The president's guest Op/Ex

The president who wielded email, social networking sites and Internet fundraising to win election turned to a traditional media venue this week to make his case for the massive economic stimulus bill before Congress.

In a guest commentary piece published Thursday in the Washington Post editorial pages, President Obama urges "action that's swift, bold and wise enough for us to climb out of this crisis." To read the op/ex, click HERE. He promises that the plan, whose cost is fast-approaching $1 trillion, "will create or save more than 3 million jobs over the next two years, provide immediate tax relief to 95 percent of American workers, ignite spending by businesses and consumers alike, and take steps to strengthen our country for years to come. "

One of the first groups that Obama has met with was the Washington Post editorial board. While that visit went well, the Post's board has been an astute and respectful critic of the president's stimulus plan, questioning whether some key spending will create jobs. It's the kind of feedback that the young president needs to hear. Hopefully, he's getting forthright, honest comments from advisers. But here, the media, opinion writers in particular, clearly have a role to play. The Post is stepping up to the plate with well-researched and thought-provoking edits on one of the biggest policy issues a generation will face. The president's response in the Post's pages is welcome and a sign that he's in touch with the news, is open-minded to criticism and is listening to a broad range of opinions about his decisions. That's healthy for him and for the nation.