US can’t wait because India is not waiting: Obama

WASHINGTON - Warning that nations like India, China and Germany would not wait, President Barack Obama has pushed for a clean energy revolution and education reforms lest other countries out-compete America and leave it trailing behind them.

“Look, we can keep on being consumed by the politics of energy,” he said at a grassroots fundraiser for Senator Michael Bennet in Denver, Colorado, Thursday.

But “we know that whoever leads the clean energy revolution is going to lead the 21st century economy. The people of Colorado understand that. Michael Bennet understands that,” he said amid applause from the audience.

“And we can’t wait. We can’t wait. Because China is not waiting. India is not waiting. Germany is not waiting. We can’t afford to wait,” said Obama as an audience member piped up with a “That’s right!”

“Exactly,” responded the president amid laughter.

“We can’t continue to spin our wheels in the old education debates - the stale debates, they pit teachers against reformers - meanwhile kids are trailing their counterparts all around the world,” Obama went on, seeking education reforms.

“So we need to do what Michael did here in Denver, which is to bring people together, get them talking, build consensus around reform,” he said. “Because we know that the country that out-educates us today is going to out-compete us tomorrow.”

“And we don’t want that future for our young people. We’re not going to sentence them to a lifetime of lower wages and unfulfilled dreams,” he added amid applause.

“The only agenda Michael has is yours… and that’s breaking free from the politics of the past and moving America forward at this defining moment in our history.”

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in