How mega is the Jobs book? Numbers are hard to come by, but sales in this country alone are estimated at 1.36 million, according to Nielsen BookScan. It’s been translated into dozens of languages, including Mongolian. Even at a few bucks a book for the author, that’s some serious money. Then there’s e-books and the paperback and the movie and the television series.
Something and nothing
The punditocracy — both left and right — has long dismissed the Obama White House political operation as the gang that can’t shoot straight.
But Obama’s proposal last week for a government reorganization of a number of overlapping or misplaced agencies seemed to have worked out pretty well, even though — or maybe precisely because — it’s destined to go nowhere.
The proposal, which has been percolating for a year, would take six agencies involved in domestic and international commerce activities and consolidate them into one agency and abolish the Commerce Department.
The smaller-government idea drew a positive response from Republicans such as Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), ranking minority member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
The overall logic of the move is pretty much unassailable, though the devil is in the details. But the White House announcement on Friday was exceptionally gauzy on the details, focusing instead on calling on Congress to give him “fast track” authority for an up-or-down vote on whatever he proposes. (Good luck with that.)
Apparently there was some internal discussion on whether to propose a name for the new agency — something catchy with “competitiveness” or “jobs” or some such in it. But that, too, could be a source of criticism. So no name.
Seems to have worked out well for the White House. A couple of days of largely positive reaction and publicity and the image of Obama trying to downsize government, change an irrational organizational structure, shift the burden to the Hill — and with little to no chance that Congress will act.
Maybe not a bull’s-eye, but. . .
Words, words, words
A White House team headed by speechwriter Jon Favreau is hard at work on Obama’s Jan. 24 State of the Union address.
Bruce Reed, chief of staff to Vice President Biden and domestic policy chief in the Clinton White House, is coordinating input from various top White House folks, including National Economic Council chief Gene Sperling, Deputy Chief of Staff Nancy-Ann DeParle and Biden economic policy adviser Sarah Bianchi.
Despite the effort that goes into them, these speeches are rarely memorable — save for perhaps, in recent times, Clinton’s 1996 declaration that “the era of big government is over.”
What’s more often recalled, despite all the hard work, is who’s in the gallery or outbursts such as “You lie!” or Obama’s 2010 slap at the Supreme Court.
Paging Debbie Downer
Feeling a bit better lately about things? Then hurry on down! There’s still time to attend the Council on Foreign Relations meeting Wednesday morning at 8:30 that will show you why you should still be afraid, very afraid.
The council says it will hold a meeting titled “What to Worry About in 2012.” Unclear when the session ends, but it may be a long, long gathering before the top few thousand things to worry about are thoroughly explored.
With Emily Heil
Research czarina Alice Crites contributed to this column.
The blog: washingtonpost.com/
intheloop. Twitter: @InTheLoopWP.
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