Obama: I’d really like to get as much stuff done as quickly as possible

Yes, we don’t doubt that.

“I’d like to get as much stuff done as quickly as possible,” he said in an interview with San Francisco’s ABC7. “Even though I’m just starting my second term, I know that, you know, once we get through this year, then people start looking at the midterms, and after that, they start thinking about presidential elections.

“The American people don’t want us to spend all our time thinking about elections,” he continued. “They want us to do some work. Now’s a good time for us to get some things done.”

It’s far from impossible that Republicans could take back the Senate come 2014, as evidenced by Obama’s already-voiced commitment to finally helping out his fellow Democrats with the midterm elections as well as his reluctance to exit campaign-mode and maybe actually try his hand at governing-mode (really, I just can’t imagine why Republicans don’t want to work with him, can you?). No doubt he’d love to get more “big” things “accomplished” à la ObamaCare and the stimulus, and he knows he needs to get cracking on the legacy-building — even this unfortunate obstructionist Congress might be the last, best chance of his presidential ambitions (though he’ll certainly try his darndest to prevent that from being the case).

Hence, get ready for still more of this kind of thing, and the accompanying “Republicans hate clean air, jobs, food safety, children, and puppies,” or whatever:

Since the President took office four years ago, America has begun the hard work of rebuilding our infrastructure.  But there’s more to do, and that’s why the President’s plan ensures that the money we invest in infrastructure is spent wisely by adopting a “fix-it-first” policy. …

That’s why the President’s infrastructure plan calls for a Rebuild America Partnership that will attract private capital to build the infrastructure our businesses need most.  By acting on the President’s plan, together we can prove that there is no better place to do business and create jobs than right here in the United States of America.

Investing in a “fix-it-first” policy:  The President’s plan will immediately invest $50 billion in our nation’s transportation infrastructure, with $40 billion targeted to the most urgent upgrades and focused on fixing our highways, bridges, transit systems, and airports most in need of repair.

Attracting private investment through a “Rebuild America Partnership”:  The President’s plan will partner federal, state, and local governments with businesses and private capital to provide America with the best transportation, electric, water, and communications networks in the world.

Cutting red tape:  The President’s plan will cut timelines in half for infrastructure projects and create incentives for better outcomes for communities and the environment through a historic modernization of agency permitting and review regulations, procedures, and policies.

Translation: More stimulus via government “investments.” Where is that initial $50 billion supposed to come from exactly, pray tell? The White House is suddenly flipping out about the $85 billion in 2013 sequestration cuts, but can’t seem to suggest any way to replace those cuts; and now they just want to tack on $50 billion in new spending? “Meh, all of our massive stimulus efforts have utterly failed to fix the economy so far, but let’s just double down on more of the same, or at least demonize the GOP some more in the effort.” Perfect.

• Bobby Jindal: Paternalistic, big-government liberalism is the biggest loser here
• Chris Christie: “I’ll be here to welcome” Obama when he comes to tour the NJ coast again next week
• MSNBC consensus: Obama’s speech was historic, amazing, “one of the best of his presidency”

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