Obama makes economy top priority

Washington: President-elect Barack Obama is seeking some economic advice from leaders of business, government and academia, making the struggling economy, the nation's top concern his first order of public business.

Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden were meeting Friday with 17 members of their transition economic advisory board. Members include former presidential Cabinet officials and executives from Xerox Corp., Time Warner Inc., Google Inc. and the Hyatt hotel company. Investor Warren Buffett was participating by telephone.

Obama is also set to hold his first news conference as president-elect following the meeting.

It was to be Obama's first public appearance since Tuesday's election, where exit polls showed that the economy was far and away the top issue for voters.

He has been using the time for private meetings with his transition team, receiving congratulatory phone calls from US allies and intelligence briefings, and making decisions about who will help run his government.

His first choice, for White House chief of staff, was Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan unafraid of breaking glass and hurting feelings.

The choice of Emanuel is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low-key aides that "No-Drama Obama" surrounded himself with during the campaign.

In contrast to Obama's collegial style and that of his top campaign advisers, Emanuel is known as a foul-mouthed practitioner of brass-knuckled politics who relishes both conflict and publicity. He once mailed a dead fish to a political foe.

With the Emanuel selection, Democrats say Obama seemed to recognise that he may have his work cut out for him in taming his party's members of the House of Representatives: Liberals may try to push their own agenda, not necessarily Obama's.

They say Emanuel is someone who not only can stand up to Congress but also maneuver through it to achieve a chief executive's goals.

And transition chief John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to President Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter, though less bombastic than the new chief of staff.

The selections are telling for Obama, who campaigned as a nontraditional, almost "post-partisan" newcomer.

People close to him say the selections show he is aware of his strengths and weaknesses, and knows what he needs to be successful as he shifts from campaigning to governing.

In announcing Emanuel's appointment, Obama also highlighted his economic experience, touching on what will be a key issue once he takes office.

Obama's new government faces massive challenges both at home and abroad, which was made clear on the first days after his historic victory over Republican John McCain.