Obama: Republicans Want 'Radical Vision' for America

 　　In remarks in Washington on Tuesday, President Barack Obama denounced a $3.5-trillion Republican budget plan, saying it would harm middle class Americans and set back the nation's economic recovery.

　　Mr. Obama's speech sharpened his message to voters about the difference between what he calls his balanced and fair budget proposals, and those of opposition¹ Republicans, including that party's presidential hopefuls.

　　Last week, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a 2013 federal budget proposal, a $3.5-trillion plan that Republican frontrunner Mitt² Romney has endorsed³.

　　It would cut deficits⁵ over the next decade by trillions of dollars more than President Obama has proposed, by eliminating tax loopholes and targeting programs that primarily help low income Americans.  It also includes tax cuts that favor wealthier Americans.

　　Addressing Associated Press editors and publishers here in Washington, Mr. Obama, a Democrat⁶, called the Republican proposals a "recipe for decline" that would have devastating⁷ consequences for the middle class. "It is a Trojan horse.  Disguised as deficit⁴ reduction plans, it is really an attempt to impose a radical⁸ vision on our country.  It is thinly veiled social Darwinism.  It is antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility⁹ for everybody who is willing to work for it," he said.

　　Mr. Obama said the Republican budget would "gut¹⁰" investments in education, training and research necessary to build a strong U.S. economy.

　　The president said broad-based prosperity has never "trickled¹¹ down from the success of a wealthy few," but has come "from the success of a strong and growing middle class."  He accused Republicans of promoting a radical plan. "This isn't a budget supported by some small rump group in the Republican Party.  This is now the party's governing platform.  This is what they are running on," he said.

　　Mr. Obama repeated his call for Congress to make the tax code fairer by requiring wealthy Americans to pay higher federal income taxes.

　　He said the Republican budget would "end Medicare as we know it" and again said he is confident that the Supreme¹² Court will exercise "restraint" and uphold the constitutionality of his signature health care law.

　　Republican reaction was swift.  A Romney campaign spokesperson called Mr. Obama unqualified to lecture on responsible federal spending because he had "piled on" trillions of dollars in new debt while in office.

　　The Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, accused Mr. Obama of "resorting to distortions and partisan¹³ potshots" and recommitting to policies that have worsened the U.S. debt crisis.

　　President Obama's speech came as Romney hoped to further solidify¹⁴ his frontrunner status for the Republican presidential nomination¹⁵ in primary contests in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

3 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

5 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

6 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

7 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

8 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

9 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

10 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

11 trickled   

v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动

参考例句：

• Blood trickled down his face. 血从他脸上一滴滴流下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The tears trickled down her cheeks. 热泪一滴滴从她脸颊上滚下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

13 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

14 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

15 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。