Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama
The debate that will define this year and is likely to set the terms for the 2012 elections began in earnest over the weekend, with President Obama and Republican leaders presenting competing visions for reducing the deficit and expanding the economy.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that Republicans will do everything in their power to stop the new spending increases that Obama says are necessary in a video preview of his State of the Union address sent to supporters late Saturday.
In the video, Obama says he will seek to lower deficits in a "responsible way" and make government "leaner and smarter," but without undermining the vital role Democrats believe the government must play in the economic recovery. Obama wants to spend more on education, research and development, and the nation's infrastructure -- areas that many Republicans view as ripe for deep cuts.
"My number one focus is going to be making sure that we are competitive, that we are growing, and we are creating jobs not just now but well into the future," Obama said in his message to members of Organizing for America, his grassroots organization.
McConnell said on "Fox News Sunday" that new spending defies the message sent by voters in November, when Republicans took control of the House and gained six seats in the Senate.
"We'll take a look at his recommendations," McConnell said. "But this is not a time to be looking at pumping up government spending in very many areas."
The effort in the House will begin Monday, when Republicans will consider a resolution that would enact immediate and drastic spending cuts to domestic programs of nearly every variety.
Many Democrats and Republicans say they are open to major changes to Social Security and Medicare, possibly including raising the retirement age and limiting Medicare benefits to those who need them most. Cantor's willingness to consider cuts to military spending puts him in line with many Democratic leaders, as well as Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
White House officials said Obama will pursue corporate tax reform that significantly lowers the 35 percent rate companies pay but eliminates loopholes that many exploit. "We've made progress, but as all of you know, from talking to friends and neighbors, seeing what's happening in your communities, we've still got a lot more work to do," the president said in his address Saturday.
Source: Washington Post
Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.