Incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, speaking to a gathering of CEOs and other business leaders:
Mr. Emanuel promised that a major economic stimulus would be "the first order of business" for Mr. Obama when he takes office Jan. 20. The focus of spending will be on infrastructure, specifically "green infrastructure," which he said would include mass transit, upgraded electricity transmission lines, "smart" electrical meters that allow consumers to save money by using electricity at off-peak hours, and universal broadband Internet access, which he said would encourage telecommuting.
This was in the context of broader comments in which Emanuel promised the administration would "throw long and deep," with an ambitious domestic policy agenda that includes a major push for universal healthcare, a cap-and-trade system, and tax reform.
Combined with the choice of Tom Daschle to head HHS, this seems to settle the "big vs. incremental" question. They’re going big.
Let’s hope the choice to head EPA points in the same direction.
Here’s the video:
