Before President Obamaâ??s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, the White House compared the purpose of the event to Franklin D. Rooseveltâ??s fireside chats during the Great Depression. But for higher education, Mr. Obama was more like John F. Kennedy when he issued the challenge in 1961 to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
This presidentâ??s goal was equally daunting: for the nation to have the worldâ??s highest proportion of college graduates by 2020. â??That is a goal we can meet,â? he said to applause in the chamber.