Is President Obama taking on too much to the detriment of the economy? Is he trying to accomplish too many things? How can he focus on multiple things when he has the economy to repair? Will he end up like Jimmy Carter?(!)
These are the latest Republican talking points.
Let's be clear: people who are trying to apply the brakes to Obama's agenda are not only trying to stop initiatives like universal healthcare, but are also attempting to shorten Obama's list of accomplishments. They want to make sure Obama fails to meet his campaign promises, now that they know he intends to carry on with his goals.
Because Republicans realize that people actually want reforms, and common arguments like universal healthcare=socialism are not working, they want people to think Obama's goals are harmful to the economy-- the single most important issue on the minds of American people.
Overhauling healthcare would obviously better the financial position of millions of Americans. Many are on the brink of bankruptcy due to their medical bills, as are many businesses that areavoiding bankruptcy by denying healthcare coverage.
But of course, you won't find the chattering classes making the obvious link between healthcare reform and the economy. In fact, Rasmussen released a poll showing that 49% of Americans want to delay healthcare reform until the economy is better-- as if the two were completely separate.
Obama has also dedicated himself to energy and environmental issues. On its own merits, protecting the environment is a moral issue of giving our children a healthy world in which to live in, but it also makes sense from a security standpoint. While there is not a consensus among political scientists, studies do indicate that climate change makes armed conflicts more likely, since groups will be competing for resources that are becoming increasingly scarce due to global climate change. Moreover, retired US military officers called climate change "a threat multiplier for instability."
But what the pundits aren't telling you is that schemes like cap-and-trade, which is designed to help curb global warming, is also good for creating economic growth and saving consumers money:
To protect consumers from rising prices, Obama's plan refunds the revenue from the auctions directly to the American people through a tax credit.
As an added bonus, since lower-income Americans tend to spend new disposable income quickly—and they benefit the most under a tax-and-refund plan—we can actually expect a jump in consumer spending.
Stephen Chu, our Secretary of Energy also emphasized that cap-and-trade would change our economy to a less carbon-intensive and less dependent on foreign oil, thus establishing the link between energy and the economy.
And of course, Obama made a firm committment to the American people about reforming education in our country. This promise particularly means a lot to me as a student and a product of public education. You see, I live in California, where our leaders strip education funding, to the tune of billions of dollars during deficit years. This illustrates a penny wise, pound foolish strategy.
How can we remain competitive in the global economy if our children are not receiving the education they deserve? President Obama made the important link between education and the economy:
"Our curriculum for eighth-graders is two full years behind top-performing countries," he said. "That is a prescription for economic decline, and I refuse to accept that America's children cannot rise to this challenge. They can, and they must, and they will meet higher standards in our time."
When we are in a global recession, it makes absolute sense to invest in our own population. Only people who are interested in thwarting the president's goals are telling us that Obama is doing too much, too quickly. Our nation voted for change, and President Obama is living up to his promises. Republicans, on the other hand, hope that he focuses on one problem at a time, and implements policies incrementally so that his political capital runs out.