This is one of the most satisfying and relieving pieces of information I've read this entire year... We have a new President folks, and he's wasting no time in getting down to business.
Incoming US president Barack Obama discussed the financial crisis and other problems with top world leaders ahead of his first public comments Friday since his election triumph.
After making the first key appointment to his administration, Obama spoke by telephone with the leaders of Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Mexico and South Korea, hastening the shift in political gravity away from President George W. Bush.
AFP solicited statements from the capitals of each of these nations and these were the topics covered. Notice the subject mix, including hot topics like Climate Change with nearly everyone... Expect action on that front quickly in 2009
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak
- N. Korean Nuclear Disarmament
- Financial Crisis
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
- Financial Crisis
- Climate Change
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
- Iranian Nuclear Program
- Afghanistan
- Climate Change
- Financial Crisis
President Nicolas Sarkozy of France
- Reforming the Financial System
Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain
- Reforming the Financial System
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso
- Reforming the Financial System
- Afghanistan
- Climate Change
- North Korean Nuclear Program
Mexican President Felipe Calderon
- Immigration
- Drug Smuggling
Most of the world leaders will attend the emergency summit on the economic crisis in Washington on November 15, but Obama has not yet announced whether he will take a role in the event.
You have to believe Obama will not only be there, but he'll be the defacto Godfather in the room. Bush will be the acting head of the Summit, but nothing will be accoplished without Obama's Head-Nod... His economic Team will be all over the summit, according to Ambinder
At 1:30 ET today, President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden will meet with their economic transition team. Members of this team will be incorporated into next week's White House economic summit. The team also likely includes the eventual Treasury Secretary
· David Bonior (Member House of Representatives 1977-2003)
· Warren Buffett (Chairman and CEO, Berkshire Hathaway)-will participate via speakerphone
· Roel Campos (former SEC Commissioner)
· William Daley (Chairman of the Midwest, JP Morgan Chase; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Commerce, 1997-2000)
· William Donaldson (Former Chairman of the SEC 2003-2005)
· Roger Ferguson (President and CEO, TIAA-CREF and former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve)
· Jennifer Granholm (Governor, State of Michigan)
· Anne Mulcahy (Chairman and CEO, Xerox)
· Richard Parsons (Chairman of the Board, Time Warner)
· Penny Pritzker (CEO, Classic Residence by Hyatt)
· Robert Reich (University of California, Berkeley; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Labor, 1993-1997)
· Robert Rubin (Chairman and Director of the Executive Committee, Citigroup; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Treasury, 1995-1999)
· Eric Schmidt (Chairman and CEO, Google)
· Lawrence Summers (Harvard University; Managing Director, D.E. Shaw; Former Secretary, U.S. Dept of Treasury, 1999-2001)
· Laura Tyson (Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley; Former Chairman, National Economic Council, 1995-1996; Former Chairman, President's Council of Economic Advisors, 1993-1995)
· Antonio Villaraigosa (Mayor, City of Los Angeles)
· Paul Volcker (Former Chairman, U.S. Federal Reserve 1979-1987)
God it feels so good that the Adults are back in Charge... That's Change I can Believe in!