Great to see President Obama fired up tonight. He truly gave the bottom line to the Republicans. The message of targeted tax cuts and spending on programs that will create jobs is impossible to resist. We need teachers, we need to repair our roads and bridges and our veterans need jobs (even the Republicans stood on this one). He made the choice clear and stark. You are either for teachers or for tax breaks for the wealthy. You are either for tax breaks to help small businesses hire or for tax loopholes for the oil companies. Even after the speech he looked pumped up and all business.
This is clearly a specific plan to move forward and the challenge has been made. Yes this is not the pure stimulus plan that many of us progressives feel is needed, however we have to be realistic, that would not pass this Congress. This is a strong hand Obama is playing, however, with hundreds of billions of dollars in job-creating programs so, unlike some have felt in other battles, he is not starting by meeting the Republicans halfway. Unlike the debt reduction passage, it appears that this time the President should get quite a bit of what he wanted fairly easily. Targeted tax reductions and hiring incentives, an infrastructure bank, jobs for veterans, these should be no-brainers. Add these to the items he should get in negotiations and we could see a lot of the American Jobs Act enacted.
With this speech, President Obama clearly articulated his values more than he has during his presidency. This is the leadership the public looks for in a president. I have always felt that the public may have disapproved of many of Bush's programs if they thought about them but went along because he projected a clear vision and provided leadership. Now will come the true test for President Obama when he takes his show on the road. He has to remain just as committed to his vision as he did in front of Congress. This is how he will get the American public on his side and the American Jobs Act passed.