Rahm says get ready for big changes

[greenman3610]

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, called for major reforms to our nation's health care, financial, and energy systems at the Wall Street Journal's CEO Council today, challenging CEOs to embrace an ambitious reform agenda.

"When it gets rough out there, a lot of business leaders get out of the car and say, 'We're OK with minor reform.' I'm challenging you today, we're going to have to do big, serious things," Rahm Emanuel said, speaking at a forum convened to elicit corporate opinion on the challenges facing the new president.

The soon-to-be White House Chief of Staff said the Obama Administration saw the economic crisis as an opportunity to advance a suite of bold solutions that would put America back on track. "You never want a crisis to go to waste," Mr Emanuel said, before continuing, "and what I mean by that is it's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before."

http://watthead.blogspot.com/2008/11/obamas-chief-of-staff-says-to-prepare.html

My feeling - Obama's diverse picks are to reflect different constituencies and
points of view, and cover his right flank.
When he starts to move, he's going to go hard at reform, and Rahm is
there to break heads if people don't jump.

[Eric J in MN]

1. I doubt it. If it were up to me, credit default swaps would be banned,

...and any company too-big-to-fail would be broken up.

I'm not expecting any such moves from the Obama Administration.

[jimshoes]

8. Absolutely

The biggest gambling structure ever created. And all unregulated. And think about this, if someone "bets" that a corporation will go belly up, via a CDS, and that someone in a position of power to help make that happen, do you think that someone wouldn't do it? Just a hypothetical to chew on.:freak:

[TheWraith]

9. Credit default swaps probably WILL be banned.

As for breaking up any company bigger than a lemonaide stand, no, I doubt it.

[Eric J in MN]

10. I'm not aware of any official suggesting that credit default swaps be banned. NT

NT

[napi21]

2. I hope Rahm is our Tom Delay. As much as I detest Tom, he sure

was able to get things done!

[monmouth]

7. I hope Rahm is the one to boot that Buchanan lawyer out of D of J....n/t

[Greyhound]

3. I haven't seen much diversity in his picks, but I'm waiting to see what he actually

does once in office.

Here's hoping. :toast:

[OffWithTheirHeads]

4. It's an opportunity to do things you couldn't do before.

Exactly the premise of Naomi Kline's Shock Doctrine only maybe, just maybe it will be used for good instead of greed this time.

I'm hoping

[JJ]

5. The more I see of, and learn about, Emanuel...

the more I like him.

[DJ13]

6. Obama's diverse picks

The problem many have with Obama's cabinet choices is the LACK of diverse voices.

They are retreads from the Clinton era, or (even worse) from W's administration.

There is no diversity that includes his base....the liberals who supported him from the very start.