Not surprisingly, Obama’s "major speech on the economy" at George Mason University gets top billing over Bush’s remarks on No Child Left Behind in Philadelphia (which I did find via a live feed).

But a reader points out one more way in which the likely incoming Surgeon General isn’t a man of the left: He opposed referenda in 2006 in Colorado and Nevada aimed at legalizing medical marijuana.

His general view: Smoking pot should be banned because it "isn’t really very good for you." (That isn’t usually given as the reason for banning marijuana, and draws you toward the outlying position of supporting a blanket ban on tobacco).

He wrote at the time:

I suspect that most of the people eager to vote yes on the new ballot measures aren’t suffering from glaucoma, Alzheimer’s or chemo-induced nausea. Many of them just want to get stoned legally. That’s why I, like many other doctors, am unimpressed with the proposed legislation, which would legalize marijuana irrespective of any medical condition.

Though informal descriptions circulating of the event described it as a party Geffen’s honor, Dowd emailed Politico that the party (still in its planning and bartender-hiring phase) "is in honor of the new Age of Anxiety," not Geffen, though "David Geffen will be here, and he’ll come."

"As a journalist, of course, I don’t ‘honor’ people, only truth!" she wrote.

Also invited: Bill Keller, Emma Gilbey, Jill Abramson, the brothers Bennet and Emanuel, and assorted Times and "Chicago" guests, she emailed.

Transition aides and Haass denied the report though; today, Nelson (who writes a subscription-only newsletter) has solid confirmation that Ross is getting the Iran job, which will — according to another report — have broad responsibility ranging from dealing with Russia and China to Iraq on issues concerning Iran.

The crucial decision here may be less the identities of the envoys — though the naming of the relatively hawkish Ross suggests a tough stand toward Iran — than the fact that Ross’s portfolio doesn’t include the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There had been discussions, as I reported last month, of whether to appoint one envoy or two for the region, the argument for the former being that the issues are so interlaced, with Hamas’s support for Iran, and its relationship with Syria so important to any peace process that there was no point trying to untangle them.

Obama seems set to appoint a third, separate envoy for Israel and the Palestinian territories; that’s a hint that he thinks there’s some settlement to be reached between the parties there that can stand, at least in part, apart from Ross’s Iran portfolio.

Also of interest: Steve Rosen reports that Dan Shapiro, the key campaign staffer on Middle East policy, who also played a central role in reassuring Jewish leaders of Obama’s support for Israel, will direct Near East affairs.

Sunstein is a constitutional scholar (Harvard, natch), but also a political junkie and polymath; the last thing of his I read was his taxonomy of how rumors work, inspired by the Obama Muslim smear.

OH, AND: He’s married to … former top Obama foreign policy advisor Samantha Power, who seems all the likelier to make a public return to Obamaland, her gaffe having faded substantially with time.

One of my favorite Iowa scenes, incidentally, featured the two of them, and economic advisor Austan Goolsbee, fumbling with the fundamentals of knocking on doors in Des Moines.

If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years. The unemployment rate could reach double digits. Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. We could lose a generation of potential and promise, as more young Americans are forced to forgo dreams of college or the chance to train for the jobs of the future. And our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world.
In short, a bad situation could become dramatically worse.

Obama will also, according to prepared remarks, call for tight oversight and more regulation.

Full excerpt after the jump.

Continue reading post…

Rick Pearson and Mike Dorning:

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate’s Democratic majority opened the way Wednesday for Roland Burris to become Illinois’ next senator, pressured by President-elect Barack Obama to remove a politically consuming distraction less than two weeks before he assumes the White House during an economic crisis.

A top Senate Democratic source said Obama’s concerns about the Burris situation were among several factors that resulted in an about-face by Senate leaders, who had vowed to reject Burris or anyone else named by disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Obama told Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and others when he visited Capitol Hill this week "that if Burris had legal standing—and it appears he has—he should be seated as quickly as possible," a senior Democratic official said Wednesday. Obama earlier had sided with Reid’s opposition to the appointment.

“It is time to set a new course for this economy, and that change must begin now,” Obama says in remarks released from a major speech on the economy he is delivering this morning at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Obama uses his signature word “change” twice in the 960 words of excerpts provided to reporters ahead of the speech.

The speech is the most dramatic, sobering element so far in what aides promise will be a long and continuing conversation between Obama and the nation about the dire state of the economy and the necessary solutions.

Coming 12 days before his inauguration, the speech is designed to put pressure on Congress to act within weeks on complex legislation that normally would take months of debate and hearings. But Republicans are warning against undue haste, and can be expected to refer to it in television appearances as “a trillion-dollar spending bill,” even though $300 billion of the $775 billion total – 40 percent – is slated to go for tax cuts to businesses and the middle class.

In comments aimed at leveling with Americans that the worst is yet to come, Obama says: “[O]nly government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy.”

The president-elect acknowledges “that some might be skeptical of this plan,” but promises not to “just throw money at our problems,” but instead “invest in what works.”

“Our government has already spent a good deal of money, but we haven’t yet seen that translate into more jobs or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy,” he said. “The true test of the policies we’ll pursue won’t be whether they’re Democratic or Republican ideas, but whether they create jobs, grow our economy, and put the American Dream within reach of the American people.”

Obama also says his “American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan” is only the starting point for his plan to restore e economic stability. He also talks of:

—“a sweeping effort to address the foreclosure crisis so that we can keep responsible families in their homes.”

—“preventing the catastrophic failure of financial institutions whose collapse could endanger the entire economy, but only with maximum protections for taxpayers and a clear understanding that government support for any company is an extraordinary action that must come with significant restrictions on the firms that receive support. “

–And “reforming a weak and outdated regulatory system so that we can better withstand financial shocks and better protect consumers, investors, and businesses from the reckless greed and risk-taking that must never endanger our prosperity again.”

The transition’s précis on what it calls “a major speech on the economy” says: “He will make the case for urgent action on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will save or create over 3 million jobs while investing in priorities like health care, energy, and education that will jumpstart economic growth. This plan will represent not just new policy, but a new approach to meeting our challenges that focuses on responsibility, accountability, and transparency so that we can rebuild confidence and trust in our economy and our markets.”

Here are the excerpts released by Obama aides:

I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible. If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years. The unemployment rate could reach double digits. Our economy could fall $1 trillion short of its full capacity, which translates into more than $12,000 in lost income for a family of four. We could lose a generation of potential and promise, as more young Americans are forced to forgo dreams of college or the chance to train for the jobs of the future. And our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world.

In short, a bad situation could become dramatically worse.

***
There is no doubt that the cost of this plan will be considerable. It will certainly add to the budget deficit in the short-term. But equally certain are the consequences of doing too little or nothing at all, for that will lead to an even greater deficit of jobs, incomes, and confidence in our economy. It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe. Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy – where a lack of spending leads to lost jobs which leads to even less spending; where an inability to lend and borrow stops growth and leads to even less credit.

That is why we need to act boldly and act now to reverse these cycles. That’s why we need to put money in the pockets of the American people, create new jobs, and invest in our future. That’s why we need to re-start the flow of credit and restore the rules of the road that will ensure a crisis like this never happens again.

That work begins with this plan – a plan I am confident will save or create at least three million jobs over the next few years. It is not just another public works program. It’s a plan that recognizes both the paradox and the promise of this moment – the fact that there are millions of Americans trying to find work, even as, all around the country, there is so much work to be done. That’s why we’ll invest in priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century. That’s why the overwhelming majority of the jobs created will be in the private sector, while our plan will save the public sector jobs of teachers, cops, firefighters and others who provide vital services.
***

I understand that some might be skeptical of this plan. Our government has already spent a good deal of money, but we haven’t yet seen that translate into more jobs or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy. That’s why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won’t just throw money at our problems – we’ll invest in what works. The true test of the policies we’ll pursue won’t be whether they’re Democratic or Republican ideas, but whether they create jobs, grow our economy, and put the American Dream within reach of the American people.

Instead of politicians doling out money behind a veil of secrecy, decisions about where we invest will be made transparently, and informed by independent experts wherever possible. Every American will be able to hold Washington accountable for these decisions by going online to see how and where their tax dollars are being spent. And as I announced yesterday, we will launch an unprecedented effort to eliminate unwise and unnecessary spending that has never been more unaffordable for our nation and our children’s future than it is right now.

***

Now, this recovery plan alone will not solve all the problems that led us into this crisis. We must also work with the same sense of urgency to stabilize and repair the financial system we all depend on. That means using our full arsenal of tools to get credit flowing again to families and business, while restoring confidence in our markets. It means launching a sweeping effort to address the foreclosure crisis so that we can keep responsible families in their homes. It means preventing the catastrophic failure of financial institutions whose collapse could endanger the entire economy, but only with maximum protections for taxpayers and a clear understanding that government support for any company is an extraordinary action that must come with significant restrictions on the firms that receive support. And it means reforming a weak and outdated regulatory system so that we can better withstand financial shocks and better protect consumers, investors, and businesses from the reckless greed and risk-taking that must never endanger our prosperity again.

No longer can we allow Wall Street wrongdoers to slip through regulatory cracks. No longer can we allow special interests to put their thumbs on the economic scales. No longer can we allow the unscrupulous lending and borrowing that leads only to destructive cycles of bubble and bust.

It is time to set a new course for this economy, and that change must begin now. We should have an open and honest discussion about this recovery plan in the days ahead, but I urge Congress to move as quickly as possible on behalf of the American people. For every day we wait or point fingers or drag our feet, more Americans will lose their jobs. More families will lose their savings. More dreams will be deferred and denied. And our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse.

One Obama transition official offered the following advice: “Look at the plum book [of political appointments], polish up and proofread your résumé, and fill out the application on www.change.gov.”

Go to the website? Seriously?

Yep. This official said they really are using that tool to sort and catalog interest in working for the administration. But knowing the Type A personalities who succeed in politics, many will not want to stop there. Having lived through the 1992-93 presidential transition and received many e-mails and phone calls from job seekers, I feel your pain and have assembled a guide on how to navigate the process.

1. Know thyself. Do you want to work in the administration for love or money?

Obviously nobody goes to work in the government for the high-paying salaries. And while everyone says they want to serve the public interest, sometimes there are less idealistic reasons to choose one public service job over another. Though the Obama administration will have pretty strict post-employment lobbying rules, working in the government can be a great place to gain experience that will serve you well once you leave.

As a 21-year-old fresh off the campaign trail in 1993, I was interested in working on international issues before applying to law or graduate school. An experienced Washington hand mentioned the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as a great place to work on international issues and my boss there, Mickey Kantor, was close to the president. It looked great on that Harvard application.

For those in it for love, more than for money or experience, working in the federal government can seem like a good way to change the world by helping to clean up the environment, strengthen civil rights or fight AIDS in Africa.

2. Be realistic. Of course you want to work in the White House, but there aren’t that many jobs at Casa Blanca, and unless you worked closely with the Obamas or the leaders of the campaign, finding a job there will be tough. Also, being a rock star field organizer will help get you an interview, but think about your skills and how to apply them in a government setting. Maybe you won’t be setting government policy, but working as an assistant to someone who does counts as a great job in D.C.

3. Carpet-bomb the town. Finding a job in the administration is more luck than science. E-mail every somewhat important person you met on the campaign, schedule informational interviews and get out to a few happy hours and receptions to see and be seen.

Fox News contributor Kirsten Powers was a volunteer on the 1992 Clinton campaign before landing a spot in his transition office. We began our careers together as press assistants, and she left government service as the deputy assistant U.S. trade representative for public affairs. Her advice is to “talk to every smart person you know to find out where the best fit is for someone with your skills and interests.”

4. Be patient. According to Bob Nash, who led the Clinton Office of Presidential Personnel, there are about 2,000 Schedule C political appointments that younger campaign staffers can hope to fill. However, most of those jobs will remain empty until Cabinet nominees and agency administrators fill the 900 to 1,000 senior executive service positions, including chiefs of staff. According to one estimate, many of those Schedule C positions won’t be filled before March or May, so buckle in for a long ride.

Bill Buck, who ran the 527 political group Majority Action last year, was an early Clinton campaign staffer, working in New Hampshire and eight other primary states before moving on to the general election campaign. Yet it still took six months for him to find the perfect slot at the Commerce Department; he bode his time with a temp job in the White House personnel office. Proving that good things come to those who wait, by the time Buck left the administration, he was the spokesman for domestic finance at the Treasury Department.

5. Be persistent. Keep in mind that just because you are focused on a job, it doesn’t mean that the folks hiring for that job are focused on you. Once the senior team is chosen, it is important to stay connected to remind people that you are interested. Even if someone else is hired for a job you want, that person will not likely stay there for four or eight years. According to Nash, the average tenure for a Clinton administration appointee was 31 months. That meant that many jobs were turned over two or three times over eight years.

When I applied for my first job, there was already someone doing it. Though I began interviewing for other positions, I kept asking about USTR. In May, the person doing the job decided to leave, and I had an interview a week later. By June, I was sitting in my new office with a window looking out at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The process for finding a job in Washington is never crystal clear, but with any luck, following this guide should help most young staffers find a job before their families gather for another holiday meal this summer.

Jamal Simmons was a Clinton administration political appointee and an adviser to the DNC and the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008.