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. (More infrastructure stories.)