Obama's weekly address, small businesses are our economic engine

October 24, 11:20 AMWichita Independent ExaminerGeoff Caldwell

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In his weekly address, President Obama rightly sees this country's small businesses as holding the key to re-starting the nation's economic engine.

Stating that ..."they embody the spirit of possibility, the relentless work ethic, and the hope for something better that is at the heart of the American Dream.", the President acknowledged that small businesses have been especially hard hit by the current economic recession.

But as happens all too often with this President, he hits the board but the bullseye remains unscathed.

After what is an initial first 2 and 1/2 paragraphs teasing the reader's brain with thoughts of "YES, he FINALLY get's it!", Obama unfortunately climbs back into the campaign suit and retorts the rhetoric expected from an avowed liberal with the accompanying "government can solve everything" mentality.

Obama immediately goes into touting that Recovery Act was "designed" to help small businesses and create new jobs. He points out $5 billion in tax relief so far, and the Small Business Administration's reduction or elimination of "fees" and underwriting some loans up to 90%. The President claims such action has resulted in $13 billion in lending to over 33,000 small business.

Wow, Mr. President, a whopping $5 billion in tax releif to "help small businesses expand and create jobs". Let's see the total tab of the Recovery Act was over $780 billion, and of the tens of billions already spent the majority has been given to state governments and public unions (mmm, your political base perhaps?).

That dwarfs any such relief you have steered to the segment of the economy that even you yourself admit has created "65 percent of all new jobs over the past decade and a half – and they must be at the forefront of our recovery."

The address continues on with the expected dribble of "I" have ordered this, that's why "I" have done this, and why "I" need you to get Congress to approve this. All are nothing but promotion for more government involvement in the economy and those very same small businesses Obama started out praising.

From healthcare reform, to his new Financial Stability plan, to bashing the big banks, the bulk of the address is boiler plate DNC talking points. But then again a dilemma as the President closes with:

"This country was built by dreamers. They’re the workers who took a chance on their desire to be their own boss. The part-time inventors who became the fulltime entrepreneurs. The men and women who have helped build the American middle class, keeping alive that most American of ideals – that all things are possible for all people, and we’re limited only by the size of our dreams and our willingness to work for them. We need to do everything we can to ensure that they can keep taking those risks, acting on those dreams, and building the enterprises that fuel our economy and make us who we are."

The above quote couldn't be more correct, bullseye, bravo Mr. President.

What Americans don't get (and that might be why you're drop in the polls is as historic as you're previous metioric rise), is when will you're rhetoric turn into reality?

This is one small businessman who eagerly awaits such transformation.