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“When the Cloud of Rhetoric Has Passed” -SP

November 6th, 2008

It seemed overwhelmingly likely that Obama was going to win for some time, so while I was relieved on election day, I was also mildly disappointed about a few of the other results. I didn’t want to toss out some pessimistic post and ruin anyone’s post-election high. Fortunately, in the words of Jeffrey Lebowski, certain things have come to light, and given the nature of this new shit, I have a much better feeling about where we’re headed.

As per my Congressional Primer post, I still think the best looking issue — and coincidentally the most important issue — is energy reform. Between the Cousins Udall in NM and CO, Merkley in OR, Shaheen in NH and just maybe Franken Berry in MN (in fact, I’m gonna go ahead and predict he wins the recount, and I think it will also tighten in AK for Begich), there are a lot of green freshmen entering the Senate. I’ll let that ridiculous pun sink in and then point out that another huge development is taking place in the House.

Congressman Waxman is challenging Michigan Man John Dingell for chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell is strongly sympathetic to the auto industry and has been mucking up climate change legislation and CAFE standards for years. He’s from Detroit, so it would be politically suicidal for him to do anything else. That is why we need to bring out the cane. Waxman is a complete badass, easily one of the best Congressmen in all the land. And there is no love lost between Dingell and Pelosi, so hopefully she’ll help oust him.

And if that weren’t enough, RFK Jr. is being mentioned as possible head of the EPA, the organization that in recent years censored its climate change reports and refused to let California raise emission standards. Robert is the best man I can think to turn this agency around. Obama has said that energy reform is his top priority after he takes steps to stabilize the economy, and so far I’m thinking he might be serious.

The bad news is that Obama looks to be taking a pretty middle of the road approach to the economy.

This is an oversimplification, but basically most of the economics guys who are going to be advising Obama or heading up the Treasury are the Clinton deregulators; Larry “Barefoot and Pregnant” Summers, Robert Rubin, and Tim Geithner. Now, these are all smart cats, and they have signaled that they understand the need for economic stimulus and oversight given the hole we’re in, blah blah blah. But it’s a shame that there won’t be more input from more left of center academics like Krugman and DeLong in an Obama administration. Krugman, of course, cooked his own goose by strongly criticizing Obama in the primary, and has indicated he doesn’t like advising politicians, anyway.

Really, it’s just a shame that there isn’t more ideological diversity among Obie’s economic advisors (with the notable exception of Warren Buffet). It could come from wherever, I don’t care.

Definitely a mixed bag here, but there are definitely some encouraging signs.

Update: I guess there is some opposition to RFK Jr. as head of the EPA or Sec of Interior in the scientific community, because he’s one of the people who is anti-vaccine, believing it causes autism, although there just isn’t much empirical evidence supporting that theory. This is where I feel stupid, because I really have no idea if he’s an unqualified ideologue, or this is an isolated case of bad judgment.

Entry Filed under: Politics