Barack Obama struck a tone of optimism Tuesday night. At the same time, Obama called for greater responsibility and patience. Nothing much here was new, but there was much in what he said that put his policy in a new light.
President Obama insisted that it is not fair that the wealthiest one percent get more tax breaks than blue collar workers, that it will not hurt their wealth to raise their taxes back to pre Bush levels, and that it can only help the economy to raise their taxes and end their extra tax breaks. It needed to be said and I'm glad he said it.
More importantly, Obama emphasized that our health care system is crippling our economy. Our health care system is the most expensive in the world, and it leaves millions upon millions uncovered or under covered. The heart of real economic and political reform turns on health care reform. This had not yet been said as forcefully as it needed to be, now it has.
Unfortunately the President did not address the problematic nature of his bank plan, which many economists - notably Paul Krugman - have fiercely objected to. Nor did he tell us what precisely he is going to do to get his budget passed. Will he rely on parliamentary procedure to push it through with 51 votes? The President did not say.
Most importantly, Mr. Obama evaded a direct question about the anti-Arab sentiments of Israel's new foreign minister, and the strong opposition to a Palestinian state of its new leadership.
When all is said and done, it was a news conference that offered promise of good things to come on Health Care, and perhaps education jobs, but the banks and foreign policy remain less than promising.
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