Biden picks economic advisor that is against free trade and is for worker's rights.

[jillan]

I had NO clue that VP's need an economic advisor.

That said - Biden made a great choice.

Bernstein has been an economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that has been associated with most progressive part of the Democratic Party when it comes to economic matters -- and that's viewed as being to the left of the Brookings Institution. Bernstein also worked for Robert Reich him at the Labor Department during the Clinton years.


Jared Bernstein, Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
Jared Bernstein is an expert in the areas of federal, state and international economic policies, specifically the middle-class squeeze, income inequality and mobility, trends in employment and earnings, low-wage labor markets, poverty and international comparisons.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/12/05/16995...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/12/05/b...

[Zynx]

1. They participate in the broader discussions of economic policy.

If anyone cares, the fact of the matter is that Obama and Biden have brought in a fairly diverse group of economic minds. There is no one policy of ideology's policies that will fix this mess.

[jillan]

6. I think it's great that at least they will get advice from all ends of the spectrum.

[Muttocracy]

2. sounds good! nt

[leftofthedial]

3. one out of fifty ain't bad!

[DJ13]

4. He's a great choice, one of the best economic guys on CNBC

In fact, he should be advising Obama, not the VP.

[jillan]

5. I'm sure Jared's input will be part of any discussion with Obama.

[DJ13]

7. Probably, but Obama would have done himself some good

.... with the liberals who think he's abandoned them by putting him directly into his own group of advisor's so had a direct line to him rather than a secondary one through Biden.

[camera obscura]

11. I agree! great to see a guy like this get a spot anywhere though.

[BeyondGeography]

8. Smart...Joe knows which way the wind is blowing

[EFerrari]

9. Very good choice. K&R

[starroute]

10. I get the feeling they're planning to set up distinct teams

There's already a foreign policy/national security team and an economic team. There may turn out to be some others as well, such as environmental/energy and tech. But in each case, the idea seems to be to bring together a mix of people, some of them high-level leadership people and some mid-level idea people, and turn them loose on the problems.

If I'm right about this -- and I'm just saying it on the basis of how this administration seems to be shaping up -- it won't matter that much whether someone's official title is advisor to the VP. It will be a question of who's on the central team, generating the ideas and the solutions.

[jillan]

12. If anyone is interested - someone did a piece on him on Current TV

http://current.com/items/88813362/icitizen_forum_jared_...


A great voice for the new administration.


** HIM as in Jared Bernstein - not Biden.

[Jennicut]

13. I really like this pick.

Obama is putting many different views in his cabinet and I also like how the VP in this administration will have an economic adviser. Obviously, Cheney could have cared less about anyone's economic problem's at all. I can't wait until our president and VP take office.

[judasdisney]

14. Plan Colombia -- Biden's baby. Will Biden atone for the thousands of deaths he's complicit in?

Will Biden fight AGAINST the trade agreement for Colombia?

Will Biden side WITH Chavez/Morales/Correa AGAINST the mass-graves & Death Squads of Alvaro Uribe, the fascist president of Colombia?

Will Biden side AGAINST Latin democracy and FOR Uribe's Chiquita/Coca-Cola "mass graves for trade unionists" programme?

[w4rma]

15. Awesome. (nt)

[Thrill]

16. Obama is a genius. Dressing his economic team with pragmatist

And hiding the Progressives under Biden. Knowing that the Progressive Economist are the ones who will really be setting the agenda. The Brilliance of Barack Obama. People still don't get how shrewd he is.

Like I continue to say. I think Obama will govern as a progressive in pragmatist's clothing

[Armstead]

17. Progressive is pragmatic

(Yes, I'm knitpicking, but...)


If one defines pragmatism as focusing on solutions that work, the distinction should not be perpetuated