Business wish list for next leader

TEXT OF STORY

Scott Jagow: So Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Mike Huckabee headed to the New Hampshire primary next week as the frontrunners. But last night’s Iowa caucuses were just the first step in a long road for the presidential candidates. Marketplace will of course be covering the race, from a business perspective. What is it the business community wants from the next president? We start with this report from Danielle Karson in Washington.

Danielle Karson: Corporate America’s top priority is simple: sustain a vibrant economy. To do that, business leaders say the next president needs to do a number of things, including:

John Castellani: Making sure we have a competitive tax policy.

That’s John Castellani. He heads the Business Roundtable that represents the CEOs of U.S. companies worth more than $4 trillion.

Castellani: And making sure we have a sound energy policy that has the right emphasis on conservation, the production of oil and gas and the production and development of alternative supplies.

Castellani says mushrooming health care costs are also hurting business.

Some candidates advocate expanding health care coverage, and that’s good, says Michael Diegel with the National Federation of Independent Business. Except for one thing:

Michael Diegel: We are telling our candidates we can’t help with coverage until small business owners have some help with controlling costs.

Business leaders say it’s time to put the partisanship aside and actually fix problems.

In Washington, I’m Danielle Karson for Marketplace.