See, this is what I’m talking about. I googled “Obama Joint Session Jobs Speech,” and the first thing that popped up was a USA Today article written by Susan Page entitled, “Analysis: Among the jobs Obama hopes to save is his own.” It’s clear that she didn’t listen very closely to the President’s speech, or else she would have heard him say that skepticism – and speculation – would be rampant on whether “politics will allow us to pass this or any jobs plan.”
The President, of course, anticipated the “press releases, Tweets, media” proclaiming the impossibility of bridging the differences and actually coming to some agreement. Susan Page, as it turns out – who came right out of the gate with her cynical post about the jobs speech being all about the President just became my poster child for the President’s prediction. Page writes:
“There are no guarantees that the $447 billion American Jobs Act will be enacted, or that it would significantly reduce unemployment if it was. But the package of payroll tax relief, extended jobless benefits, and funding to repair schools, fix roads and keep teachers working at the minimum gives Obama a plan to extoll — and to batter a ‘do nothing’ Congress with if it fails to act. He exhorted Congress to ‘pass this jobs bill’ or ‘pass it right away’ 16 separate times. And he said the word ‘jobs’ 37 times in 34 minutes.”
Hate to break it to Ms. Page, but this was a “jobs” speech – so using the word “jobs” isn’t exactly inappropriate. And yes, he has not in recent memory been so animated – or insistent – that, for once, Congress (translation: Republicans) do the right thing.
Republicans, of course, reacted true to form, rolling out their well-oiled, tired litany of “President Obama is a failure.” California Rep. Darrell Issa (R), called the jobs proposal the “Son of Stimulus.” Arizona’s Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl said the President “dusted off a tired agenda of old ideas wrapped in freshly partisan rhetoric.” It’s that “freshly partisan rhetoric,” however, that’s scaring the bejeezus out of ‘em.
I mean, damn, he’s good. President Obama took a sagging, depressed, worn out, nearly hopeless public and infused it with renewed hope tonight…all while sucker-punching the Republicans in their most vulnerable areas. While the American public is now looking with interest at the American Jobs Act as something tangible that can be accomplished quickly, Republicans are looking for a way to stop it in its tracks before it gains traction and potentially elevates the President to his 2008 levels of popularity. Trying to derail a plan that will salvage lives, without looking like complete buffoons, leaves the Republicans stuck between that proverbial rock and a hard place.
Of course, the GOP hacks who took the stage to debate last night – the debate which, if you recall, forced the President to postpone his jobs speech – reacted in terror to this animated, energized, firm, demanding President…and, of course, missed no opportunity to further slam him while offering no alternatives. Bachmann, struggling desperately to find a toehold in her failing campaign for the GOP nod, chimed in with, “Tonight, the President under the veil of one of the most sacred, deliberative forms – a joint session of Congress – delivered yet one more political speech where he doubled down on more of the same policies that are killing the United States economy…” She called President Obama “politically paralyzed” and said that he is “philosophically incapable of doing what needs to be done.”
Talk about projection! She, of course, called on Congress to reject it on its face. Former Obama Administration Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman also jumped in: “Tonight’s list of regurgitated half-measures demonstrates that President Obama fundamentally doesn’t understand how to turn our economy around,” as did current front runner Rick Perry with his claim that the President is “guided by his mistaken belief that we can spend our way to prosperity” and GOP presidential candidate Gary Johnson, who said that the “government cannot create jobs” (which is no doubt news to a boatload of federal employees).
But President Obama appears unwilling to allow his message to be hijacked by right wing zealotry. Politely mocking the Republicans, he said, “I know that some of you have sworn oaths to never raise taxes on anyone as long as you live…” and went on to say that now is not the time to “carve out an exception” and raise taxes on the middle class. Ouch.
You know, stupid people don’t listen to sensible solutions, crazy people don’t reason, and ignorance begets ignorance. For Bachmann – or any Republican, for that matter – to call for a rejection of a jobs package that was presented in a bare bones fashion before listening to the details is reflective of the entire party, which could be aptly renamed the “Throw the Baby Out With the Bathwater” party.
Many pundits are going to blog about the President’s speech, and many, many, more are going to analyze it. Republicans are going to bash it, because their track record is damn near perfect in derailing any policy the President puts forward – particularly ones that are based in reason and common sense and would make great strides toward helping suffering Americans. How could they possibly support anything at this juncture that might improve the President’s re-election prospects? They can’t. They won’t. They wouldn’t. And they won’t feel one bit of shame in it either; they’ll sleep like babies, even knowing that a jobs bill won’t get through the teabagging House (although a bunch of anti-choice and anti-union and pro-corporation bills certainly will) and that unemployment will remain stagnant, simply because they don’t care about Americans, or the practice of governing, for that matter. They care only about winning elections.
Make no mistake: President Obama – a highly skilled strategist and tactician – sent a clear warning to the wrong-headed right, and headed off at the pass the type of right-wing rhetoric and spin that’s already being shaped in the dungeons of right-wing pundits and politicians…mainly, claims by the right that he’s a spending freak, his plans and policies are unprecedented, and nothing he tries will ever work. The President’s speech challenged the Republicans to either pass his package posthaste, or come up with an alternative that’s palatable to him, and that will achieve the same results in a slim margin of time.
“It’s the kind of proposal that’s been supported in the past by Democrats and Republicans alike,” the President said unequivocally, “You should pass it right away.” His message, and warning, was clear: You guys are just the underlings…I’m taking my case to the American people, and we’ll see whether they like your 916 anti-choice bills or my plan, which would promote economic growth, create jobs, enhance badly-needed economic stability in American families, and add nothing to the deficit. As President Obama noted, “Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight is the kind that’s been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past…” Some people, he said, will think the “differences are so great that we can only resolve them at the ballot box…the next election is 14 months away…the people who hired us…they don’t have the luxury of waiting 14 months.” The American public, said the President, is struggling “week to week, paycheck to paycheck, even day to day. They need help and they need it now.”
The President effectively drew a line in the sand. Republicans are now forced to act hastily to avoid reinforcing the public’s opinion that they do nothing but whine, complaint and obstruct, or risk having a President who has a remarkably high likeability rating, and who is a skilled and gifted orator, hit the road and deliver his message of hope and change to the country, while reinforcing the Republican’s message of hopelessness and more of the same.
“This plan is the right thing to do right now. You should pass it. And I intend to take that message to every corner of this country.”
Those words just struck cold fear into the heart of every GOP presidential nominee.
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