Obama proved once again that he’s the best public speaker to grace this planet since MLK. It’s just too bad that all of his speeches amount to little more than hot air these days given the way ideologically committed do-nothing Republicans in Congress have been able to frustrate all of his plans to revive the U.S. economy.
Even the damning flourish during which he chided Republicans for rejecting policies they once championed just to deny him any credit in this respect came across like a jilted boyfriend chiding his ex-girlfriend because she no longer wants him.
But oh what a speech! Here, in part, is what he said:
I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away. It’s called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans — including many who sit here tonight…
The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working. It will create more jobs for construction workers, more jobs for teachers, more jobs for veterans, and more jobs for long-term unemployed. It will provide — it will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers, and it will cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business. It will provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled, and give companies confidence that if they invest and if they hire, there will be customers for their products and services. You should pass this jobs plan right away…
Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight is the kind that’s been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past. Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight will be paid for. And every proposal is designed to meet the urgent needs of our people and our communities…
Stop the political circus… pass this bill.
(Whitehouse.gov, September 8, 2011)
Of course, I’m sure Obama gets that the Republicans are just not that into him. But he wanted to make this public show of pleading his case, knowing full well that they would give him their talk-to-the-hand reaction, to use them as a foil to woo the American people.
After all, he wants the image of him standing in the well of Congress literally begging Republicans to work with him to save the country instead of conspiring against him to save their own party viscerally seared in the minds of voters.
Because come election time when voters ask Republicans that do-or-die question, “What have you done for me lately?”, and the only answer these do-nothings can give is, “Hey, we screwed Obama”, they’re going to be dead meat.
Give ’em Hell, Barry!
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