The President gave two speeches last night, and they were both well done. (Again, why don’t we just elect the speech writers?)
At the beginning Obama did the classic Clinton, “I feel your pain,” routine.
Followed by his list of programs and enhancements, all of which cost money we don’t have. The list includes:
· New small business loans
· Small business tax credit
· No capital gains tax on small business development
· Tax incentives on plants and equipment
· Infrastructure investment
· Clean energy facilities
· Energy rebates
· Increase taxes to companies with overseas employees
· Tax breaks for US job creation
· Banking reform – inform bank customers
· Research funding
· Nuclear power plants
· Offshore drilling
· Biofuels
· Clean coal
· Climate change laws
· Increase exports
· More trade deals
· School reform
· Government college loan
· Tuition tax credits
· More Pell grants
· Limit repayment of school loans 10% 10 years
· Double child care credit
· IRAs for all
· More home refinancing
· Health care reform
· Foreign aid for AIDS
· Bioterror defense
· Civil rights prosecution
· Immigration enforcement
Then he gives his second speech, about America losing confidence in its institutions. He says the solution is to stop playing politics and pick up the cause of the Obama agenda. It was a poignant plea, filled with hopium, not from his own words, but from letters he has received.
It was rather out of place with the first part, where he blames Bush and chides the Republicans for standing in his way.
We need health care reform, one that will allow the president some bipolar medication.
Does he really think more federal programs (like his wish list above) will be offset by his $20 billion savings as a result of freezing a few budget lines?
The Republicans are right to be “The party of whoa!”
