President Obama once again insulted the intelligence of the American people today when he offered a few shiny beads instead of sound economic policy. In a preview of his upcoming State of the Union address, Mr. Obama proposed an expansion of tax credits and other initiatives supposedly designed to help the middle class. But these small ideas will likely add to the already record deficit and do nothing to promote job creation.

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The ideas came out of something called the "White House's Task Force on Middle Class Families" headed by Vice President Joe Biden who spoke before the president today saying, "Every day, middle-class families go to work and help make this country great. For a year, our Task Force has been hearing that they are struggling with soaring costs and squeezed family budgets. These common-sense initiatives will help these families cope with these challenges." (source) One problem with that statement: an alarming number of middle-class families are not going to work everyday. What they need are sustainable jobs, not small tax credits.

President Obama seemed to address that issue when he took his turn at the podium saying, "We are fighting every single day to put Americans back to work, create good jobs, and strengthen our economy for the long-term. The additional steps laid out today focus on easing the burdens on middle class families who are struggling in this economy, and providing the help they need to get ahead." (source) But the people do not need lip service about putting them back to work. They don't even need the government to create good jobs or strengthen the economy. They simply need the government to get out of the way and let the private sector do the creating and the strengthening. Mr. Obama continues to make empty promises and imply that government is the answer to all problems when, in the immortal words of former President Ronald Reagan, "Government is the problem."

Further proving Mr. Reagan's point, another program proposed by the Obama/Biden tandem today would require all employers to provide the option of a workplace-based retirement savings plan. The former community organizer and lifelong politician continue to try to tell business how to do business putting more burdens on those who can actually create the jobs the administration claims to be fighting for.

The American people have clearly spoken out against deficit-raising handouts instead of strong economic policy that will encourage the private sector's creation of sustainable new jobs. Yet the Obama machine continues to offer a few crumbs in the hope that we're getting desperate enough to be grateful for any scrap they toss our way.