Marc Thiessen Author. Speechwriter.

Obama Joins the Tea Party

During his speech in Cleveland, President Obama made it official: He is joining the Tea Party. Or, at least, he’s aping the Tea Party’s rhetoric—hoping to convince Americans that after a 20-month miasma of spending, the Democrats are concerned about fiscal responsibility, spending, deficits, and debt too.

Obama told the crowd, “It’s right to be concerned about the long-term deficit. If we don’t get a handle on it soon, it can endanger our future.” He said that “at a time when folks are tightening their belts at home, I understand why a lot of Americans feel it’s time for government to show some discipline, too.” He pledged, “I am absolutely committed to fiscal responsibility, which is why I’ve already proposed freezing all discretionary spending unrelated to national security for the next three years.” And he promised, “Once the bipartisan fiscal commission finishes its work, I’ll spend the next year making the tough choices necessary to further reduce our deficit and lower our debt.”

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