Friday, November 7, 2008

Live Blogging the President-Elect, 5

(9:08) What will he read in terms of presidential history (I think is the question) for guidance? Bland answer. Now the dog, equally bland, which is all good: he seems all business, real business.
(9:09) The state of U.S. intelligence? What's he going to say? He has to work with these people on a daily basis. He's had intelligence briefings, there's always room for improvement everywhere. Good thing he didn't say more.
(9:10) Tax policy? Overarching goal is helping people, stimulate economic growth.

And that's it. (9:11) So why did he do this? It was short, and as far as I was able to determine, there wasn't any news. I suppose he did this (and will continue to do so) because having won the election and with Bush on the way out, people will expect him to come out, even if he won't/can't say too much. Something notable was that on the issue of the stimulus package he said that this would be his first order of business "if no package is passed during the lame-duck session." That could also be read as pressure, intervention in the policy debate with the goal of moving things along. So I suppose increasingly he may take charge a little, without really taking charge ("we only have one president").
Well, I'd like to think about something else now. For starters I'd like to turn off CNN's talking heads. (9:17).

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