Who will call the shots for Obama?

The twice-revised financial bailout bill reecently passed by congress contained some new measures aimed at appeasing Republicans in the House, including keeping the alternative minimum tax from encroaching upon more Americans as inflation rises, and providing billions in relief for States hit by natural disasters in recent history. Some are concerned that this is the beginning of a path towards socialism, and that the bill does not do enough to help "Main Street" as opposed to "Wall Street." The recent economic crisis and looming recession has brought many to make comparisons to the Great Depression. This brings us to consider the leadership demonstrated at that time, especially by Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal. FDR helped bring the economy back in line (though it was the war economy of World War II that truly ended the Great Depression) and boosted the American people's confidence with a series of "fireside chats," informal radio broadcasts in which he directly addressed the people, explaining his positions and urging listeners to have faith in the New Deal. Democratic Presidential Candidate Barack Obama discussed the first fireside chat when he spoke in La Crosse, Wisconsin in October. Roosevelt delivered his first fireside chat on March 12, 1933, only 8 days after he had been inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States. The economy was a mess - the unemployment rate was at 25 percent, production had fallen, and many banks had closed their doors. Even the Federal Reserve was unable to open on March 5, as too much money had been withdrawn in the previous days. "I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking--with the comparatively few who understand the mechanics of banking but more particularly with the overwhelming majority who use banks for the making of deposits and the drawing of checks," quoted the Galveston Daily News on March 13, 1933. "I want to tell you what has been done in the last few days, why it was done, and what the next steps are going to be. Remember that the essential accomplishment of the new legislation is that it makes it possible for banks more readily to convert their assets into cash than was the case before. It has been wonderful to me to catch the note of confidence from all over the country. I can never be sufficiently grateful to the people for the loyal support they have given me in their acceptance of the judgment that has dictated our course, even though all our processes may not have seemed clear to them."Obama has played well on Roosevelt’s words, it's amusing to the novice political observer like myself to have noted his different approach. At the time McCain just looked slow to grasp the current financial debacle and Obama gives the impression of being on top of the situation, though I would bet he hasn't the smallest idea what's going on. He has what has become increasingly apparent, very good political advisors. With his election, one can only wonder just who will be calling the next presidential shots..