Countdown: time for the economy
Updated on 24 November 2008
Weekend, 21-23 Nov 2008: How to save the economy, more staff appointments and choosing a school.
It's not just Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling who will be making announcements about the economy this week. Barack Obama also used his weekly YouTube address to set out his stall on the economic crisis.
In the video shown on the transition website change.gov, Obama says that the economic crisis was "a long time in the making" and that there would be "no quick or easy fixes", but added that 20 January 2009 - when he officially takes office - is "our chance to begin anew".
He said he has directed his economic team to formulate and Economic Recovery Plan, including initiatives to save or create 2.5 million jobs by January 2011. He will announce the team with the task of implementing this plan on Monday.
New appointments are becoming a daily occurrence for the Obama team. The weekend's announcements may not be as high profile as the debate on Hillary Clinton's possible cabinet appointment, but any avid West Wing fan may recognise the titles.
The White House communication team will include Ellen Moran as Director of Communications, Robert Gibbs as the Press Secretary and Dan Pfeiffer as the Deputy Director of Communications. And they weren't the only jobs to be confirmed, with staff announced for Michelle Obama and Joe Biden. The Huffington Post even suggests Obama is considering a role for Monica Lewinsky (remember her).
Staff appointments are not the only decision the Obamas have made this weekend. It seems that Michelle Obama's tour of local Washington schools last week was also a success.
However, like the inclusion of many of staff and advisers from Bill Clintons era in the Obama White House team, schools seems to be another area where the Obama's are following the Clinton example. Sasha and Malia will go to the same private Quaker school that Chelsea Clinton attended - Sidwell School.
