February 28, 2001

As if you didn't know,

As if you didn't know, President Bush addressed Congress last night. I worked late and so I didn't catch it live or hear any of the post-speech spin. So this little piece of analysis is purely derived from the inner workings of my brain.

Bush stuck to his campaign mantra of education, defense, tax cuts, and reforming medicare and social security. Instead of just mentioning his priorities if elected President, he put flesh on those policy bones. He proposed lots of money for a federal reading program; student testing to see if they're learning and to hold schools accountable; and parental options to save children from failing public schools. Bush wants a pay increase for soldiers and a complete review of our armed forces to see how they can best defend the U.S. in a post-Cold War world. Creation of savings accounts for younger workers (i.e. me) within social security was also mentioned.

As a political economist, I was most interested in Bush's tax cut plan. He stood firm in it's size ($1.6 trillion) and reiterated his point that "Everyone who pays income taxes will get relief." That's his method of attack against the class warfare, soak-the-rich pablum thrown out by the Democrats. Bush even raised up the ghost of a tax-cutting Democratic President, John F. Kennedy and tossed him into the same sentence with a tax-cutting Republican President, Ronald Reagan.

Then there were points I had to politely disagree. Giving oodles of cash to the Department of Education may be politically popular, but it isn't constitutional. I'm also worried that Bush's insistence on testing students will open up local schools to heavier regulation from Washington. This may not happen during Bush's term in office, but future Presidents could claim this power.

Let me conclude by saying that Bush didn't offer any surprises. He's been consistently on message since last year's campaign. He's a disciplined politician who is getting comfortable with the grandure of the Presidency. Assuming he can get much of his proposals through Congress he could have one hell of a first term.

Address of the President to the Joint Session of Congress