Orszag Is Economic Centrist Who Knows How to Deal

Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag refers to himself as the administration's "super-nerd." At 40, he is the youngest member of the Cabinet and has assumed an outsize influence among the tight circle of wonks Obama has dubbed his "propeller heads": a team of economists with big personalities and bigger intellects. Orszag has already surprised lawmakers on Capitol Hill with his apparent overnight transformation from the low-key academic they remember from his tenure at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to a political dealmaker instrumental in negotiations over passing Obama's economic recovery plan. In the past week, Orszag has unveiled a $3.6 trillion budget and convened a "fiscal responsibility" summit aimed at easing the country's economic crisis and advancing the president's domestic agenda. He is also expected to play a leading role in efforts to reform the nation's health-care system.