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January 27, 2010

State of the Union Live Blog

By editor's note

Larrey Anderson:

The first two lines of George Harrison's song "I Me Mine" are:

All through the day I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.
All through the night I me mine, I me mine, I me mine.

I've got a feeling (the title of another Beatles' song) that all through the speech we will be hearing "I Me Mine."

It would be interesting if one of our AT readers would send us a running count of the uses of "I," "me," "my," and "mine" by the President in the comments section of this blog.

C. Edmund Wright:

So tonight we will hear Obama "pivot" to the economy and jobs.  As a small businessman who shut down my business in response to Obama's election, I will listen carefully for anything that might seduce me to tip toe back into the business world again.  

I am not holding my breath....

Adolfo Fabregat:

 As previewed in this William R. Hawkins American Thinker article about tonight's State Of the Union, President Obama is scheduled to articulate "... a new foundation for the country, the key words being rescue, restore and rebuild.".

Well, guess what Venezuela's Chavez did after the December 2, 2007 electoral defeat of a Referendum to change the Constitution to allow the unlimited re-elections of the President?

Chavez launched a new offensive based on "rectificación, revisión y reimpulso" of the Bolivarian revolution. (roughly translated as "rectification, revision and reboosting or repowering".)

If you don't think this is creepy then what about all these other similarities:

  • Attacks on networks that oppose them.
Obama's attacks on FOX are very similar to the initial advances Chavez undertook against RCTV, one of the last 2 "fair and balanced" networks remaining in Venezuela.

In  Chavez' case the attacks escalated to the point where RCTV's over the air license was not renewed in 2008 and was forced to move to cable.   And just last week, Chavez threatened the cable providers with closure if they carried RCTV signal which they all promptly agreed to do.

  • Demonizing and divisive speech.
Obama's attacks on Wall Street Fat Cats, Insurance companies and Banks is no different that Chavez unrelenting attacks on what he calls "the oligarchy".

  • Obama's Czars and Chavez' Vice Presidents
Obama's army of Czars, designed to be unaccountable to Congress or the American people are exactly the same as Chavez' Multiple Vice Presidents.

 Chavez' goals are to create new political "territories" each under the control of a Vice President, superior the local governor and under Chavez' direct control and appointment.  In essence centralizing all the power in his person.


  • Blaming the previous administrations
Obama's blaming Bush is no different than Chavez daily attacks on Venezuela's 4th Republic.

"4th Republic" is the name for the 40 years of democratic governments from the fall of Perez Jimenez in 1958 to Chavez' election in 1998.

But Chavez has been in power now for 11 years -and counting-  and still to this day blames all the daily blackouts on the 4th Republic, the insecurity in the streets on the 4th Republic, the lack of water on the 4th Republic, the shortages of food on ... you get the idea.

  • Calling denigrating names of opponents. Chavez calls them "Escuálidos" in the US are called "Teabaggers".
  • Chavez' Sunday show Alo Presidente is no different than Obama's Townhall meeting where people in attendance ask the president directly for personal favors, loans or solutions to their personal problems.
  • Alienated kids. These kids singing hymns to Obama are just as creepy as these Venezuelan kids singing to Chavez and Kaddafi during Kaddafi's visit to Isla Margarita in October just last year after both attended the opening of the United Nations session.
Clarice Feldman:

Often a SOTU address is little but meaningless platitudes devoid of substance, and often contrary to the very actions taken by the speaker.

The best evidence of that are these snippets from Jimmy Carter's SOTU address:


Chris Matthews and Andrea Mitchell opined that that Obama's problem is that he is so squeaky clean not hiring lobbyists that he missed out on Daschle that he can't get things done.

My friend MayBee responds:

explain that his problem is that he is so squeaky clean not hiring lobbyists

They are kind of right. Their in-house ethics guy had to give waivers to any lobbyists who wanted to work in the administration. I think that's kind of like a marriage annulment or that re-virgining surgery.

It is a crying shame that Daschle forgot to declare his chauffeured car as income for his job representing ethanol and health care groups, so now he isn't available to help Obama battle the fat-cat special interests.

Thomas Lifson:

Fox News has got Charles Krauthammer and Sarah Palin doing commentary!

Harold Witkov:
 
In my AT article today, ""Guessing What President Obama Might Say in His State of the Union," I basically said I do not believe Obama will change course no matter what he says tonight - but let's have some fun anyway. I'm looking for the president to say at least one "back from the brink" this evening to make us think we owe him big time. Mr. President, you have let me down with every decision this past year.  Don't let me down this time.

Clarice Feldman:

Gosh AT's slow--AP's Jennifer Loven already reported what he said: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PXBeKOqYMMQ/S2DiGdkLWfI/AAAAAAAABRY/OOzRmoqDwy4/s1600-h/sotu.jpg

C. Edmund Wright:

As Thomas Lifson said, Palin will be on Fox tonight with Krauthammer.  ALSO on the show will be Joe Trippi and Bob Beckel -- two bigtime Palin critics.  This could be fun. 

Palin in Wasilla and not in Washington -- so there's an annoying delay in her comments. WISH she could be face to face with Krauthammer, Beckel, Trippi, etc.

Thomas Lifson:

He's doing the tennis match thing, switching from left to right teleprompter. I am getting dizzy already.

 
C. Edmund Wright:


Well, this sudden interest in our Constitution and history is refreshing. Let's see what lessons he draws from it. 

 Marc Sheppard:

The 2 blue-uniformed personnel in the First lady's box are Sergeant Kimberly Munley and Sergeant Mark Todd, who ended the November 5th Fort Hood shootings when they took down Nidal Hasan.

13 dead and 30 wounded. 

Is Obama going have them stand later as examples of how the system worked?

 
C. Edmund Wright:

He said "one in ten Americans still cannot find work." Um, excuse me, but that was only about one in 16 when you took office and less than that when you were elected! YOU did not inherit this. You created it! (And yes, I believe Obama reads letters each night -- from children asking him why they have to move.) 

C. Edmund Wright:

The people were not tired of Scott Brown's partisanship.  They kind of liked it I think -- even in Massachusetts. What part of being the 41st vote against Obama Care sound "bi-partisan?" 

Thomas Lifson:

No Republicans standing as he repeated his demand for a bank payback for the bailout, just after he noted most of the money had been paid back
 
C. Edmund Wright:

What is this about making the TARP more transparent and more accountable?  And this fee on the banks?  He is saying the banks should pay back the taxpayers. They already have!  With interest!  Attack the bonuses if you want -- but the banks are ahead of schedule paying back the TARP. 

 
C. Edmund Wright:

Cut taxes for small businesses? Where? When? What tax? Let me paraphrase Joe Wilson of SC. YOU LIE!!!! In fact, where is Joe tonight to yell out YOU LIE.  This guy is pathalogical. 

 
Larrey Anderson:

Obama openly claims he made the TARP programs more transparent? (And Al Gore invented the Internet.)

Exaggeration is one thing  -- an out right lie is something else.  Unbelievable.

C. Edmund Wright:

So all of these jobs saved? Sounds like government jobs to me! And what "tax cuts" is he talking about? And who are these economists on the right who agree with this?  

J.C. Arenas:

 Once again Obama has reverted to the campaign trail so he can pretend he's still a candidate and not the President of the United States, and he's using the State of the Union to give a "Change We Need" speech.

Whether he's talking about stimulus, bipartisanship, the state of the economy, the whole speech thus far has been nothing but disingenuous. He's had a year to create the realities he's talking about, but he's actually continuing to perpetuate falsehoods.
This isn't a State of the Union I can believe in.

Thomas Lifson:

I like the small business cp gains tax elimination, but the devil is in the details. And why penalize small businesses that become big businesses.

How long is it going to take for shovel-ready high speed railway jobs? The Environmental Impact Statements alone will take 20 years. 
 
C. Edmund Wright:

I loved the sarcastic cheer from the Republicans when Obama said the real engine is business.  Not sure how the teleprompter snuck that line in, but the right side of the chamber's reaction was great.  
And this 30 billion for community banks for small business is a red herring.  Small businesses do NOT WANT TO borrow with this administration and congress in power.  And what is the capital gains elimination on small businesses? What is that? How does it apply?  It does not, unless a small business is sold. 
This man does not know anything about business. Period.  Maybe that's why he lost the debate to an unemployed plumber's apprentice. 

Thomas Lifson:

China is making serious investment in clean energy? Like all those coal-fired power stations?

What a dope!

Harold Witkov:

We need a school principal to say, "please hold your applause till the end."

J.C. Arenas:

Obama wants a jobs bill on his desk, but once again he's going to leave the heavy lifting up to Congress to get him a bill he can sign.

When is he going to create a plan as opposed to just wait for the moment he can sign a dotted line?

Again, what has Obama learned in the first year of his presidency?

The answer to that question is not one we can possibly like.

-----------

Obama just said "I'm not interested in punishing banks".

That sounds a lot like "I'm not interested in running a car company".

We can't take such statements from him all that seriously because he does exactly what he claims to not want to do.

Thomas Lifson:

Calling for nukes and opening up offshore oil and gas territories. This I like. But let's see what follows these words.

Laughter when he cited the scientific evidence on global warming. A little half grin on Bam's face after.

Clarice Feldman:

To paraphrase Ann Althouse--he wants to help small businesses to become big.When they become big then he can demonize them.

Thomas Lifson:

Called for ratification of free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. Big Labor opposes. We'll see if there is any follow-through.

C. Edmund Wright:

So he is still pushing for Cap and Trade?  And still pushing the "overwhelming evidence" for climate change?  Had to love the right wing's sarcastic response to that one too. 

On his export policies: he still thinks it is all about the government tinkering in this and that, and has no idea that we cannot export goods when our businesses are burdened by high corporate taxes and unsustainable union wages. He is a business illiterate, and proves it every time he opens his teleprompter. 

Thomas Lifson:

Big subsidies for big higher education with Pell grants and tax credits. And if you go to work for the government, you don't have to pay back education loans. Big paybacks to two loyal constituencies.

Marc Sheppard:

A new jobs bill?  More 100 taxpayer dollars spent for every worker dollar earned?  Capital gains tax credits?  How does that help small businesses hire? You want to help small business owners create new jobs, Mr. President?  Stop scaring the W-4's out of our hands with legislation no one trusts you to finance without ultimately raising their taxes and lowering their bottom-line.   Give us a clear picture of future costs unencumbered by inane energy and health care taxes.  And for the love of Pete - give your ear to someone who has actually built a business and sought workers at sometime in his or her life.

 
Larrey Anderson:

Obama said something like "The nation that leads the clean energy revolution is the nation that will lead the world economically." There are so many assumptions in that claim that in boggles the mind. It assumes that clean energy will be cheaper, more accessible, and have more demand than fossil fuel energy.

There is no scientific, engineering, empirical, or economic evidence to support that claim ... none.

C. Edmund Wright:

"No one should go broke because they chose to go to college."  Really? I guess not. They can't go broke simply because they choose to take a mortgage they could not pay.  They can't go broke because their union sent their employer into bankruptcy.  No one should ever go broke if they make bad decisions I guess.

Only those of us who make good decisions should go broke -- as we pay for all of the bad decisions by others I guess. Only in America!  (Didn't hear a lot of cheers on the part about colleges needing to keep their costs down). 

J.C. Arenas:

How can Obama stand there and feign outrage over what's supposedly killing children's educational futures, when he and a liberal-led Congress have killed the D.C. School Vouchers Program?

And what happened to the domestic spending freeze?

He's talking about more "tax credits" for education, doesn't that cost money?

Where is that money going to come from?

---------------------------

Obama's intervention into the residential real estate market has been disastrous.

What is he talking about?

People are still losing their homes and home sales continue to drop even though Congress has extended the first-time homebuyer's credit.

The president's hubris is amazing.

He continues to tout failures as successes, and apparently he thinks we must believe him because he says it's so.

Thomas Lifson:

Demagoguing health care and the deficit. This is making me sick.

Open laughter at his "That's how the budget process works"! Is there precedent for this?

J.C. Arenas:

All of a sudden Obama's concerned with the future generations of America, so then why waste $1 trillion on the stimulus bill?

That was the definition of generational theft.

I'm not sure he could have been any more insincere in an hour than he has been tonight.

Thomas Lifson:

Sounded like a big lie on banning lobbyists.

C. Edmund Wright:

He removed lobbyists?  And re establishing the First Amendment will open the floodgates of special interests? What about all the damned union money that elected him? And wants congress to continue down the path of ear mark reform? And now he wants pay-go after he just increased the budget 25% and can freeze it there? 


Thomas Lifson:

Mr. "I won" is decrying partisanship!

 C. Edmund Wright:

I cannot take it anymore.  I have now destroyed every TV I have except my wife's -- and she's too smart to allow me to turn the SOTU address on that flat screen.  

Thomas Lifson:

I feel your pain CEW!

I just heard him say, "Let's not re-litigate the past." Huh? Is life all about lawsuits?

J.C. Arenas:

It's unfortunate for Obama that his speechwriters burnt their best material before he became president. Whoever had a hand in constructing tonight's speech should be fired first thing in the morning. The president's message lacks a central theme and as a result he's all over the place. Moreover, it's hamstrung by him trying to play politics with various issues in order to garner the support of various ideologies.

Who can be inspired by such a lacking, unfocused, and repetitive message?

The "gift" has been unwrapped, and not even Tim Whatley would re-gift it.

 Marc Sheppard:

Paygo?  The Dems stood and clapped for Paygo?  And then for earmark reform?  And transparency in federal spending?   This from a party that writes its bills behind closed doors and uses earmarks like sailors in a strip club?

We can't wage a perpetual campaign?  This from a man who has done nothing but for over a year?

And now that both the GOP and the filibuster have risen from the ashes, it's suddenly wrong to obstruct legislation "just because you can?"

Outstanding.

Thomas Lifson:

A world without nuclear weapons? Tell it to the mullahs! He cites North Korea and Iran as isolated, facing "growing consequences."

How's that worked so far?

Larrey Anderson:

This speech is incomprehensible in so many different ways. Government will fix everything. But private business is the answer.  Tax the rich. But support business.  Have free elections by placing more restrictions on free speech.

Good lord, it is like listening to my six year old granddaughter explain why Joey is and is not her boyfriend.  I try to listen and remind myself that this is  the logic is of a six year old girl. I  smile -- understanding that she doesn't have a clue what a boyfriend is or what she is talking about. Except my granddaughter is not POTUS.

Thomas Lifson:

He has the gall to cite our support for women marching in Tehran! This from the man who averted his gaze. Larrey is right. He is just saying whatever sounds good, facts be damned.

C. Edmund Wright:

Working with Muslim countries around the world on technology and innovation and education? Gee, maybe we can innovate ourselves to an Afghanistan like cave man existence someday soon!!!! 

And no Madrassa will be left behind! 

Thomas Lifson:

He just announced canning Don't ask, don't tell. That's going to degrade national security. A sop to the gay community.

He's been on an hour and ten minutes. Seems like twice that.
 
Marc Sheppard:

We've gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against Climate Change?  How did we do that, by having the House pass an economy-killing climate-do-nothing Bill that will never get out of the Senate?  Or was it by having the EPA make toothless regulation threats that would be tied up in court for the next 5 election cycles?

Oh, I get it.  It was Obama's leadership in Copenhagen where he arrived just in time to sign an agreement to try to come up with another agreement.

Now that's leadership you can believe in.

C. Edmund Wright:

"...our citizens turn away."

Hell no they don't.  They are more engaged and more interested and becoming more informed than they have in my lifetime (and that's statistically significant).  And THATS what Obama hates. He hates an engaged citizenry, a knowledgeable citizenry.  

That's the point!!! 

Thomas Lifson:

It's over! Empty rhetoric. An hour and almost 15 minutes. Our long national nightmare is over.

C. Edmund Wright:

Seize this moment to start anew? Hell no!

Let's seize this moment -- and the New Jersey moment -- and the Virginia moment -- to continue to roll back the Obama agenda!!! 

Clarice Feldman:
 
My friend Terry Gain speaks for me:

The spirit that sustained America is now called upon to survive the gross incompetence of Obama. Amen. Good night.

Thomas Lifson:

Thanks to everyone, including our fantastic commenters. Time to heal.
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