A fuller preview of the president’s jobs speech to come later. For now, suffice it to say nothing the president says tonight will matter if he’s not prepared to back it up with ready legislative language and a true willingness to roll up his sleeves and work with Congress to pass a plan. In the meantime, it’s worth remembering that, while the president has dithered and the Senate has dallied, the House has been busy.

Among the bills passed by the House, but stuck in the Senate are The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, The Energy Tax Prevention Act, Disapproval of FCC’s Net Neutrality Act, The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act,  The Consumer Financial Protection & Soundness Improvement Act and The Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act. That doesn’t even touch the various bills the House has passed to reenergize the Gulf. Oh yeah, plus the House passed a budget.

You know how Obama repeatedly says Congress could take steps “right now” to jumpstart the economy again? Let’s amend that statement for accuracy: The Senate and the president could take steps right now to jumpstart the economy again. That is, they actually have House bills in front of them. Yes, this is shameless GOP cheerleading (sorry, @chandelonfriend) — but it’s so obvious in this case I can’t help it. I’m not asking Democratic senators or the president to have no disagreements with the bills the House has passed. I’m asking them to, as professors say, “engage the material.” Give it air time, amend it, offer an alternative, whatever. But don’t just sit passively or talk poetically.