Awkward interval

President-elect Obama has absolutely no constitutional power until his inauguration eight weeks hence. The lame-duck president occupies a similarly awkward position in that, although he can execute presidential authority right up to Jan. 20, 2009, he may hesitate to leave such a heavy departing footprint. Thus the country, currently in the throes of deepening recession, must teeter on a dangerous slope, while those in command do nothing. The holidays will come and go with projected diminution in consumer sales with the loss of jobs and revenue from pockets already pinched by the dismal state of economy.

We call for a task force acting in concert with all the President's leadership that can provide a solution for the heavy pall of inactivity. We call for a bailout fund to include succor for the Big Three automakers, since the spreading effect will help prevent such a heavy loss of working places to be filled when good times come back. We have little sympathy for the failing airlines but folks do have to fly, and our economy will eventually get well, and we will see that all boats will rise when the waters do too.

There is always conjecture about the new Chief Executive's pick for cabinet positions. Obama must be careful not to repeat his Democratic predecessor's bad choices whose nominations had to be withdrawn when normal vetting had not disclosed their unfitness, and the embarrassment was pronounced. Rham Emmanuel was an inspired choice for Chief of Staff. His experience will come in well to his boss's advantage, as he had done for Clinton years ago. He is tough, but very smart and very wise in the way of congressmen. We have noted the rumor that there will be appointments which cross the political aisle, and we believe this is wise. That should be expected after the flood of bickering which passed for discourse during the campaigns.

Material for an agenda confronting the new president will underscore his quality of confronting all difficult situations with cool intellectual analysis and we do not expect or anticipate any pre-emptory rash action such as that which caused such misery since Mister Bush's war. We wish the new president the very best, and he will have our unflagging support, especially during the rough going which will mark his first days in office.