Obama turns focus to economy with "economic summit," diverting spolight from McCain again

[DeepModem Mom]

Financial Times: Obama turns focus to economic policies
By Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington
Published: July 28 2008

Fresh from an international tour in which he sought to burnish his foreign policy credentials, Barack Obama will this week shift gears and seek to convince voters he would be better equipped than John McCain, his Republican rival, to run the sputtering US economy.

The presumptive Democratic nominee plans to meet a panel of advisers today to examine his campaign's economic policies. The gathering will include Warren Buffett, the billionaire-investor, Eric Schmidt, Google's chairman, Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman, and both Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretaries. Mr Obama told NBC yesterday that the team would discuss a second potential stimulus package, ways to shore up the housing market, and energy and infrastructure initiatives.

The shift in emphasis underscores that, although polls suggest Mr Obama's biggest challenge ahead of the November election is demonstrating he has the experience to be commander-in-chief, it is the sluggish US economy that is at the forefront of voters' concerns. "I think what is driving people all across the country right now is worries and concerns about inability to pay the gas bill, inability to buy food because prices have gone up so high," he said yesterday.

Mr Obama's mini-economic summit threatens once again to divert the spotlight from Mr McCain this week. In an interview on ABC yesterday the Republican candidate echoed comments by President George W. Bush that Wall Street had "got drunk" and was to blame for the housing crisis....

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2fcfb1fe-5c3d-11dd-9e99-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1

[speedoo]

1. Another example of superiority to McWhine...

Last week, I posted a disturbing set of poll numbers for several states from Quinnipiac, that showed McWhine gaining a lot of traction of gasoline prices and energy. This summit will no doubt result in Obama's campaign trumping McWhine not only on gasiline/energy but on a whole range of economic problems... inflation in general, the mortgage crisis and housing, unemployment and the recession, etc. I think this will be crucial in terms of winning the economic issues for the election.

[bentley]

2. Maybe

if the Federal Reserve and didn't supply the booze, Wall Street wouldn't have been able to get drunk.

"In an interview on ABC yesterday the Republican candidate echoed comments by President George W. Bush that Wall Street had "got drunk" and was to blame for the housing crisis...."

[Bobbie Jo]

3. McCain Who?...Oh yeah, the other guy running for Pres.

Maybe McLonely will respond with a press conference at the local Check-in-Go.B-)

[Sensitivity]

4. anyone know if this is streamed ?? Link?