EconomistMom.com

I liked what I heard in today’s speech–not because of the new details (there weren’t many), nor because of the hint at the mix of policies (which I worry is tipping too much toward the tax-cut side), but because it offered me some reassurance that the Obama team recognizes the danger of letting politics-as-usual dictate fiscal policy–that “two wrongs” (or “two stupids”?) syndrome I worried out loud about earlier this week.

The relevant passages (text of speech from CNBC website):

…the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won’t just throw money at our problems—we’ll invest in what works. The true test of the policies we’ll pursue won’t be whether they’re Democratic or Republican ideas, but whether they create jobs, grow our economy, and put the American Dream within reach of the American people…

We have to make tough choices and smart investments today so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down. We cannot have a solid recovery if our people and our businesses don’t have confidence that we’re getting our fiscal house in order. That’s why our goal is not to create a slew of new government programs, but a foundation for long-term economic growth.

That also means an economic recovery plan that is free from earmarks and pet projects. I understand that every member of Congress has ideas on how to spend money. Many of these projects are worthy, and benefit local communities. But this emergency legislation must not be the vehicle for those aspirations. This must be a time when leaders in both parties put the urgent needs of our nation above our own narrow interests…

I’m calling on all Americans - Democrats and Republicans - to put good ideas ahead of the old ideological battles; a sense of common purpose above the same narrow partisanship; and insist that the first question each of us asks isn’t “What’s good for me?” but “What’s good for the country my children will inherit?”