Obama Reviews Bush’s Executive Orders

Gary Fields reports from Washington on President-elect Obama’s transition: President-elect Obama would make an economic-recovery plan his first priority after taking office, if the current Congress and the Bush administration fail to pass a proposal, a key aide to Mr. Obama said Sunday. John Podesta, co-chair of the Obama-Biden transition team, said on “Fox News Sunday” that Mr. Obama is hopeful that a plan could be passed in coming weeks, which would expand unemployment insurance benefits and aid states struggling with rising health care costs. If not, “it would be the first order of business when” Mr. Obama takes office, Mr. Podesta said. The White House has signaled its reluctance to approve another stimulus package. Speaking Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” Mr. Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel said, “The American people, right now, need help, economically. You have a package there, the economic recovery act, that deals with extending unemployment insurance, and given ... (link)