The New York Times counted President Obama saying "economy" thirty times in his address to Congress.  And that was just one chapter in a day of economic talk in Washington.  Earlier, Ben Bernanke, chair of the Federal Reserve, addressed the Senate Banking Committee and said, if the government makes the right moves, economic recovery could be just a year away. 

To break the adverse feedback loop, it is essential that we continue to complement fiscal stimulus with strong government action to stabilize financial institutions and financial markets.  If actions taken by the Administration, the Congress, and the Federal Reserve are successful in restoring some measure of financial stability--and only if that is the case, in my view--there is a reasonable prospect that the current recession will end in 2009 and that 2010 will be a year of recovery.  If financial conditions improve, the economy will be increasingly supported by fiscal and monetary stimulus, the salutary effects of the steep decline in energy prices since last summer, and the better alignment of business inventories and final sales, as well as the increased availability of credit.  

Here is his opening statement from yesterday:

A transcript of Bernanke's testimony is here.

President Obama was up in prime time, and it certainly didn't hurt to have stocks rally in the afternoon, after Bernanke's testimony.  Before addressing specific details of his administration's economic recovery plans, the President said it is time for the country to "take charge of our future." 

Now is the time to act boldly and wisely – to not only revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.  Now is the time to jumpstart job creation, re-start lending, and invest in areas like energy, health care, and education that will grow our economy, even as we make hard choices to bring our deficit down.  That is what my economic agenda is designed to do, and that’s what I’d like to talk to you about tonight.

Here is an excerpt from his speech:

You can watch the full address here.

Before the day was up, the Republicans sent Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to the podium (at the Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge) to respond to Obama's address.  Jindal stressed his party's belief that "the way to lead is by empowering you, the American people." 

That is why Republicans put forward plans to create jobs by lowering income tax rates for working families, cutting taxes for small businesses, strengthening incentives for businesses to invest in new equipment and hire new workers, and stabilizing home values by creating a new tax credit for home-buyers. These plans would cost less and create more jobs.

Here's an excerpt from his response:

Governor Jindal's office promises a full video of his address will be available here.  You can read a full transcript from CNN here.