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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: American Spirit who wrote (79002)	2/27/2009 11:04:35 PM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 89467

Obama's stirring call to think big thestar.com Editorial The Toronto Star February 26, 2009 Americans are haunted by fear. Millions have already lost jobs, wealth, homes and health plans, as Wall Street stocks shed value, lending dries up and huge corporations falter. Knowing that worse lies ahead, many are hunkering down and hoping to ride out the storm. But President Barack Obama is challenging them to see the crisis as an opportunity, not just a disaster. After earmarking $2.5 trillion to recapitalize the banks and $787 billion for stimulus, he told Congress this week that he aims to create "something worthy" from the wreckage – by reforming health care, upgrading education and greening the environment. Congress will get a clearer sense of what Obama means today, when he rolls out a budget. But his youthful energy and activist agenda is inspiring. Obama's most ambitious proposal, to provide "quality, affordable health care for every American," is well-timed. Employers are struggling to pay for workers' health coverage. Some 48 million Americans have none at all. And those who lose jobs face catastrophe. Balky as the Republicans may be, Obama is right that "health care reform cannot wait." And he has political capital to spend fixing it. Also forward-looking is his plan to invest in schools, higher education and retraining. Speaking to Congress, he flatly equated patriotism with hard study. Dropping out is "not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country," he said. That evoked John Kennedy's exhortation to Americans to ask what they can do for their country. And Obama challenged U.S. legislators to pass a landmark bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions and to invest heavily in renewable energy. Hanging over these big schemes, of course, are America's recession and $1 trillion deficit. Obama rightly plans to scrap George Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthiest, to cut the Iraq war costs and to pare military and other waste. But those moves alone likely won't cut the deficit in half in his first term, as he promises. At some point, his "bold action and big ideas" will have to be bankrolled through tax increases. That was the one big challenge he wasn't prepared to tackle in his speech. Even so, the chief Republican objection to Obama's plans – that he is using the economic crisis to foist "big government" on an unwilling nation – sounds sadly out of touch. Americans crave reassurance that Washington "gets it" and is on their side. Obama's plans to save jobs, boost health care and schooling, shore up jobless benefits and clean the environment don't come across as intrusive government so much as government that cares.