The Nation: Nixon in the Pulpit: Economic Evangelism

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The President was still conscious of his inspirational role when he returned to these themes in his address to Congress. Again he defended the economic system against those who claim that it is "an oppressor and exploiter of human beings." Echoing one of Vice President Spiro Agnew's favorite lines, he urged citizens to "speak up for what is right about America." He attacked the nation's welfare system as a refuge for the indolent, reminding Congress that it still had to pass his reform proposals.

In the interests of checking inflation, he also suggested that the effective date should be delayed for at least a year. He insisted that "any work is preferable to welfare," seeming to imply that masses of shiftless Americans would rather go on welfare than go to work. It is a fact that nearly three-quarters of welfare recipients are mothers and dependent children.

Nixon also appealed to the growing protectionist sentiment in the U.S. He cited the generosity of U.S. foreign aid and drew loud applause with the declaration that "the time has come to give a new attention to America's own interests here at home."

The President went on to compare international trade to a vast poker game (see THE ECONOMY).

"We have generously passed out the chips," Nixon said. "Now others can play on an equal basis." Mixing metaphors, he contended that "the time is past for the United States to compete with one hand tied behind its back"—a situation that his surcharge on imports and the floating of the dollar are intended to correct.

Bargaining Chip. The most important news of the speech was that the freeze would not be extended. That was a concession to business and labor pressure; it also seemed to be an unnecessary surrender of a bargaining chip that the President might have used in working out post-freeze stabilization plans. He appealed for a bipartisan approach by Congress to his tax package, noting that similar proposals had been successfully carried out by a Democratic President (Kennedy, in the '60s).

It was a legitimate appeal, but one that might fall on unhearing ears in a pre-election year.

Since congressional Democrats could not fault the basic outline of the President's program, they were—as usual in economic matters—counting on the wiles of House Ways and Means Chairman Wilbur Mills to salvage something for them. As hearings on the tax proposals opened before his committee, Mills indicated that he was largely sympathetic to the President's plans. "You can't criticize a fellow who's trying to talk your own language," he conceded. Another fellow who spoke Mills' language was the Administration's shrewd economic salesman, Treasury Secretary John Connally. After pleading the Administration's case at the hearings, Connally, too, hinted that an accommodation could be reached since neither side was overly rigid. "I've done some horse trading in my time," he told reporters.