The Obama-Bush
Whitehouse liason this week was more than just a symbolic meeting between the outgoing and ingoing leaders of the free world.
According to the New York Times, President Bush and President elect Obama were in the first stages of
negotiation that would see the
Whitehouse quickly approve a second major
stimulus package for the US economy. The deal is particularly
focused on help for the ailing US automaker
industry, with car giant General Motors starring down imminent
bankruptcy.
Bush wants to get thought a
controversial Free Trade Agreement with Colombia, which has been stalled in the US House and
Senate. In
return for passing the trade agreement Bush would allow a
stimulus package tailored for the US car
industry and nation wide
infrastructure investment to be signed into law well before Obama takes the
Whitehouse reigns on January 20, 2009.
More from the
New York Times:
Mr. Obama went into his post-election meeting with Mr. Bush on Monday primed to urge him to support emergency aid to the auto industry, advisers to Mr. Obama said. But Democrats also indicate that neither Mr. Obama nor Congressional leaders are inclined to concede the Colombia pact to Mr. Bush, and may decide to wait until Mr. Obama assumes power on Jan. 20..Separate from his differences with Mr. Bush, Mr. Obama has signaled to the automakers and the unions that his support for short-term aid now, and long-term assistance once he takes office, is contingent on their willingness to agree to transform their industry to make cleaner, more energy-efficient vehicles. A week after Mr. Obama’s election, and more than two months before he takes office, the steadily weakening economy and the prospect of many more job losses are testing his effort to remain aloof from the nation’s business on the argument that “we only have one president at a time.”
