He began by reminding us that America has always had two important threads in its national character: rugged individualism but also coming together to take care of each other. He embraced the idea of government as doing for its citizens what they cannot better do for themselves -- like national defense, medical research, education, and taking care of seniors.
He put the blame for our present unsustainable deficit on the irresponsibility of our government during the last decade when we went from a budget surplus to this huge deficit. And it happened because we were fighting two wars and started a prescription drug program for seniors without paying for either; and in addition gave the wealthiest Americans a huge tax cut -- without paying for that either.
Now Republicans are wanting to reduce the deficit by putting the burden on the middle class and those who most need government services, while giving even more tax cuts to those who least need them. "As long as I am president, I will not let that happen." We're not going to give even more tax cuts to the top level while telling seniors that they will have to pay $6,000 more for Medicare or taking health care insurance away from 50,000,000 Americans.
He was pointed in his criticism of the Republican House plan (the Ryan plan), pointing out that it reduced government spending on health care by limiting services, whereas his plan reduced health care spending by reducing the cost of health care itself. Quoting Sam Stein of HuffPost:
Obama took on the Ryan approach in harsh terms, calling it a vision that would see "roads crumble and bridges collapse," young Americans unable to go to college, seniors left uncared for, Medicare ended, and 50 million Americans left without health insurance.
"The fact is," said Obama, "this vision is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America."The speech was too long -- I would have cut much of the last 15 minutes. But it was forceful and put Obama squarely back in a strong position as a leader. Good job !!
Ralph
Here's a good line from the speech:
ReplyDelete"Let me be absolutely clear: I will preserve these health care programs as a promise we make to each other in this society. I will not allow Medicare to become a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry, with a shrinking benefit to pay for rising costs. I will not tell families with children who have disabilities that they have to fend for themselves. We will reform these programs, but we will not abandon the fundamental commitment this country has kept for generations."
Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post:
ReplyDelete"Obama is at his best and most inspiring when he talks about who we are as a nation. That’s why, at times, I felt transported back to Boston in 2004 when a little-known state senator from Illinois named Barack Obama said, “there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America.” Or to presidential candidate Obama’s pivotal and necessarily nuanced 2008 speech in Philadelphia on race that spoke to the legitimate pain, anger, fear and frustration between and among whites and blacks. In that speech he spoke hard truths to both sides. And I heard hard truths once again coming from Obama on the debt crisis facing this country. His was a muscular address that drew lines in the sand. How well those lines hold up will be tested in the weeks and months ahead."
The proof is in how well he will stand up to that testing. It worried me that near the end he conceded that he did not expect his plan to be adopted without some changes, "because this is a democracy."
Yes, of course. But this sounds like his bad habit of giving away his fall back position before the negotiating even begins.
Some are calling it "a line in the sand."
ReplyDeleteLiberals are cheering, Republicans are dismissive. Their criticisms show their miscalculation of this man. He's lulled them into thinking he's a pushover.
If he follows through on this tone and this message, it will be a whole new ball game.