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POPSObama, Daschle, and Blagojevich Questions about Obama's (and his staff's) interactions with Blagojevich dominate the news conference. Not surprising. But why did Obama wait so long to officially nominate Daschle, one of the first names floated in the Cabinet-naming process?
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POPSThe Best and the Brightest at DOE This pick would certainly fit in with Obama's pattern of hiring extraordinarily smart people: Chu won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1997. But can he manage the Department of Energy?
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POPSNot Rubinomics Part II Nice take from NYT's Jackie Calmes on the influence of Bob Rubin on Obama's economic team. But don't expect the Obama era to be a reprise of Rubinomics, which focused on balanced budgets and deregulation. There's going to be much deficit spending and a shift towards regulation in the next few years.
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POPSGet Ready for Serious Government Spending Democrats may have "kicked the can down the road" on giving Detroit's Big 3 aid this week, as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reportedly said. But it sounds like Congress and the next administration are ready to open the floodgates to government spending. That may not be a bad thing. Remember the old formula from economics class: GDP=Consumption + Investment + Government Spending + Net Exports? When everything else is down, Uncle Sam sometimes has to step in to fill the gap. It also means Democrats' promises not to spend more without raising taxes or reducing spending elsewhere is probably out the window. Goodbye pay-go, hello stimulus!
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POPSNapolitano to DHS Obama's selection of Napolitano as Homeland Security Secretary shows that he's thinking about immigration policy. But DHS encompasses a lot more than just immigration--including cyber security, transportation security and disaster relief. What are your thoughts on Napolitano and Obama's other reported Cabinet picks--Eric Holder as Attorney General and Tom Daschle as HHS Secretary? And what of Hillary Clinton as a potential Secretary of State?
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POPSOrszag As Budget Chief? A good choice for Obama, if this report is true. Orszag is one of the top budget experts in Washington, and he'd be a young face in the next administration.
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POPSLarry Summers for Treasury Secretary Of course he's not the only one being mentioned to replace Hank Paulson if Obama wins on Tuesday. Other notables: FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair and former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. Here's a comprehensive list from Politico on what an Obama administration might look like.
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POPSObama's VP Pick Friday? This might lend credence to the possibility that he'll pick Friday, and use the momentum to carry him into the Democratic convention next week.
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POPSCrude Political Ads Who likes crude? It appears that both presidential candidates have received quite a bit of funding from the oil industry, though McCain far more than Obama, according to the Center for Responsive Politics
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POPSObama: Getting Closer to an Energy Policy Obama suggests tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. So far, he hasn't outlined a comprehensive energy policy. Expect him to pay closer attention to this issue as a response to McCain's ad campaigns
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POPSGoing Ba(ra)ck On His Word? Obama opts to pursue private financing, resulting in a blitz of protest from McCain's camp. This was expected as Obama raised an unprecedented level of cash during the primaries. It also invites more scrutiny of his donors.