SSOTU: Supposed State of the Union

Oxymoronic SOTU

A quick preview of the president's State of the Union.would be remiss if it did not include the notion that the president is going to take the opportunity to use the opportunity as a campaign speech.  Indeed, many see it as the president's kick-off of his 2012 re-election effort (aside from the myriad of fundraisers that have been going on for months).  The president's speech in that spirit will do three things.  It will argue that the country is hurting and it will require more of his efforts to fight income inequality.  Secondly, in an oxymoron destined to go mostly unchecked, it will call for more spending and lower deficits.  Finally he will work in there somewhere, a narrative that he hopes will hold is that the country is spinning its wheels because of a Do Nothing Congress.

What is that going to look like?

Forbes List 2009 Best Countries For Business

Forbes has released its 2009 list of Top Countries for Business.  The good news - the United States climbed 2 spots to #2.  The bad news -  in the following segment they discuss the riskiest countries to business in, they mention the United States as one.  Certainly not on the level of a Russia, but they cite the risk of anti-manufacturing winds associated with cap and trade policies, and a Democratic congress that could have some very anti-business stances.

The list:

1.  Denmark (1)

2.  United States (4)

3.  Canada (7)

4.  Singapore

5.  New Zealand

6.  United Kingdom

7.  Sweden

8.  Australia

9.  Hong Kong

10. Norway

Other notables, Russia dropped 17 spots to number 103