Obama to refocus on economy in State of the Union

[DonViejo]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will focus his State of the Union address on boosting job creation and economic growth at a time of high unemployment, underscoring the degree to which the economy could threaten his ability to pursue second-term priorities such as gun control, immigration policy and climate change.

Obama also may use Tuesday’s prime-time address before a joint session of Congress to announce the next steps for concluding the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Obama’s State of the Union marks his second high-profile speech to the nation in about three weeks, after his inaugural address Jan. 21 that opened his second term. White House aides see the two speeches as complementary, with Tuesday’s address aimed at providing specifics to back up some of the Inauguration Day’s lofty liberal rhetoric.

The president previewed the address during a meeting Thursday with House Democrats and said he would speak “about making sure that we’re focused on job creation here in the United States of America.” Obama said he would try to accomplish that by calling for improvements in education, boosting clean energy production, and reducing the deficit in ways that don’t burden the middle class, the poor or the elderly.

-snip-



Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/02/09/obama_to_refocus_on_economy_in_state_of_the_union/

[Kingofalldems]

1. Ayn Randian repubs will surely have an insult

planned for the President. The pigboy syndrome at work.

[SHRED]

2. If he even mentions "entitlement reform"...

...I will probably throw something at the TV.



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[amandabeech]

3. Mr. President, you should've been focusing on the economy all along.

Instead, as soon as your wall-street-style economic advisers told you that everything was going to be hunky dory (and you had a rough time with the Pugs), you just shimmied over to something else and left JOBS and the economy in a bad place.

Are you now, almost four years later, just starting to realize that things aren't as great as Larry Summers and Time Geithner told you?

By focusing on jobs and the economy do you mean focusing on the Trans Pacific Partnership?

I hate to say it, but the President has disappointed me so many time on this subject that I'll believe it when the U-6 number starts going down below 10.

On edit: improving education might help employment in the long run, but I have my doubts that
reducing the deficit will do much now and in the near future. And those Afghan vets will need jobs. Where will they come from Mr. President?

[RBInMaine]

8. More non-reality from the TeaLeft. Obama SAVED THE AUTO INDUSTRY, has created MILLIONS of jobs, he

has also passed 18 small business tax incentives for job growth. He has passed middle class tax reductions and just got some taxes UP on the richest of the rich. He SAVED AND CREATED MILLIONS OF JOBS with the stimulus and saved us from a full blown second great depression. We are approaching 40 months of net job growth. Housing market is stabilizing. New housing starts are occurring. Huge expansion of alternative energy passed. Reduced student loan rates. Historic healthcare law.
Ended the Iraq war. Winding down Afghanistan. And many progressive laws on social policy.

And on and on. Perfect? No. More to do? Yes. But A LOT DONE AGAINST DAMN TOUGH OPPOSITION? You are damn right ! A LOT !

ALL in the face of blanket Republican opposition.

So enough of the TeaLeft purist nonsense rhetoric. Count your blessings and be glad we just had a good President re-elected and didn't get stuck with either Grampy McSame and the Wolf Shooter the first time nor MittTwit RobMe and Eddie Munster this last time. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS !!!

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Poverty rate keeps increasing, increasing

while the wealthiest have never had it better, and are enjoying their now-permanent tax cuts.

[amandabeech]

12. What do you mean by TeaLeft?

Are you calling me a Republican? Please explain.

[Skittles]

18. if you don't swoon you're suspicious, amandabeech

oh yes

[amandabeech]

14. I'm still waiting for a definition of TeaLeft.

You're a smart person. Clearly, it would take you only a couple of minutes to write up a definition.

In fact, I seem to recall you using it before.

Surely, you have a good idea of what exactly it is that you mean by your word, "TeaLeft."

Please post it so that we'll all know what you're talking about.

[SHRED]

20. It's name calling pure and simple

In defense of the sainted Obama the DU mods apparently tolerate this crap.

Just don't call RBInMaine an "Obamabot"....don't do it.

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[Populist_Prole]

11. Yeah I have the same sentiment

I fear it it may well be more of the same neoliberal policies pushed as a solution. Read: "free trade is good......blah blah blah".

Sigh................

[amandabeech]

13. According to our AG who is staying on, none of the bankers committed any fraud.

Furthermore, the robo-signing scandal has been swept under the rug, leaving a cloud on many real estate titles. In that scandal, it appears that the Obama administration really pressured principles state AG holdouts in NY and California.

Also, in the settlement, 2d lean home equity line of credit holders, who are the big banks, have been pushed ahead of 1st lean mortgage holders in priority of payoff, which is against hundreds of years of common law in real estate going back to England.

The blog "Naked Capitalism" has been excellent on the problems with the big banks, real estate and federal actions. I highly recommend it if you are interested in the real estate end of the financial meltdown and efforts to pro pr it up.

As to the auto bailout. It was great, but there is still an incredible amount of work to do to bring back just a basic manufacturing plant. I have two male cousins living in my home state of Michigan. One was laid off during the real estate crash, has a degree from Michigan State (not a shabby place) and a good work record. He can't even get work as a janitor. Thank heavens his wife is a teacher in an NEA school and will likely not get shoved aside. His brother, also an MSU graduate, is hanging by his finger nails in a firm that writes technical manuals for start-up computer application companies.

Near my hometown, where my Mom lives, a South Korean company was putting up an advanced manufacturing facility. As soon as the South Korean trade agreement went into effect, it went "POOF" and the manufacturing was returned to South Korea.

Now, we have the Trans Pacific Partnership, I suppose to support the supposed "Pivot to the Pacific." As you may know, China is having all kinds of border disputes with Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Burnie and others. China claims all sorts of rocks and shoals that have oil and gas under them as well as almost the entire South China Sea and the channel between it and the Indian Ocean through which all shipping from that Ocean to the South China Sea.

If we support our military treaty supporters against China, even in a very mild way, the current Chinese regime may retaliate. Since just about everything in our stores comes from China, and some parts for our military equipment, like chips, may be sourced from China, we are not in a position to tolerate Chinese trade retaliation.

So instead of supporting policies that would bring more manufacturing home where it would not be threatened, we are supporting another trade agreement that would send manufactures from China to low-wage, low-environmental-law-enforcement areas around China.

This is a very serious problem.

[SHRED]

22. thanks for posting this

[amandabeech]

23. You're welcome!

[BumRushDaShow]

4. More AP drivel

that glosses over, hides, or completely dismisses rethug blockage of anything that is promoted to create jobs and stimulate the economy, while focusing on what they essentially are suggesting is interest-group mongering from the left. And while the article-writer strokes the ego of teabagger Rubio, the writer ignores the fact that teabagger-in-chief (Ayn)Rand Paul plans on double-teaming Rubio for the rethug SOTU response and both continue to contribute to ensuring that no governance takes place over the next 4 years.

[RBInMaine]

9. AP stands for ABSOLUTE PUKE.

[slackmaster]

5. What? Not one word about Beyonce lip-syncing?

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. I wonder ...

why administrations give a preview of what they intend to highlight during the SOTU Address, knowing that the oosition is spending just as much time pre-preparing their canned response.

Just once I'd like for them to say, "I will highlight A, B, and C", then completely leave those topics out of the address. It would show that the opposition "response" has nothing to do with the address.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. Let me guess: we need to reassure the skittish Job Creators

By responsibly reducing spending, including cutting strengthening Social Security.

[TiberiusB]

16. Yet another bite at the apple...

It is amazing how many times Obama and the Democrats have given the GOP a shot at slashing SS and Medicare. Starting with the Simpson Bowles Commission and going right on up to today with yet another looming debt ceiling battle coming, Obama refuses to completely shut down GOP extortion over the budget. Obama insisted that he would not negotiate over the debt ceiling, going so far as to reject GOP offers to pass a temporary extension. At least that was his initial position, until it looked like the GOP was on the verge of losing the fight entirely. Then suddenly he agreed to a 3 month extension (he's done this before, rescuing the GOP at the 11th hour). Now he's back to offering a grand bargain on SS and Medicare again. I'm sure we can look forward to another "chained CPI strengthens SS" load of nonsense from the House, with Biden waiting in the wings to cut Reid off at the knees...again...should the GOP look like they need a helping hand.

[CountAllVotes]

15. that would be nice MR. PRESIDENT

The co-payments on three of the five medications that I MUST take have gone from a $40.00 co-payment to a $100.00 co-payment for this year. *surprise surprise surprise*!!!!

I cannot afford them any longer because I can no longer work to pay this extra $1K++ needed due to serious health issues. I feel abandoned w/nowhere to turn. So, it is now a major economic issue in my household as others are being affected the same way finding themselves in the same boat which is sinking quickly.

As for jobs, yes, some jobs, lots of jobs might help a lot! These must be good jobs, not a bunch of crap jobs with no benefits!

Maybe if the powers that be quit pandering to the Wall Street casino this reality that I and too many other Americans are experiencing might perhaps sink in. Perhaps.

[judesedit]

17. I appreciate the retoric, but you know the rethugs are about to force the PO let go 120,000 workers.

I can't see the words making that much of a difference. We can only hope they are sincere and inspire the decisions Obama has to make daily. The PO was under undue burden with the 75-year retirement policy bullshit and the fact they are not allowed to sell anything but directly related to mailings merchandise. But UPS, FedEx, etc cannot tread on their territory anytime they want to. Totally unfair. The PO was set up to fail in my opinion.

[SHRED]

19. He should say ...

...we are going to pull out of Afghanistan, close bases overseas, cut the Military/Industrial/Complex, and transfer all that savings into rebuilding America and in turn jump starting this economy.

But he won't.


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[SHRED]

21. "...refocus..."

How is this possible considering he never focused on it in the first place?


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