What would you have liked to hear in Obama's speech?

[drokhole]

Putting criticisms of the past on hold, and assuming everything Obama proposed were to pass - was there anything he left out of his speech that you wish he would have touched on? For me (to name a few):

1. I know he spoke of "reviewing the overall take code" and eliminating/limiting itemized deductions, but I wish he would have called out capital gains tax and the estate tax specifically, and laid clear what they mean, who they actually effect, and how much the rich game the system with such low rates.

2. Put more emphasis on military waste, and how much we could be saving today if we weren't engaged in three wars.

3. Articulate how much the War on Drugs is costing this country (in dollars and lives), and call for its flat-out end (while at the same time proposing a proper, legitimate "drug" education policy - none of this DARE "abstinence-only" bs)

[leftstreet]

1. Was there any talk of jobs?

[JoePhilly]

5. yes

as they related to investments in green energy, infrastructure, education.

Also mentioned job training.

[leftstreet]

6. Excellent! Those were great ideas during Campaign 2008, too. n/t

[JoePhilly]

13. yup, which is why we've been gaining jobs month after month, and unemployment is down

from 10.2% to 8.8%

[leftstreet]

14. Then why do we need to tighten our belts and share sacrifices?

Sounds like things are looking up!

[JoePhilly]

18. cause we have a huge debt?

[MacNfries]

8. No talk on jobs, other than job training, but he could have done it in ONE sentence by saying ...

"I intend to inforce a plan where hiring undocumented workers will be illegal, and companies that hire undocumented workers will be severely penalized."

If they would do that ... corporations & companies would be forced to hire citizens of the USA, and many of the undocumented workers would go home. It would be good for jobs, our national budget, and for medicaid. Will they do it ... heck no ... they know the big buck corporations wouldn't stand for it. And I hope noone here is going to say "but they do jobs that Americans don't want to do" ... everytime I heard that come out of Bush's and Republican's mouths I wanted to give 'em a knuckle sandwich ... because they'd never finish the sentence ... "at Mexican wages".

[Hoyt]

17. It's not just big corporations. Some of us ain't for using people up and then deporting them.

While I agree jobs should be the most important issue right now, this speech was a different fight. That's why jobs were not a big part of it.

[jaxx]

10. Yes, all of these things create jobs......

<snip> we will make the tough cuts necessary to achieve these savings , including in programs that i care deeply about, but i will not sacrifice the core investment to grow and create jobs. we will invest in medical research . we will invest in clean energy technology. we will invest in new roads and airports and broadband access . we will invest in education. we will invest in job training. we will do what we need to do to compete and we will win the future.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42566545/ns/politics-white_house/

[Taverner]

2. Nothing. I want to see action.

And positive action.

I'd like to see Obama pull a Bush and Executive Order a bunch of changes we need right now

[BeFree]

4. That would be great

Except there would be riots in TeaBakistan if he did.

But ending the wars shouldn't cause too much of a problem. We'd have war troops back home to handle their riots.

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. A resignation....

...it would have brought a few days of peace and quiet to DU.

And after all, power corrupts, with great power corrupting greatly.
Resignation is the only way to show that you're unwilling to be complicit in the corruption.
Think of the powerful message that would send to the powers that be - that you refuse to play along.

A real progressive president would have resigned as soon as he was inaugurated -- that way his complicity is still strictly limited.
Make the point that America is moving forward, by electing a person of color, then resign, and go into the opposition.

But not in Congress -- in the streets.

Let Biden or Boehner do the job -- they have no souls, they're politicians.

[Ian David]

7. I wanted him to promise me a unicorn that farts glitter! n/t

[drokhole]

11. I smell an October surprise...

...and it smells like glittery unicorn farts.

[Wait Wut]

16. I woulda been happy with free cookies.

People keep promising me free pie, cake and cookies. I never get any.

What a cruel, dishonest world.

[Marrah_G]

9. I wish it had not been during the workday

[originalpckelly]

12. "I oppose tax cuts for the rich, that's why Democrats in Congress...

will be introducing a bill today to eliminate those tax cuts for tax year 2012."

:P

Yeah, like that would happen.

[OHdem10]

15. Did he indicate that we need to have Business esp. Big Business

share in our Country's Sacrifice.