On walking and chewing gum

Barack Obama, in a speech on education reform this morning:

I know there are some who believe we can only handle one challenge at a time. They forget that Lincoln helped lay down the transcontinental railroad, passed the Homestead Act, and created the National Academy of Sciences in the midst of Civil War. Likewise, President Roosevelt didn’t have the luxury of choosing between ending a depression and fighting a war. President Kennedy didn’t have the luxury of choosing between civil rights and sending us to the moon. And we don’t have the luxury of choosing between getting our economy moving now and rebuilding it over the long term.

Editor’s note: Strictly speaking, I’m pretty sure President Kennedy did have the luxury of choosing between civil rights and sending us to the moon. But still.