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11:40 pm: That's all for First Read tonight. Look for lots of fresh analysis from the NBC politics team in tomorrow's First Thoughts. Thanks as always for following along!
11:37 pm: One last update as we get ready to sign off from a big night of live-blogging. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell reported earlier tonight that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, left the State of the Union after finding out that her son needed an appendectomy.
He's okay, the senator said tonight.
"Thanks for all the prayers for Matt. Appendix is out - with just a few hours before rupture - all is well," she tweeted.
11:33 pm: Via Luke Russert, one ardent conservative was pleased that Obama spoke at length about America's greatness.
Speaking to NBC News tonight, Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a spirited retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, commended Obama for his mentioning of "American Exceptionalism."
"When he talked about American exceptionalism and the American dream it was great to finally hear him say those type of things because it does make us unique in who we are," West said.
11:29 pm: More on that "socialism" tweet by Rep. Paul Broun, via Roll Call:
Broun spokeswoman Debbee Keller told Roll Call that her boss tweets about the address every year from the confines of his office, instead of attending the event in the House chamber. “Out of respect, he watches the President’s speech from his office and uses his desktop computer.”
NBC's Luke Russert notes that Broun has said outlandish things about Obama before. In March of 2010 he compared President Obama to "Snooki" from the MTV show "The Jersey Shore," saying "I don't know if we should be insulted or humored at the President's feeble attempts to incorporate Republican ideas into his latest health care proposal, Snookie [sic], from the Jersey Shore, has more substance than President Obama's offer."
11:26 pm: Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a Democrat, liked the president's remarks - saying his focus on the economy "hit exactly the right notes" -- but she would have liked more specifics on the debt.
“I think the best thing the President did was explain the transition of the economy so the average person can understand it," she said in a statement. "But I was disappointed by the absence of an overall formula to deal with the very serious and worsening deficit.”
11:18 pm: Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., commented on Obama's Sputnik reference in his response to the speech.
"The president’s biggest push was to advance an argument he has made many times in the past – that the government is a vital partner in making investments and spurring innovation. The problem is we’ve had countless Sputnik moments in recent decades that have created little more than space junk."
11:14 pm: At least one congressman was tweeting his responses to Obama's remarks during the speech itself, and he wasn't happy with what he was hearing.
Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., wrote on his Twitter feed during the speech - among other critiques - "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism."
11:12 pm: Bachmann camera shot explained: Reports say she was looking into the Tea Party Express camera, not the network pool camera operated by Fox News.
11:06 pm: Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, a Democrat who campaigned against some Obama policies and faces a re-election race in 2012, praised Obama's call for civility but raised questions about his strategy for addressing the deficit. "I appreciate the President’s call for a freeze on existing spending, but I am, frankly, concerned to hear him signal additional new spending by the federal government, and I will carefully evaluate his proposals. The fact is, we must deal with our long-term debt problems in a responsible way that does not burden our children and grandchildren with more debt."
He also disagrees with the president's call to ban earmarks. "I truly believe that spending geared toward infrastructure – when done in a transparent manner – is a commonsense investment in countless communities in West Virginia and around the country," he said in a statement.
11:04 pm: In a tweet, Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., says she enjoyed the seating arrangement at SOTU.
"Liked bipartisan seating tonight.Less like a team sporting event,more serious"
11:03 pm: Ouch - Sen. John Cornyn of Texas: "In Texas we prefer straight talk and promises kept, over grandiose pledges and zero results."
10:58 pm: House Speaker John Boehner, in a statement, said that he's glad Obama "recognizes the need" to reach across the aisle, but he bemoaned Obama's spending proposals.
"As I've stated in the past, when the president is willing to work with us on the people's priorities, we'll be ready to work with him. Unfortunately, even as he talked about the need for fiscal discipline, President Obama called for more 'stimulus' spending without making a commitment to the cuts and reforms the American people are demanding."
Boehner called the "partial" spending freeze "inadequate."
10:57 pm: Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts told NBC News that he thought Obama's remarks hit on "good points."
"It wasn't a ra-ra speech but it was balanced and it hit on a lot of good points," Brown said. "As a Republican I'm looking forward to working with him and finding some common ground to move our country forward."
Brown's up for re-election in blue Massachusetts in 2012.
10:56 pm: Bachmann's remarks now complete. We'll bring you a few more from lawmakers and organizations as we get 'em.
10:55 pm: Lots of Twitter traffic about how Bachmann appeared to be looking slightly off to the right of the camera rather than right into the lens...
10:54 pm: Bachmann shows famous image of six young soldiers at Iwo Jima.
"Our current debt crisis we face today is different, but we still need all of us to pull together. We can do this."
10:53 pm: Bachmann: "Thanks to you, there's reason to hope that real spending cuts are coming. Last November you went to the polls and voted out big-spending politicians and you put in their place men and women with a commitment to follow the Constitution and cut the size of government."
10:52 pm: Like Ryan, Bachmann offers strong words about health care and calls for its reform. "In the end, unless we fully repeal ObamaCare, a nation that currently enjoys the world's best healthc re may be forced to rely on government-run coverage that will have a devastating impact on our national debt for generations to come."
10:51 pm: Bachmann: "Deficits were unacceptably high under President Bush, but they exploded under President Obama's direction, growing the national debt by an astounding $3.1 trillion-dollars."
10:50 pm: She's got charts! Bachmann uses a visual aid to show unemployment rates over the last 10 years.
10:50 pm: Right off the bat, Bachmann notes that she's not the official GOP representative responding to the speech. She says she's speaking at the invitation of the Tea Party Express.
10:49 pm: Bachmann's remarks are starting now.
10:45 pm: If you missed Ryan's speech, you can watch the video here.
10:43 pm: Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also a gun control advocate, is also unhappy that Obama did not mention gun laws.
"... in discussing the terrible tragedy in Tucson, he missed an opportunity to bring the country together on an issue that has support among the vast majority of Americans: fixing the nation's broken background check system that is designed to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Its absence was disappointing, but it will not slow the momentum we are building around the country, and in both parties, for common sense measures to strengthen law enforcement and improve public safety."
10:42 pm: Gun control advocate Rep. Carolyn McCarthy says in a statement that she's "disappointed" that Obama didn't speak about gun control laws.
10:37 pm: Meanwhile, the responses from lawmakers continue to pour in.
In a video response, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky slammed Obama's overtures to moderates as shallow. "President Obama will try to run to the center, to emulate President Clinton after the Republicans took over in 1994. But it hurts him, and he isn't quite as good at it as his predecessor."
10:36 pm: Michele Bachmann will be speaking shortly. You can watch the stream online here:
Only one television network - CNN -- is taking Bachmann's unofficial response live to air.
10:35 pm: Ryan and Obama both spoke about the uniqueness of America. Ryan, tonight: "These are not easy times, but America is an exceptional nation. In all the chapters of human history, there has never been anything quite like America. The American story has been cherished, advanced, and defended over the centuries."
10:35 pm: Notes NBC's Chuck Todd: "Obama was trying to sell optimism, [but] Paul Ryan has a more somber message."
10:34 pm: Ryan: "We believe a renewed commitment to limited government will unshackle our economy and create millions of new jobs and opportunities for all people, of every background, to succeed and prosper. Under this approach, the spirit of initiative - not political clout - determines who succeeds."
10:33 pm: Referencing debt crises in Greece and Iceland, Ryan says "Speaking candidly, as one citizen to another: We still have time… but not much time. If we continue down our current path, we know what our future will be."
10:30 pm: Fun Ryan fact: After the 2008 election, some - including an editorial in the Wall Street Journal - encouraged Ryan to challenge then-Minority Leader John Boehner as leader of the GOP in the House. The editorial said Ryan was equipped, especially because of his "youthful energy," with the ability to "pull his party in a more promising direction." Ryan obviously decided against it.
10:30 pm: On government spending: "We owe you a better choice and a different vision."
10:28 pm: He slams health care reform. "Job creation is being stifled by all of its taxes, penalties, mandates and fees."
He references House Republicans' vote to repeal the law week.
10:27 pm: "Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25% for domestic government agencies - an 84% increase when you include the failed stimulus."
10:26 pm: Ryan: "Tonight, the President focused a lot of attention on our economy in general - and on our deficit and debt in particular. He was right to do so, and some of his words were reassuring. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, I assure you that we want to work with the President to restrain federal spending."
10:26 pm: "We all miss Gabby and her cheerful spirit; and we are praying for her return to the House Chamber."
10:25 pm: Here's Ryan. He's speaking from the House Budget Committee meeting room.
10:18 pm: We'll be live-blogging reaction to the president's State of the Union speech here, including the official GOP reaction from Rep. Paul Ryan and the (unofficial) Tea Party response from Rep. Michele Bachmann.
As one of us wrote earlier today, Ryan was first elected to the House in 1998 at age 28. He was once offered the job of budget director for President George W. Bush. (He turned the job down to stay in Congress, where he rocketed to the top of the budget panel two years later.)
Leave a Comment:
The slogan "Win the Future" is both meaningless and frightening. From whom are we winning the future? Who will be losing it? The president has finally reached the true middle ground of American politics: mediocrity.
President Obama seemed to relish the Role of "Uniter in Chief" tonight!
As for the Republican response, now Americans can see that the Republican cry of "We get IT Now" was All a Ruse!
Whats next America?
With all dues Respect Sen. Sand Paul, 55 % Approval among American's is a much Truer gage, than your Republican talking Points.
You betcha !
SarahWho?
Why do Republicans always make excuses for stuff? She was reading a teleprompter, it was OBVIOUS and it was OFF CAMERA. It is what it is. Tea Party Express or not,...it was a screw up. When part of your platform is making fun of the guy who uses teleprompters; please at least have a minimal understanding of the technology that you yourself use. And don't make excuses for screwing it up. Just MOVE ON! this is one of the many reasons this party is too petty be 'leaders'.
this party is too petty be 'leaders'.
Tom "Petty?"
How on earth did someone as stupid as M Bachman actually get elected to Congress?? She is a laughing stock. So embarassing for our country...
What's amazing is that the President finally 'gets it'. Health Care reform was as ill timed as it could be and will cost far too much for an already cash strapped economy. All it will mean in the short term is more Gov't employees, which will have to be paid from something right??? Why wasn't Jobs first....Oh right... he had to pander to the political extreme first. If he had tackled, and fixed, the job situation first the whole country would have backed whatever piece of legislation he wanted. The republican takeover of the house would have never happened. But instead the 'Progresives' (Progressing towards what?, a commune?) jammed healthcare and left America feeling sore in the pants.
The party of no is at full steam. Instead of working to make the health care law better they simply want to throw it out. The fact is that many jobs nolonger provide health care coverage. The people that most need health care cannot afford it. I guess we can say the goverment has no business in health care and go back to allowing insurance companies to only cover what they want and who they want to and for as long as they want. The heck with the people on the fringes. They don't matter since they are not the majority. Who cares that people with major health problems can not afford their medications they are going to die soon anyway.
All I can say is Billionaire tax cuts!! The rich get richer and the poor get poorer!
Funny how that always seems to happen.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer
"The old get older and the young get stronger.
May take a week or it may take longer."
Jim Morrison, right?
I agree. Why should the wealthy get all the tax breaks that the poor need. They could afford to pay a little more on their taxes, but what do I know. I'm no politician.
The to 1% of income earners pay 70% of all taxes, while the bottom 50% pay no taxes at all. Now how is that fair. Why is it that people who put everything on the line to start a business, worked harder than anyone else to build their business and now employ most of America, can now afford to give more. If the poor would even contribute a little it would make a huge difference. I have never been employed by a poor person. I have a patient who owns a business and employs about 40 people. He just met with his accountant to see how many people he would have to lay off due to increases in his taxes (that's right small business taxes are increasing incredibly this year). He will have to lay off anywhere from 10-15 people. I asked what he would do if his taxes would be cut, and he replied that he would hire an additional 5 people and buy another truck for the business. Why is this so hard for you liberals to understand? Taxing the snot out of the wealthy only inhibits economic growth and employment.
That's crap, Pete. You're repeating a lie that has been refuted over and over. Working people pay state, local and sales tax AND they pay 7.65% SS/Medicare tax on EVERY dollar they make. The rich don't pay payroll taxes on their capital gains (gotta love that "unearned" income!) and they don't pay on their EARNED income over $106,800.
So the right skews the tax figures by taking only a small part of what constitutes "taxes" when they spout off about how much the rich supposedly pay.
Warren Buffett in 2007 promised $1 million to the charity of any Forbes CEO who could prove that his percentage of taxes paid was higher than his secretary's. The result to date?
How can this republican responce let insurence conpanies raise cost 40 percent and more, and think that some kind of reform is not needed. He needs to make sure that the people come first.
The insurance cost rise has taken place since Obamacare was passed by the Democrat Congress. You make a good point about reform being needed but the Republicians have yet to submit their reform plan Lets wait and see what it contains before we tar and feather them. Would be fair don't ya think?
How about we wait and see what the GOP plan contains before we try to repeal the plan we already hammered out?
Insurance premiums have been going up for years even before the health care reform. Public option is really only the way to go. Insurance companies, are for profit and who can blame them for raising premiums? We can't tell them how much money they can make. That would be socialist. I'm not expecting much from the Republican reform plans but I'm looking forward to hearing them.
Not true Peppers, Insurance costs have been rising steadily for last 10 years.
Actually peppers, the cost of insurance has been steadily rising long before 'Obamacare'. The reform policies probably won't actually reform anything. Why would they want to reform something that they can make so much money on? Its true that real reform is needed but it would probably take a miracle, or a public uprising, to change aything.
Insurance costs have been rising since the 70's.
Medical costs have been rising since the seventies, and more people are receiving medical care. Why wouldn't insurance costs rise in response to that, the insurance company must pay for that care and make a profit or else go bankrupt. I think that is free enterpriseThe last I read said that the average insurance company makes around ten percent profit, which is about the same as the oft maligned oil companies, which are the targets of incompetent political office holders trying to stay in office. Our government makes far more off the oil industry than any oil company ever makes.
Paul Ryan: same old same old all talk
I thought it was a good speech. He clearly reached across the isle in both style and substance. His references to congradulte the new speaker, refer to specifc GOP policy ideas and to personally reach out to the speaker in a very personal was positive.
It was a speech aimed at centrist republicans and independants.
Liberals will probalby come away disapointed, although his commitment to socail security will be wlecome by them.
There was no class warfare, but warfare of the competitive sense. That we are in a competitive war with India and China and we need to 'do big things' to win the future.
It was a thinking persons speech, lower on inspiration than i expected, but higher in substance.
AISLE, not isle. They're not on an island.
Yes they are on an island:
From David Gilmour's Album, "On an Island"
''Children again, on rusting swings, getting higher,
Sharing a Dream, on an Island, it felt right.''
Indeed, these guys are high if they think they're going to get anything positive accomplished.
P.S. Gilmour is the lead guitarist for all of Pink Floyd's recordings.
Hey Matt,
Gilmour joined in 1968 after "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" was released. That being he was not the "lead guitarist" for "all" of thier recordings.
Just thought you should know the facts.
REPUBLICAN RYAN: "Not ONE Single Person or Party Responsible for this Catastrophe"????You are wrong Buddy Boy; Does the Title: King George of the Bush and his NOTORIOUSLY Destructive SHRUBBER REIGN 2001 - 2008 Sound Remotely Familiar? With PLENTY of Funds for Your Tax Bonuses for YOUR 8% Wealthy and YOUR Unending Shrubber Wars.
The WHOLE Cartel of YOU REPUBLICAN SOCIOPATHS Should be Carted off to PRISON, Locked up and the key tossed to protect America from your Political Rape and Ruin Tactics....
You Can take that advice to The Bank.....
GOP response made me sleep. No new plan no bi-partisian efforts & not to mention how to create & make directions for 21st century Jobs economy rather I heard same old whining/complaints.
Missing from the Republicans response, jobs, jobs, jobs. Now to watch Bachmann....on CNN
I hope someone will replay the video footage regularly for the speaker of the house..so he can see every time he applauded for the remarks of the President...especially for reformation of corporate taxes and the health law reform...not repeal!
..It was to lower corporate taxes to help keep jobs from going overseas, we have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. If they lowered corporate taxes to the 17-20% like the rest of the world, jobs wouldn't be a problem, additionally, the governments tax revenue would go up. Bring back business, create jobs, = Economic growth= More tax revenue. Simple math my friend.
The EFFECTIVE tax rate is what matters SteveS. Slave wages are the attraction of offshoring jobs, spare us your transparent lies about taxation.
The Power of Christ Compels You!
And here I always thought it was beer and Cheetos.
Well, maybe a little. But come on...
When you wake up in the morning, that grumbling in your stomach doesn't sound like satan?
It sure smells like 'im...
Funny how possession feels kinda like indigestion.
A question of indigestion leads to an allegation of masturbation.
and the ivitation makes the sensation seem like a flagration of stagnation.
Very interesting that you show the Republican response.  Very good of you to use your clout to have a 'Congressman' rebuke the Presidents address.  To help obscure what  was said so that it could not be thought nor talked about within our homes.  Did you not like the term 'rebuke', well....it was and delivered by an obscure Congressman.  Without cheer without encouragement.  Truly only meant to down grade and 'take away' from what our President had to deliver.  Btw does he represent the entire Republican Party?
The only part of your program tonight not counting the Presidents speech was your after comments...droll and truly lackluster......Â
Personally, I prefer the term "re-puke" when referring to Obama.
Somebody tell Rep. Paul Ryan to use specifics....what are you talking about? Definitions please...I'm willing to hear what you saying, but you are not saying much but a bunch of word clauses....Define your how? Act on what? What is sound money? and limited government? Define for me please.
Amen. Talk without substance!
Evangelist -
Ryan can't mention spcifics on TV, it would scare the hell out of people. Ryan's (yes he is the author) Roadmap for America has such wonderful idea as repaling Medicare and replacing it with a voucher system.
Oh but it gets better. That young man has been empowered by the republican House to make budget decisions for the remainder of the year unilatteraly. No debate, not discussion. Just is decision. I will be interested to see how he does that in a fair and transparent fashion.....
About the response I expected:Â DERP DERP DERP
How sad that the press is jumping on the President's speech as "flat" and "boring" because he acted like a true leader and did not incite inflammatory rhetoric; but, chose instead to act in the role of a responsible problem solver, who appears less interested in the polarization of party platforms than actually moving forward as one nation.
Trish, where have you been for the last two and a half years? This speech was cribbed together from his OTHER speeches.
Go back and read last year's SOTU. There have been changes, sure- last year, he called for a THREE year spending freeze Did not happen- he increased spending. Now, it is a FIVE year freeze- at the same time he calls for more spending.
Green energy? Check.
Latin and South American trade deals? Check. By the way, they did not happen, either.
Lots of yada, yada, yada? Check. Hepulls out Sputnik?Somebody remind me- this IS 2011, right?
It was, quite frankly, the worst SOTU I have ever heard- and I remember CARTER.
Even Carter did not sound like a commercial for his "greatest hits". Obama flopped. Deal with it.
no joe, it sounds like YOU are the one who is having trouble "dealing with it".
You will remain unsatisfied regardless of what the President says. We get it. But I'm not sure you do.
No Joe, I think your post is a No Go.
The president accutally made suggestions that were both left and right leaning, laid out that we can't just hunkerdown and fail to step up to the task of building America.
Sputnik and the Space Race were fairly good annalogies in my opinion. You can't cut a business or a nation to success. You have to husband your monies well to be sure, but have to invest to grow.
Presidents ask for the budget freezes and the like, but it is the house that has to put it in the budget. You may remember that the Congress faild to pass a budget for this year.
Your right, no Latin America Trade deal, but he did get a South Korean deal to be put on the table.
And as far as the quality of SOTU speechs go, I have been listening to them since Regan and this was pretty good. There have definatly been worse in presentation and worse in content and worse in insiration.
No Jo, No Bo, No Brains.
While i liked the speech i don`t think the mob in washington will do anything construtive to get us out of the mess we`re in . I guess more of the same partisan politics.Looked like it was past everyone`s bedtime looking at our congressmen!
Every speech is not suppose to be Rah rah rah. As Americans, we are very good at rah rah rah. I'm glad the speech was somber with the ever present hope. I don't expect easy answers. I expect a rabid fight for who still is going to "get theirs" at the cost of everyone else. Only whatever God's may be.........here comes Michelle Bachman. Whew, scary.
What a great, inspirational speech! I am so glad he talked about green energy, scientific innovation, and teachers! They are truly our future, and we'll need lot of them and good ones, to "win the future." I am also glad he is cutting back the Federal government and consolidating things as well as rebuilding our roads. I almost crashed the other day when I hit a pothole that was a foot deep! Good luck with your fight against the oil companies and malpractice lawyers, though, you'll need it!
Overall, very good, and keeps me optimistic about the future.
I bet Boehner about had a heart attack when the President started on the oil companies. After all he invested all his money in several of the largest oil corporations, BP among them, not long before the Macondo well explosion and all the oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. So he had to sit and just listen while the President spoke of a goal to end our dependence on oil.
well amanda what is your analysis of bidens big azz frown throughout most of the speech? Looked like he was going to cry many times! lol!
CK
We need to be drilling and building a fleet of nuclear plants. Wind and solar are a waste of time and money (at this point).
And somebody tell me why is the WH worried about what light bulbs we have to buy in 2014. Will they fit in ceiling fans, etc.?
Yes Mark M. The Floresent Pig Tail bulbs work in cealing fans... I use them. $9 for 5 and Home Depot.
And......Wind and Solar are not a waste of time, they are just not the only answer. We also need Tidal Energy, Clean Coal, Natural Gas and probably some Nuclear as well. No one basket for all our eggs please.
I am 51 and planning to see social security at some point in my life as I need it. Try ending an unpaid for war and try paying for our "entitlements" that way. As for healthcare, take away the healthcare the Senate gets and let them pick our a plan from the lovely insurance industry! Maybe then that public option will look better to them then. I thought while both speaches were vague at least the Presidents was hopeful. Ryans was just more scare tactics.
Scare tactics for billionaire tax cuts !!!! But yet your social security is in jeopardy !!!
Wounder how that billionaire is doing?
You should plan for your future and not expect a government handout. That's what's gotten us into this mess.
ssue - I hope I can get a twelve pak and munchies with my SS.
bob douglas - Social Security is not I repeat not a handout - everyone employed pays into it - I for one had my first job after school at the age of 15 - employers I believe were required to suplement my payments - so I paid SS for 50 years - expecting not the government to raid it - could I have refused no it was and is mandatory for all employees, so why is this a handout - your reasoning is faulty
Excuse me, Bob Douglas, but when you have been working AND contributing for 40+ years, as many of us have, that hardly qualifies as a handout! Remember, all of us workers have paid into this 'retirement plasn', in addition to whatever else we have put away.
Bob, if they want end Social Security, then I want the $150,000.00 + that I have put into the system over my life time back. A single lump sum chech will do.
Bob, did you go to school with Michelle bachman?? She doesn't understand either... Stop listening to glen beck and go get an education, it will open your eyes, I promise!
Barbara, Walla, and Reliant... Bob is right. Too bad for you. You should have voted for better politicians in your 40+ years. Looking at our national debt, it's obvious that Republicans and Democrats alike have spent it all, no matter what "economists" says about SS current solvency. Basically your SS has been converted into just another tax bill or worse... a ponzi scheme.
Sorry for you... I will take Bob's advice and plan on not seeing a dime even though I pay into SS heavily right now. Sorry for me.
Bob isnt right about it being a handout. Whether the Government spent it or not, they still paid into it and it is not a handout. Bob is just an immature troll. Although it is true one should plan for the future aside from SS, you really shouldnt encourage someone as ignorant as bob.
Social Security going broke is the price you have to pay for St.Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative, black ops in central America, Iran-Contra...if the Social Security trust fund had not been combined into the general fund it could not have been raided for "Star Wars" and other cold war Trojan Horses with broken legs that the Democratic controlled congress did not approve. Just file the spending ( military/industrial complex that Eisenhower warned of) under National Security then redact all of the GAO documents under the same reasoning so the citizens have no idea where their money went. Then propose privatizing the raped and pillaged Social Security system so that you can then conduct a real Ponzi scheme.
Hey Dim Bulb, social security is insurance that we all pay into, it isn't a handout. What's gotten us into the mess we're in is the subterfuge and lies coming from the right.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that the "Gipper"s economic policies which were referred to by his then vice president George H.W. Bush as,"voodoo economics", left our country with it's first ever trillion dollar deficit.
Word to bobbydouglass,
It's not a government handout, we all pay into it. From our paycheck. Are all you Repubs or Teapartiers just ignorant as to the facts of how anything works. Not only that, we each have an account, you get a statement every year. Just Check google or something so you have an idea what you are talking about. Please, Lord give me patience and grace. You know in the Bible it says to, "Study, to show thyself approved." Please do that. It's Biblical.
independent - you left out the original raider of the funds when LBJ placed the SS trust fund into the general fund in the 60's to fund the vietnam war or the war on poverty, take your pick.
I wonder at all of the politicians (R or D) since who just looked at all that cash sitting there and decided that they knew how to spend it on programs that were never intended to be paid for with SS contribututions. If reagan was so bad why is obama reading his biography and practising some of his skills, most noticably in his SOTU address?
Excellent and inspirational speech President Obama! The Republicans have had plenty of time to deliver on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS....oh wait, where are they? No mention in Ryan's yawn official response. New face, same old blah, blah, blah Republican response. Let's see if crazy lady Bachman has all her marbles for the unofficial Tea Party message...
Bachman needs to have someone get her the real facts and not the fictious ones that she is spewing to the tea party.
If we just ignore Bachmann, her ineptness and ignorance will eventually implode her.
Rose The republicans have been in control of the house since jan 5 2011 and the democrats have controlled both houses of congress since jan 2007, I think you are asking the wrong party!
american - I don't understand what you mean by control when all of Obama's judicial appointees have been blocked - what about the word "NO" do you not understand - even my 9 month old dog knows what "NO" means - plus how many holds have been placed remember Kyl blocking STARK, remeber the phillibusters I believe 196 - more than any in the history of Congress - do you know it takes 60 Senators - and with good ole' Joe and some really Blue Dogs - and no Republicans who voted on anything what do you mean by control? Illuminate me!
barb - would you have been happier if I used the word "majority"? Regardless, the democrats have done little to create any attempt at bipartisanship, and obama even more so up until Nov 2010.
At least now obama has taken a page from reagans ability to lead and inspire the electorate. If the democrats and obama chose to ignore the republicans in 2009 and 2010 that is a lefty issue of strict partisanship.
as for your pup knowing what the word "no" means congratulations, you illustrated quite well on how the democrats excluded the republicans by treating them as dogs rather than people with ideas.
Don't like the filibuster rules, then work to change them, don't sit there on your butt complaining about the opposition using the same rules that you can use.
The light bulb go on yet? Perhaps you need to refresh your memory on what bipartisanship means yet, at least obama is now showing what bipartisanship is, can you say the same?
Chris Matthews said before the speech that the President is going to give a separate speech devoted to gun control, so don't despair. Of course, with the NRA such a powerful lobby, it's going to be tough. Anyway, for those lawmakers that are disappointed he didn't address guns, someone ought to fill them in.
Obama is going to be a one term president. American vters will not tolerate a president favoring gun control.
Who said he favors gun control? Just because he speaks on the issue all of a sudden he is for it?
I think the President did a workmanlike job laying out a rational agenda for the American people as a whole. We've just come out of a devastating recession that almost took down our economy entirely, so for Michele Bachman and the Tea Partyers to imply that he willy-nilly spent an extra trillion in debt to help stabilize the economy is patently absurd. Even the big Wall Street banks and President George Bush supported Obama's smart decisions to save the nation's banking system and, in turn, the economy as a whole.
Come out of a recession??? Where the Hell do you live????
If you haven't noticed our unemployment rate is still almost ten percent, our economy is still in a huge recession. obama didn't lay out anything all he did was repeat his old rhetoric of what he thinks we want to hear. But nowhere in his speech did he give any plans or road maps to how he was going to accomplish anything.
Recession is measured by GDP growth/loss.
We've had 6 quarters of growth, therefore, economists say we are out of recession.
Pulling out 1 statistic, such as unemployment, does not indicate (or not) a recession.
I think I heard the President say that times have changed and so have the rules to the game. It is time to be open to learning new skills. The jobs that were lost are not coming back. The "new" jobs will require a different skill set. You want a road map, plan one for yourself - plan a, plan b, plan c - one that will include having a set a skills to fall back on when times get tough and you need to get another job.
There are jobs, they just require more or different skills. BTW, the unemployment rate doesn't change overnight. How long did it take for American to recover from the Great Depression?????
We haven't come out of the "recession" it's actually been a Depression because the government has totally lied about the true unemployment figures.
Obama said it in his State of the Union, and it has been reported erroneously that "the recession is over." If you add in people that never drew UI benefits, high school and college grads, and older people that had to go back to work because their 401K's, etc. went into the dumpster then the actual percentage is more like 20+%.
I've been trying for almost 3 years to get a full time job, however I am only finding temporary work. Most of the jobs that are being created are seasonal, temp, contract, in other words short-term. I had never been unemployed in my life and now I'm being punished because my employer laid me off in 2008. I have a Bachelors Degree and have served my country in the US Army in a time of war. Now, to top it off, those of us who are working are seeing our salaries at the lowest possible levels. Temp work typically pays $10 -$12 per hour And health insurance or other benefits take so much out of your base salary, it's virtually unaffordable - plus then we are taxed 12.5%. Then what do you have left at the end to live on?
Welcome to the U.S. - POVERTY CENTRAL.
Brain Unger you are so right.
It amazes me how the right has total loss of memory or maybe more accurately selective memory when it comes to how the country was brought down. No respect or thanks for the guy who has tried to do everything to get all of us through the mess we are in. The Republican party refuses to take any responsibility for their turning a blind eye and even participating in the greed and mismanagement that caused the down fall in the first place. Now they refuse to try to compromise to help the country get back to work. They, however, are still kowtowing to the wealthy and corporate American who still have not stepped up to the plate and started hiring.
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Are you watchin this looney chick? LOL
Democrats and Republicans should sit together more often!
Just watched Rep. Bachman on CNN. The maintenance of our liberties? What is she talking about? What is that? I'm so glad I'm intelligent and not carried on the wind of other peoples words..
I think Rep. Bachmann should have used a teleprompter. It looked like she was reading cue cards in the audience.
I think a Telepromter might have been a good idea. But a fact checker would have been a better investment.
The HCR act will not add 16000 IRS agents.
Durring the entire 8 years of the Bush Admin there were only 1 Million Job created. But in the first two years of the Obama Admin. there have been more than 2 Million Job Created. Obviously the Stimulus Spending was not a total failure.
The President does not have to stop the EPA from creating a Cap and Tade System, because they are not doing that.
America does have the higest published Corporate Tax rate (she is kind of right), but not the highest effective tax rate. Many Corporations manage to make huge profits and pay not taxes at all... Don't get me wrong, if they can do it legaly then they should, but the "effective" tax rate in many other industrialized nations is higher.
And if you read the Federalist Papers it is clear that our founding fathers wanted a strong and vigorus Federal government. So she should quit ascribing intent to them when there own writing suggests differently.
The republican response was full of contradictions. I really cant figure out what they want, my doubt if they do. Just to cite one. Wall street is wacko responsible for the crisis of the current economic affairs. But their suggestion is more freedom with no regulation. Jobs are running out of the country. Rep suggestion is allow big corporations to do the same with out intervention. Health care is out of control, never mind market will balance. What a logic? What the heck are they smoking? People are suffering and they are cooking their political position for 2012. On my @@@.. keep on digging.
and obama's wasn't full of contradictions, sounds more like you are talking about him then the GOP!
Cite one. The Rep responders have it all. God , no God. We care for the poor but no money for the poor. We will create jobs but allow all the jobs to disappear in the wild wild east. We condemn cheaters but we support them in their business of cheating. We care and foster equality but some people don't deserve that status. That was the undertone of the responders today. If you did not have the opportunity to listen carefully, please do so for the people's sake.
Nick, that was the best, most intelligent comment yet. Keep it up!
Theme of the night: ASIA ENVY
Also: I increased the national decifit by 25% in two years, but now we need to reign in spending and freeze salaries of Federal employees who did nothing to create the mess.
Federal workers do so little but push paper around. Like Obama said there are separate agencies for Salmon depending on whether they are in Salt or Fresh water.
we don't reign in Spending to punish, we reign in useless spending so we can redirect to more forward-focussed functions.
My company has had a salary freeze for the past two years. I applaud President Obama's proposal to freeze salary of government workers and do some re-org to make it more efficient. It's about time...