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January 27, 2010 in Nation/World
Obama’s goal: Get agenda moving, people believing
In this Jan. 22, 2010, photo President Barack Obama speaks at a town hall-style meeting at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio, as part of his “White House to Main Street Tour.” Seizing a chance to reconnect, Obama will use his first State of the Union address Jan. 26 to try to persuade the people of a frustrated nation that he is on their side, aides close to Obama say.
(Full-size photo)
WASHINGTON — His presidency at a crossroads, President Barack Obama is promising in his first State of the Union address to solve the economic worries foremost on Americans’ minds and become the transformative leader they thought they were getting.
Set to speak in prime time Wednesday night before a politician-packed House chamber and a TV audience of millions, Obama looked to change the conversation from how his presidency is stalling — over a messy health care debate, a limping economy and the missteps that led to Christmas Day’s barely averted terrorist disaster — to how he is seizing the reins.
The president will devote about two-thirds of the 9 p.m. EST speech to the economy, emphasizing his ideas, some new but mostly old and explained anew, for restoring job growth, taming budget deficits and changing Washington’s ways. These concerns are at the roots of voter emotions that once drove supporters to Obama but now are turning on him as he governs.
To address economic fears, Obama will prod Congress to enact a second stimulus package and to provide new financial relief for the middle class. To acknowledge frustration at the government’s habit of spending more than it has, he will seek a three-year freeze on some domestic spending (while proposing a 6.2 percent, or $4 billion, increase in the popular arena of education and supporting the debt-financed jobs bill) and announce he’s creating a bipartisan deficit-reduction task force. To tackle the capital’s polarized atmosphere, he will call on Republicans and Democrats to redouble efforts at cooperation.
Even before Obama spoke, many of the new proposals the White House revealed in advance were being dismissed — on the right or the left — as poorly targeted or too modest to make a difference.
Throughout, Obama aims to show he understands Americans’ struggles to pay bills while big banks get bailouts and bonuses. Trying to position himself as a fighter for the regular guy, he’ll urge Congress to blunt the impact of last week’s Supreme Court decision handing corporations greater influence over elections.
Obama met with his speechwriters in the Oval Office in the morning and later practiced his delivery from a podium in the White House residence. The speech is estimated to run as long as 75 minutes, accounting for interruptions of applause within the House chamber.
The guest list for first lady Michelle Obama’s box in the gallery provides another message vehicle, featuring stories from entrepreneurial immigrants to families trying to make ends meet.
With State of the Union messages constitutionally required and traditionally delivered at the end of January, Obama lucked into one of the presidency’s biggest platforms just a week after Republicans scored an upset takeover of a Senate seat in Massachusetts. That election prompted hand-wringing over Obama’s leadership and the state of his agenda.
Obama will stand before a country dispirited by unemployment in double digits and federal deficits soaring to a record $1.4 trillion. He also faces a Democratic Party increasingly concerned about the fallen standing of a president they hoped would lead them through this fall’s midterm elections.
Republicans sought to capitalize on the Democrats’ tough straits with their response choice: Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia, who took his state from Democratic hands two months ago in one of the GOP’s recent major election victories.
Obama wanted to avoid the usual: a feel-good assessment of the nation’s health and a presidential laundry list of new proposals and priorities. Instead, he aimed for a plainspoken narrative, hoping to tell his presidency’s story — looking forward and back — in a way that rekindles the energy he harnessed for his historic election.
Having already admitted he has failed since taking office to explain his agenda and connect with voters, Obama planned to further acknowledge missteps in communication and process. At the same time, he planned an unapologetic defense of pursuing the same agenda on which he won.
That includes an overhaul of the nation’s health care system, an aggressive approach to global warming, sweeping changes to address the millions of illegal immigrants and radical reforms of how Wall Street is regulated and children are educated.
Health care, in particular, was imperiled by the Massachusetts election that erased Democrats’ Senate supermajority, needed to pass most legislation.
Obama planned to make his commitment to his signature domestic priority clear, and to urge lawmakers to enact a far-reaching bill rather than a smaller-bore solution. However, sticking to his well-established pattern, he will not offer a specific prescription for salvaging a bill, said White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
“In the days ahead there will be plenty of time to lay out strategic courses of action,” Jarrett said.
In a remarkable shift from past addresses, and notable for a president whose candidacy first caught fire over Iraq war opposition, foreign policy is taking a relative back seat.
The section will come behind the economy and be largely devoid of new policy, with Obama providing an update on the Afghanistan escalation he just ordered, looking ahead to the end of U.S. combat in Iraq and his hosting of an international nuclear weapons summit, and promising an aggressive fight against terrorists.
In a signal the Obama team considers itself at a turning point, it is reverting to techniques that successfully galvanized the grass roots during his campaign.
Obama’s political arm-in-waiting, Obama for America, which has assumed a low profile since his election, texted information to supporters about joining watch parties. The White House also asked people to submit questions on YouTube.com/CitizenTube — saying Obama will answer them during an online event next week.
The president was keeping the State of the Union tradition of hitting the road to continue pressing his case. He will travel to Florida on Thursday to announce $8 billion for high-speed rail development, to Maryland on Friday to speak to a House Republican retreat, and to New Hampshire next Tuesday for a jobs-focused event. Cabinet officials were fanning out too.
On Monday, Obama’s priorities get another boost of attention, as he submits his 2011 budget request to Congress.
Ancient Roman wrecks found in deep water 
IHike4Fun on January 27 at 8:27 a.m.
A very wise person once told me “Once you get people figured out they will never disappoint you.” Meaning people will continue to be like they have been. Given his history I can’t see this president doing anything to engender any more confidence then he has so far.
Shane0312 on January 27 at 9:02 a.m.
Obama really let me down, but anyone is better than Bush. Presidents seem to feel the need to build a “legacy”, rather than just doing what the people ask. Politicians always seem to think they know whats best for everyone, but often fall flat as they are just puppets for corporations that are campaign contributors.
lewis8457 on January 27 at 9:59 a.m.
better then Bush? come on I am no Bush fan but better then Bush is a hard pill to swallow. When bush left office the deficit was in the billions now it is in the trillions and rising every day, with no end in site.
Albert on January 27 at 10:00 a.m.
Well at least he will not need to reschedule his State of the Union speech - there’s no competing reality shows on the air tonight. He is scripted, prepared, and ready to give all of us yet another great “true reality show” of ego, mis-speak, false documentation, and hope based upon debt. I have a great idea: Let’s kick every existing Congress person, Senator, and White House person out of office and start afresh. Maybe…if we continue to elect only first term persons, then we can see - (perhaps) - some honest representation in government? Needless to say, I’m not holding my breath on that one, nor will I waste my time listening to a “sales job” tonight. Why bother? You won’t hear a word of truth anyway.
Dazzeetrader11 on January 27 at 10:20 a.m.
Obama is pure “amateur hour”. He knew what he was doing coming in. Bush was a dud but the US was safe. Iraq was winding down anyway. Obma has given the taxpayers’ money to banks, the auto companies, unions, etc much to our detriment. Oh he’ll say anything to get re-elected but with his healthcare push, he’s gone too far.
Him and his socialist takover friends need to be shown the door. The US will never be the same in my lifetime….and this is only within 1 year! Yikes! Somebody who says this blitzkreig wasn’t planned in advance needs to rethink things.
Coffee on January 27 at 10:20 a.m.
What Albert wrote:)
bdr on January 27 at 12:35 p.m.
I love people with no concept..of perception.
Daisy Minken and lewis top it all……..
while OBAMA has to deal with crap, 7 presidents couldn’t do.
in health-care
deal with 2 wars
deal with economic crisis that exceeds the crash of the great depression.
(It probably took you 6 months to read the great depression book in 8th grade alone)
100% this left over from Bush days…….!
we aren’t dealing with anything new yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRESS are the idiots who are holding up your progress!
not Obama!
If you dont like OBAMAs policy’s your sure not going to like it…when China starts pulling the strings……to recoup all its 3 trillion the Republicans spent 2000-2008
leekinny on January 27 at 1:06 p.m.
The money that was given, without rules, to the banks was in September of ‘08, before we ever knew who the next president would be. Obama has been fighting to get it repaid. Much has been repaid.
The Obama administration would like to use those billions to help small business, homeowners and jobs. It’s being blocked in the Senate by the Republicans who won’t allow it to come up for a vote. The GOP in the Senate with independent Joementom are the reason legislation is Blocked.
Congress has a low approval rating because Conservatives will never approve of a Democratically controlled Senate but also because they aren’t getting their way on issues near and dear to them such as abortion, immigration and taxes. Progressive aren’t happy because we fully expected that the Democratic leadership would stop sacrificing our principals by continuously rolling over to Republican intimidation.
The blue dogs vote with the GOP on issues that fit the conservative nature of their constituents. But, the House isn’t that much of a problem. The people’s business does get accomplished despite endlessly tiresome maneuvers by the Republican leadership in order to only stretch out legislative goals from being carried out or to draw attention to themselves for the local news crowd at home.
The Senate Republicans are the fly in the ointment. They have blocked/filibustered every single thing that has come before the Senate that doesn’t survive their inquisition. The, up or down vote crowd, has used this method of killing Senatorial business more than it’s combined use through out it’s history.
This maneuver goes something like this.
Let’s say there is a bill that has swept through the House with broad bi-partisan approval such as, a needed improvement in prenatal and natal care through the WICK program.
Conservatives in the Senate, the Administration and those who influence them find objection to not only ‘robbing the tax payer to help irresponsible women’, but it became noticeable that the bill contained a provision for regulating the baby food industry in order to insure the high quality of their product, not only domestically but international sales as well.
Both sides jaw about the pros and cons of the bill when it finally comes time for someone to invoke cloture. Cloture means it’s time to stop talking about the bill, set time for final debate then vote. It takes sixty votes to stop debate (cloture). The Republicans have more than enough votes to block every vote in the Senate and they have used it without mercy or pity.
How much of the Obama administration agenda, for the nation, would be accomplished without the abuse of the filibuster/ blocking tactic? We would all be much farther ahead. It must be removed. Unless you believe the corporations should be writing all the rules in Congress.
horse_feathers on January 27 at 3:30 p.m.
Forrest Gump goes to Washington. There will always be some who think it’s a true story and that good things happen to hapless fools like our current president, Cases in point Leekinny and bdr.
maria on January 27 at 4:02 p.m.
Thank God it’s not McCain who’ll be up there tonight.
leekinny on January 27 at 4:25 p.m.
hapless fools…
like the birthers, deathers and tenthers…
The far right big conservative mucky mucks must not only be amazed, but overcome with giddiness that every lie and distortion they fling against the wall sticks. They must also have contempt for their malleable base and bad backs from bending over for corporations who have used favorable legislation greedily, rather than investing in the US.