Friends describe Immelt as privately dismayed that, even after three years on the job, President Obama hasn’t moved to the center, but instead further left. The GE CEO, I’m told, is appalled by everything from the president’s class-warfare rhetoric to his continued belief that big government is the key to economic salvation.

The President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness (Jobs Council) was created to provide non-partisan advice to the President on continuing to strengthen the Nation’s economy and ensure the competitiveness of the United States and on ways to create jobs, opportunity, and prosperity for the American people.

The Jobs Council is made up of members appointed by the President from among distinguished citizens outside the Federal Government, including citizens chosen to serve as representatives of the various sectors of the economy to offer the diverse perspectives of the private sector, employers, and workers on how the Federal Government can best foster growth, competitiveness, innovation, and job creation.

Now, while its not clear that the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness actually has any influence (or has accomplished anything), their recommendations consist of various forms of industrial policy, again set up to funnel money from taxpayers into industry such that industry doesn’t have to compete in an open market place producing things that consumers want, but rather profit from lavish subsidies, tax credits, and mandates:

Adopt an “All-In” Strategy on Energy

In order to stay competitive, the U.S. must maintain access to abundant and affordable energy while reducing our reliance on foreign imports and moving toward cleaner energy sources. The Jobs Council recommends an “all-in” approach to energy that optimizes all of America’s natural resources, drives innovation and investment, and promotes efficiency to reduce our overall energy dependence.

Revitalize the American Manufacturing Sector

The U.S. still boasts the most productive, highly-educated manufacturing workforce in the world, unrivaled intellectual property protections, and an advantage in low-cost energy. These strengths at home, and rising costs abroad, give reason to be bullish about American manufacturing. The U.S. can gain three to four percentage points of global value added market share—an ambitious but achievable goal. To accomplish that we must emphasize our traditional manufacturing advantages while taking more aggressive measures in key sectors to take share from global competitors.

Luckily for Immelt, Romney will assuredly welcome him and his lobbying cash with open arms, if he wins the 2012 election. As my colleague Marlo Lewis noted today in an e-mail: “Immelt wants GE Exceptionalism – big government support for his company, but not big government in general.”