State of the Union Address

[NickCole]

So what do you think President Obama will say in his State of the Union Address this week?

Clearly he's going to begin the 2010 midterm campaign. What'll he grab out of his bag of tricks?

I'll start. I bet he plays the DADT card. He needs us again.

 

[Jack Springer]

He'll just repeat the same old promises. I wish he'd give it without a teleprompter. I also wish his focus would be on jobs, the economy, and national security.

If he doesn't focus on those items - he's on his way to being another Jimmy Carter.

 

[hotatlboi]

I'll start. I bet he plays the DADT card. He needs us again.

Oh please don't act like you just conjured that out of thin air.

We know he is going to mention it because of what Levin said.

And of course you would paint giving support to repealing DADT (something you would support) as a negative (implying it's a disingenuous suggestion) JUST to slight Obama again. LOL

 

[hotatlboi]

I wish he'd give it without a teleprompter.

What is this obsession you have with teleprompters?

Every president in recent history who gave this address on television has used a teleprompter. Why does Obama have to be different?

 

[iman]

^Apparently some of our posters are unaware of the "special standards" reserved for Obama.

Actually it is reassuring that a valid case cannot be made and the rightwing must resort to baseless charges and petty items.

 

[Just_Believe18]

I'm looking forward to it. I hope he's able to take a stronger stand for the platform he was elected for. If Bush was able to do whatever he wanted, Obama can get the job done.

 

[JB3]

I'm looking forward to it. I hope he's able to take a stronger stand for the platform he was elected for. If Bush was able to do whatever he wanted, Obama can get the job done.

Bush couldn't do whatever he wanted. While the executive was most certainly stronger while he was in office, the delusion that he somehow ran roughshod over the entire government apparatus is one that s not remotely accurate.

 

[Spiff]

It'll be not unlike any other president's SOTU speech in my opinion.

This.

No matter the party affiliation, the SOTU is always the same. Excessive applause, standing ovations, and hot air.

 

[grantt]

"_________ jobs have been created or saved" will be used

Good. The number this time is likely to grow to something like 10 million.

 

[NickCole]

Oh please don't act like you just conjured that out of thin air.

We know he is going to mention it because of what Levin said.

Didn't know about what Levin said when I started this thread.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that after MA Obama is going to try to shore up the usual suspects, the ones whose support for him has slipped - most obvious being gays and middle class. And with polls showing more than 70% approval for repealing DADT, that's a safe applause line from the base.

But he's using us. He's not even very subtle about it; suddenly one week after losing in MA.

And of course you would paint giving support to repealing DADT (something you would support) as a negative (implying it's a disingenuous suggestion) JUST to slight Obama again. LOL

Sweetheart, Obama's actions slight Obama.

He screwed up economic recovery, financial services reform, health care reform, so he'll pull some middle class goodies and DADT out of his bag of tricks. And gays are a gullible group these days, or they have been; it'll be interesting to see how gays respond to this now. And I wonder if the timing will be right for the rest of the country. A year ago, six months ago he could have got a DADT repeal through with no problem but today people are worried about jobs and the economy and deficit because hope and change has turned out to be more of the same and worsening circumstances. We'll see if his plan includes equal benefits for gay servicemen/women and their dependents. An equal right to die is nice but without equal benefits for ourselves and dependents it's not equal rights. No doubt his teleprompter will have nice words in it, and some still get warm and fuzzy when The One says nice things to them; but some of us are more interested in the substance of what happens.

 

[NineOfClubs]

This.

No matter the party affiliation, the SOTU is always the same. Excessive applause, standing ovations, and hot air.

Yes. A boring display no one remembers.

That's what I expect.

All he accentuates will be the wrong things. He won't address what he needs to address.

It will only be another nail in his, and the Democratic Party's, coffin.

 

[NickCole]

WASHINGTON —President Obama will call for a three-year freeze in spending on many domestic programs, and for increases no greater than inflation after that, an initiative intended to signal his seriousness about cutting the budget deficit, administration officials said Monday.

The officials said the proposal would be a major component both of Mr. Obama’s State of the Union address on Wednesday and of the budget he will send to Congress on Monday for the fiscal year that begins in October.

The freeze would cover the agencies and programs for which Congress allocates specific budgets each year, including air traffic control, farm subsidies, education, nutrition and national parks.

But it would exempt security-related budgets for the Pentagon, foreign aid, the Veterans Administration and homeland security, as well as the entitlement programs that make up the biggest and fastest-growing part of the federal budget: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

The payoff in budget savings would be small relative to the deficit: The estimated $250 billion in savings over 10 years would be less than 3 percent of the roughly $9 trillion in additional deficits the government is expected to accumulate over that time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/us/politics/26budget.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

I think this is exactly the wrong choice.

Now is not the time to cut spending, especially when it'll have such minimal impact on the deficit. Leave that alone and put through a potent jobs bill.

If you want to seriously reduce the deficit, put through a REAL health care reform because the monstrous part of the deficit is entitlement programs like SS, Medicare and Medicaid, and that's largely because of unchecked rising health care costs.

Jeebus, this guy gets nothing right.

 

[jackoroe]

Watch for him to become very populist. Phrases like "fighting for the middle class" will be thrown about.

And of course there will be the phony baloney "freeze" on spending on one hand, but reckless profligate spending on the other.

 

[Jack Springer]

What is this obsession you have with teleprompters?

Every president in recent history who gave this address on television has used a teleprompter. Why does Obama have to be different?

While giving one of his state of the union speeches Bill Clinton's teleprompter crashed - he and the operator knew.

He gave a perfect speech.

What bothers me about using the teleprompter is that Obama seems scripted -- can't think on his own. uh, uh, uh

 

[Kulindahr]

It would be nice if he'd apologize for all the broken promises.

 

[JB3]

I think this is exactly the wrong choice.

Now is not the time to cut spending, especially when it'll have such minimal impact on the deficit. Leave that alone and put through a potent jobs bill.

If you want to seriously reduce the deficit, put through a REAL health care reform because the monstrous part of the deficit is entitlement programs like SS, Medicare and Medicaid, and that's largely because of unchecked rising health care costs.

Jeebus, this guy gets nothing right.

And besides, a spending freeze at this point would be freezing in spending rates that are higher than they have ever been. It won't do jack shit. (and that's ignoring Obama's hypocrisy on the issue, seeing as how he chided McCain for recommending the same thing)

 

[NickCole]

And besides, a spending freeze at this point would be freezing in spending rates that are higher than they have ever been. It won't do jack shit. (and that's ignoring Obama's hypocrisy on the issue, seeing as how he chided McCain for recommending the same thing)

The funny thing is, it made a modicum of sense back before this deep unemployment and continuing economic crisis. Now is not the time to pull back on spending. And you're right, it wouldn't impact the deficit that much anyway.

During the campaign:

 

[hotatlboi]

The funny thing is, it made a modicum of sense back before this deep unemployment and continuing economic crisis.

Um, it makes more sense now then when the debate occurred during the campaign. The economy hasn't fully recovered but it is better than it was then.

 

[hotatlboi]

He screwed up economic recovery

Not from where I'm sitting.

Jobs picture is better.

Housing is showing signs of recovering.

http://www.nasdaq.com/newscontent/2...de5a-dfa9-4581-b955-717f667c69f9_fxstreet.com

The market has recovered some.

Plenty of other indicators are saying the situation is improving. Not out of the woods yet but getting there.

health care reform

Oh please. The obstructionist Republicans are to blame for that, not Obama.

And gays are a gullible group these days, or they have been; it'll be interesting to see how gays respond to this now. And I wonder if the timing will be right for the rest of the country. A year ago, six months ago he could have got a DADT repeal through with no problem

Um, we would have faced the same things as now (hearings, discussion with military leaders etc) regardless of when it was done.

An equal right to die is nice but without equal benefits for ourselves and dependents it's not equal rights.

Yeah, and isn't it great that we have a president who actually support equal rights for gays? Unlike the guy you voted for.

Obama, being knowledgeable about the Constitution (unlike our last president) realizes that you need legislation to overturn other legislation, and he needs the support from Congress to pass DADT. If he had tried to do it by declaring his authority to make that decision as the executive like Clinton did, it would have received a huge backlash. Congress has to pass it. You can be sure Obama will sign it when they do.

 

[NickCole]

Um, it makes more sense now then when the debate occurred during the campaign. The economy hasn't fully recovered but it is better than it was then.

Define better.

Unemployment was 7% when Obama took office. Today it's 10%.

Foreclosures are up 18% from a year ago.