The President of the United States [as imagined by the columnist]:
Good afternoon. Well, we got thumped. I’m disappointed, but I continue to believe that our actions were necessary and correct. The stimulus spending helped avert a second Great Depression. The health care legislation offers the dual promise of extending coverage and controlling costs. Financial regulatory reform will protect the U.S. economy from private-sector recklessness.
That’s a lot—but I heard you loud and clear.
First, we didn’t do enough. Unemployment would have been even higher without the stimulus, but it is unacceptably high. We’ve had nine consecutive months of private-sector job growth, and we’re going to keep at it for as long as I’m privileged to be your president.
Second, we did, for some of you, too much—too much spending, too much sweeping legislation. It was unsettling. Every day it seemed we were writing another huge check. I’m convinced, again, that this was wisely spent. The much maligned bailout will cost a fraction of the initial expense—and it saved communities across the country from economic devastation. The stimulus created jobs—and, by the way, provided more than $200 billion in tax relief. The health care bill carries a big price tag—but I insisted that the cost be fully paid for. I will resist—with my veto pen—any effort to weaken the law that adds to the deficit.
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Nevertheless, the era of big check-writing is over. That is why—after some Republicans voted against creating a deficit commission—I did so by executive order. I look forward to receiving their report—and working with Republicans to tackle the debt. And that is why I have been so determined not to rack up another $700 billion in debt by permanently extending the tax cuts for the wealthiest.
Third, I did not live up to my own standards for governing in a post-partisan manner. I was wrong to use the term enemies. I’m not going to offer excuses or point fingers. Instead, let me describe what I’ll do differently.
It’s time to stop talking at the other party and start talking with them. Instead of a weekly video address and canned response, I propose a televised meeting with a designated Republican to discuss the issues of the day. Let’s do that at the White House every other week. In alternate weeks, I’ll go to their place. I’ll go to the Capitol for “question time” from members of Congress, Republican and Democrat. This was John McCain’s idea, and it was a good one.
But talk isn’t enough. I’ll take the risk of going first, with proposals on health care and taxes. Many Republicans argue that the risk of malpractice suits drives up costs by leading doctors to practice defensive medicine. I agree. It’s not popular with some Democrats, but I’ll be sending to the new Congress a proposal to shield doctors from frivolous lawsuits. While we’re at it, let’s fix the provision in the new law that imposes onerous reporting requirements on small business.
On taxes, I disagree with Republicans that we can afford to extend the upper-income tax cuts permanently or that it would threaten the recovery to let them lapse now. But there’s space for compromise. We both agree on permanently extending tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans. Extending tax cuts for the wealthiest for two years would cost $75 billion. I think that money could better be spent in ways that would help ordinary Americans: reinstating a program to subsidize private sector jobs for low-income parents. Creating a national infrastructure bank to modernize our fraying infrastructure—free from political considerations and earmarking—and front-loading the spending to create jobs. Still, if Republicans think tax cuts for the wealthy are a wiser choice, I’m open to a brief extension.
This is just a start. We should join forces to renew and strengthen the education reform law that brought a new era of school accountability. We should put Social Security on a solid financial footing—while not cutting benefits for those who need the program most. We could, as John Boehner has suggested, scour the tax code for wasteful spending programs disguised as tax breaks.
In the unhappy aftermath of another Election Day, an American president offered some wise words. “Our task,” he said, “is to be sure our leaders do not fail the American people.” Ronald Reagan was right. To my fellow patriots across the aisle: Let’s win one for the Gipper.
Ruth Marcus’ e-mail address is marcusr(at symbol)washpost.com.
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By Manny, November 7, 2010 at 9:27 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
What a moron Obama is. Why couldn’t we see have seen
that more clearly 3 years ago.
He has now established a permanent M.O. of
surrendering before engaging the “enemy” (and yes,
they are the ENEMY, each and every one of them)every
time. to discuss issues
The most disturbing item however is elevating the
stature of the enemy by publicly meeting with them to
give them a venue to count coup. He has become a
modern day Paul von Hindenburg. What a putz!
Guess I should have done more? Guess I shouldn’t have done what I did, and just to prove how sorry I am for letting everyone down…
I’m going to keep on doing it.
Say What? Say What?
Since the Republicans have promised to make it impossible for me to be re elected, and dug their heels in to sabotage everything right from the beginning… So now I’m going to try even harder to work with the Republicans, to make them like me..By offering to give them some goodies that they aways wanted, like dismanteling Social Security, then theres that shield law for physicians…
Say What? Say What?
That should make them happy, still they shouldn’t be all that disapointed health premiums went up because of health care reform, and insurance companies had record profits…guess there’s an upside of making everyone by insurance with increased premiums..
Say What? Say What?
Financial Reform, helped spare the economy from another depression, even though 50 million homes are in default or underwater, and no one was arrested or sent to jail in the largest real estate fraud scandal in the history of the world… And we didn’t even have to outlaw deriviates which remian unregulated even though they were responsible for much of the financial diaster…
Say What? Say What?
Maybe if I act and look like Bill Clinton, the Republicans will let me take credit for some the legislation they intend to pass… and I won’t even have to change parties..
America, you’ve voted yourself what you deserve! Welcome to Germany, circa 1932-33 as the population formally ordained the establishment of fascism. Don’t worry right yet oh ignorant, bigoted, and unthinking rubes, the BS will continue as will the hate speech ‘cause you still have alot of scapegoats to go thru before the corporatocracy and it’s guiding plutocrats start taking bites out of your apple to keep their entitled standard of living at it’s exalted level. That trickle down nonsense they’ve been feeding you will run thin eventually and all of those minorities, illegals, islamo-fascists, conspiring gays, liberals, etc. will eventually lose their usefulness by either being deported, marginalized, incarcerated, or otherwise dispensed with. By that time, tho’, the pentagon and it’s feeders will have eaten up the entire GDP and all of those messiahs that promised to bring back jobs and the American dream will be comfortably ensconced offshore undoubtedly somewhere that has no extridition treaty with the US , but it won’t really matter because the whole Ponzi house of cards that is the US economy will have long before collapsed on your bemused little heads! Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll all go about blaming each other for what you’ve so eagerly created this past generation and start all over again because apparently we never learn!
How about:
“2 years ago, the American people spoke clearly about what they wanted. During those two years Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell did everything possible to thwart that very clear message. They succeeded gloriously. Now the ball is in their court. THEY need to propose legislation and policies to address our many issues and they need to convince their Democratic colleagues and myself that they are on the right track.
We’ll be waiting and willing to listen, but now it’s time for the Republicans to get off their duffs, stop complaining and voting “No” and start proposing policies for all Americans to see.
Ruth Marcus wears the blinders of “mainstream” “moderate” opinion in Washington. I won’t even say “liberal” because this conciliatory Republican-lite brand of the Democratic establishment is every bit as bound and beholden to Wall Street and the Pentagon military as the Republicans. Instead of listening to the conventinal stupidity of Ruth Marcus, Obama should beat the Republicans at their own game. He is the commander in chief. He can single handedly balance the federal budget by immediately ending US involvement in the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, closing a couple hundred foreign military bases, firing 3/4ths of the military leadership (taking care to fire known Republicans first) and discharging at least 3/4 of the people in the armed services, and refusing to spend any further money appropriated by Congress for the continuation of the endless war economy. With all the money this would save, Obama could cut taxes, maintain essential services and invest in infrastructure, thus creating jobs. Will he do it? Of course not. He is a brainwashed member of the Washington establishment, like Ruth Marcus, who never do anything that threatens Wall Street or the Pentagon.
Speculation is fine, but as long as we’ve opened that box, let me speculate along the following lines:
America voted for Berlin, but that’s not such a bad thing considering that the other choice was Vichy. Let’s get used to it, noting that gridlock will continue, and Obama still has veto power. He will may even play-act at being a bit more liberal than he has for the previous two years based on his need to strike some dramatic contrasts, if for cosmetic reasons only.
Personally, I was glad for the results. I dealt a serious blow to Vichy and it raised the temperature level. Given the fact that it was a faux-election to begin with, it could not yet be called “do or die.
The next election might be.
Something to consider on the morning after: This comes from Naomi Klein, who cannot be called an airhead.
The “Shock Doctrine” author tells Laura Flanders, “We have to build that independent left. It has to be so strong and so radical and so militant and so powerful that it becomes irresistible.”
A political vacuum was created last night, and the Dems will be subsequently excoriated. I see that as a goodness. Remember that nature likes to fill her vacuums, and in that she is both predictable and ruthless.
The emphasis is on the words “strong, radical and militant.” Now all we need to do is get Arianna Huffington, Jon Stewart and Robert Scheer to stop trying to manage (deflect/suppress) progressive rage.
We finally need to renown it, integrate it and cherish it. Therein, we might begin to find a measure of sanity.
Without it, we can have all the rallies we want, but it will always elude us.
By rudyspeaks, November 3, 2010 at 10:14 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This woman has never had anything intelligent to say and today has kept her record unbroken. Her value is only to articulate the inane Beltway “wisdom”.
The most disgusting thing is that this is likely very close to what he’ll do.
In which case, we’ll just have to reapply yesterday’s lesson again in two years. And every two years thereafter until it’s taken seriously enough to cause some of the ‘real change we can believe in’ on which he campaigned so effectively and then so utterly failed to deliver.
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By Manny, November 7, 2010 at 9:27 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
What a moron Obama is. Why couldn’t we see have seen
that more clearly 3 years ago.
He has now established a permanent M.O. of
surrendering before engaging the “enemy” (and yes,
they are the ENEMY, each and every one of them)every
time. to discuss issues
The most disturbing item however is elevating the
Report thisstature of the enemy by publicly meeting with them to
give them a venue to count coup. He has become a
modern day Paul von Hindenburg. What a putz!
By G.Anderson, November 5, 2010 at 11:58 pm Link to this comment
Say what? Say What?.......
Guess I should have done more? Guess I shouldn’t have done what I did, and just to prove how sorry I am for letting everyone down…
I’m going to keep on doing it.
Say What? Say What?
Since the Republicans have promised to make it impossible for me to be re elected, and dug their heels in to sabotage everything right from the beginning… So now I’m going to try even harder to work with the Republicans, to make them like me..By offering to give them some goodies that they aways wanted, like dismanteling Social Security, then theres that shield law for physicians…
Say What? Say What?
That should make them happy, still they shouldn’t be all that disapointed health premiums went up because of health care reform, and insurance companies had record profits…guess there’s an upside of making everyone by insurance with increased premiums..
Say What? Say What?
Financial Reform, helped spare the economy from another depression, even though 50 million homes are in default or underwater, and no one was arrested or sent to jail in the largest real estate fraud scandal in the history of the world… And we didn’t even have to outlaw deriviates which remian unregulated even though they were responsible for much of the financial diaster…
Say What? Say What?
Report thisMaybe if I act and look like Bill Clinton, the Republicans will let me take credit for some the legislation they intend to pass… and I won’t even have to change parties..
By berniem, November 3, 2010 at 6:41 pm Link to this comment
America, you’ve voted yourself what you deserve! Welcome to Germany, circa 1932-33 as the population formally ordained the establishment of fascism. Don’t worry right yet oh ignorant, bigoted, and unthinking rubes, the BS will continue as will the hate speech ‘cause you still have alot of scapegoats to go thru before the corporatocracy and it’s guiding plutocrats start taking bites out of your apple to keep their entitled standard of living at it’s exalted level. That trickle down nonsense they’ve been feeding you will run thin eventually and all of those minorities, illegals, islamo-fascists, conspiring gays, liberals, etc. will eventually lose their usefulness by either being deported, marginalized, incarcerated, or otherwise dispensed with. By that time, tho’, the pentagon and it’s feeders will have eaten up the entire GDP and all of those messiahs that promised to bring back jobs and the American dream will be comfortably ensconced offshore undoubtedly somewhere that has no extridition treaty with the US , but it won’t really matter because the whole Ponzi house of cards that is the US economy will have long before collapsed on your bemused little heads! Oh, well, I’m sure you’ll all go about blaming each other for what you’ve so eagerly created this past generation and start all over again because apparently we never learn!
Report thisBy Matzpen, November 3, 2010 at 3:50 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Obama didn’t overreach his mandate, thus alienating ordinary Americans and driving millions into the arms of the right. The truth is he didn’t do anything on his mandate. He alienated his base with inaction and they responded by staying home.
Report thishttp://sherrytalksback.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/barbarians-inside-the-gates-what-now/
By gerard, November 3, 2010 at 2:39 pm Link to this comment
Ruth, How come you “disappeared” the wars?
Report thisBy DavidByron, November 3, 2010 at 1:18 pm Link to this comment
Does anyone listen to that guy any more?
Report thisBy Inherit The Wind, November 3, 2010 at 12:09 pm Link to this comment
How about:
“2 years ago, the American people spoke clearly about what they wanted. During those two years Mr. Boehner and Mr. McConnell did everything possible to thwart that very clear message. They succeeded gloriously. Now the ball is in their court. THEY need to propose legislation and policies to address our many issues and they need to convince their Democratic colleagues and myself that they are on the right track.
We’ll be waiting and willing to listen, but now it’s time for the Republicans to get off their duffs, stop complaining and voting “No” and start proposing policies for all Americans to see.
Thank you.”
Report thisBy de profundis clamavi, November 3, 2010 at 11:28 am Link to this comment
Ruth Marcus wears the blinders of “mainstream” “moderate” opinion in Washington. I won’t even say “liberal” because this conciliatory Republican-lite brand of the Democratic establishment is every bit as bound and beholden to Wall Street and the Pentagon military as the Republicans. Instead of listening to the conventinal stupidity of Ruth Marcus, Obama should beat the Republicans at their own game. He is the commander in chief. He can single handedly balance the federal budget by immediately ending US involvement in the wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, closing a couple hundred foreign military bases, firing 3/4ths of the military leadership (taking care to fire known Republicans first) and discharging at least 3/4 of the people in the armed services, and refusing to spend any further money appropriated by Congress for the continuation of the endless war economy. With all the money this would save, Obama could cut taxes, maintain essential services and invest in infrastructure, thus creating jobs. Will he do it? Of course not. He is a brainwashed member of the Washington establishment, like Ruth Marcus, who never do anything that threatens Wall Street or the Pentagon.
Report thisBy mdgr, November 3, 2010 at 10:54 am Link to this comment
Speculation is fine, but as long as we’ve opened that box, let me speculate along the following lines:
America voted for Berlin, but that’s not such a bad thing considering that the other choice was Vichy. Let’s get used to it, noting that gridlock will continue, and Obama still has veto power. He will may even play-act at being a bit more liberal than he has for the previous two years based on his need to strike some dramatic contrasts, if for cosmetic reasons only.
Personally, I was glad for the results. I dealt a serious blow to Vichy and it raised the temperature level. Given the fact that it was a faux-election to begin with, it could not yet be called “do or die.
The next election might be.
Something to consider on the morning after: This comes from Naomi Klein, who cannot be called an airhead.
http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/naomi_klein_building_an_independent_left_20100914/
The “Shock Doctrine” author tells Laura Flanders, “We have to build that independent left. It has to be so strong and so radical and so militant and so powerful that it becomes irresistible.”
A political vacuum was created last night, and the Dems will be subsequently excoriated. I see that as a goodness. Remember that nature likes to fill her vacuums, and in that she is both predictable and ruthless.
The emphasis is on the words “strong, radical and militant.” Now all we need to do is get Arianna Huffington, Jon Stewart and Robert Scheer to stop trying to manage (deflect/suppress) progressive rage.
We finally need to renown it, integrate it and cherish it. Therein, we might begin to find a measure of sanity.
Report thisWithout it, we can have all the rallies we want, but it will always elude us.
By rudyspeaks, November 3, 2010 at 10:14 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This woman has never had anything intelligent to say and today has kept her record unbroken. Her value is only to articulate the inane Beltway “wisdom”.
Report thisBy - bill, November 3, 2010 at 7:23 am Link to this comment
The most disgusting thing is that this is likely very close to what he’ll do.
In which case, we’ll just have to reapply yesterday’s lesson again in two years. And every two years thereafter until it’s taken seriously enough to cause some of the ‘real change we can believe in’ on which he campaigned so effectively and then so utterly failed to deliver.
Report this