Americans can expect a classic bait-and-switch State of the Union address tonight during which President Obama will focus on income inequality while avoiding any mention of his failed promises and initiatives to create jobs, says Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.
In an
editorial for CNN, for whom Norquist will be providing commentary during tonight's State of the Union speech, he writes that Obama duped the American people by assuring them in 2009 that an additional $800 billion in debt would "create or save" 3.5 million jobs over two years and cap unemployment at 8 percent.
It was 7.3 percent at that time and skyrocketed to 10 percent afterward, he said.
Obama will talk about income inequality because it's a "much less unpleasant topic than 'why government spending didn't create jobs' or 'why massive welfare spending didn't fix poverty,'" Norquist opines.
The United States has seen the weakest recovery since World War II, he notes, and the percentage of working-age Americans who actually have jobs has fallen from 66 percent when the recession began to 62.8 percent today.
"The only reason the unemployment number has appeared to fall from 7.3 percent since Obama took office to 6.7 percent now is that 10 million Americans of working age have left the workforce out of frustration at not finding work," writes Norquist, who says the minimum wage debate — Republicans mostly oppose raising it while Democrats are in favor — kills jobs "at the first rungs of the economic ladder" and ensures existing businesses will be stymied in their growth.
"So everyone gets hurt and we are more equal in our reduced standard of living. Lose, lose."
Norquist calls on the American electorate to heed the savvy directives of the GOP's rising stars — Rep. Paul Ryan and Sens. Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, who he credits with offering programs "for getting government out of the way of job creation, upward mobility and general prosperity."
"Americans should not let Obama change the topic," advises Norquist.
"It is past time to make a U-turn on the present path where we have long ago passed the road sign that blared 'warning, this way leads to Detroit.' We must stop barreling along toward greater disappointments.
"The President should not change the topic, he should change direction."