SON, IT ISN'T ABOUT WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR ME:

Obama Asks Bush to Provide Help for Automakers (JACKIE CALMES, 11/11/08, NY Times)

The struggling auto industry was thrust into the middle of a political standoff between the White House and Democrats on Monday as President-elect Barack Obama urged President Bush in a meeting at the White House to support immediate emergency aid.

Mr. Bush indicated at the meeting that he might support some aid and a broader economic stimulus package if Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats dropped their opposition to a free-trade agreement with Colombia, a measure for which Mr. Bush has long fought, people familiar with the discussion said.

A nice first lesson in the power of the presidency.

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 11, 2008 11:25 AM