winding down of, 420
see also specific projects
Americans for Tax Reform, 300
American Wind Energy Association, 165
Amtrak:
Biden and, 69, 174, 285, 352, 355
upgrades for, 180–81, 354–59, 412–14, 477
Animal Spirits, 126
antipoverty programs, 11, 106, 162, 170, 224, 225, 434
Recovery Act effectiveness in, 424–25
Armstrong, Lance, 328
Army Corps of Engineers, 200
ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy), 4, 6–7, 16, 168, 178, 266, 268, 270, 375, 376–79, 419, 440, 445, 455
arts initiatives, 181, 182, 185, 195, 198–99, 239, 315, 480
Associated Press, 184, 322
“audacity of hope,” 1–2, 7, 35, 374
Audacity of Hope, The (Obama), 28, 30, 33–34, 53, 226
austerity:
as anti-stimulus, 14, 58, 104
appeal of, 333–34
FDR’s shift to, 192, 333, 419
Tea Party support for, 281, 288, 290, 292, 300, 342, 375
auto industry:
energy initiatives for, 37, 40, 181, 240, 291, 359–65
failure of, 75, 111, 121, 157
Recovery Act effectiveness in, 365
rescue of, 12, 18, 109, 116, 243, 274, 292, 297–98, 340, 349
see also electric vehicles
Axelrod, David, 7, 70, 105, 113, 115, 121, 125, 127–28, 139, 154, 176, 190–91, 243, 248, 276–77, 299, 345, 393, 402
Ayers, Tom, 315
Bachmann, Michele, 282, 422, 436
banking industry, 350
failures in, 68–71, 111, 121
rescue of, 18, 116, 148, 281, 291, 297, 337
Bank of America, 70
Barbour, Haley, 125, 281, 287, 397
Barnes, Melody, 93, 129, 152
Bartlett, Roscoe, 191–92
Bartley, Duane, 380–81, 383
Bass, Gary, 322
battery production industry, 17, 43, 166, 178, 267–68, 323, 360–65, 375–76, 378
Baucus, Max, 129, 154, 205–6, 299, 344
Bayh, Evan, 137–38, 184, 220, 448
Bazile, Dan, 283
Beane, Billy, 47
Bear Stearns, 68
Beccera, Xavier, 134, 206, 216, 232, 234
Beck, Glenn, 183, 305, 315–17, 320, 409
BEEST (Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage in Transportation), 378
BEETIT (Building Energy Efficiency Through Innovative Thermodevices), 378
Begich, Mark, 220–21, 237
behavioral economics, 126–27, 474–75
Bennett, Bob, 147, 207, 208–9, 346–47, 399
Bernanke, Ben, 52, 68, 69, 71, 75, 111, 298, 339, 433
Bernstein, Jared, 15–16, 102, 113, 118, 121, 169, 237, 260, 269, 332–33, 335, 364, 420
press corps update by, 294, 297
see also Romer-Bernstein report
Better Buildings, 440
Biden, Joe, 6–7, 10, 28, 29, 70–71, 78, 97, 102, 116, 120, 219, 295, 316, 322, 332, 339, 346, 361, 363, 364, 390, 419, 423, 427, 445–46
as “Amtrack Joe,” 174, 252, 285, 355, 413
in charge of Recovery Act oversight, 256–66, 296, 320, 397–98
compared to Obama, 256, 258
in cost debate, 123–24, 129, 137
as deal maker, 209, 237, 404–5
on economic resilience, 380–82
management style of, 259–60
on Obama, 245
as Obama’s running mate, 69
political acumen of, 256–60
as Recovery Act point man, 15
Recovery Act PR message of, 301, 304
and Senate, 162, 195, 404
Senate outreach for Recovery Act by, 207–9, 225, 237
and Specter, 285
as vice president, 192, 242, 243, 252, 404–5
Biden Bridge, 253–55, 322
BigBelly trash compactors, 417, 450
Bingaman, Jeff, 167–68
bin Laden, Osama, 38, 418
biofuels, 4–6, 26, 43, 168, 266, 268, 270, 366, 440–41
biomass program, 367–69
biotech, 311, 365–67, 375
bipartisanship, 64, 138–39, 362
after 2010 midterm, 404–5
in House, 65–67
in No Child Left Behind, 49
of Obama, 29, 50, 70, 151, 205–6, 215, 245, 247–48
Blagojevich, Rod, 125
Bloom, Ron, 299, 363–64
Bloom Energy, 388
Blue Dog Democrats, 81, 118, 184, 193, 199, 241, 302, 335, 351, 400
Blumenthal, David, 46, 393
Boardman, Joe, 358
Bode, Denise, 165
Boehner, John, 50, 66, 71–72, 98, 143–44, 150, 151, 196, 230, 245, 247, 280, 293, 296, 338, 387, 421
Pelosi and, 66–67, 145–46
on Recovery Act, 189
as Speaker, 202, 403, 419–20, 421, 423
spending freeze of, 281–82
Bond, Christopher “Kit,” 218, 475
bond market, 336–37, 490
Book, Ron, 424
“boondoggles,” 137, 180, 447
Borosage, Bob, 246, 342–43, 392
BP, 359–60, 365, 366
Branson, Richard, 272
Bridge to Nowhere, 56
BrightSource, 324, 373
broadband expansion, 16, 26, 55, 100, 174–76, 178, 197, 199, 231–32, 239, 240, 416, 441
Brookings Institution, 32, 53–54, 57, 62, 161, 341
Brooks, David, 221–22
Brown, Jerry, 412
Brown, Scott, 343, 348, 349
Brown, Sherrod, 241
Brownback, Sam, 218, 475
Browner, Carol, 77, 95–96, 124–25, 129, 164, 167–69
Bryan, Paul, 367, 368–69
budget, 9, 111
balanced, 54
cuts in, 419–20
deficit, 59, 96–98, 292, 300, 331–51, 419–20, 490
dilemma, 246
Obama’s plan for, 335
Buffett, Warren, 53
Build America Bonds, 170, 323–24
Building America’s Future, 253
Building Red America, 140
Bunning, Jim, 348
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 442
Burris, Nelson, 212
Bush, Barbara, 236
Bush, George H. W., 316
Bush, George W., 12, 84, 92, 147
benefits for rich under, 33, 53–55
compared to Romney, 454
economy under, 51–55, 57–58, 69–71, 76, 104, 105, 144, 148, 246, 334, 338, 482
education policy of, 50
energy policy of, 38–39, 42, 167, 368, 395
failures of, 1–2, 140
health care under, 44–45, 46
infrastructure legislation under, 55–56
Obama’s inheritance from, 8, 13, 15, 76, 79, 246, 248, 276, 283, 296, 297, 298, 300, 304, 334–35, 398, 428, 434
partisanship of, 32, 65, 67
S-CHIP expansion scuttled by, 205–6
and Solyndra, 272–73
stimulus plan of, 66–67, 70, 81, 95, 122, 127, 338, 428
and TARP, 71–73, 210
tax cuts, see tax cuts, Bush
Tea Party’s repudiation of, 346–47
Bush, Jeb, 327, 329
Byrd, Robert, 246, 345, 433, 481
Cain, Herman, 422
California, 106, 276
energy initiatives in, 41, 312, 373–75, 384
high-speed rail in, 359, 407, 410–14
Callahan, Kateri, 167
Cancer Genome Atlas, 318
Cantor, Eric, 282, 419
as leader in GOP stimulus alternative, 197–98
and obstructionism, 140–45, 151, 201–2, 214, 296–97
whip team of, 186–87, 189, 194–96, 202, 240, 399
Cao, Anh, 190, 195–99, 240–41, 400, 484
cap-and-trade ener
gy plan, 39, 41, 163, 246, 291, 299–300, 343, 359, 383, 435
Carlyle Group, 213
Carter, Jimmy, 38, 363, 421
“Cash for Caulkers,” 341, 441
Cash for Clunkers, 121, 297–98, 388
Castle, Mike, 191, 195–96, 198, 240, 347–48
Caterpillar, 234
Cato Institute, 183
“cats and dogs,” see earmarks
census, 180, 239, 332
Center for American Progress, 77
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 78, 425, 490
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 232
centrists:
Democratic, 19, 54, 195, 212, 220, 238, 240, 337
in GOP, 195–96, 198, 285–86
Obama as, 100–101, 335, 400, 451
Obama’s team as, 98–106
Chamber of Commerce, U.S., 138, 213, 225
change, 97, 446
2008 campaign as preparation for, 73, 74–85
four pillars of, 35–36, 37–56, 291–92, 446; see also specific pillars
inaugural speech outline for, 26
as Obama’s 2008 campaign promise, 1–3, 35
Obama’s vision of, 12, 21, 27, 33, 84–85, 149, 154, 320, 434–35, 446
Recovery Act as agent of, 7, 12, 18–19, 249, 291
substantive vs. political, 248
as tough sell, 417
Change We Can Believe In, 1, 27, 161, 393
charter schools, 49, 50, 326
Cheney, Dick, 38–39, 138
Chesapeake Machine Company, 343
Chevy Volt, 360, 363, 364–65, 375–76, 433, 439, 450
Chiang Yet-Ming, 361–62, 368, 375, 376
China:
clean energy in, 43, 377, 438
economy of, 237
education in, 51
high-speed rail in, 174, 352
Huntsman as ambassador to, 286, 422
manufacturing in, 364, 383, 392
Choi, Dan, 493
Christie, Chris, 255, 394–95
Chrysler, 297
Chu, Steven, 3–6, 17, 109, 266–68, 271–72, 274–75, 306–7, 309, 365, 373–74, 377, 387, 395–96, 437
CIGS, 273
Citigroup, 79, 101
citizenship controversy, 27, 422
civil servants, 307–9
clay pigeon, 482
clean energy initiatives, 4, 17, 26, 35–36, 37–44, 55, 64, 91, 95, 96, 239, 265, 359–79, 405–6, 419, 449, 450, 451
in auto industry, 359–65
Bush’s untapped loans in, 271–72
cap-and-trade plan for, see cap-and-trade energy plan
as challenge of the era, 5, 37–38
competitive grants for, 266–68, 270, 312
counterfactual argument in, 313, 423, 439
future of, 375–79, 439–41
GOP opposition to, 441
innovation in, 3–7, 268, 271, 272–75, 439–41
investments in, 163–68
loan program of, 38, 167–68, 298, 437–38
management challenge of, 266–77
nuclear cleanups in, 271–72
as “pillar” for change, 35–36, 37–44, 55, 91, 95, 105, 108, 123–25, 292
private enterprise in, 266–69
Recovery Act effectiveness in, 349, 350, 367, 370–72, 377, 388–89, 396, 416, 428–29, 435, 439, 446
risks in, 384–90
strong economy of, 311–15
team, 3–7
see also energy efficiency; specific projects
clean-tech, 311
Clinton, Bill, 10, 29, 33, 54, 343
clean-energy initiative of, 440
economic growth under, 53, 80, 98, 428
holdover staff from, 10, 45, 68, 77–78, 81–83, 89, 93, 99, 101–2, 120, 129, 161, 164, 245, 262, 335–37, 349
impeachment of, 285
Obama on, 31–32
stimulus of, 110
Clinton, Hillary, 92, 183, 446
and health care, 44, 46–47
Obama’s reconciliation with, 76–77
as secretary of state, 77, 101, 108, 129–30
stimulus plan of, 61–62, 63, 75
in 2008 primary, 33–34, 36, 69
cloture, 482
Club for Growth, 183, 284–85
Clyburn, Jim, 151, 231–33
coal, 39, 40, 311, 369, 373
clean, 42, 164, 177, 270, 395–96, 448
COBRA, 162, 477, 480, 491
Coburn, Tom, 29, 317–18, 320
Cochran, Thad, 210
Coelho, Tony, 173
Colbert, Stephen, 320
Cole, Tom, 15, 144, 146, 187, 195–96, 204, 241
Collins, Francis, 318
Collins, Rob, 141, 145, 186, 190
Collins, Susan, 208–9, 216, 218, 220, 222–26, 229, 231–34, 237–38, 279, 286, 345
Commerce Department, U.S., 168–69, 215, 231–32, 235–36, 263
Common Core standards, 444
Common Purpose, 342, 350
commuter rail, 329–30
comparative effectiveness research, 47–48, 172–74, 348, 443
Confidence Men (Suskind), 103
Congress, U.S., 67
and clean energy, 167
Democratic majority in, 130
fiscal stimulus and, 61, 338
Recovery Act briefing to, 129
see also House of Representatives, U.S.; Senate, U.S.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO), 45, 63, 78, 80, 101, 182, 183, 212, 229, 230, 482, 490
Conrad, Kent, 154–55, 215, 220, 337
conservatives, right wing, 32, 284, 349
on California, 374–75
fiscal, 58, 287–90, 292, 342
GOP turn toward, 143–44, 216, 278–302
Recovery Act criticism from, 19
construction industry, 57, 162, 295–96, 390, 427
Contract with America, 288
Cooper, Anderson, 203
Cooper, Jim, 184
“Cornhusker Kickback,” 233, 348
Cotter, Steve, 271
Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), 13, 71, 101–2
counterfactual (would-have-been-worse) argument, 15–16
in auto industry, 298–99
in clean energy, 313, 423, 439
in economy, 276–77, 416, 423, 424
for Obama, 276–77, 294, 298–99, 310, 313, 423–24
in Recovery Act, 424–34, 445
in stimulus, 276, 408
in unemployment, 294
Couric, Katie, 203
Credit Card Bill of Rights, 349
Cree, 372, 378
Crist, Charlie, 214, 234, 286, 330, 450
Cronkite, Walter, 276
“crony capitalism,” 387, 437
Cuomo, Andrew, 348
Cutler, David, 45
Cutler, Rita, 417
Daley, Bill, 77
Daniels, Mitch, 327, 363
Danielson, Dave, 378
Daschle, Tom, 108, 129–30, 203
Davis-Bacon law, 306–7
Deepwater Horizon disaster, 359–60
Deese, Brian, 76, 107
DeFazio, Peter, 241, 350
Defense Department, U.S., 108
deficit, 59, 96–98, 292, 300, 419–20, 490
deficit reduction:
electorate as favoring, 334–46
vs. fiscal stimulus debate, 331–51
Defining Moment, The (Alter), 91
DeMint, Jim, 217–18, 220, 286–87
Democratic Party:
2010 midterm defeat of, 2, 399–401
disunity within, 150–54, 184, 193, 200, 246, 344, 402, 421
as majority party, 7, 90, 130
reception of Recovery Act by, 134–35
depressions, 58–59, 71, 75, 213
see also Great Depression
DeSeve, Ed, 262–65, 306, 396–97
Devaney, Earl, 39, 260–62, 320, 321
Diamond, Peter, 433
Dingell, John, 200
Dinwoodie, Tom, 374
Dionne, E. J., 203
Dirkson, Everett, 219
Disney World, 329, 353, 358
Dodd, Christopher, 240, 280–81, 400
Dodd-Frank financial reforms, 392
Doerr, John, 374, 388
Domenici, Pete, 481
Donovan, Shaun, 109, 170, 264
“Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, 402–3, 405, 493
Dorgan, Byron, 224, 225, 296, 344, 400
Douglas, Jim, 214, 215
Dow, 367
Downey, Mort, 174
DREAM Act, 403, 405
Dreams from My Father (Obama), 28, 49
Drudge Report, 181, 183, 300
Duncan, Arne, 18, 49–51, 109, 153, 176, 325–27, 395, 443–44
Dunham, Ann, 39
Dunham, Madelyn, 30
Dunn, Anita, 70, 214, 292
Durbin, Dick, 177, 182, 219, 225, 239, 344, 395–96
earmarks (pork; “cats and dogs”):
in federal budget, 246
stimulus and, 15, 56, 83, 128, 135–38, 149–50, 177, 180, 199, 221, 230, 317, 322, 327, 395, 431, 449
Earned Income Tax Credit, 162
economic policy team:
composition of, 90–112
conflict within, 110–11
in cost debate, 113–39
as dysfunctional, 338–43
economic vs. political imperatives in, 126–28
faulty assumptions of, 138–39
shadow, 77–83, 96, 136, 427
unconventional ideas of, 121–23
Economic Recovery Working Group, 142
economy:
counterfactual problem in, 276–77, 416, 423
declining, 390–91
federal vs. private spending in, 428–29
global meltdown of, 7, 68, 70, 106, 160, 269, 385, 390, 414, 420
government intervention in, 55–56, 58–59, 68, 76, 268–69
improving, 287–98
in inaugural speech, 25–26
limits to Obama’s responsibility for, 432–34
long-term solvency of, 97
Obama’s first speech on, 51–52
Obama’s “New Foundation” program for, see New Foundation
and presidential popularity, 393
resilience of, 380–82
Romer’s analysis of, 114–15
during transition, 90–112
underestimation of crisis in, 13, 52, 68, 69–70, 76, 113–15, 139, 275, 293
U.S. meltdown of, 7, 12–13, 57–73, 74–85, 106, 157, 199, 203–4, 243, 248, 334, 427
vicious and virtuous cycles in, 58–60, 106
see also unemployment
economy initiatives:
as eclipsed by universal health care, 295–96, 333, 382–83
as “pillar” for change, 35–36, 51–56, 292
Recovery Act effectiveness in, 12–16, 297–301, 338, 342, 380–82, 426–29, 454–55
see also economic policy team; specific projects
education, 51
failures in, 48–49
standards for, 49, 176, 326, 444
The New New Deal Page 57