U.S. President Barack Obama on Saturday declared that his goal of defeating al-Qaida was within reach and said it was now time to turn the country's attention to more domestic concerns like strengthening the middle class. Just four days after a surprise 36-hour round trip to Afghanistan, President Obama said that money saved from ending wars should be used equally to pay down the debt and to spend on health care, education and infrastructure. "After more than a decade of war, it is time to focus on nation-building here at home," he said in his weekly radio and Internet address. The president took note of the agreement he signed with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday that shifts security to the Afghan people and reminded the American public, once again, of the Special Forces operation that killed Osama bin Laden a year ago. But he said the nation now should concentrate on economic issues like tax disparities and targeted government spending. Without mentioning Republicans, he cast the GOP view as one that promotes more tax cuts for millionaires while cutting spending "that built a strong middle class."
