The E Team

Later today, Prez Elect Barack Obama is scheduled to introduce several appointees of his economic team. The press expects my prediction for Treasury Secretary, NY Fed President Tim Geithner. While Bill Richardson is widely reported as a lock for Commerce Secretary, reports are uncertain about whether he will be one of those named Monday. Why Commerce for Richardson? Here's one good answer ("Bold"), here's another ("Innovator".) It looks like Richardson's record as Gov of New Mexico makes him perfect to help guide the Green Deal (which is what I've decided to call it until they come up with a better name)--the green energy industry and infrastructure programs.

The economic team comes first, since Obama doesn't want to inherit a total wreck in January and even though we still have a president, we don't have a leader, so it's got to be him. Sunday the talk was about a really big economic recovery program--maybe even devoting as much to Main Street as the 700b. to Wall Street. Interesting--given the bucks promised to Citibank but not GM--that there's no word on a Labor Secretary. Maybe that's why the Commerce announcement may not be today--to pair up with Labor?

It looks like the national security team will be introduced next week. And it still looks like Hillary at State. Will there be an enviro team?--Interior, Energy, Environment? Here's an interesting discussion of Interior. Though Thompson is my congressional Rep and a good guy, I favor Raul M. Grijalva, Ariz. Rep, if Obama is going for policy, but Interior is such a huge bureaucratic mess, maybe it needs a former governor (like John Kitzhaber, Oregon) or someone else with administrative experience.