Republicans are sweating bullets today. A CBS poll indicated that 91% of the viewers who watched the State of the Union speech approved of Obama's policy proposals.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-2...So what are these policies?
1. Restore Manufacturing: Obama's policies brought GM back to the #1 spot in the world. Take away incentives for outsourcing, encourage insourcing. Take away Oil subsidies and give that money to manufacturers who add jobs and expand their factories. A tax cut for manufacturers who help communities. Temporary $20 billion tax credit for clean energy manufacturing. $50 billion in tax relief for plant expansions.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-offi...2. Open new international markets for American products.
3. The Trade Enforcement Unit will investigate unfair trading practices in China.
4. Educate and train more American citizens in a trade.
5. Reward the nation's best teachers and extend the tuition tax credit for college students.
6. Tackle illegal immigration.
7. Extend tax breaks to help small businesses grow.
8. Continue providing grants to medicinal and technological research projects.
9. Spur energy innovation and natural gas with incentives like clean energy standards and elimination of energy waste.
10. Pump money into local infrastructure.
11. Revitalize Housing by letting Americans refinance at historically low rates with savings of up to $3,000 a year.
12. Start a Financial Crimes Unit to investigate the crimes that caused the economic meltdown and crack down on large-scale fraud and protect investments so 2008 will never happen again.
13. Everyone must pay their fair share, specifically millionaires who should be willing to abide by the Buffett Rule. He proposed a 30% minimum tax on millionaires and said if you make under $250,000 (98% of the country) your taxes won't go up.
14. Crack down on insider trading in Congress.
15. Consolidate the bureaucracy so the government is leaner, quicker and more efficient in making changes.
16. Prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. (27 nations ban Iranian oil)
17. Create jobs for veterans.
18. Extend Payroll tax deduction.
There was of course many additional points. Obama would like to restore the American Dream by restoring fairness, and despite the obstructionism, would like to work in a bipartisan manner.
None of of The President's plans are at all radical or controversial. Many of these policies are centrist and many were even first proposed by Republicans. So why are they so dead set against these proposals?
Simply because Pres. Obama is the one proposing them.
The Republicans don't care if the President's policies are good for the country. They don't care if their proposals are bad for the country. Their only goal is to beat Obama.
Here is a neat summary of the speech:
http://thestir.cafemom.com/in_the_news/1...So what are the Republican plans to revive the economy? They all break down to, more tax cuts to the rich, and less regulation, so corporations can pollute more. Mitt Romney (Mister 1%) is only paying 14% on $20 million per year, and he is hiding at least $32 million in Swiss accounts and in the Cayman Islands. Gingrich would be even worse. He would eliminate Capital Gains so Romney would pay no taxes at all.
Is there any wonder why 91% of Americans agree with Obama? Is there any doubt why the Republicans are starting to panic?