Why is President Obama making competitiveness a key theme of his new economy policy?

I have had the honor of working in Federal Space for about 5 years and have never seen such waste volumes everywhere I look. For example, $19B in Abandonod Governemnt Building exist in DC alone that could be sold to commerial businesses.

Drilling for US Oil restictive policies could be removed while jobs could be created immediately in every state with the push for Nuclear energy which has shown to be the cleanest and cheapest nect to oil to produce. I agree in removing the oil subsidies, it would raise the price of oil at a very bad time, but would change the ROI for alternative energy solutions. Not the cap and trade rediculas idea shown to be a failure in Europe as it cost more and produces less.

Obama is looking for Amnasty for illegal aliens, and the boarders are a mess. Obama still wants to spend while the debt is putting our credit rating at risk of being lowered, we are borrowing 40 cents on every $ to pay just the interest owed.

We have more people in prisons in this country than every country in the world combined and 98% of all lawsuits in the world occur in the US. We need an overall and simplification of the legal system and end this industry of managing prisoneers. I say make them work instead and produce value for the country.

$17B in subsidies to Amtrack - what a waste
Obama doesn't get it, the value of the $ continues to fall, in spite of his 3.5 Trillion budget.

70% of America is consumption and 30% production. This model has to change, and it will when the leadership is replaced with fiscally responsible leadership, who will protect our liberty and freedoms, and not force a mantatory paid healthcare bill on my lap.

America does need to compete, but Obama's cheerleading State of the Union pep talk will fall on deaf ears. Most are saying that's nice, now how am I going to pay my mortgage. 1 million homes foreclosed last year. Remember when the crisis started and we were at 75% unemployment, a whooping 250,000 high occured at that time. After the back bailouts it multiplied by 4 times. Obama has invested (spent) more than all congresses in the history of the US combined, yet unemployment has been above 9.4% for over 22 months.

Obama doesn't have a clue about how to run a business. He has never created a job, managed a payroll, compete for business. he is a talking head for the liberals who prefer to let the government solve our problem. I agree with the Founding Fathers of this great country, I believe in Individual freedom. Reduce the spending by reducing governemnt, get the governement out of the way, and let the compititive nature of Americans, that is already present, be released from its suppression.

I agree Robert that energy and technology are critical growth needs. We need to kill the non-value waste of the programs that are run by goverments and let the commercial markets lead the way to jobs.

Obama has never worked for a small business or any real business prior to his getting into politics so guessing for him Competitiveness is a new and exciting concept. I think Obama is trying to make a case to spend more money so we can be more competitive, then use the money to continue his socialistic policies. We are over $14 trillion in debt, the $ continues to fall, we are not even in the top 10 in Education anymore. We need change, but not by increasing government but by less of it. The only job Obama is worried about is his own.

Competitiveness is the foundation of a free market economy, but I am not sure that is the reason behind the push. I agree Steven that it has to be focused at reducing government by instill true competition in areas such as energy, technology, infrastructure, etc. However, I find it hard to believe that is the idea here given the fact that we continue to increase government involvement in every sector.

Competitiveness polls well?