Borrow and spend costs more than tax and spend.
Why would you do that when the rich pay most of their taxes in capital gains and the poor pay most of their taxes in payroll taxes?
Regressive/flat taxes hurt poor people more than rich people.
The working "poor people" pay little, if any, in income taxes.
We shouldn't be trying to find ways to take people's money. The folks in control of the purse strings should always be trying to find ways to efficiently run the government, while allowing us to keep our own money. Obama doesn't bring that mindset to the table.