* Very quick transition from manufacturing policy to energy and then climate change. First mention: Boehner sat on his hands.
* Most elaborate use of weather evidence to support climate change challenge than I think Obama has ever used.
* Very blunt threat to use executive powers to deal with climate change. This will be very, very big GOP shrieking point tonight and tomorrow.
* Hint at approval of Keystone XL? Hard to say.
* “Energy efficiency” un-sexy, but 20-year goal helps.
* Good if anecdotal citation of private-sector support for infrastructure investment.
* “Fix-it First”–baby stimulus effort?
* Housing Refi bill no great shakes, but challenge to GOPers for holding it up pretty strong.
* Now into education. “Partnership with states for quality pre-school” feels very 1990s, but that’s where we are.
* “Race To Top” apparently the model for some sort of new challenge grants for high school/community college joint enrollment.
* This is about the third time Obama has taken a run at higher ed inflation, but threat of grant cuts, and the college “scorecard,” sound new to me.
Now he’s into immigration reform, so I’ll start another thread.
