The Washington Monthly has a good summary of President Obama's American Jobs Act, which he outlined to a joint session of Congress last night. Whether it will be enough to spur a recovery remains to be seen, but he did score points by pushing back against various Rethug myths (the rich -- "job creators" in Rethug theology -- can and should sacrifice as the middle class has, and wiping out safety and environmental regulations is a "race to the bottom" economically).
The most striking visual image was the Rethug half of the room sitting quietly while Obama proposed measures that they've called for in the past, including tax cuts on small business. Regarding the teabagger Rethugs, it should be clear that this has never been about what's best for the economy, but what's best for their political chances in 2012. They've made the calculation that any economic win for the country is a loss for them politically. Obama's promised to take the fight for the jobs bill to "every corner of the country," and we hope that the message he delivers paints a stark contrast with the reactionary Rethuglican position.
