Pirate's Cove

More and more this year, the liberal leaning MSM are willing to give Obama a gentle smack on the behind, like a 4 year who snakes a cookie without mommies permission. And Dan Baltz at the Washington Post is today’s token liberal who chides Obama: Analysis: Obama speech frames a 2012 choice for the country

Under pressure from Republicans, President Obama offered a broad vision for solving the nation’s long-term fiscal problems Wednesday. This was not a speech about dollars and cents as much as it was an appeal for Americans to think about what kind of country they want and how they define shared sacrifice.

So…..a campaign speech. Nothing more.

Obama’s address left many questions unanswered, but there was no doubt that the president and his White House advisers regarded it as one of the most important political speeches he will make in his second two years in office. It was an effort to regain the offensive in a debate that will dominate budget negotiations for the rest of this year and will probably shape the choices voters will face in the 2012 presidential election.

However, this speech was part of Obama’s honeydoo list, buttressed between “walk dog” and “DNC fundraising party”, something he can say “see? I spoke about it. Now, let’s talk about something else that really matters, like high speed rail.”

Obama appeared to have two goals in mind. First, he sought to demonstrate that he is serious about solving the debt and deficit problems that threaten the country’s fiscal future. Second, he needed to prove to Democrats that he is prepared to take on the Republicans and fight for policies that his party has long stood for.

Unfortunately, the original goal, to offer an actual plan to solve the debt and deficit problems, never appeared. Obama had some vague notions, the same ones he has been offering, like tax increase by doing away with the Bush Obama tax cuts on the rich. Hey, they were passed again on Obama’s watch. He owns them now. He wrote them down on a cocktail napkin from his last fundraiser with Al Sharpton, speechified about them, and now expects Someone Else to follow through on crafting the legislation….good luck with that, Champ, since Democrats no longer control the House.

Obviously, Paul Krugman had an orgasm over the style of Obama’s speech, because he attacked Republicans. Slight lefty Clive Crook said the speech was a waste of breath. Joe Biden fell asleep. It’s hard being the Sheriff of Romper Room. And, apparently there are some “Patriotic Millionaires” who are asking to be taxed more….they do realize they can send more to the IRS, right? Like all the Liberals who complain about the Bush tax cuts, though, they never actually send more. Like all liberals, they can’t do anything unless they are specifically told to do it by Someone Else. Hey, let’s add some language to tax forms allowing people to choose to pay a higher rate, such as in Massachussetts, where something like .03% actually pay the higher rate.

And, no, Liberals, there is not actual plan, just some talking points that look suspiciously like they belong on the Obama 2012 website. Good news, though: tax increases should no longer be called “spending reductions.”

After today, I do not say anyone discussing this speech, other than perhaps a few columnists who do not publish on Thursdays. It was an unserious speech with unserious proposals, and simply an early election 2012 speech.

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.