Reaction partisan to Obama's address

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Democrats and Republicans agreed that U.S. President Barack Obama delivered a good speech to the U.S. Congress but differed on their views of its content.

Democrats reacted well to the president's speech, praising the messages Obama tried to send to Americans and the skills he used to deliver his first address to Congress, the Voice of America reported Wednesday. Republicans gave Obama points for delivery but said his message of fiscal responsibility seemed to be contrary to the massive $787 billion economic stimulus package signed into law last week.

"He reaches the world, really," U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, told VOA. "His sense of confidence and his ability to take that sense of confidence and extend it to his listening audience is second (to) or probably (equal) to that of President (Franklin) Roosevelt."

House Republicans, meanwhile, repeated criticisms of Obama's economic stimulus plans, saying he and congressional Democrats intend to expand government, VOA said.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., called Obama a "great orator" and the speech "optimistic" but said "there was a lot of indication that we are going to be spending a lot of money ... ."

Missouri Republican Roy Blunt, the former House Republican whip, said Obama's comments on spending "seem to me to be very much at odds with the huge spending bill last week, almost increasing by 80 percent the discretionary spending of the federal government."

Obama is scheduled to present his budget to Congress Thursday.