Stimulus Fight: Green Vs. Quick

As the incoming administration prepares its massive stimulus package, a divide is emerging between environmentalists, who want to prioritize "green-collar" jobs such as wind and solar power, and advocates of ready-to-go infrastructure like roads and bridges. As the Washington Post reports, each side is accusing the other of opportunism: The greens see the traditionalists as money-grubbing, while proponents of "shovel-ready" projects say environmentalists are ignoring the economy.

Environmentalists argue that miles of new roads in hard-hit suburbs would be not only polluting, but a financial waste. But more traditional Democrats say that any green projects should come down the line, via the normal legislative process. "If we're going to call it a stimulus package, it has to be stimulating and has to be stimulating now," says the incoming chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition, the Democratic caucus of fiscal conservatives.