In Case No One Is Noticing
There’s a one man Democratic Values Debate Machine out there and while technically he’s not my Senator, he’s My Senator. Barack Obama at the National Press Club:
Taking responsibility for oneself and showing individual initiative are American values we all share. Frankly, they’re values we could stand to see more of in a culture where the buck is too often passed to the next guy. They are values we could use more of here in Washington too.
But the irony of this all-out assault against every existing form of social insurance is that these safety nets are exactly what encourage each of us to be risk-takers and entrepreneurs who are free to pursue our individual ambitions. We get into a car knowing that if someone rear-ends us, they will have insurance to pay for the repairs. We buy a house knowing that our investment is protected by homeowners insurance. We take a chance on start-ups and small businesses because we know that if they fail, there are protections available to cushion our fall. Corporations across America have limited liability for this very reason. Families should too – and that’s why we need social insurance. This is how the market works.
This is how America works. And if we want it to keep working, we need to develop new ways for all of us to share the new risks of a 21st century economy, not destroy what we already have.
Austin Mayor linked to a story on it
Note to Biden, Richardson and others-how about not worrying about Howard and dealing with the issues? One guy is.
And Obama staffers–make sure these things get more attention.
June 9th, 2005 at
One of the things I admired most about Bill Clinton was his ability to take difficult policy debates and reduce them to pocket-book issues and examples to which a middle-income wage earner could relate.
Obama’s speeches — this one and the Knox College graduation speech — have a similar quality. However, instead of taking policy debates and relating them to pocketbook, kitchen table issues, Obama manages to relate them to our greater spiritual and moral aspirations. And he does it without sounding pompous or pious.
That’s a much harder trick than what Clinton was able to do. And it’s much more powerful.
I am consistently in awe of Obama’s ability to inspire.
June 13th, 2005 at
Note to ArchPundit, apparently Obama is worried about Howard and said as much in the press. Would be helpful if he could keep his discomfort private and get behind our Chairman.