President Obama's response to the Republican budget--and all it's draconian implications--was for me just right. Yes, it was as much a policy speech and campaign speech as a budget speech. It had to be as he effectively articulated the differences in his approach from that of the Republican's plan--a plan that had more an ideological agenda than a budget agenda. He made it clear he is ready to fight for the healthier socio-economic balance our country expects and needs, and our people deserve.
While we must move quickly and effectively toward a balanced budget, we must also protect and invest in America's people and future. Social programs--including social security, Medicaid and Medicare--will have to be reformed to make them both effective and cost-efficient. Health care policy will have to be more realistic, and provided more cost-efficiently. Defense spending will have to be rethought, reined in, and right-sized. And tax code reform will also be necessary, including restoring higher effective tax levels, especially on higher-income Americans. Obama will not be a party to placing a heavier, unworkable retirement and healthcare cost burden on our next generation of seniors.
This excerpt from NBC's First Read on-line sums up well the audiences the President was addressing and the messages he delivered:
While we must move quickly and effectively toward a balanced budget, we must also protect and invest in America's people and future. Social programs--including social security, Medicaid and Medicare--will have to be reformed to make them both effective and cost-efficient. Health care policy will have to be more realistic, and provided more cost-efficiently. Defense spending will have to be rethought, reined in, and right-sized. And tax code reform will also be necessary, including restoring higher effective tax levels, especially on higher-income Americans. Obama will not be a party to placing a heavier, unworkable retirement and healthcare cost burden on our next generation of seniors.
This excerpt from NBC's First Read on-line sums up well the audiences the President was addressing and the messages he delivered:
*** Obama's three audiences: President Obama's deficit/debt/entitlement speech yesterday appeared to have three audiences. Those elusive independent voters were his first audience, and he told them he would cut the budget but with balance and sacrifice for all.
Democratic liberals upset by Friday's spending-cut deal and December's tax-cut deal made up a second audience. To them, Obama gave a full-throated defense of the safety-net programs and vowed he would sunset the tax cuts for the wealthy.
Republicans were his final audience. To them, he skewered their proposal to phase out Medicare and to keep those tax cuts for the wealthy. And Obama delivered another message to the GOP: It was under their party's previous president and GOP-controlled Congress that began racking up the deficits. In short, the speech was as much about defining the GOP budget plan -- coming before the House votes on the Ryan proposal on Friday -- as it was checking the box on addressing the deficit and debt.
---"First Thoughts: Off and running," First Read from NBC News (msnbc.com), NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg (4.14.11)
Going into the speech, I thought that the President had to give us more detail on the budget, but I was wrong. I underestimated the need and his ability to deliver a strong, effective speech that builds his policy statement as he touches all the important bases, a speech that gives enough detail to make his points, but does not lose sight of policy essentials and the big picture. A strong and important speech, a good beginning. Now let the budget debate and the presidential campaign begin in earnest.
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