State of the Union

[Choada_Boy]

Alito was PISSED.

[Hugh Conway]

Of course Alito was pissed. He wanted an iPad with a front facing camera too.

[prole]

Obama put on a helluva show; at times it was a great speech. It seems apparent, at least rhetorically and apart from this "spending freeze" nonsense, that he does not intend to roll over to the blue-dick Dems and know-nothing Teabaggers (ala Bill Clinton). Let's hope this dog's just got mad and has got some fight in him. It'd be nice to see some MFs getting fired right now: Geithner first and then some of the cheese dicks on his staff.

 

BTW, the Republican rebuttal: How did the GOP manage to find someone with a delivery as gimpy and awkward, a message as muddled and banal, in a tone as patronizing and condescending as Bobby Jindal's response was a year ago? It had everything except the Mister Rogers music.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2010 by prole

[StevenSeagal]

I noticed that the GOP/Teabagger response has a common element that even I agree with in principle, which is "actions speak louder than words", to quote several of them.

 

Which I should take to mean that they actually support what Obama proposed tonight? Which means their daily opposition to everything he is trying is simply obstruction for obstruction's sake and a game of point-scoring? Good thing they are working for the American people's interest!

[Crux]

Yes, Alito is said to have mouthed the words, "Not true!" in reaction to Obama when he alluded to the assertion that the recent court decision places the rights of corporations at not only equal to but above the rights of people.

 

Whatever.

 

Now, a corporation is running for political office, and that's the truth:

 

[video:youtube]

[ivan]

great speech, but then that hasn't been the problem w/ this one

 

loved seeing the court put in the spotlight briefly, as well as the joint chiefs a little later on

 

liked the almost informal nature of the speeech - he was calling folks out, just wish there was a bit more of a knife in what he said to them - "let's be clear america, take a look at these sad-sack sorry-ass motherfuckers - do you see them? these are the folks who have to fuck with everything - these are the people you need to be having a chat w/"

 

as for the rebuttal, it was kinda like following hte superbowl up w/ a peewee football game - the production quality alone looked like total shit - hey, we're gonna do things jus tliek the big guy, just shittier and cornier

 

"we can't keep spendign money the way we have been!" uh, wtf? when you clowns took the conch back in 2000 we were in surplus, then you proceeded to spend it all on coke n' whores n' new-edible panties for your secretaries, and we're to blame?

[Choada_Boy]

Perhaps the fewest standing ovations and five minute clapfests I've seen in a State of the Union address. He stood there and gave it straight up to both sides of Congress, the Court, the Armed Services, and the American People the whole time. He spoke for perhaps ten minutes, uninterrupted, in his conclusion. Great oratory, more like a lecture on economics and democracy.

[ivan]

Perhaps the fewest standing ovations and five minute clapfests I've seen in a State of the Union address.

i noticed this particularily at the start of the speech - he went at least 5 minutes of the top w/o interuption - brilliant - he also talked over a lot of clapping so as to get them to stfu

 

i just wish that talk could actually turn into more than a rare pleasant hour of television and political theater - at this point i have no idea what i could even see to convince me things are changing

[billcoe]

At least we have a leader erudite enough to pronounce all of his words correctly and in context. Remember that to climb any mountain the most difficult part is often that one must first choose to do so and then take the first step.

______________________________________________________________

 

A walk down memory lane: — former President Bushisms

 

 

"Will the highways on the internet become more few?"

 

"It’s a time of sorrow and sadness when we lose a loss of life"

 

"I appreciate the fact that you really snatched defeat out of the jaws of those who are trying to defeat us in Iraq"

 

 

"I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office"

 

"We’re concerned about Aids inside our White House – make no mistake about it"

 

"I’m honoured to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein"

 

"I’ve coined new words, like “misunderstanding”

 

"I recently met with the finance minister of the Palestinian Authority, was very impressed by his grasp of finances"

 

"It’s in our country’s interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way"

 

"One year ago today, the time for excuse-making has come to an end"

 

. "I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn’t here"

 

"You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test"

 

"I don’t particularly like it when people put words in my mouth, either, by the way, unless I say it

 

"[The Taliban] have no disregard for human life"

 

"When the governor calls, I answer his phone"

 

"Those who enter the country illegally violate the law"

 

"I think we agree, the past is over"

 

"America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienalienable right of life"

 

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions"

 

"One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures"

 

 

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."

 

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."

[j_b]

Obama is certainly saying a lot of the right things about the economy and the cred deficit of the political class. Let's see him actually do something toward achieving these goals. My main worries (besides the fact that his speech may be as good as it gets and much of it wasn't very specific) is that he appears to think the health care mess was a communication problem and that much of his energy/environmental policy is in great part greenwashed pork (biofuels, nuclear, "clean coal") for the same old entrenched interests.

[prole]

Apart from the monumental strategic blunder of not putting forth a comprehensive plan of their own and cashing in their political chips while they were ahead, the "communication problem" was a huge part of the health care mess. Not having a plan to sell, Obama sat on the sidelines while the GOP, Pharma, and Insurance cranked the air-raid sirens and screamed "FIRE" and let the politicians in Congress twist in the wind. With the town hall spectacles, the Right showed an Obama team who'd mobilized millions for the election how you light a fire under a politicians ass (even when it isn't an election year). Pols who showed up to the meetings with the idea of getting a message across got their asses handed to them. With the exception of Barney Frank calling a teabagger a dining room table, it literally took weeks before these fools lifted a finger to respond to the outrageous claims of "death camps", "kicking Granny to the curb", etc. that should always have been built into the strategy. For someone going in with as much political capital, as much media savvy, with as large a network as Obama had, to lose something as big as health care because they didn't "sell it" is pathetic. Heads should roll.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Apart from the monumental strategic blunder of not putting forth a comprehensive plan of their own and cashing in their political chips while they were ahead, the "communication problem" was a huge part of the health care mess. Not having a plan to sell, Obama sat on the sidelines while the GOP, Pharma, and Insurance cranked the air-raid sirens and screamed "FIRE" and let the politicians in Congress twist in the wind. With the town hall spectacles, the Right showed an Obama team who'd mobilized millions for the election how you light a fire under a politicians ass (even when it isn't an election year). Pols who showed up to the meetings with the idea of getting a message across got their asses handed to them. With the exception of Barney Frank calling a teabagger a dining room table, it literally took weeks before these fools lifted a finger to respond to the outrageous claims of "death camps", "kicking Granny to the curb", etc. that should always have been built into the strategy. For someone going in with as much political capital, as much media savvy, with as large a network as Obama had, to lose something as big as health care because they didn't "sell it" is pathetic. Heads should roll.

 

You expected more from a "Community Organizer".

 

Man, you are stupid.

[prole]

What I'm talking about is the essence of community organizing, you degenerate scat muncher! Try to pay more attention.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

What I'm talking about is the essence of community organizing,

 

He's organizing the community allright.

 

you degenerate scat muncher.

 

A little projection, eh? Considering you and your agenda is the one eating shit right now...

 

 

[Mal_Con]

The best comment I heard was that "Obama took his winnings and handed them over to Max Bacus"

[prole]

Considering you and your agenda is the one eating shit right now...

 

Still pining for the good ol' days, eh? This will help...

 

[Lars]

...the essence of community organizing...

 

And that is what Obama claimed to be about.

 

Too bad for him and the far left now that American communities have seen enough and are organizing in the other direction.

 

 

[j_b]

other direction like in the ~55% who voted in Oregon 2 days ago to increase taxes on the wealthy and corps or is it the ~82% of Mass voters who want medicare for everyone?

[tvashtarkatena]

...the essence of community organizing...

 

And that is what Obama claimed to be about.

 

Too bad for him and the far left now that American communities have seen enough and are organizing in the other direction.

 

 

I heard that reported, almost word for word, on Fox news, too.

 

I didn't catch the SOTU address...no need to. The treadmills at the gym have TV so I'm sure Fox will cook it down for me.

[prole]

...the essence of community organizing...

 

And that is what Obama claimed to be about.

 

Too bad for him and the far left now that American communities have seen enough of their needs not being met and are organizing in the other direction.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. As long as Obama and the Dems (and the Repubs) don't step it up and start solving the problems facing ordinary Americans and the planet, they will continue turning towards Fascism. Thanks Lars.

[Fairweather]

Obama using the occasion of a State of the Union speech to personally blast the Supreme Court and lecture the Democrat-controlled Senate in a paternal-like fashion is downright scary. My guess is that some folks are really scratching their heads about this guy today.

[Jim]

Scary? Using the bully pulpit to tell the Dems to get off thier butts? As far as the Supreme Court - nothing he or anyone can do until one of the conservataives goes feet up. I thought the recent Supreme decision was an odd display of ignoring quite a load of precedent.

[prole]

My guess is that some folks are really scratching their heads about this guy today.

 

No more than those folks usually do, I'll bet.

 

[Fairweather]

So did I. But being publicly railed at during such an event is unsettling in a balance of powers context. Don't you think?

[Jim]

No. Not at all. It's just tongue wagging. But robust power grabs as Bushie was good at is a good example of trying to consolidate executive power and marginalize the legislative branch. That was concerning. I'm sure Scalia was muttering under his breath STFU.