Kansas City Star editorial: Obama’s speech hit all the right points

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Obama’s speech hit all the right points

President Barack Obama’s foray into Kansas isn’t likely to pick up electoral votes in that reddest of states. But his speech Tuesday at Osawatomie High School was good policy and good politics.

In keeping with his penchant for channeling predecessors, Obama chose the town where Theodore Roosevelt delivered his “New Nationalism” speech to outline his own intention to strengthen the middle class.

The elements of Obama’s speech were not new. He decried rising income inequality, blasted Republicans for wanting to roll back regulation of the financial sector, defended his latest nominee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and demanded an extension of the payroll tax cut set to expire later this month.

The president has said those things before. He should keep saying them — and acting on them. Tuesday’s speech was significant because it provided a coherent framework for Obama’s economic policies and a credible rebuttal to Republican opposition.

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