Obama’s 5th — count ‘em, five — State of the Union
Tonight, Barack Obama sets the tone and agenda for his second and final term as president of the United States. He will reportedly focus on jobs, the economy and the deficit.
“Nothing I’m proposing tonight should increase our deficit by a single dime,” advance speech excerpts say. “It’s not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth.”
He will also announce that by the end of 2013, the number of troops in Afghanistan will be cut in half, with 34,000 men and women in uniform coming home to their families and country. Gun control and immigration are likely to be focuses as well.
UPDATE: 9:19: The president begins with a litany of successes: “Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis.” Nicely put.
9:22: Making his pitch to avoid the sequester, “a really bad idea.”
“We must embrace the idea of modest reforms” in Medicare, but not without also asking more of the wealthy and powerful. “We can’t just cut our way to prosperity,” but need a balanced approach to get there.
Tax reform and entitlement reform: The Grand Bargain is still out there, in other words.
9:29: “The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to another.”
Amen.
9:37: “I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good.”
9:44: A Georgia shoutout:
“In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let’s do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let’s give our kids that chance.”
9:48: Boehner applauds, lightly, the idea of comprehensive immigration reform.
9:52: “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty, and raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. We should be able to get that done.”
Let’s just say that’s a big ask, shall we?
9:56: “…. by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over.” That will be 13 years. That’s long enough.
10:06: I think the most telling words in the speech may have come very early: “Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis.” In many ways, especially in tone, this is the speech that a President Obama would have given four years ago if he had not taken office in the middle of the biggest economic crisis in 80 years.
10:13: “Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote.” NRA says “nagannahappen”.
10:16: “‘… this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.” Correct, Mr. President. And that should not be a controversial statement.
– Jay Bookman
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377 comments Add your comment
Jackie
February 12th, 2013
11:52 pm
@Thulsa
You brother could be accosted by a gang of one. Someone hungry enough and desperate enough to feed their family would present a formidable foe for your brother, his dogs and his supposed isolation.
I would say to you, if it came down to what your brother had relative to what he needed to take care of his family versus what is needed to take care of neighbors, where will his decision fall?
Thulsa Doom
February 12th, 2013
11:54 pm
Jackie,
True. But Zimbabwe is a largely illiterate and uneducated populace with little to no human capital as well as little to no financial capital after Mugabe squandered it and ran the country into the ground. There situation is hardly comparable to ours. They have virtually no infrastructure.
Our collapse would more closely resemble Argentina most likely. You could possibly even say Germany post WW 1 except that Germany also had infrastructure ruins and forced to pay severe reparations which broke the country even further. Our financial system would collapse but our human capital, infrastructure, and capital equipment would still be in place to pick up the pieces and start right back over.
Jackie
February 12th, 2013
11:54 pm
@Thulsa
If things get bad enough, the dogs would be dinner for some.
Oscar
February 12th, 2013
11:56 pm
No dogs in China They would disappear pretty fast, I think.
Jackie
February 12th, 2013
11:59 pm
@Thulsa
You are not correct about the literacy of the people of Zimbabwe. They have an imposed crisis brought on by the intransigence of President Mugabe. They are a very rich country in minerals and gold and were known to the breadbasket of southern Africa.
The analogy I was making was about how their currency has depreciated so badly, that a 10,000,000,000 note in Zimbabwe is worth less than one cent.
Aquagirl
February 13th, 2013
12:00 am
They have however had problems with marauding bands of telephone pole thieves.
WTF? There’s a market for used phone poles?
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:01 am
Jackie,
My brother’s family comes first but I think you would have to know his layout to know that aint no gang of one or even gang of 5 going to come and take him and his wife out. They both pack plenty of heat and know how to use it. Dad is nearby too as well as his neighbors. We’re good. As for his charity I’ve witnessed my brother give his last bit of cash to a homeless man so that he could pay for his stay that night at the salvation army. And he sometimes puts $20 in the gas tanks of people who ask him for help at gas stations. One guy he met at a gas station the guy was telling him he finally got a job and had groceries at home but was worried about the gas to get to and from the job the rest of the week so that he could work before he got his first check. Bro filled up his tank. He knows most of his neighbors and if times ever got really tough all his neighbors, black, white, hispanic, rich and not so rich, no they could count on him to slaughter a cow for food or help to fix machinery and such.
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:01 am
@Thulsa
Sounds good, but, we must have a medium of exchange – money – in order to trade goods and services among ourselves.
Without the good faith and credit of the US government behind our money, how much would $1 dollar be worth to someone that had food you needed?
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:03 am
@Thulsa
You make my point. If your brother had no money, how could he be a good Samaritan?
Mick
February 13th, 2013
12:03 am
I think the boehner was right, obama wants to annihilate the republicans….and rightfully so, they are the party of no and are holding this country back, the majority wants them out of the way…
Keep Up the Good Fight!
February 13th, 2013
12:05 am
Fred mentions he has given a coat he was wearing to the homeless and ScumDoom calls him a liar. But sure, we all can believe anything ScumDoom claims about his family members and what they do for others. Real scum.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:06 am
Jackie,
My point is that he would be able to barter for the necessities and be self sustaining. As far as money and currencies as we’ve seen from history other countries like Argentina and Germany have recovered from similar devastations very well. We’ll got the infrastructure set up to do so. We would just have to go through some very hard economic pain for 1-2 years and hope the govt doesn’t make it worse a la the depression of the 1930s.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:08 am
“WTF? There’s a market for used phone poles?”
Aquagirl I aint believing you fell for that. Gotcha! Hope you got a good laugh out of it.
bman.
February 13th, 2013
12:09 am
Keepup….you need to have happy thoughts.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:10 am
Scumdoom blah blah blah. Superhero kreep you really need some new material missy. At least try to have some wit. Up your game a bit missy. You’re sounding like a disgruntled old man who is never going to see his fantasy of Doomy in a hot pair of speedos come true. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.
K
R
E
E
P
Y
!
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:10 am
@Thulsa
Most economist predict the economy will be devastated for at least 10 years.
Remember, they have all said the Great Depression would look like child’s play.
As for the government making the Great Depression worse? Don’t comprehend that statement.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:11 am
bman.
February 13th, 2013
12:09 am
Keepup….you need to have happy thoughts.
And with that Kreep’s little noggin conjures up a visual of Doomy in a hot pair of speedos. Kreepy!
bman.
February 13th, 2013
12:14 am
“And with that Kreep’s little noggin conjures up a visual of Doomy in a hot pair of speedos. Kreepy!”
the smoking gun is the mushroom cloud?
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:16 am
Jackie,
I don’t see that. Personally I think that in 2007 all we did was delay the inevitable. Still a lot of excess in the system. Some economists feel it would have been better to have done nothing and let the system collapse and let all the excess shake out over a year or 2. The recession would have been even steeper and more painful. But the recovery would have been far steeper and stronger once things turned. If things ever collapse completely I feel things would be very rough for a couple of years but then pick up quickly from there. What would hurt us and make it last a long time would be the govt constantly interfering in a post recovery.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:17 am
“the smoking gun is the mushroom cloud?”
Hilarious!!! Kamspam the repetitive post bunny would be proud!
bman.
February 13th, 2013
12:23 am
I call him KamHammer…
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:23 am
@Thulsa
Glad that you are not someone that had the power to make such a decision.
If you get into a state of negative growth (recession) in the economy, how do you get to a positive economic state?
My answer is money!!!!
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:24 am
“As for the government making the Great Depression worse? Don’t comprehend that statement.”
Jackie,
I’m not sure how much you’ve read or studied the great Depression but if you haven’t I would encourage you to read some lib and con views of what happened. I will tell you the worst thing that happened and which the empirical evidence bears out. People think the stock market crash of 1929 caused the Great Depression. Not really true. After the market crash things started to pick up and grown and unemployment actually went down a few months later. But then the govt in its infinite wisdom that “something has just got to be done” went and passed the Smoot Hawley tariff act. Immediately afterwards the economy plunged into recession. The next 10 years of different govt maneuvers and calamities in fiscal and monetary policy is an interesting read. The funny thing is that the libs say that austerity doesn’t work and point to 1937 when it indeed did not work. And austerity in the way of raising taxes and cutting spending does not work in my view. But what they forget is the previous 7 years of economic failure. And in particular read about why the banks failed in the 30s. Its directly because of govt regulation that they failed- regulation that did not allow for multi branch banking. Canada which did allow multi branch banking did not have a single bank failure while the U.S. had hundreds if not thousands of bank failure.
Aquagirl
February 13th, 2013
12:28 am
I aint believing you fell for that.
I can almost hear Redneck…”Those People in the cities are so lazy they don’t even bother takin’ the whole telephone pole before they pull the stuff offa it.”
getalife
February 13th, 2013
12:28 am
“Some economists feel it would have been better to have done nothing and let the system collapse”
Did they predict the collapse?
rw economists are not credible.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:32 am
My answer is money!!!!
No. The solution is the exact opposite. You have to devalue your currency and take you lumps in the short term to get hyperinflation under control. Otherwise you just keep printing money and end up like Zimbabwe or or post WW1 germany. Study Volcker’s monetary policy of 81-82 and the Fed induced recession and that’ll give you a good understanding of how monetary policy can combat inflation.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
12:35 am
Aquagirl,
Next time you’re late to an appointment or meeting some folks when you show up tell them that you’re sorry that you’re late but that on the way over you were accosted by a roving band of telephone pole thieves. You’ll see some blank expressions wondering what the hell you’re talking about. 1 or 2 people will get it fairly quickly though.
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:40 am
@Thulsa
Have read much on the Great Depression and had read much of what Chairman Bernanke has taught about that calamity. and have learned the major cause was the banks and the stock market crash.
Without the medium of exchange – money – that serves as our demand vehicle, how is the supply side of the economy stimulated. Hoover decided to stop the flow of cheap goods and put limits of the public for panic selling of the stock market.
As for hyperinflation, we had that occur when there was too many dollars chasing too few goods.
Paul Volker’s policies during 81-82 was designed to combat the inflation caused by oil doubling in price as ours was and largely still is a petroleum based economy.
Jackie
February 13th, 2013
12:45 am
@Thulsa
Good robust conversation.
Thulsa Doom
February 13th, 2013
1:03 am
Jackie,
Had to take the dog out before crashing but now I’m really out. Some last points. No doubt that we need money as money is indeed the vehicle by which demand is stimulated. I thought you were talking about printing more money but its obvious I misunderstood what you were saying.
Regarding Hoover we both agree and on hyperinflation of course we both agree on the standard definition of the term.
I suggested Volcker’s actions in case you haven’t read much on monetary policy. Its refreshing to see that you have and know you’re stuff.
As for still being a petroleum based economy that is sad but true. And unfortunately probably not anything that’s going to change anytime soon.
As for the stock market crash being the primary cause of the great depression I both agree and disagree with you and the common analysis that cites it as a leading cause. It can be cited as a leading cause but I think that people forget that within months after the crash that unemployment began to drop again as we began to recover. In my view I think Smoot Hawley did more to plunge the economy into recession than the actual market crash.
Anyway, now I’m really out. Busy day manana.
Marco Rubio and Lindsey votes against the Violence Against Women Act
February 13th, 2013
5:41 am
WASHINGTON — The Senate easily passed its Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill on Tuesday, officially punting the issue to the House, where Republican leaders still haven’t signaled how they plan to proceed.
The bill passed 78 to 22. It already had 62 cosponsors, which ensured its passage, but it picked up additional support from a handful of Republicans who weren’t already sponsoring it.
Senators who voted against the bill included Republicans John Barrasso (Wyo.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Cruz (Texas), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin Hatch (Utah), James Inhofe (Okla.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Ron Johnson (Wisc.), Mike Lee (Utah), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Jim Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kansas), Marco Rubio (Fla.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), John Thune (S.D.) and Tim Scott (S.C.).
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/12/vawa-vote_n_2669720.html
Jack ®
February 13th, 2013
5:50 am
Obama’d make a great watch salesman.
Joel Edge
February 13th, 2013
5:59 am
“He will reportedly focus on jobs,”
Again? His poll numbers must have dropped.
weetamoe
February 13th, 2013
6:54 am
Unerglaublich!! He actually says that his idea about the sequestration is a bad idea? But when he first proposed it I applauded because it is one of his few good ideas.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 13th, 2013
7:02 am
Good morning to all y’all…
Just finished listening to President Obama’s State of the Union speech…Very good. He recycled some old ideas on jobs, but a good idea is a good idea no matter when they are proposed, but it’s time to act. Infrastructure and conservation, that’s the ticket. Take the idea FDR had back in the 1930’s, make it better by bringing in private enterprise to help with the cost, and make it work by putting our people to work. I would love to see the high speed rail idea work too.
I absolutely loved the end of his speech about gun reform. I think we will get something done this time.
All in all, good job, Mister President.
So, come on GOP, help get her done.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 13th, 2013
7:03 am
I did notice though, that throughout the whole speech, Speaker Boehner looked like he was sucking lemons…
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:13 am
Again? His poll numbers must have dropped.
He doesn’t worry about poll numbers dummy, he’s been re-elected and can’t run again.
See? THIS is the level of “intelligence” we get from the far right wing fanatical nutcases. Is it any wonder that they need FOX and talk radio to tell them what to say? they sure as hell lack the ability to THINK.
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:14 am
Hello Corbin. I did not watch the address I am ashamed to say. I went to bed early lol.
MiltonMan
February 13th, 2013
7:14 am
“Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote.” NRA says “nagannahappen”
And their “right” to vote does not trump the 2nd Amendment.
MiltonMan
February 13th, 2013
7:16 am
“Again? His poll numbers must have dropped.
He doesn’t worry about poll numbers dummy, he’s been re-elected and can’t run again.”
Jay had a piece a couple weeks back about how Obama’s approval numbers have “skyrockted” to 51% post-election. Jay’s opinion piece was well over 1000 posts. Obama might not care about his numbers but the libs sure do.
the dog
February 13th, 2013
7:17 am
Fred-I didn’t watch either but you have to google the newest Watergate with Rubio. He is not ready for prime time.
Redcoat
February 13th, 2013
7:21 am
“Obama’s 5th — count ‘em, five — State of the Union”……..Great for him, but what about the rest of us…..and what to show for it? Same old stuff……..choreographed and changed to suit the latest polls …..seems like I’ve seen this before. Google, I heard, is helping out the President now…….
Redcoat
February 13th, 2013
7:23 am
I wonder how many dimes he’s going to want to “not” spend now…….”not a single dime”, yeah,right.
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:25 am
Wow dog, you got that right. I guess he had to wash the taste of one foxbot lie out of his mouth before telling another one.
The Republicans have lost touch with reality and are letting Rush and Rupert run their show. No wonder they keep losing.
And here’s Rubio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krTZCrtXLCI&feature=youtu.be
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:26 am
mornin’.
“raise the federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour. We should be able to get that done.”
Let’s just say that’s a big ask, shall we?
Not disagreeing, just shaking my head that I live in a country where that is a “big ask.” It’s rather sickening, really.
Kinda like how one lobbying outfit claiming maybe (if you count the dead ones and squint) 3-4 million members–that’s about 1/8 the number of people who listen to NPR, just to keep it in perspective–gets to dictate how our criminal code is written.
Again, this guy’s sign continue to speak the truth.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:30 am
I absolutely loved the end of his speech about gun reform.
I have to admit that his “they deserve a vote” riff both surprised and delighted me. It’s not an angle I can recall being played in the past and whoever on Team Obama came up with it deserves a week off with the spouse + fambly in some nice vacay spot.
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:32 am
Question of the day.
What do all the colored girls go?
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:35 am
Just a soap-opera kinda question for any morning hangers-’round:
Yesterday I popped in over at Kyle’s to do my usual polite how-ya-doin’, just a bit of info that might shed some light kinda contribution.
I saw our former regular Bruno doing his usual crying about how you can’t talk to liberals about Obama’s very terrible and seriously, this is serious, very bad spending habit. and I was strong enough not to take the bait at the time and walk away.
But really, how DOES one talk to conservatives who claim to profess some education, who continue to spout absolutely clueless, Villager-approved nonsense about the “deficit crisis”? How do you get to these people to understand that our money supply isn’t a problem, that there are absolutely no signs that any kind of serious inflation or currency devaluation is in the cards, etc.?
I realize that our President isn’t helping by continuing to nod in the direction of this nonsense, but I can’t blame Obama for my own lack of eloquence on the subject.
Any ideas, O rational folk?
Progressive, Liberal, Lefty
February 13th, 2013
7:36 am
Excellent State of the Union address by President Obama. I swear, this man is so impressive. If we’d had the good luck to have him as our president for the last 15 years we’d be light years ahead of the rest of the industrialized world. Damn good job by a damn good president!
Detractors are rigid idealogues and nothing more than a distraction. Pathetic.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:37 am
Fred, damn good question!
Last time I had a look, the answer was:
Do.
Do do.
Do do, do
Do do do.
Do do.
Do do.
Do do do.
But that might have changed.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:44 am
And their “right” to vote does not trump the 2nd Amendment.
The 2nd Amendment means whatever we decide it means. If we collectively decide it means you can keep nothing more awesome than a double-barreled .410 with birdshot, you’ll just have to eat it.
By the way, your bunny-ear quotes around the word “right” can go blow a farm animal.
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:45 am
And we have a winner. Your prize? A serious good jam to listen to as you ponder answers to your question @ 7:35.
Alas I have no answer for you. Any attempts at a rational discussion are met with FOXBOT slogans and insults. When they start a discussion with a lie and then double down with more lies and personal attacks what’s to discuss? As you so eloquently put it yestrday, there IS no debate here why should I expect one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KaWSOlASWc&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
7:46 am
Is a goat considered a farm animal?
Rightwing troll
February 13th, 2013
7:49 am
“Well, it looks like there are plenty of Obama supporters talking about how easy it was for them to vote multiple times in Ohio.”
Yes I recall the single person stating they did something like that,… And the wingnut screeching of “rampant” voter fraud, and the swooning, and the wailing and crying…
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:51 am
Fred, first off, I’ll see your racially insensitive Lou Reed opus and raise you a kajillion Internet dollahz.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ehoomjQjfI
Secondly, I don’t accept that there is no way to get through to ALL of the so-called ‘bots. Some of them have fully functional consciences.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 13th, 2013
7:54 am
“Not One slimy rape mongering war on women Republican had the GUTS to Agree…I SAID GUTLESS GOP.”
And don’t forget about the binders! Romney used binders! Binders, man.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
7:55 am
Is a goat considered a farm animal?
Not if you’re doing it right.
[slapping own wrist.]
Peadawg
February 13th, 2013
7:59 am
How many time did he use the words “invest” or “investment” last night?
Fred ™
February 13th, 2013
8:00 am
Wow. I had never heard that Lou Reed before. Man he sure pushed issues didn’t he? Did you read the write up the guy did on the version of Walk on The Wild Side I linked?
independent thinker
February 13th, 2013
8:03 am
Why did the stupid party have two different responses? A little friction over who has the dumber proposals to offer the party?
Here’s what I got from Rubio before falling asleep from boredom:
1, He repeated all the failed points of a Romney.Ryan stump speech to which the electorate said no in November
2.He has no immigration plan different than the president’s except his is given in Spanish as well;
3. He dislikes big government and deficits but after twenty years just paid off over $100,000 in student loans;
4. He is okay with the proliferation of illegal guns by gun sellers out to make huge profits;
5. All the problems with Congress are due to the president and not anyone in the Republican party;
6. He needs to drink a lot of water to keep down the foul odor of negativity coming out of his mouth and
7. He showed none of the characteristics necessary for leadership of this country but may do well as a boy scout troop leader with Hispanic scouts .
bookman parrot
February 13th, 2013
8:04 am
nothing to be proud of jay. the 5th, count’em five, shows how stupid the voting population is.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
8:05 am
Did you read the write up the guy did on the version of Walk on The Wild Side I linked?
No, I did not, but now I have. I was hearing all this stuff in real time–”Wild Side” may not have made the top 10, but it WAS in the top 40 and got a lot of FM airplay in the years thereafter.
Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust also came out in ‘72, and it was also very much about blurring the lines (listen to “Lady Stardust” sometime) and encouraging people to embrace their fellow “Space Oddities”, so to speak.
Jay
February 13th, 2013
8:06 am
Spending SHEETZ.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
8:06 am
How many time did he use the words “invest” or “investment” last night?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/us/politics/obamas-2013-state-of-the-union-address.html?_r=0
ctrl-F is your friend.
stands for decibels
February 13th, 2013
8:06 am
spending SHEETZ?
deep breath time. could it be? We will see.
Escaped from Email Purgatory
February 13th, 2013
8:09 am
Bookman.
If you’re happy, I’m happy. And you seem happy – maybe giddy is a more appropriate description of your emotional state – based on the title of your blog.
Our President offered up some decent ideas tonight. He’s nothing if not an idea man.
But did anyone notice the relative short shrift given the economy?
He threw lotsa stuff at the wall during his speech. A speech punctuated some 70 times by applause – does it count when only two people are clapping and one of them is the First Lady?
Not sure how much of it will stick. That’s Congress’s job though, making it stick. Our President’s job is to plant the seed. He can’t be bothered with details – or negotiations.
‘Investment” was a word he deployed often last night. Our President loves investment. He wants to invest existing wealth on programs to move our country forward.
Unfortunately, our President doesn’t have much passion for growing wealth. Seems clear to him there’s currently enough of it around for his investment purposes.
Our President doesn’t know much about business. He doesn’t like rich people who won’t give more. He believes that rich people owe their wealth to society anyway, so they should gladly give more of it back. That’s only fair.
Our President likes regulations that protect the environment. He likes new laws that mandate employers provide health care coverage for every employee. That’s only fair too.
Our President says his passion for health care reform will make America better and healthier and fairer and make health care cheaper and better for Americans who already have it while providing it for those who don’t. Our President says his health care reform will reduce the deficit; in the long run; somehow. I bet at night, when he’s sipping his favorite beverage and the First Lady is massaging his bunions, I bet our President doesn’t believe that one himself.
Then I bet the First Lady says, “Barack, you are a silver-tongued devil. You could convince an Eskimo to buy an Icey!” Then they both laugh for a second until the First Lady realizes that was an insensitive and inappropriate remark. Eskimos should be referred to as indigenous Alaskans. And Icies are illegal now because they cause cavities and brain-freeze and make you fat.
Our President has passions. Mostly for social justice – and playing half-court basketball and taking vacations and campaigning and reading speeches to big crowds who adore him and having Hollywood bigs shots kiss his butt.
Everybody needs passions.
Our President does not have a plan to grow the economy. The economy is not one of his passions. That’s too bad. I think he knows lots of government regulations increase the cost of maintaining and operating a business – which serves to inhibit growth.
And I bet our President knows no growth means no new jobs. But that’s not his passion either.
And all these regulations are needed in his America. America’s children’s children will thank our President for today’s regulations someday. That’s when our President’s vision for America will come to fruition. Someday.
Ivan
February 13th, 2013
8:14 am
When did Georgia’s education system become a beacon for the rest of the nation to follow?
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 13th, 2013
8:16 am
Just listened to the Rand Paul speech, and I took two things from it. One, I agree that we should stop giving foreign aid to countries that don’t have our interests at heart. Tow, he said that spending on education has tripled…to this I ask where? In our own state this is untrue. What is he talking about?
ITS 'S ALL BUSH'S FAULT
February 13th, 2013
8:17 am
SUCK IT CONS……. CLINTON..2016
straitroad
February 13th, 2013
8:18 am
What reason does anyone have to take obama at his word? We’ve heard it all before. By the way, my healthcare cost increased by $1200.00 this year after I was promised a reduction by this president. The guy just isn’t credible to those of us who mind our own business and pay our own way. I’m certain that all of you who exist via the labor of others think obama is a swell guy but his policies havn’t worked out so well for the ones paying the bills.
Don
February 13th, 2013
8:19 am
“10:16: “‘… this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations.” Correct, Mr. President. And that should not be a controversial statement.”
It was full of non-controversial statements.
The trouble occurs when we try to figure out who should lead and who should follow. Does government take the lead, acting as the representative of the people? Do people act through voluntary association with government staying out of it? Or, is government supposed to facilitate where others take the lead?
When government leads, we get “nanny state”
When government stays out of it, we get “not enough resources for big problems”.
The third option is “just right”. Too bad it has no advocate. Our leaders have pitched their tents elsewhere.
curious
February 13th, 2013
8:23 am
F. Sinkwich is a lightweight. He finally fizzled out around 9:30 PM. On the other hand, td and digits lasted until after 10 PM.
Good work Jay. Attract the crazies early and let them crash and burn.
curious
February 13th, 2013
8:26 am
straitroad
“By the way, my healthcare cost increased by $1200.00 this year after I was promised a reduction by this president”
Maybe you should talk to your insurance company. I bet your rates have gone up plenty before Obama.
You should assume some personal responsibility for your healthcare and stop waiting for Obama to hand out free stuff to you.
independent thinker
February 13th, 2013
8:59 am
That 102 year old voter can move to a blue state if she does not like the wait for minority voters in Rubio’s red state. What garbage!
hamiltonAZ
February 13th, 2013
9:06 am
“I think the boehner was right, obama wants to annihilate the republicans…”
The President is not the actor here. Closely examine Republican principles before 1990 and compare them to today. The party is being annihilated from within.
Vast Right Wing Conspiracy (aka "Knuckle-Dragger")
February 13th, 2013
8:19 pm
So president kardashian continues to make Jimmy Carter look good – no easy feat.
Ethertac
February 17th, 2013
1:49 am
Why not rethink from a fresh platform. The same old tired rhetoric needs to go. E.g “The greatest nation on Earth”. You’re NOT! Get over it. “The wealthiest nation on Earth” You’re NOT! If it weren’t for Chinese money you’d be in deeper doodoo than you are. The problems of the USA could be solved practically overnight if you stopped spending the tax payers money on war and maintaining offshore military bases.There’s no way you are ever going realise your inane ambition of controlling the world by setting up these bases anywhere you can coerce some country to have one. For God,s sake, concentrate on USA and stop interfering in other nations affairs. Really, who do you think you are? The only people who think you are great, are you. To the rest of the world, you are regarded as a joke. Wake up.