Bush's Upbeat Economic Moves
President-elect George Bush is off to a good start in facing those key domestic and international economic issues that discouraged some potential candidates from seeking the presidency this time around. Democrats join in applauding a nearly flawless Bush operation so far, and almost everyone shows palpable relief that a tired and ineffectual Reagan administration is being swept away.</br></br>It's much too early for euphoria. But there were two hopeful straws in the wind on the domestic front last week that seemed especially significant.</br></br>First was Bush's appointment of two close friends-former Republican senator and party chairman Paul Laxalt and former Democratic congressman Thomas (Lud) Ashley-to be members of the National Economic Commission (NEC).</br></br>Second was Bush's call for a reexamination of Third World debt strategy, known as the "Baker Plan" after former Secretary of Treasury James A. Baker III.</br></br>Wall Street and the foreign-exchange markets were upbeat on Bush's refusal to scuttle the NEC, entrusted by Congress with responsibility for finding a way to end the budget-deficit crisis. It would have been easy for Bush to do, after having been so negative during the campaign about a bunch of outsiders advising him on ways to balance the budget.