By Yael T. Abouhalkah, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

The catch-phrase that gained popularity in Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign -- "It's the economy, stupid" -- ought to be stamped on the forehead of every elected official going back to Washington in 2009.

So for Barack Obama to get off to a strong start as president, he'd better realize his No. 1 priority is getting the U.S. economy back on track. Nothing else is even close.

Not the Iraq war. Not catching Osama bin Laden. Not improving health care.

In Sunday's "60 Minutes" interview, Obama said he's willing to put the country further into debt to stimulate the economy.

But how far?

President Bush and Congress have created mountains of debt over the last few years, yet the economy is still tanking.

What's truly important is how the nation spends money it doesn't really have.

If it's for building infrastructure -- highways and transit and buildings that will be used for decades -- that's a wise use.

If it's for bailouts to poorly run companies such as AIG and GM, that's not so great.

At least Obama said Sunday he realized the handout to the Big 3 domestic automakers "can't be a blank check."