Obama�s advisers are already pondering which economic issue should be at the top of his agenda if he wins the November elections, this morning�s WSJ reports. The two top contenders: new policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and a big overhaul of how health insurance works.
The shaky economy could tilt the balance in favor of curbing emissions, the article suggests. Obama supports auctioning off tradable permits that allow companies to produce emissions up to a set limit. The auctions could be worth some $100 billion for the government.
Obama�s health-care plan would greatly expand access to health insurance � at an estimated cost to the government of $115 billion a year. He has said he would pay for the plan by allowing certain Bush tax cuts to expire. As the WSJ points out, big changes to health care, combined with tax policy, could make for a tricky political fight.
Health Blog Poll: If Obama becomes president, which economic policy should he push first?
Climate change regulation
Overhauling health care
Neither: He should focus on stabilizing the economy before moving to other issues.
View results
Update: For more on the climate change side of the equation, see WSJ�s Environmental Capital blog, where readers are also participating in the poll.
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