Några konservativa om Obamas State of the Union

David Frum har här några kommentarer kring president Obamas State of the Union-tal. Frum skriver bl a efter att ha citerat ett stycke från Obamas tal:

CITAT OBAMA: "To recover the rest [of the TARP money], I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks. I know Wall Street isn’t keen on this idea, but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need." SLUTCITAT.

Only it’s not a fee – it’s a tax, assessed on the basis of the banks’ loan portfolios. The more the banks lend, the higher the tax, exactly the opposite of rational policy. And of course the new tax will fall on institutions that never received a dime of TARP money, while sparing institutions (like the auto companies) who still owe the most.

Vidare skriver han om de "eftergifter" Obama lägger fram i sitt tal:

CITAT OBAMA: "Look, I am not interested in punishing banks, I’m interested in protecting our economy. A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes." SLUTCITAT.

Attention Republicans! President Obama appreciates markets – and understands that it’s private sector investment, not big government, that drives growth. Honestly. Truly.

Och följande:

CITAT OBAMA: "From some on the right, I expect we’ll hear a different argument – that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts for wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, and maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is, that’s what we did for eight years. That’s what helped lead us into this crisis. It’s what helped lead to these deficits. And we cannot do it again." SLUTCITAT.

Later, the president will deplore pundits who turn reasoned political positions into grotesque and distorted cartoons.

Den konservative Fred Barnes skriver för Weekly Standard om talet:

"...Obama delivered the least fresh State of the Union address I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard more than 30 of them. It was filled with old ideas, campaign cliches, and frequent use of personal pronoun, “I.” That’s the Obama pattern."

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