As I've said in the past, the NYT occupies a space in American media which is, in some ways, analogous to the BBC's here: a behemoth frequently derided for its cumbersome nature and various perceived biases. But, again like the BBC, it would be hugely missed if it wasn't around, because so much of what it does is outstanding. This profile of Peter Orszag, the White House budget director, is the kind of thing the Times does regularly and brilliantly.
It points up a couple of things I hadn't really understood before. First the scope and scale of Orszag's ambition. His high-achieving father has been driving him on ever since was a boy; Orszag is now the youngest member of the cabinet, clearly doesn't intend this job to be his last in politics, and seeks to exert far more influence over the administration than that of a bean-counter. Second (and connected to this) his uneasy relationship with alpha-dog Larry Summers:
Asked about his relationship with Mr. Summers, Mr. Orszag answered
politely but stiffened visibly. The two have managed to work together
congenially, several officials said, and Mr. Summers, known for his
sometimes scathing assessment of people, takes Mr. Orszag seriously.
But Mr. Orszag seems to chafe a bit at the situation: Mr. Summers
holds a job in which Mr. Orszag was initially interested, and as early
as the transition period, Mr. Summers tried to control the budget
process as well, by seeking to run meetings related to it.Mr.
Orszag won that battle, and he and others say he is enthused about his
role. But as the administration tackles one policy challenge after
another, the real test of his power may be the extent to which he can
hold his own with Mr. Summers.
This is just one of several key relationships between heavyweights within the Obama relationship that are held in a fine balance. The tensions might be enormously creative; or they might prove fissile. A key part of Obama's job is making sure these competitive energies are channeled productively.
(Photo: Todd Heisler, NYT)
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