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Many US Democrats want a more assertive Obama
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-12-05 11:28 WASHINGTON _ Democrats are growing impatient with President-elect Barack Obama's refusal to inject himself in the major economic crises confronting the country.
Obama has sidestepped some policy questions by saying there is only one president at a time. The dodge is wearing thin with many Democrats. "He's going to have to be more assertive than he's been," Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the Financial Services Committee in the House of Representatives, told consumer advocates Thursday. Frank, who has been dealing with both the bailout of the financial industry and a proposed rescue of Detroit automakers, said Obama needs play a more significant role on economic issues. "At a time of great crisis with mortgage foreclosures and autos, he says we only have one president at a time," Frank said. "I'm afraid that overstates the number of presidents we have. He's got to remedy that situation." Obama has maintained one of the most public images of any president-elect. He has held half a dozen press conferences, where he has entertained question after question about the economy, the mortgage crisis, and the flailing auto industry. He called for passage of extended unemployment benefits, which have passed, and even a stimulus package if possible before January 20. But he has stayed away from trying to dictate remedies for the toughest problems Congress is confronting: the auto industry's troubles and how to spend the $700 billion financial sector bailout. Frank's remarks came as the Bush administration considers whether it needs the second half of the $700 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program aimed at helping the financial sector before Obama takes office on January 20. An Obama official said the Bush administration reached out to the transition team about tapping into the money. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said Obama's transition team urged the administration to talk to bipartisan congressional leaders and assemble a meeting between the White House and Congress. The official said the Obama team offered to participate in a bipartisan meeting if it would be helpful. Early this week, Obama was asked whether he worried that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson might begin spending the next installment of the money before he assumes the presidency. Obama demurred. "Until Secretary Paulson indicates publicly that he's drawing down the second tranche, the second half of the TARP money, it would be speculation on my part to suggest that that money's going to be used up," he told reporters at a news conference Wednesday at his Chicago, Illinois, headquarters. Obama did stress that a significant component of the fund should be used to reduce the number of foreclosures. He did not specify a particular remedy. |
