Whether you thought he knocked it out of the park, or struck out like Mighty Casey, I'm sure you all have strong opinions about President Obama's State Of The Union speech. So do I.
With your indulgence, allow me to share my favorite moments of this presentation with you. In return, I'm offering, yes, a POLL! No charge. 18% gratuity for parties of six or more.
After a slow start, I thought President Obama began to gain momentum here:
From the day I took office, I have been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious – that such efforts would be too contentious, that our political system is too gridlocked, and that we should just put things on hold for awhile.
For those who make these claims, I have one simple question:
How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold?
And he followed it up by challenging Americans to stay competitive globally. Even the Republicans couldn't sit down for that.
When he brought up healthcare reform, you could cut the tension with the proverbial knife. Then he smartly inserted this into the speech:
And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make our kids healthier.
Good move. The Republicans would have seemed shrill and churlish if they didn't stand and applaud the First Lady. And once that barrier was broken, Obama was in control and at ease with the rest of his healthcare pitch.
Time for a reminder of the previous administration? Yup.
So let me start the discussion of government spending by setting the record straight. At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. That was before I walked in the door.
In other words, I'm Mariano Rivera, and you put me in the game with the bases loaded and no one out. Not complaining. Just saying.
Now this one dropped my jaw. In a most excellent way. Supreme Court? Yeah, here's your Supreme Court...
Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections. Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.
And they say elections don't matter? Two words: Alito. Roberts.
Is there gridlock in Congress? You betcha...
To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that sixty votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let’s show the American people that we can do it together.
How much did we want him to call out the obstructionists in his own party? About damn time! And it doesn't hurt to call out the Republicans on their complete intransigence to ANY bipartisanship. If Obama proposed a bill that declared May 10th "Apple Pie Day", Republicans would filibuster it.
You want populism?
Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions – our corporations, our media, and yes, our government – still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people’s doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments, and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.
No wonder there’s so much cynicism out there.
No wonder there’s so much disappointment.
Yes, it's obvious. But at least he said it.
Now it's time for some long overdue shame...
Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths. We can do what’s necessary to keep our poll numbers high, and get through the next election instead of doing what’s best for the next generation.
But I also know this: if people had made that decision fifty years ago or one hundred years ago or two hundred years ago, we wouldn’t be here tonight. The only reason we are is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard; to do what was needed even when success was uncertain; to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and grandchildren.
So true. Previous sessions of Congress had to deal with World Wars, Civil Wars, Great Depressions, Civil Rights, Secession. And this current crop gets a self-induced wedgie over insuring the uninsured. Grow a pair, or get perpetually mocked in the annals of history.
Here's the one time that I could feel the tears welling up...
It lives on in the 8-year old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti.
Classic. If you don't appreciate that, turn in your Kossack membership card and start watching "Fox and Friends". While stepping on pooties and woozles.
Last Call:
We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit. Let’s seize this moment – to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.
Translation - Look, I had a rough 2009. I'm calling a mulligan. Let's consider 2010 my REAL first year in office. I'm going to kick ass and keep all of those campaign promises. Honest.
Anyway, I give his speech a solid A. But really, it's not about the speech, is it? Let's see if the actions follow the words...