I really think that he needs to concentrate on energy and global warming. If we do not address and solve those two issues, really one and the same, then it will really not matter if you have insurance, or a job, or anything else! We should have a massive influx of spending into the whole alternative energy economy similar to the Manhattan Project in World War II. Even though we have a deficit we need to put money into the economy for road and mass transit construction as well as energy. That would put people to work, money into the economy, and fix our infrastructure problems. We can worry about paying it back later. I think that if the lenders see that we are putting the money into our infrastructure rather then the rat hole of Iraq they will continue to lend it to us! That is my 2 cents for what it is worth.

How about just giving Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba after closing the prison? It is obscene that the US occupies Cuba.

Cheers,

Alan Tomlinson

I will be very disappointed if Obama fails to shut down Guantanamo Bay and give it's detainees proper trials as soon as he takes office.

Not only would it be morally right, it would also have huge symbolic significance as a demonstrable break with the Bush administration.

Don't forget that some things would be best dealt with in the lame duck, to get stuff with deadlines off the new President (and new Congressional majorities) initial agenda, e.g., partial immigration legislation.

I think there is a good chance he will get some help from some of the Republicans. Think about it. They had to vote Bush's way. I don't think they had much choice. Now it will benefit them to cooperate.

Which is why the pick of Rahm Emmanuel makes all the sense in the world to me. He is there to keep House Democrats focused in on the prize and to bust partisan heads in the Democratic party if need be. He isn't there as CoS to fight Republicans, he is there to keep Democrats in line.

The conflicts are right in the progressive movement, sharp differences which have been papered over.

Each progressive faction would like to deny them, in hopes of getting their particular package passed. So, you end up with little done initially because each of the Obama supporters will fear offending the other.

I watch Pelosi's district in which environmental groups have very diametrically opposed solutions to better efficiency. It will get worse,

Steve
I would like to share my views with your readers on Obama's election. Ajaz

ONLY IN AMERICA
With Barack Obama's election as President, United States of America has once again taken a great leap forward and regenerated itself as a nation that changes with time and adapts to new conditions. A nation despite all its faults and checkered history is ready to stand up and correct itself again- a sign of a great nation.

Another great moment in history was when Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. Despite all opposition, he abolished slavery through Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th constitutional amendment. This caused the pro slavery South to rebel, forming the 'Confederate States of America' which led to a bloody civil war. Ultimately, Lincoln and the American people succeeded and that was a historic time when America regenerated itself.

November 4, 2008 was another historic day. Who could have imagined a mere sixty years ago that America where African Americans were not allowed to share the same bench, the same seat on a bus or a drink from the same fountain with their white country men and women, would elect an African American as their President.

Only in America is it possible for any citizen to rise to such heights. Europe steeped in its history of class system and Asia with its dynastic history can only marvel and admire America for its leap forward. No wonder the whole world celebrates Barack Obama's victory, which in fact is America's victory. This is possible ONLY IN AMERICA.

I agree with mat1492 (first comment). Energy and global warming should be the first and most important priority, and infrastructure necessarily forms one critical component of the project. This is just what the economy needs to create jobs and recover from recession. So it solves most of our problems under one umbrella. We will also become a world leader once again by doing this.

I also think health insurance should come after this. If it is put first it will stall out into a prolonged partisan battle that will probably go nowhere, and Obama will lose all his good will, political capital and momentum.

On the other hand, tackling energy, the environment, infrastructure and the economy as one unified national program will stand a much better chance of success, and Obama will be set to tackle other items on his agenda with the momentum behind him.

I hate to say it, but tax increases on the wealthy should be deferred until the economy shows signs of responding to Obama's agenda. But the middle class cuts should probably proceed.

The situation now is a lot different than in 1993. The Democratic congress back then was old, they were imploding under the weight of their own scandals, and not very willing to work with the new president. In the Senate Bob Kerrey was refusing to forgive Clinton for beating him in the primary and knifing him in the back every chance he got. Now we have a newer, younger, more vigorous Senate and Congress who are excited to be back in power. I think that there's a really good chance that some good things will get done.

mat1492 wrote: "I really think that he needs to concentrate on energy and global warming. If we do not address and solve those two issues, really one and the same, then it will really not matter if you have insurance, or a job, or anything else!"

Absolutely right.

In his public comments, his speeches and interviews and debates, Obama has emphasized investment in "clean energy" -- wind, solar, geothermal and biomass -- as well as energy efficiency. I hope that he will indeed make this the central organizing principle of his administration's entire agenda.

A good start would be to endorse and implement the "Repower America" plan but forward by Al Gore's group, to produce 100 percent of the USA's electricity from clean renewable sources of energy, drastically improve efficiency, create a new generation "smart" nationwide electrical grid, and eliminate oil imports from the Middle East within ten years.

That is the path to reducing global warming emissions as rapidly as mainstream climate science tells us we must, if we are to have any hope of avoiding the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.

That is the path to making the USA energy independent, and freeing US foreign policy from the "need" to control the world's dwindling supplies of fossil fuels with military interventions and support of brutal dictatorships in oil-rich countries.

And that is the path to regenerating the US economy, creating millions of good, high-paying jobs that can never be outsourced -- putting millions of people to work insulating and retrofitting buildings, deploying solar electricity and solar heating systems, building wind turbines, upgrading the electrical grid with modern technology, creating new ultra-efficient high-tech appliances, engineering modular pluggable-hybrid electric cars, building high-speed commuter and inter-city rail systems, and on and on.

And even more importantly that is the path to the New Industrial Revolution of the 21st Century, an energy economy that is no longer based on mining and burning scarce, costly, toxic fuel, but on harvesting a limitless supply of abundant, ubiquitous, clean, FREE energy.

What KILLED Clinton was gays in the military, and "Don't ask, don't tell". He allowed his entire agenda to be totally compromised by this. It did allow gays to remain in the military, but, amazingly, the gay wacks have NEVER understood how much Clinton lost by going to bat for them.

And, now, the gay wacks want "marriage equality" to be an early part of Obama's agenda. This would be a huge mistake. Getting involved with gay issues and spending valuable political capital delivering for 2 % of the electorate would be a huge huge mistake.

Wait! I thought the first thing on his agenda was to take all our guns away.

I think Obama can work on several issues under the large umbrella of fixing the economy - a) creating green jobs, incentives and infrastructure b) more educational focus on green, clean science, including grants c) banking/securities regulations d) retooling health care initiatives e) retool tax incentives to encourage work and start up investments

Also I think it would be a good idea to declare a Fix-up-America program. Issue special scrip for community projects, ask that people, especially young and retired, earn the scrip by tutoring, night classes, painting or fix up of community properties, etc, and limit the use of scrip to pay for American labor and products. Upon receiving the scrip from the workers, vendors could then redeem it for cash. I think this would be far more effective than the last stimulus package, and it would boost confidence and pride as well.

I detected a certain (and infuriating) satisfaction at Baker's quote from John Tuck:

“The poor man has his hands tied by the economic and financial mess we have right now,� said John Tuck, a former aide to President Ronald Reagan. “I don’t know what his options are. They’re very, very limited.�

We left them a surplus, they not only looted that, but drove us deep into debt to achieve that "hands tied" state that Tuck so smugly notes. This "economic and financial mess" wasn't an unfortunate accident, it was the plan

Now they expect Democrats to, once again, be the grown ups, and defer our needs in order to clean up after the 'Publican frat party. I don't doubt they also expect to be able to swoop back in after we've cleaned up and loot the treasury all over again.

Well, I say f*ck that sh*t. I think Obama should go ahead and run a deficit in the short term. Get some money into the hands of working people, with a jobs program aimed at rebuilding our public infrastructure and building a new, green-energy infrastructure. Then we (the 90% of us who didn't benefit from the last 10 years) will be better situated to handle the belt-tightening that will be necessary in the long term.

(I posted this as a comment in the NYT's Caucus Blog too, but apparently they found my thoughts insufficiently interesting. Either that or the moderator is a really slow reader...)

For the love of god, is there no pundit or blogger on the face of the earth who can remember relevant context or history for more than six freaking months?

There is no comparison between now and 1993. Why? Because the Democratic-controlled Congress in 1993 was dominated by a disgusting mix of calcified Democrats and DINO Dixiecrats. They were a contemptible, corrosive bunch of assholes, and deserved the ripping they got in 1994.

Contrast all that with today. While nobody was looking, we elected a NORTHERN president and we have a Congress dominated by a WEST COAST Speaker and a WESTERN Majority Leader. The rank and file of the Democratic party in Congress is flush with new blood and eagerness; the exact opposite of 1993.

The lessons to be learned here are not from 1993, they're from 1994 forward and they come gift-wrapped from the Republican party. Governern. Fix potholes. When one of your own goes bad, take him out on the Mall and execute him. Legislate from the center. Take care of the middle-class.

THESE ARE THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

Jeebus...........

When McCain "suspended" his campaign, Obama famously said something about the need for a president to deal with more than one issue at a time. I suspect Obama can and will live up to his own admoniton.

Among the issues Obama can't address by himself (those requiring Congressional action, iow), I would really, really, really like to see him keep his promise about eliminating the tax break for companies that send jobs overseas.

I work for a company that has been offshoring more and more jobs, at the cost not only of American jobs, but of actual productivity. The problems we've had with training offshore workers, problems with production systems that don't get addressed because all the development work has been offshored...you'd think a sane management team would look at these and rethink their course, but I suspect the tax break, in addition to the fact that offshore workers cost less in wages and benefits, keeps them going in this wrong direction.

Yes, it's a selfish motivation to focus on this, but I truly believe that, if the country is going to start reversing the terrible employment situation here, this issue is THE key.

One major difference exists between the House make-up in 2008 and that in 1992: the House Democrats in 1992 didn't know what it was like to be out of power for twelve years. If one considers the leavening the House Democratic caucus has received of totally new members in just the last two elections, an observer can rapidly realize that a goodly portion of that caucus knows what can happen when personal ego gains ascendancy. Those who were in the Congress during the lean years have tasted the whip of the opposition and might not be so keen to chance returning to the minority status again because of factional fracturing.

The lowest hanging fruit is electrification: improving the electrical grid (jobs & infrastructure investment!), increasing replacement of hydrocarbon-fueled transport to electrical transport, improving energy conservation, and improving local production of electricity via home solar & wind production and solar and geothermal heating. This also works on global warming and reducing the trade deficit. Also, Obama doesn't really need to concentrate on it. Just go to Al Gore, make him Energy Tzar, offer to back without question whatever he wants to propose for the first $30-50 billion, and ask him to be an ambassador to Congress in spearheading the legislation. Then just concentrate on other stuff until some arm-twisting or pulpit-pounding is needed.

You really think that Reid will be cooperative? What incident in his entire career as Senate Majority Leader has led you to believe he has the fortitude to go for victory, instead of letting out a magnificent roar before he lies down and whimpers in defeat?

That's a shame. Here I was hoping Reid and Pelosi would be replaced. Reid, by someone who knows how to do political "theatre" and is not so easily compromised by corporate lobbyists.

Pelosi, by someone who cares more for justice and the constitution than political efficiency and is also willing to listen to the people.

Bush uses the "dump truck" tactic of dumping so much crap everywhere that cleaning it up is too overwhelming to have time to deal with "accountability". I guess we're supposed to be satisfied enough by just getting this criminal cabal out of office rather than holding them accountable for their crimes...including mass murder and torture. But I did not see this as a listed priority so it will be just like I imagined..."Let's not be bogged down by the past and instead move forward into the future...(so they got away with it...after all the death destruction, cost and damage...they walk...letting every future president know that they can get away with anything...non sexual of course...and escape accountability completely).

NOT FOR PROFIT non-corporate, no profiteering from our health care. Medicare for all could be expanded within 3mos and hire all the private ins workers to help run the system. Oh yeah.

Restructuring the tax system and economic recovery can probably be rolled into one goal.

Frankly, federal intervention in education was ill-advised. Repeal No Child left behind.
Allow states to hold schools and teachers accountable in whatever way their voters decide.

SMALLER government is a theme Democrats can steal from the GOP and properly SHOULD where it can.

bjobotts, @16:53

As unsatisfying as "letting them get away with it" is... and I'm not even sure that they will, in the long run... Revenge *cannot* be the priority; the very first opening salvo of the Obama Administration.

I've seen how that kind of vendetta mentality has been playing out in my erst-while country (Poland) and it's been a mess of almost 20yrs' duration. Politicking goes on 24/7, there's a revolving door of constant elections, replacement, re-elections; suits and counter-suits clog up the courts, money's being wasted on dirt-digging revenge commissions... And very little gets *done* to make life easier for the average citizen.

That's "for the birds" and that's not what Obama ran on.

I'm in agreement with several posters ahead of me (hark and Secular Animist among them). The issues of green energy/global warming, job creation and healthcare are *all* components of broadly understood "economy" and that's how they ought to be packaged and sold. I suspect that Obama knows that, and that his mentioning economy first refers to a short-term "fix", which may even be achieved or, at least, started on, before inauguration, during the forthcoming lame duck session.

After we've gotten a start on those and look to be on a right track, we can take care of other issues. It is a well-known fact that a well-fed and healthy ox will pull a cart farther than a starved or sick one...

Have you seen change.gov? I had no idea there WAS an Office of the President-Elect. Stands to reason, though.

While nobody was looking, we elected a NORTHERN president and we have a Congress dominated by a WEST COAST Speaker and a WESTERN Majority Leader. The rank and file of the Democratic party in Congress is flush with new blood and eagerness; the exact opposite of 1993.

The lessons to be learned here are not from 1993, they're from 1994 forward and they come gift-wrapped from the Republican party. Governern. Fix potholes. When one of your own goes bad, take him out on the Mall and execute him. Legislate from the center. Take care of the middle-class.

THESE ARE THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED.

Posted by: The Phantom on November 9, 2008

Well said, but there's also one other point. The West comes to us with a lot of environmentalists, young people and libertarian types. We have to somehow incorporate that in our agenda or our recent gains out west could be lost.

Environmentalism, clean cheap energy, education and controlled government spending are big issues with those people.

Immigration is also important, but hasn't really come to the fore yet. It looked like it might last year, but then faded away.

Pelosi and Reid were more than helpful getting Bush everything he wanted (e.g. FISA, immunity for telecoms). Hopefully they won't grow a spine just in time to oppsose a president from their own party.

"Yes, it's a selfish motivation to focus on this,"

No, it's not selfish at all. If we're going to get things back on track, we need to stimulate demand from the bottom up, and that has to occur in the form of increased wages. As I noted on the Calculated Risk blog, one-time stimulus checks won't do it - it has to be a sustained and confidence-building increase in the wages of working Americans. Slowing down the off-shoring of American jobs will help keep wages stable.