be Deputy Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama
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and.........
Obama Girls head to Sidwell Friends
Obama gets high marks for Transition Team
White extremists lash out over election of first black president
Musical Chair Derby to Audition for Transition
Change is coming to FEMA
Bush pardons 14, commutes 2 prison sentences
Reparing the Big 3
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