Jump to content

Granholm To Advise Obama On Economy


Recommended Posts

LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and former U.S. Rep. David Bonior of Mount Clemens are among 17 people appointed to help advise President-elect Barack Obama on the economy during the months before he's sworn in.

Granholm and Bonior will meet with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden Friday in Chicago, where the Transition Economic Advisory Board will weigh solutions for the ailing financial and automotive sectors and how best to stimulate the economy and implement the incoming administration's economic plan.

Although Michigan has led the nation in unemployment for nearly three years, largely because of the ailing auto industry, Granholm was tapped several times by the Obama campaign during the presidential election to speak about the need to create new alternative energy jobs. She has been mentioned as a possible energy secretary in an Obama administration.

Bonior, 63, represented parts of Macomb County and Michigan's Thumb in Congress for 26 years, until 2002, when he unsuccessfully ran for governor. In 2003, he founded American Rights at Work, a Washington-based workers' rights group that promotes measures making it easier for workers to form unions and collectively bargain.

Bonior also taught labor studies at Wayne State University until retiring this past spring and was campaign manager for Sen. John Edwards' presidential bid until Edwards dropped out in February. Bonior switched his allegiance to Obama in May and said he's looking forward to working with the president-elect's economic transition team.

"The issue that I'm worried about relates to working people and the auto industry," Bonior told The Associated Press when reached at his home Thursday evening. He promised to be an advocate for working people "who have seen their incomes stagnate and their jobs disappear."

Granholm also is worried about the domestic automakers, and is pushing Congress to provide more money to help them survive. On Thursday, auto and union leaders were on Capitol Hill to discuss billions of dollars more in financial help for Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, including aid for a possible GM-Chrysler merger.

"I believe that Congress understands the importance of saving this industry," Granholm told reporters Thursday. "Two-and-a-half million jobs could be affected in the next twelve months if we see a shrinkage of 50 percent in the auto industry. ... So they understand the urgency and they understand the need to free up the money."

Granholm, 49, was asked again Thursday whether she might leave her job if offered a cabinet position by the new president.

She repeated that she wants to work with Obama as governor until her term expires in 2010, but did not entirely rule out leaving for Washington.

Among other members of the transition economic advisory board are Warren Buffett and two former U.S. treasury secretaries under President Clinton -- Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin. Granholm is the only governor on the panel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"She repeated that she wants to work with Obama as governor until her term expires in 2010, but did not entirely rule out leaving for Washington."

"dont let the door hit your ass on the way out, we dont want assprints on our new door" - mom from futurama

heh heh heh *chuckles*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hey you can join in to you did vote for nader right well thats not obama so come on say it you know you want to

..I'll reserve the right to wait & SEE what they do...'cause I ain't startin' shit with me-ole'lady if I may be deemed wrong in the future...I like being right...

.......but on the 3rd...I did tell her, "If that obAma wins...& he(&HIS CRONIES) isn't any different than that McLame guy(& HIS CRONIES).....I SO GET TO 'TOLD YOU SO'...Just so you know..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Forum Statistics

    38.9k
    Total Topics
    820.2k
    Total Posts
  • Who's Online   2 Members, 0 Anonymous, 91 Guests (See full list)

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.