The White House quietly stored up a package of populist political proposals for Tuesday’s State of the Union speech, including several proposals that would reverse policies held by President Barack Obama since 2009.
For example, Obama announced that his agencies will open up of federal lands and offshore areas to energy discovery, even though his agencies has curbed energy discovery since 2009.
He’s also proposed a national mortgage refinancing plan, following three years of several failed efforts to reduce the huge mortgage-debt created during the property bubble spurred by federal mortgage regulations established in the mid-1980s.
Obama also announced that he will soon sign a regulation “clearing away the red tape” in construction-related regulations. That change will come more than two years after the impact of Obama’s $787 billion stimulus program was curbed by extensive federal rules that slowed so-called “shovel ready” construction projects.
He also called for a 30 percent tax rate on million-dollar earners, after spending more than a year declining to suggest a tax rate.
The popular proposals give Obama a suitcase of campaign trail talking points, and more than a few ways to criticize GOP candidates — such as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — as the elitist, out-of-touch protectors of banks and Wall Street.
For example, many of these proposals will be pushed during the next three days on Obama’s five-state tour of Michigan, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona. The Michigan stop, according to a White House statement, will be devoted to a speech about education policy.
Obama’s tone was passionate, especially when he defended his existing policies. (RELATED: Full State of the Union coverage)
However, he downplayed his support for the 2010 health care reform law and touted smaller government.
Yet even those rhetorical concessions to the public’s announced preference for a smaller government were surrounded by his repeated calls for increased spending, higher taxes and a large and growing government role in several economic sectors.
Moreover, none of the political proposals create any significant political risk for Obama.
His TV-ready announcement of new regulatory policies were too vague on details or timing to reveal if they will spur opposition from Obama’s political allies, including unions or environmentalists.
For example, his promise to open up new lands and oceanic zones for energy supplies did not include any details that might deter oil-drillers or natural gas companies. Instead, the areas might be reserved for solar-tech companies or wind-energy companies.
Many of the other proposals — such as tax increases — require action by Congress, allowing Obama to avoid the resulting political fights and to blame Congress for changes that hurt his political allies.
The speech also allowed him to rally his own base, including environmentalists, lawyers, community organizers, Hispanic ethnic lobbies and government employees, such as teachers.
For example, he called for an end to unspecified tax breaks for the oil companies, and for tighter regulation of companies that drill for natural gas, even as he also promised to open up more land and coastal areas to energy companies.
Even as he called for easy refinance rules for millions of homeowners, he also called for increased regulations and legal investigations of banks. That measure may please swing-voters, but it will also please trial lawyers and a plethora of community organizers that will provide much street-level support for Obama’s re-election campaign.