- Why Now? Because
It's Time "Eighteen months is approximately the median amount of time
for the OMB director position," notes ABC's Jake Tapper. Furthermore, "Orszag was director of the Congressional Budget Office for two years before becoming OMB in January 2009."
- Because He Can Get a Better Gig Elsewhere Douglas McIntyre at Daily Finance points out, as many do, that Orszag " is about to get married and many who know him say he did not plan to stay more than two years." At 24/7 Wall St. he adds that "he certainly get a job in the private sector that will pay him several times what he makes today ... Orszag, like most White House workers in all administrations, may simply be tired from the 80 hour weeks and treks up the hill to be cross-examined by Congress."
- But Who's Next? "It's time for Washington to play its favorite game," announces The Washington Post's Ezra Klein: "Guess the replacement!"
- A Couple Choices The Post's Ed O'Keefe
lists a number of options, including Gene Sperling (currently a senior
advisor to Tim Geithner), Laura Tyson (chair of Clinton's Council of
Economic Advisers), Rob Nabors (Orszag's former deputy), Robert Greenstein, and four others. Mike Allen of Politico gives some of their merits: "Nabors had conflicts with Orszag. But now he attends the 7:30 a.m.
senior staff meeting so insiders say his stock never dropped, but only
gained in value." Tyson, he says, "would provide the economic team with an effective spokesperson on
television. And she'd add gender diversity at the top of the
administration." Michael Roston
at True/Slant writes that "Obama's pick is likely the one who can do
the best to mollify a possible Republican Congress next year."
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Heather Horn
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