From what we know so far, President Obama’s State of the Union address tonight will contain a laundry list of progressive causes which will likely not get any traction in congress. There is certainly a 2016 angle involved here since the candidates, on both sides of the aisle, will be reacting to the President’s remarks.
Report from CNN:
Barack Obama is done campaigning for president himself — but he’s still working to make Republicans play defense on issues where they’ve yet to prove themselves.
His upcoming State of the Union speech on Tuesday night will lay out a litany of Democratic pipe dreams that have little chance of becoming law. But his proposals are popular with voters and, if he’s able to draw enough attention and his party picks up on them, could offer an early preview of 2016 election themes.
Top among those plans is one that would raise $320 billion over the next 10 years through a capital gains tax hike and new bank fees — and use that money to cover his $60 billion pitch for free two-year community college tuition and $175 billion in new tax benefits for the middle class.
It’s Obama’s opening offer in what he hopes will be a negotiation with Republican congressional leaders over a major tax overhaul — which Democrats also hope will free up money to fund some of their top priorities.
But conservatives are so likely to reject nearly all of Obama’s pitch that top adviser Dan Pfeiffer, who appeared on two morning news shows on Sunday, got questions about whether the White House is even serious.
First, CBS “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer: “I mean, is this for real? Do you really think there’s a chance that something like this could pass?”
And then NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd: “If feels like a campaign because some of the things he’s proposing — nobody in Washington believes it can get through a Republican Congress.”
Sound off below before, during, and after the speech tonight.
