Okay! Mr. President went right after the Ryan budget plan today in his speech. Check out the Washington Monthly review. Now, let's see how the rest of the press covers the speech.
UPDATE: Paul Krugman liked the speech, too. This might be the most positive he's been about Obama since the election.
7 comments:
he brung it like Derrick Rose in a tie game at the end of regulation. damn.
Or, as Jon Chait wrote in TNR:
"In his budget speech today, Obama ...beat Ryan and the Republicans to a bloody pulp.
..He expressed moral outrage in a way I've never heard him do before, and in a way I didn't think he was capable of. After his spokesmen have feebly pawed at Ryan's plan for lacking "balance," it was jolting to hear Obama lambaste Ryan"
Missed the speech for a conference call (yawn), but the liberal blogosphere is all kinds of excited about it.
Having just read some of the transcript, to me, this is classic Obama. Get to a point where even your most die-hard supporters are starting to question you and then whip out a remarkable speech that articulates a clear path for where we should be headed AND spotlights how remarkably cruel and wrongheaded the Repugs are.
here are some headlines, always interesting to see what the key message is:
sun times:
Obama’s budget plan calls for wealthy to ‘give a bit more back’
President Obama, offering his debt and deficit reduction plan Wednesday as Republicans pressure Congress and the White House for deep cuts, called for “shared sacrifice” for everyone--including the nation’s wealthy.
TIME:
Budget Speech: Why Obama's Inviting a Fight on Medicare
Pittsburgh Post Gazette:
Obama pivots, eyes Medicare changes, tax increases
FOX NEWS:
Campaign On? Obama Targets Rich in Plan to Cut Deficit
In what might be the first shot fired in the 2012 campaign, president outlines a $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan that ends lower tax rates for the wealthy, while attacking GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's proposal as 'deeply pessimistic.'
And Drudge:
BIDEN FALLS ASLEEP DURING OBAMA DEBT SPEECH?
Oh Joey.
Isn't Matt Drudge done yet?
Honestly, the Fox headline/subheadline is relatively fair and balanced. Eeeek.
And because I apparently cannot post here without re-posting something from Chait (love his term "Big Poor"):
"If you generally liked Paul Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" but feared it knuckled under too much to Big Poor, fear not. Apparently due to amateurish work, Ryan overestimated the savings he'd get, which would require even deeper cuts to Medicaid to reach his target figure"
It's probably unrealistic but I was hoping to see some hint in the MSM coverage that Obama was calling the GOP out. As John points out, only Fox gets at that.
CNN went with the milquetoast: "Obama calls for $4 trillion in deficit reduction" (while leaving an article about a woman who died in a sweat lodge, pictured in a bikini, front and center).
MSNBC went with: "OBAMA EYES TAX HIKES, MEDICARE CHANGES IN BUDGET PLAN" in glaring all-caps.
While USA Today goes with: "Obama: Hard choices to make on U.S. debt" with a story about Biden's nap coming second.
Not quite what I was hoping for.
i noticed, too, that many of the MSM outlets are leading with some version of CNN's headline. i actually found that to be fairly optimistic--there's no spin or drama. we'll see how that evolves as the day goes on.
and can i say one more time how happy i am that sassy is back!
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