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Economy is Obama’s priority

Washington: Barack Obama is to visit the White House on Monday for the first time since he won the election to discuss an orderly handover of power with President George Bush. Mr. Obama’s main priority is to get his people into the treasury as rapidly as possible to work on an economic rescue plan. He is to meet his economics team in Chicago and afterwards will give a press conference on Friday local time, his first as President-elect.

On Thursday, he announced his first White House appointment, Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff.

The appointment came amid mounting speculation over who would receive the top Cabinet posts. One of Mr. Obama’s closest advisers, Tim Kaine, Governor of Virginia, hinted that the President-elect would demonstrate his intention to govern from the centre by appointing Republicans to senior positions.

Mr. Bush, after meeting his Cabinet to discuss the transition to an Obama presidency, spoke to about 1,000 staff on the White House lawn on Thursday, thanking them for their work and instructing them to cooperate fully with the incoming administration.

Mr. Obama, who will formally take over on January 20, is keen to have an economic stimulus package he has proposed passed by Congress and in place by the time he enters the Oval Office as President.

It is almost certain too that he will be involved when the heads of government from leading industrial countries meet in Washington next Saturday to agree on action to soften the impact of the impending worldwide recession. Though Mr. Bush called the meeting, foreign leaders will inevitably be seeking the views of the President they will be dealing with from January 20.

Henry Paulson, Treasury Secretary, in a brief statement, promised to work closely with Mr. Obama’s team. The treasury is rolling out a $700 billion package for the economy, but Mr. Obama is keen to do more.

Another White House appointment likely to be made soon is that of the man who will become the public face of the administration, Robert Gibbs, who joined Mr. Obama’s campaign early on as his communications director.

After the press conference, Mr. Obama is to impose a news blackout at the weekend, with no more appointments announced, mainly so he and his staff can get some rest. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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