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In Kansas, a combative Obama tries on his Teddy Roosevelt hat

In the Kansas town where Teddy Roosevelt called for a progressive 'New Nationalism,' Obama delivered a populist appeal fairness through taxes and regulation and an indictment of the GOP agenda as he sees it.

When George W. Bush was president, he eschewed discussion of his place in history. President Obama seems to welcome it.

Whether it鈥檚 his first presidential campaign launch in Springfield, Ill., Abraham Lincoln鈥檚 home town, or praise for Ronald Reagan鈥檚 ability to change the nation鈥檚 trajectory, Mr. Obama regularly dips into the presidential record books for current meaning.

Tuesday it was the turn of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president and a Republican. In a speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, where President Roosevelt delivered a call for a progressive 鈥淣ew Nationalism鈥� 101 years ago, Obama played off similar populist themes of equal opportunity and fairness through taxes and regulation.

鈥淚鈥檓 here in Kansas to reaffirm my deep conviction that we are greater together than we are on our own,鈥� Obama told an enthusiastic crowd at Osawatomie High School. 鈥淚 believe that this country succeeds when everyone gets a fair shot, when everyone does their fair share, and when everyone plays by the same rules.鈥�

In his time, Roosevelt was called a radical, a socialist, even a communist for his policy proposals, Obama noted. 鈥淏ut today, we are a richer nation and a stronger democracy because of what he fought for in his last campaign:聽an eight-hour work day and a minimum wage for women; insurance for the unemployed and for the elderly, and those with disabilities; political reform and a progressive income tax.鈥�

Obama repeated his call for an extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut, which is set to expire at the end of the month. Congress has been stymied over how to pay for a continuation of that tax holiday, which, if it expires, would cost 160 million Americans an average of $1,000 in higher taxes, Obama said. Also at issue is an extension of federal unemployment benefits and the 鈥渄oc fix,鈥� which prevents doctors who accept Medicare from taking a pay cut.

Obama鈥檚 trip to conservative Kansas represented a departure from the president鈥檚 usual travel to battleground states, as the 2012 campaign heats up. But not only did the visit allow him to bask in the historical image of Teddy Roosevelt 鈥� often cited by leaders of both parties as one of their favorite presidents 鈥� but also to offer a reminder of his own Kansas roots.

鈥淚鈥檓 sure you鈥檙e all familiar with the Obamas of Osawatomie,鈥� the president joked. 鈥淎ctually, I like to say that I got my name from my father, but I got my accent 鈥� and my values 鈥� from my mother.聽She was born in Wichita. Her mother grew up in Augusta.聽And her father was from El Dorado.聽So my Kansas roots run deep.鈥�

Still, it remained clear that the 55-minute speech contained political themes that are sure to appear repeatedly in the presidential race. Obama laid out a harsh indictment of the Republican agenda as he sees it.

鈥淣ow, just as there was in Teddy Roosevelt鈥檚 time, there is a certain crowd in Washington who, for the last few decades, have said, let鈥檚 respond to this economic challenge with the same old tune.聽'The market will take care of everything,' they tell us.聽If we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes 鈥� especially for the wealthy 鈥� our economy will grow stronger.

鈥淪ure, they say, there will be winners and losers.聽But if the winners do really well, then jobs and prosperity will eventually trickle down to everybody else.聽And, they argue, even if prosperity doesn鈥檛 trickle down, well, that鈥檚 the price of liberty.鈥�

But there鈥檚 a problem with that theory, Obama said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 work.鈥�

Republicans were quick to respond to Obama鈥檚 speech.

鈥淭he president talks about fairness. Yet one of the results of his administration has been to widen the inequity between the middle class and the political class,鈥� said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, in a statement.

鈥淭he middle class must pay for the president鈥檚 failed policies twice 鈥� first, they have to pay the bill for profligate federal spending, and then they must pay the price for its economic consequences in the form of lost jobs and mounting debt.鈥�