Partisan Divides Sharpen Ahead of Major Obama Speech

 　　Days before President Barack Obama is expected to unveil proposals to boost America’s sluggish¹ economy and reduce stubbornly high unemployment, the White House is hearing conflicting messages from lawmakers and others as to what the president should put forth².

　　Thursday’s address before a joint³ session of Congress is expected to set political battle lines for the remainder of the year and perhaps all the way to the 2012 general election.

　　Progressive members of Mr. Obama’s Democratic Party say the president should champion bold government action to revive a languishing⁴ economy.  Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California spoke⁵ on NBC’s Meet the Press television program.

　　“He must have a jobs program, must create jobs,” said Waters. "I am talking about a program of a trillion dollars or more.  We have got to put Americans to work.  I am very hopeful that the president is going to put a big program out there and fight very hard for it.”

　　Already rejecting such an approach are Republicans, who control the House of Representatives.  Minnesota Congresswoman and Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann blasted Mr. Obama’s economic policies on CBS’ Face the Nation program.

　　“His solutions have all been government-focused and very temporary gimmick⁶ fixes,” said Bachmann. "It is destabilizing if you do not have permanent fixes.  I want to see permanency in the [U.S.] tax code.”

　　That view was echoed by Republican Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who spoke on ABC’s This Week program.  DeMint said actions, not words, are sorely needed to boost confidence in the private sector⁷ and encourage businesses to hire workers.

　　“I, frankly⁸, am very tired of speeches,” said DeMint. "I do not want to be disrespectful of the president, but what I want to see is something in writing.  I do not think the president is going to come out with things that are really going to create jobs.  I am afraid it is just pandering⁹ to his [political] base.”

　　President Obama has only hinted at the measures he will propose Thursday.  Last week, reporters repeatedly pressed White House spokesman Jay Carney for details, without success.

　　“Economists will be able to look at this series of proposals and say that, based on history, based on what we know, that it would add to economic growth and it would cause an increase in job creation,” said Carney.

　　For months, U.S. joblessness has been stuck at the nine-percent range.  Since World War II, no U.S. president has been re-elected with an unemployment rate that high.  Constraining the federal government’s ability to stimulate¹⁰ the economy are trillion-dollar deficits¹¹ and chronic¹² political gridlock in Washington.

1 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

2 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 languishing   

a. 衰弱下去的

参考例句：

• He is languishing for home. 他苦思家乡。
• How long will she go on languishing for her red-haired boy? 为想见到她的红头发的儿子，她还将为此烦恼多久呢？

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 gimmick   

n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明

参考例句：

• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
• It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

9 pandering   

v.迎合（他人的低级趣味或淫欲）( pander的现在分词 )；纵容某人；迁就某事物

参考例句：

• This magazine is criticized for pandering to the vulgar taste of some readers. 这家杂志因迎合某些读者的低级趣味而遭到批评。 来自辞典例句
• We're four points up there; we don't need to get hit for pandering. 我们在那儿领先四个百分点；我们不必为了迎合一些选民而遭受批评。 来自电影对白

10 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

11 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

12 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。