We brought you the president’s speech live on the channel — and in case you missed it or were looking for a re-cap, here are some notable highlights from his remarks.
Did you watch? What grade would you give President Obama on his delivery?
On the Economy Growing Again:
“The economy is growing again. The financial markets have stabilized. The private sector has created jobs for the last eight months in a row. And there are roughly three million Americans who are working today because of the economic plan we put in place.”
On “Nothing New” from Boehner:
“There were no new policies from Mr. Boehner. There were no new ideas. There was just the same philosophy that we already tried for the decade when they were in power – the same philosophy that led to this mess in the first place: cut more taxes for millionaires and cut more rules for corporations.
On New Tax Incentives:
“Instead of tax loopholes that incentivize investment in overseas jobs, I’m proposing a more generous, permanent extension of the tax credit that goes to companies for all the research and innovation they do right here in Ohio, right here in the United States of America. And I’m proposing that all American businesses should be allowed to write off all the investment they do in 2011.”
On Boehner’s Fight for Loopholes:
“For years, Republicans have fought to keep these corporate loopholes open. In fact, when Mr. Boehner was here in Cleveland, he attacked us for closing a few of these loopholes – and using the money to help states like Ohio keep hundreds of thousands of teachers and cops and firefighters on the job.”
On Democratic Vision:
“I think if we’re going to give tax breaks to companies, they should go to companies that create jobs in America – not those that create jobs overseas. That’s one difference between the Republican vision and the Democratic vision. That’s what this election is all about.”
On Middle Class Tax Cut:
“Let me be clear to Mr. Boehner and everybody else: we should not hold middle class tax cuts hostage any longer. We are ready, this week, if they want, to give tax cuts to every American making $250,000 or less.”
On Blocking the Jobs Bill:
“If the Republican leadership in Congress really wants to help small businesses, they’ll stop using legislative maneuvers to block an up-or-down vote on a small business jobs bill that’s before the Senate right now, right now. This is a bill that would do two things: cut taxes for small businesses and make loans more available for small businesses.”
