Obama's Speech

[TampaYankee]

I give him an A+. It as good as I could hope for. It reflects most of my views about priorities and the necessary urgency of action to lay out a plan. That is change I can get behind.

I especially appreciate the vision he painted for our country, past present and future, how the parties came together in the past to solve similar problems and how we came to our present circumstances and need for action.

Now for the negotiations and resisting the urge to give it away.

[Guest BeachBoy]

I liked it. I just have to have blind faith that they know what they're doing - it's been difficult to do but I am kind of treating it all like I'm watching a movie where the guys who keep messing up pull through in the end because they had a plan all along. You know?

[Guest zipperzone]

I liked it. I just have to have blind faith that they know what they're doing - it's been difficult to do but I am kind of treating it all like I'm watching a movie where the guys who keep messing up pull through in the end because they had a plan all along. You know?

You hope........

[RA1]

Was it not mainly a campaign speech with few details except for increasing taxes? I appreciate anyone with a positive vision but a plan calls for details, no?

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest BeachBoy]

Was it not mainly a campaign speech with few details except for increasing taxes? I appreciate anyone with a positive vision but a plan calls for details, no?

Best regards,

RA1

I dunno, he did a lot of math. LOL

Seriously, though, I thought he sounded GREAT in terms of hitting some punches, which is really all I was looking for. He sounded like he was ready to kick ass, and that made me happy.

[TampaYankee]

Was it not mainly a campaign speech with few details except for increasing taxes? I appreciate anyone with a positive vision but a plan calls for details, no?

Best regards,

RA1

You could say the same thing about Ryan's initial budget announcement. News outlets reported the broad strokes that he gave and said, "we'll have to wait for details of the plan to see exactly what his vision means for seniors and medicaid" more or less. They unfolded over the next couple of weeks -- what little we got. We still haven't seen many of the details. How big a medical voucher will seniors get? Will it be inflation protected? Medical cost or general cost inflation? Will there be a guarantee that affordable health plans will be in place for seniors to access? etc. etc. etc. All I know is that the GOP will give a voucher of some amount for Seniors to use in the market place. Not a lot of detail. I know something has to be there for the CBO to score, but I haven't seen it, and I watch.

I agree that details are important but that wasn't the venue for details. Details require facts and figures and... details. The ability of an audience to absorb lots of details while sitting on their asses after lunch is limited, much less the population at large. I know, I spent a career doing it from both sides of the podium. Details are better presented in a C-SPAN type program. We know how broadly those are watched. That audience is narrow, deep, and committed. That was not the intended audience yesterday.

I think we have a clear idea about the big differences between the plans, where each plan wants to go, and the paths to get there.

Now it is important to get on with the details. I suspect Obama's details will take form as a Senate Budget bill crafted by the Senate and Obama staff, just as the GOP did in the House. OMB may present a separate piece of paper but I doubt that would serve much purpose as the action will happen on Capitol Hill. That might be more likely to happen for individual components should light open up between Obama and what is happening in the Senate.

A comprehensive deficit reduction plan will not be ready for the Debt Increase vote. There just is not time to reach a consensus in time no matter how much the GOP pushes it. Their plan is to use the deadline to shove unpalatable measures down the throats of Obama and the Dems. That cannot happen if the Dems want to remain a cohesive political force.

Obama sounds like he is ready to fight. The Tea Party is ready to fight. Is Boehner ready to take down the credit rating of the USA and with it the economy to meet Tea Party demands? They are bailing on him over this interim budget compromise. I doubt there will be any more compromise from them. Time for him to choose in this game of chicken.

The best way out of this immediate dilemma is to attach to the Debt Ceiling bill a Congressional Deficit Reduction Commission with a deadline to report and Congress to vote up or down. That mandates a date certain for action which should satisfy deficit hawks of all stripes.

[RA1]

I am not in love with Ryan's approach either. I am sorry when folks think that one side is better than another. Not so.

I don't disagree that this was not necessarily the venue for details but, so far, I do not perceive that they are forthcoming from "official sources" either. Eventually, they must, OR the demorats currently in Congress will do whatever they can to push what they think is the BO agenda forward.

Thanks for your reply. However, I do not think we have a clear idea of anything, BUT, I am willing to wait and listen.

Thanks again.

Best regards,

RA1

[lookin]

I didn't hear it, but I read it last evening. It appeared he was appropriately framing the upcoming debate around the issue of what kind of nation we want to be, and what he himself stands for. Seems to me a very appropriate thing for a leader to be doing at this point.

Especially glad that he's put defense spending squarely on the table. That budget is almost as big as Medicare and almost as big as Social Security. A 20% cut in 'defense' would be real money.

I like Obama. If I have a beef, it's that he sometimes seems to compromise too early in the process. That could be my own inexperience speaking, however, as I'm not good at compromising on issues that really matter to me. It's why I'll never be a politician.

For now, I'm willing to keep tagging along. I think he's delivered some good stuff to the country in twenty-seven months, and expect there's more where that came from.

[Lucky]

"Obama sounds like he is ready to fight."

That would be a first for his presidency.

[TampaYankee]

"Obama sounds like he is ready to fight."

That would be a first for his presidency.

Maybe so, but everybody but him seemed ready to give up on health care after Brown won Kennedy's seat, if you put any stock in the behind the scenes reports that came out several months later. I felt that there was little chance at that point that anyone would continue too push hard enough to get it done. It happened.

[BiBottomBoy]

Now it all comes down to whether the GOP is insane enough to refuse to increase the debt ceiling and put the United States into default.

[Guest BeachBoy]

Maybe so, but everybody but him seemed ready to give up on health care after Brown won Kennedy's seat, if you put any stock in the behind the scenes reports that came out several months later. I felt that there was little chance at that point that anyone would continue too push hard enough to get it done. It happened.

Yeah, I get the feeling that he's not loud about it, but he's a fighter. I always see him as someone who invites someone into the Oval, has a sit-down with them, and sends them on their way. I don't see him as wimping out at all, about anything. I really do think there is a reason for all of this.

[BiBottomBoy]

Obama plans to eat all of the GOP congressmen and replace them with zombies so he can get the debt ceiling increased.

#notintendedtobeafactualstatement.

[RA1]

BBB-

You talked me into it. #

Best regards,

RA1

Not intended to be a factual statement.

:)

[Guest BeachBoy]

Obama plans to eat all of the GOP congressmen and replace them with zombies so he can get the debt ceiling increased.

#notintendedtobeafactualstatement.

Seriously though, can you BELIEVE that was the excuse they gave???

[BiBottomBoy]

House GOP members want to replace your livers with bacon.

#notintendedtobeafactualstatement