WSJ: John Podesta Calling the Shots?

Meredith Jessup | June 14, 2010 4:15 PM

According to the Wall Street Journal, President Obama is taking more cues from John Podesta and his Center for American Progress (CAP) than from his own White House advisors. Jonathan Weisman points out:

On May 4, for instance, the CAP’s energy and environment expert, Daniel Weiss, called on the president to name an independent commission to look at the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. On May 22, he did just that.
On May 21, CAP president, John Podesta, privately implored White House officials to name someone to be the public point person for the spill response. A week later, the White House announced that Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen would hold daily briefings on the spill, wherever he would be on any given day.
On May 26, Weiss said the White House needed to demand that BP immediately set up an escrow account with billions of dollars from which claims for Gulf state residents would be paid out.
Monday’s headlines proclaimed the president’s latest get-tough stand: BP needs to set up a billion-dollar escrow account.

Ridiculous, but not surprising from this White House.