But having spent far too long haggling over the margins of the Republican agenda to reduce the deficit with only spending cuts, the president needs to move to a very different set of priorities. He should start making the case that it is foolish to focus the nation’s attention solely on debt, where the Republicans want it, and instead shift every available resource toward jobs.
If he becomes passionate about the government’s ability to think creatively about a turnaround, he might just inspire a few Americans — some of them lawmakers — to join with him. If he stays locked into the arid agenda of the Republicans, the economy will remain as dormant as his speech on Monday, which is just where his rivals hope it will be in November 2012.
1) Pretend to cut future deficits
2) ??
3) Jobs!!