An exchange between NPR's Juan Williams and Obama's Director of the Domestic Policy Council (job description) Melody Barnes:
Juan Williams: Melody Barnes, you're going to be in the White House advising President Obama on domestic policy. As you look out on this group of people, what do you have to say to them about what they can do to help you do your job and achieve some of the goals that you have in mind for the President-elect?
Melody Barnes: That's a wonderful question. Thank you so much, Juan. What I want everyone to remember is that we have elected a different kind of president. On this panel already we've talked about the hunger to deliver on promises, to deliver on the needs of the American people. We've talked about the desire to be heard. The willingness to be heard and to contribute. We've talked about the need for humanity and the absolute need not to let up. And what we have now is a President-elect who understands that, who understands that we are interconnected, that each off us has a common set of problems and the solutions to those problems are also commonly linked. So we have to rely on the expertise that you have, expertise that exists in the faith community that exists in the labor community, that is born of the immigrant experience, that exists in the business community and all of us have to come together to bring that expertise to the table. We are counting, counting on you to talk to us and we have already started that process of listening to people on healthcare, listening to people on our labor relations issues and a whole host of other issues, so that we can use that information to build the solutions that are going to bring opportunity and mobility back to this country.
Juan Williams: Melody Barnes, do you have, as you look out on that first year, do you have an agenda that you could advertise to the audience here this afternoon so they know what's your priority?
Melody Barnes: Sure. The beauty of working for President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden is what they talked about for 21 months is what we believe in today. We know we have an economic crisis staring us in the face right now and we have to do something about that. And we are preparing as President-elect Obama has said a stimulus package to shock the economy back into being. But when we are doing that, we are not forgetting about our promises on healthcare, access to healthcare for everyone. We're not forgetting about our promises with regard to education, starting not just in kindergarten but the day you are born and helping young families, to make sure that they are prepared to raise their children. And we are not forgetting about our promises with regard to the immigrant community as well. So all of those things are a part of our agenda. We will start making down payments on those things as President-elect Obama has said in the stimulus package and beyond going into this first year. That's part of our economic recovery.
