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Is it odd how the State Of The Union gives the impression that Congress is somehow subordinate to the President? Technically, they are equals. Congress does not work for the President.
As everyone was walking in, CNN said Sonia Sotomayor was one of Obama's successes during his first year. Is it a little early to declare her a success as a Justice?
He's about to start - is this speech #412, or #413...?
Obama just announced several results of the depression, then said these are the reason he ran for President. However, he started running for President far before the recession hit.
Congress is applauding that Obama is "hopeful". Is that news?
The purpose of the bank bailouts was to make the financial system healthy again. Why is Obama now intent on punishing them for doing what they were supposed to do?
After talking about cutting taxes, Obama says "I thought I'd get some applause on that one."
Harry Reid was just caught on camera yawning.
Obama says we should invest in small business lending - by re-using TARP money that has been repaid. Is that even legal?
Obama is addressing a Democrat-controlled Congress and complaining about political gridlock.
Obama still says "real reform" of the financial system means preventing banks from failing - preventing them from taking too many risks. Does this mean they can count on another round of government bailouts if they follow whatever new rules are passed? (When they get around to it)
Obama says he didn't take on health care "because it was good politics." However, if you look back at the polls, it was a popular issue when he was elected, so it was good politics...until Congress and the President started trying to address it...and he admitted it: "The longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became."
"Freeze government spending for 3 years" (starting next year, "after the economy recovers") - He says this after proposing a multitude of spending initiatives, and making no mention of entitlement reform (~60% of government spending)
I just noticed how his red-and-white striped tie matches the flag behind him.
Obama says we need to keep the cost of borrowing down to help businesses. Does he not realize that attacking the financial industry will inevitably increase the cost of borrowing?
Obama will be "addressing" Republican leadership soon. Again, treating Congress like they report to him.
I like how he puts the repeated blaming of the previous administration and Congress in one part of the speech, and the part where he says this is not about the past much later on.
Obama is supporting expansion of the VA and more help for military families, which I support. Fortunately, these are parts of government outside his "spending freeze."
I think Obama is making Biden cry.
US aid to Haiti does not inspire my faith in American government, as Obama suggests, it inspires hope in American people, as private individuals.
Speech is over. I really wish he would have seemed more aware of his plummeting poll numbers, and at least taken a little blame. In the midst of a recession and 10% unemployment, he is sticking to the "change is not easy" lines.
Virginia's new governor, Bob McDonnell, is about to respond...
Is a governor giving the response a subtle hint that the Federal government is getting too big, and more attention should be given to local governments?
Also, McDonnell is not up for re-election.
The President refers to a "freeze", then elaborates. The response refers immediately to a "partial freeze". Spin; then anti-spin.
Solutions.gop.gov - good plug. We'll see if ideas from there get serious attention, or are used.
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3 comments:
SOTU this year didn't have as many specifics as I would have liked. There was a lot of "we're going to fix ________" but without explaining how or even how _______ got messed up in the first place. I didn't like how the President tried to spin the "spending freeze" that doesn't affect the bulk of spending increases.
Really pumped about the Don't Ask, Don't Tell thing. We'll see how it plays out. I was surprised he didn't touch on marriage equality while he was on the topic of equal rights.
What really got me though was campaign finance reform bill pushing a week after the SCOTUS ruled it quasi-unconstitutional. Not sure how that will work.
And the Sotomayor line from CNN was that he got her successfully confirmed, not that she has been a success as a justice.
McDonnell did a much better job than Jindal did last year in terms of speech delivery. However, he had zero substance whatsoever.
It'll be interesting to see how this whole thing is dissected over the next few days.
He phrased the "don't ask don't tell" part correctly - by not using the phrase, which refers to a policy, not the actual law.
Other than that issue, he tried to be uncontroversial (who doesn't hate the banks, as he kept pointing out). What will be remembered most, I think, is the condescending tone and the lack of admission of anything.
McDonnell had 10 minutes to comment on a 78 minute speech. Not sure how he could be very specific and address much.
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