Obama calls for end of ‘political circus’ on economy

President Obama waves after speaking to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2011. Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner applaud. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

By Dave Boyer and Kara Rowland

Mr. Obama reiterated his theme of “shared sacrifice” that dominated debt-reduction talks with the GOP this summer.

“Should we keep tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires?” Mr. Obama asked rhetorically. “While most people in this country struggle to make ends meet, a few of the most affluent citizens and corporations enjoy tax breaks and loopholes that nobody else gets. This isn’t political grandstanding. This isn’t class warfare. This is simple math. These are real choices that we have to make. And I’m pretty sure I know what most Americans would choose. It’s not even close.”

The two parties abandoned the bipartisan seating arrangements they had for Mr. Obama’s State of the Union address, with only a few Democratic stragglers, such as Sens. Mark Udall of Utah and Tom Carper of Delaware, embedded in the sea of GOP lawmakers. The president’s protestation that he wasn’t engaging in class warfare drew laughter from the GOP side. And Rep. Jeff Landry, Louisiana Republican, held a sign that said, “Drilling for Jobs.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, called it “a reelection plan” rather than a jobs plan.

Among Mr. Obama’s first public actions after the speech will be trips to jam his proposal in the faces of the House GOP leadership. On Friday the president will travel to Richmond, home district of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, to promote his agenda. On Tuesday, he will lobby for the plan in Columbus, Ohio, about an hour’s drive from the district of House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican.

Mr. Obama said he thinks Republicans are sincere in their desire to improve the economy by cutting spending and regulations. But in the next breath, the president implicitly accused the GOP of using the economic crisis as a subterfuge to eliminate social safety nets.

“What we can’t do — what I won’t do — is let this economic crisis be used as an excuse to wipe out the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades,” Mr. Obama said. “I reject the idea that we need to ask people to choose between their jobs and their safety. I reject the argument that says for the economy to grow, we have to roll back protections that ban hidden fees by credit card companies, or rules that keep our kids from being exposed to mercury, or laws that prevent the health insurance industry from shortchanging patients. “

“I reject the idea that we have to strip away collective bargaining rights to compete in a global economy. We shouldn’t be in a race to the bottom, where we try to offer the cheapest labor and the worst pollution standards. America should be in a race to the top. And I believe that’s a race we can win,” he said.

For the most part, Republicans are choosing not to engage with the president on rhetoric this time. After returning to Washington from a month of town-hall meetings with constituents, they are pledging — outwardly at least — to find common ground with Mr. Obama where possible. They are also mindful that Congress‘ job approval ratings are even lower than that of the president.

Mr. Obama again called for “modest adjustments” to Medicare, saying, “If we don’t gradually reform the system while protecting current beneficiaries, it won’t be there when future retirees need it.”

Many Republican lawmakers said Mr. Obama is offering more of the same policies that have failed to produce jobs. A handful of GOP lawmakers even skipped the speech.

“His hopeless economic policies are costing too much,” said Sen. John Thune, South Dakota Republican.

Mr. Cantor told reporters before the speech that the president’s proposal to extend payroll-tax cuts, worth $1,000 per household, is “certainly part of the mix as we talk about how to go forward.”

The president said his plan would repair at least 35,000 schools. “This is America,” he said. “Every child deserves a great school.”

And he said thousands of teachers would be hired with the money.

“While they’re adding teachers in places like South Korea, we’re laying them off in droves,” the president said. “It’s unfair to our kids. It undermines their future and ours. And it has to stop. Pass this jobs bill, and put our teachers back in the classroom where they belong.”