Skip to main content

Acting like the president two months early?



http://news.yahoo.com Mon Nov 24, 3:00 pm ET


As Barack Obama said at his first press conference after winning the election, there can only be one president at a time. But, with two months to go before he's sworn in, Barack Obama sure has done a lot of "presidenting," to use the "Saturday Night Live" vernacular, in the past few days.

Sure, his presidential flexing has been in terms of the economy and not Iran, what his original comment referred to, but still. It's exciting to watch the puzzle pieces fall into place, with new information coming daily.

It started on Friday when NBC reported that Obama's Treasury secretary nominee would be NY Fed President Tim Geithner -- a report that sent stocks skyrocketing, with the Dow closing almost 500 points up on the day.

Speculation began mounting shortly thereafter that Geithner's name had been leaked on purpose in an effort to boost the volatile stock market.

Monday's full announcement of Obama's economic team came next, with Obama confirming that economic heavyweights Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers would play central roles in his administration as Treasury secretary and director of the National Economic Council, respectively.

Some say it was an economic one-two punch designed to showcase the muscle that comes with being the president-elect.

"It's a move his advisers hope will calm the markets and send a signal that he's on top of the financial crisis," said ABC's George Stephanopoulos.

Look no further than portions of Obama's economic press conference this morning to extrapolate why these announcements are happening at a quick-fire pace:

"If we do not act swiftly and boldly, most experts now believe that we could lose millions of jobs next year."

"With our economy in distress, we cannot hesitate or delay."


The New York Times summed it up, saying, "the president-elect sought to convey an impression of continuity and coordination, so that his administration can 'hit the ground running.'"

Monday's economic team announcement isn't the end of it, either. The president-elect said he will discuss in detail tomorrow what "cuts and sacrifices" will have to be made to the federal budget.

Meanwhile, the current president is also trying to deal with the financial crisis, announcing this morning that after meeting with current Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, they have decided to give financial safeguard to the ailing bank behemoth Citigroup.

President Bush also said that he and Paulson are working closely with the president-elect as they negotiate the deal.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Anti-cancer foods

Posted by: Zap Mon, Sep 29, 2008, 1:44 pm PDT Source: Yahoo Health It turns out that a healthy diet can help to override any cancer-prone genes you might have at work in your body. "Nutrition has a bigger influence on cancer than inherited genes, which means you could significantly reduce your odds of the disease through diet alone," explains Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of Eat for Health (Gift of Health Press). OK, OK. I know what you're thinking right about now: She's going to tell me I have to eat kale at every meal. Not so! I mean, for the record, you should always eat as many fruits and veggies as possible, because they will dramatically lower your odds of ever hearing the dreaded diagnosis. But there are many other, less rabbity ways to eat away at your cancer risk. Add whole grains to your diet. My two faves, aside from a thick piece of freshly baked whole-grain bread? Oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon for breakfast, or brown rice with a chicken and veggie stir-f...

Best scents to help you relax and stay alert

By: Allie Firestone, 10/15/08 3:03 PM Fall is chock-full of scents, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. Picking up on the huge variety of smells—whether it’s pumpkin pie, freshly-baked cookies, or spiced apple cider—is something I recently realized that I take for granted. Scientists say that humans can distinguish over 10,000 different odor molecules. Turns out, while it doesn’t require any conscious thought, our ability to pick up on a scent involves a sensitive and complex function that has powerful effects on our memory and behavior. How else can I explain how one whiff of pumpkin immediately conjures up thoughts of trick-or-treating and holiday gatherings? Scientists dedicated to tracking the complex relationship between smells, our behavior, and our moods have found that certain scents trigger feelings, including those that help us relax and fall asleep and those that perk us up and keep us alert and focused. Sleep and Relaxation Looks like I’m not the only one tossing and t...

FBI plans large hiring blitz of agents, experts

By James Vicini James Vicini – Mon Jan 5, 5:15 pm ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts. The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies. The agency, which seeks to protect the United States from terrorist attack, fight crime and catch spies, among other duties, said it currently has more than 12,800 agents and about 18,400 other employees. Since the Sept 11, 2001, attacks, the FBI has been criticized for not having enough employees fluent in foreign languages and for not moving fast enough to upgrade its computer system. FBI Assistant Director John Raucci of the Human Resources division said the federal law enforcement agency is seeking to bring more people on board with skills in critical areas, especially language fluency and ...