Last evening, President Obama addressed a joint meeting of Congress (here) with a rousing stump speech that introduced the "American Jobs Act." Although greeted with the inevitable wave of skepticism and criticism from a goodly portion of the "chattering class" of political pundits, the speech represented the president at his rhetorical best. The goal of the speech was, apparently, to get the attention of both Congress and the public, and the president didn't give details of the legislation itself. A more detailed overview of the American Jobs Act can be found (here).Most of the pundits do seem to agree that it was a good speech, that the president drew on his more passionate side, and that he did try to reach across the aisle with a jobs plan that draws on recovery strategies from both parties. Only time will tell whether or not Congress can actually pass any meaningful legislation that tackles the ongoing recession and unemployment, but the ball is now squarely in its court. We'll see. In the meantime, well done, Mr. President.
