SOTU

Tonight is President Obama's first State of the Union address to Congress.  I have high hopes for what he will say and what he can accomplish afterwards.  I hope he outlines a strong, specific plan for how he wants Congress to proceed with the healthcare reform bill.  I hope that plan includes passing the Senate bill along with a reconciliation bill that fixes some of the Senate bill's problems (omit Medicaid funding for Nebraska, create a national exchange, a weaker excise tax on "cadillac plans").  This will make Republicans howl, but they will howl regardless, and they have not been willing to compromise so it makes no sense to keep trying. 
The Republican plan was to obstruct and slow down the process as much as possible with the hope that the Democrats would simply implode due to their own internal haggling, or something unforeseen would eventually happen that would derail the whole thing.  The strategy worked, and they got their unforeseen event in Scott Brown's election in Massachusettes.  At this point there is no starting over.  There is only quiting, or pushing ahead by whatever means is still available.

I hope the President makes a push to enact legislation addressing global warming. The cap and trade bill has already been passed by the House, and would go a long way towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the revenue raised by cap and trade would go towards enhancing development of industries that reduce greenhouse gases, but some of the money would help reduce the budget deficit. Addressing global warming is a moral imperative, just like universal access to healthcare.


Finally, I also hope the President tackles the budget deficit.  Passing healthcare reform and cap and trade will go a little way towards reducing the budget deficit, and so will the spending freeze that has been reported.  I hope he will make a serious effort at further reducing spending by cutting terrible programs that have powerful special interest backing, like farm subsidies, as well as cutting defense spending.  I believe we can and should reduce our military spending as we wind down the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

To my mind these three issues are the most important to ensuring long term prosperity.  The recession has ended and jobs will eventually come back, but the public needs reassurance that we have a long term plan and that the government is capable of governing.  Success breeds confidence and confidence breeds success.  President Obama needs a win right now, and tonight is his chance push Congress to give him one.