Obama is a Micromanager like Carter

Obama Dives into Minutiae
By NEIL KING JR. and JONATHAN WEISMAN, Wall Street Journal

In briefing President Barack Obama one day this spring, White House economist Jared Bernstein delved into such arcana as the yields on different forms of credit relative to the risk.

Later, Paul Volcker pulled Mr. Bernstein aside. "Why would the president want to know that level of detail?" asked the former Federal Reserve chairman. "That's what he wants," Mr. Bernstein replied. Many presidents have directed policy from on high, shunning the details of most issues. Mr. Obama has adopted a different style, particularly when it comes to economics, as he and his team wrestle with the worst financial crisis the nation has faced since the Depression.

In a White House ritual new with this administration, the president gathers with his advisers every weekday morning for an Oval Office update and debate on the economy. The breadth of topics is wide, from the underemployed to childhood obesity, and Mr. Obama often dives into the minutiae.

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