"Obama Speech Defends Liberal Principles"

[Clio the Leo]

Obama Speech Defends Liberal Principles
April 14, 2011, 7:03 AM
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR

In the hours before President Obama’s 44-minute speech on the nation’s mounting debt, liberal groups were whipped into a frenzy, warning that Mr. Obama was poised to capitulate — once again, in their view — to Republican philosophy on taxes, the deficit and spending cuts.

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“Liberals have wanted a full-throated affirmation of why government is a good thing,” wrote Jonathan Bernstein, a political blogger. “Obama delivered, with perhaps his strongest case for a liberal vision of government that he’s given so far during his presidency.”

Steve Benen, a blogger for Washington Monthly, wrote that “what made his remarks this afternoon especially satisfying was his defense of the progressive vision. The president made a point of reminding his audience that government, the institutions of the modern welfare state, and the modern social compact are worthy of a spirited defense.”

At the same time, the speech embraced notions of deficit reduction through a mix of cuts to domestic and military spending, limits on the growth of entitlement programs and increased taxes on the wealthy — a package that moderate groups have been pushing the White House to adopt for months.

Jim Kessler, the vice president for policy at Third Way, a think tank with close ties to some senior Obama advisers, said the speech would appeal to independent voters who want deficit reduction while not turning off liberals who want the president to stand and fight for his principles, something they have repeatedly accused him of being unwilling to do.

“He was speaking to Americans, but progressives could hear the dog whistle,” Mr. Kessler said in an interview after the speech. “This was a pivotal moment for him personally and a pivotal moment for the deficit reduction issue.”

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/14/obama-speech-defends-liberal-principles/