Why our union is stronger than a year ago - Jane Kidd, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair

(published Sunday 1/24/10 in the AJC)

AJC Question: "As President Obama prepares to address the nation Wednesday, is the state of the union better or worse than it was one year ago?"

One year ago, because of the misguided economic policies of George W. Bush, our nation teetered on the edge of complete economic collapse.  On average, the United States was losing 700,000 jobs a month. Bank lending was frozen, and trillions of dollars vanished in the stock market.

After a year of strong and decisive leadership by President Obama, all of these indicators have improved dramatically. While we are not out of the woods yet, we are on the long road to economic recovery.  Americans can also rest assured that we are closer to energy independence, affordable health care and restoring our reputation around the world than ever before.

While these are difficult times, President Obama's leadership has ensured that America's best days are still ahead. The state of the union is stronger now than a year ago.