Barack Obama's 2011 State of the Union Address: Tuesday January 25

I'm looking forward to this speech, but it needs to be a good one.  He really needs to aggressively pursue additional spending on infrastructure and R&D, not to mention education reform.  These are things this country desperately needs, and whether they're aware or not, wants.

Will I vote for him again?  Absolutely.  I think he gets far, far too much flack from the Left.  He hasn't been perfect, he's made missteps and I think his inexperience did manifest itself at times.  With that said, I doubt any of the democratic candidates from 08 would have accomplished as much, or done the things they criticize Obama for not having done.  I think if you voted for Obama in 08 it would be foolish and irresponsible to vote for anyone else, or avoid voting altogether.  Would you really rather see Mitt Romney in office?

Diva, that might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen you post! Hahahahahahaha!

I definitely want to hear some things about infrastructure.  I remember hearing some rumblings about plans for a huge high-speed rail system right after he took office, & I've heard nothing since.  I know it would take forever to build if done right, but we need something like that in this country BIG time.  It that happens to get mentioned during his address, I'll be really excited.

I also hope he'll address the situation at Guantanamo Bay.  It seems like it's on the back burner at this point, but I still want to see him shut it down & I hope he's got a plan that is near the point of discussion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umami 

I definitely want to hear some things about infrastructure.  I remember hearing some rumblings about plans for a huge high-speed rail system right after he took office, & I've heard nothing since.  I know it would take forever to build if done right, but we need something like that in this country BIG time.  It that happens to get mentioned during his address, I'll be really excited.

 

I also hope he'll address the situation at Guantanamo Bay.  It seems like it's on the back burner at this point, but I still want to see him shut it down & I hope he's got a plan that is near the point of discussion.

Funding for several high speed rail projects was included in the stimulus package.  Dumbass GOP Governors have since returned the funding and now it's pretty much all going to California.  There's nothing like foresight, is there?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umami 

I definitely want to hear some things about infrastructure.  I remember hearing some rumblings about plans for a huge high-speed rail system right after he took office, & I've heard nothing since.  I know it would take forever to build if done right, but we need something like that in this country BIG time.  It that happens to get mentioned during his address, I'll be really excited.

 

I also hope he'll address the situation at Guantanamo Bay.  It seems like it's on the back burner at this point, but I still want to see him shut it down & I hope he's got a plan that is near the point of discussion.

GOP proposed 2.5 trillion in spending cuts last week, High Speed rails took a hit in that. We are so far in debt on every level, talking about high speed rail is a joke.
 

Also, Gitmo is open and will stay open. President just lifted the Ban on military trials there, signaling defeat on his efforts to close it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8272876/Ban-on-Guantanamo-military-trials-to-be-lifted.html

The guy's all talk and no action. He's talked about job creation from day one and each year he swears it is his highest priority and yet, it is not getting fixed. Inexperience really shines through on these issues. He went on about how he had a panel that would solve our deficits problem and how they would have a report in just after the November elections. What happened to that? Nothing. It's all talk. Our country is a shell game for his empty rhetoric.. He is either excessively naive and ignorant as to how our government works or he is a grade A politician who uses lofty promises and rhetoric to swindle the American public out of house and home. I will be eagerly awaiting the GOP response by Paul Ryan, looking forward to the lies the left will lob at the guy to try and discredit him.

Read this before the state of the union. and this "Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory"  """ ... and this "Bernanke: 4-5 Years Before 'Normal' Unemployment"

Then, when you're done absorbing those facts, remember this.

Yep, a speech will really fix this.

Remember folks, Snaieke is totally a centrist who just calls it like he sees it.

Thing is, voting for Obama would be a no-brainer for me, if I were an american citizen: There is simply no alternative on the right side who arent going to make things worse, or just keep NOT doing the stuff Obama isnt getting done quick enough.

Which, IMO, means the core problem lies in the 2-party structure, but you guys are stuck with that out of your own fault, so tough luck.

Over the past 2 years, it has gotten painfully obvious that the more work, effort and care anyone puts into the system, the more ridicule, sabotage and just plain cockblocking they ll have to endure, just because their opponents can.

If you dont do much and let the system teter close to the brink of disaster, nobody is going to fuck up the game even more for fear of everything breaking down... which neither side of the fence wants to happen. But for every move pulling America together in some way, you create leeway for someone else to fuck up even more, which they seem to promptly make use of.

There seems to be virtually no genuine interest by the republican party in washington that makes it to the headlines, nor the entire right-wing pundits, to let the Obama administration do ANYTHING without fighting tooth and nail for it, out of sheer principle.

Unfortunately, I suppose it wouldnt look a lot different the other way around now, because it would be very easy to just claim "they started it first!" and do the same shit to a republican president in 2 years.

As long as there is no intention of doing anything but scoring points, and preventing the enemy team from doing so in your government, you are fucked.

A few words (or an entire speech) on tax reform would be splendid.

I'd vote for the guy if he could get something as important and meaningful as that geared up.

Can't wait. I doubt I'm going to hear what I want to, but he's my President and I love him

See you guys Tuesday Night! : )  

Can somebody pls change the spelling of the President's name in the thread title?

Yes, to The ROCK Obama.

<insert jpg here>

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umami 

I definitely want to hear some things about infrastructure.  I remember hearing some rumblings about plans for a huge high-speed rail system right after he took office, & I've heard nothing since.  I know it would take forever to build if done right, but we need something like that in this country BIG time.  It that happens to get mentioned during his address, I'll be really excited.

 

I also hope he'll address the situation at Guantanamo Bay.  It seems like it's on the back burner at this point, but I still want to see him shut it down & I hope he's got a plan that is near the point of discussion.

GOP proposed 2.5 trillion in spending cuts last week, High Speed rails took a hit in that. We are so far in debt on every level, talking about high speed rail is a joke.
 

Also, Gitmo is open and will stay open. President just lifted the Ban on military trials there, signaling defeat on his efforts to close it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8272876/Ban-on-Guantanamo-military-trials-to-be-lifted.html

 

The guy's all talk and no action. He's talked about job creation from day one and each year he swears it is his highest priority and yet, it is not getting fixed. Inexperience really shines through on these issues. He went on about how he had a panel that would solve our deficits problem and how they would have a report in just after the November elections. What happened to that? Nothing. It's all talk. Our country is a shell game for his empty rhetoric.. He is either excessively naive and ignorant as to how our government works or he is a grade A politician who uses lofty promises and rhetoric to swindle the American public out of house and home. I will be eagerly awaiting the GOP response by Paul Ryan, looking forward to the lies the left will lob at the guy to try and discredit him.

  

Read this before the state of the union. and this "Housing Market Slips Into Depression Territory"  """ ... and this "Bernanke: 4-5 Years Before 'Normal' Unemployment"

 

Then, when you're done absorbing those facts, remember this.

 

 

Quote:

 

What worries me most is the political gridlock in Washington. While everyone agrees that $10 trillion (Dh36.7 trillion) deficits (by the Obama administration's own estimates) for the next decade are not sustainable, there is no political will to act. The two parties are completely divided. Effectively, the Republicans are against any form of revenue increases. The Democrats are against spending cuts, especially of entitlements.

If the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in the next election and refuse any revenue increases while the Democrats veto spending cuts, the path of least resistance will be runaway fiscal deficits which will then be monetised by the Federal Reserve, which has already embarked on this path. In just the last year alone, the Federal Reserve has bought $1.8 trillion of Treasury securities and agency debt, a course that will inevitably lead to high inflation if sustained. It is what is popularly known as printing money.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/roubini-america-faces-inflation-or-default-but-whats-really-scary-is-that-the-gop-could-soon-win-congress-2010-5#ixzz1BvfPukFA

 

Yep, a speech will really fix this.

There is so much bullshit in this that it's not even worth responding to substantively.  So I'll just write, "Jesus you're a butthead" and leave it at that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 
 I will be eagerly awaiting the GOP response by Paul Ryan, looking forward to the lies the left will lob at the guy to try and discredit him.

Nobody will be talking about anything Ryan will say tonight, the focus of the response would be Michelle Bachman's eagerly awaited lunatic response.

I know most people might not be aware of this, but I can't help but be more than a little curious if his speech will be effected by his lip injury. Mouth wounds can sometimes effect my ability to enunciate and speak clearly, and I wonder if it's the same for him. Obviously he's acrued more practice at public speaking that I've had the time for thus far, but still, something to listen for, because yikes.. it looks painful

Hahaha

hahahaha omg

but on a serious note, the whole high speed rail debacle here in ohio with kasich giving up those funds... it's not even high speed rail. it was expected to be 50-70 mph at the absolute most which is a total waste of money. im a huge backer of high speed rail projects, but as far as i'm concerned... you've gotta go all in. we need billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements... we need to catch up to china. they have rail projects approaching speeds and distances we can only dream of. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pompoussory Estoppel 

hahahaha omg

 

 

 

 

but on a serious note, the whole high speed rail debacle here in ohio with kasich giving up those funds... it's not even high speed rail. it was expected to be 50-70 mph at the absolute most which is a total waste of money. im a huge backer of high speed rail projects, but as far as i'm concerned... you've gotta go all in. we need billions of dollars in infrastructure improvements... we need to catch up to china. they have rail projects approaching speeds and distances we can only dream of. 

I 100% agree.  The plan for Ohio was bad.  Furthermore, we need a plan that states can afford.  If we're going to spend billions doing it, we should do it right.
 

I hate these elementary civics lessons. I don't give a shit about how computer chips were invented. 

JFK knew how to handle this gig with flair and panache. I guess we've become too stupid to expect that level of communication from our elected officials.

Ah yes, efficient governance. This is good stuff.

(and then...)

Finally, we're going to Defeat Evil. I was wondering when we would get around to tackling that important policy issue.

Exhibit A for stupidity: The Tea Party Movement.

Bloody brilliant speech. It wasn't the conventional laundry list of promises but rather a tempered examination of present challenges buoyed by the affirmation that we have the power & ability to resolve them. Good stuff.

Boehner, ever the disingenuous prick, was shooting daggers out of his eyes throughout the speech. Begrudgingly clapping his hands like a teenager stuck in church.

Why are Ryan's eyes red??? Did he drink before the "rebuttal"?

He was probably throwing back shots with Boner.

I saw just a clip from Bachmann's "speech", AND she was apparently looking at the wrong camera the whole time!!! LOL! Please somebody post the whole thing as soon as it's uploaded!!!

Here it is, for your viewing pleasure:  http://www.mediaite.com/tv/michele-bachmann-tries-to-steal-obamas-thunder-by-refusing-to-look-america-in-the-eye/

She's doing her best to channel Ross Perot.

Off topic:  Damn, this new mb layout is shit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umami 

I also hope he'll address the situation at Guantanamo Bay.  It seems like it's on the back burner at this point, but I still want to see him shut it down & I hope he's got a plan that is near the point of discussion.

We saw the Obama plan for Gitmo right after the inauguration.  He wanted to move the people to a new prison privately run in Illinois, where it would have been built and operated by local contractors who had sponsored his career at some point in the past.  He wasn't going to free them, he was going to let someone with a pocket full of bribe money exploit them for financial gain.  Thwarting an obvious kickback scheme is one of the few good things the "Party of NO' accomplished in the first half of his term.  Unfortunately for the Republican Party, this kind of financial cornholery is too integral to their own modus operandi for them to even think of pointing out the wickedness of it, much less taking credit for stopping it.

The prisoners in Guantanamo are in a terrible position, legally.  At worst, the ones who are actually guilty of something are just partisans who took up arms to fight an invading army.  If they were the uniformed military of the invaded country, the Geneva Conventions would apply to them; international law recognizes the right of national governments to wage war on each other, and provides rules on how armies should treat each other.  These guys don't have that protection.  They weren't proper soldiers, and now dealing with them is precisely the kind of "mere law enforcement issue" that chickenhawks on the right are too gutless to commit to.

I agree that the process of arraigning them all and releasing the acquitted should have already already been done by now.  Detaining them for the duration of hostilities makes no sense when we're trying and failing to turn their country into a stable and permanent colony along the lines of Guam or the Philippines.  I'll be very curious to see the quality of the trials these men get, but my hopes are pretty low.

There was about 5 minutes last night where I really liked Obama but then I remembered the rest of his speech and it went away. Glad to see he'll veto any legislation that will have earmarks, you know.. after 2 years of not vetoing a shit ton of legislation with a shit ton of earmarks and you know.. after the guy behind his shoulder said no bills leaving the House will have earmarks. Bold.

Overall, in the face of unsustainable 1.5 trillion dollar deficits and 1/2 of congress wanting to reduce deficits Obama put on the blinders and said Let's win the future! Spend more money! That's just awesome. What was even better, for me anyways, was after Obama had said we need to spend more money on our education and get us some of those scientists types and math folks the local news talked about how the state budget gap was so huge that they're cutting more funding from education, mostly higher education. It's like Obama doesn't live in the real world.

Great speech. Enough vision and substance for Congress to begin their food fight. Not exactly my agenda, but it's as non-apologetic in its progressive beliefs as it needs to be for me, given the political climate. Optimistic and yet not utterly dismissive of the challenges we face, which is a lot more than I can say for (heh, either of) the Republican responses.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 
What was even better, for me anyways, was after Obama had said we need to spend more money on our education and get us some of those scientists types and math folks the local news talked about how the state budget gap was so huge that they're cutting more funding from education, mostly higher education. It's like Obama doesn't live in the real world.

Goddammit Sniake, it's like you don't live in the real world. You have never said a single good thing about the Stimulus Act, even though that's the only thing that has been keeping those state cuts from happening for the last two years. What is the federal government supposed to do when a shithead state like Texas, that has noisily adopted your ass-backwards philosophy of government limited to impotency, responds to a $33 billion deficit by pledging to raise >no< taxes, and is instead going at education and social service budgets with an axe? (Is it irrelevant that Rick Perry was among the most vocal opponents of the stimulus even as he covered 97% of the budget deficit with stimulus funds while crowing about the state's low taxes and balanced ledger?)

Were you passed out drunk when the President went on at length about freezing domestic spending? How about when he made the incredibly valid point that domestic spending is only a small part of the pie, that issues in MEDICARE and SOCIAL SECURITY had to be addressed? How about getting his Secretary of Defense to make significant cuts in the DoD, something no other President has had the balls or ability to do?

Fine, you don't like the guy, but don't act like this stuff was not brought up. Some commentators are running around yelling that "he didn't specifically bring up the deficit and the fact that China owns us and we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!" Get a grip, man. Robust economic growth is the only way out of this hole, not austerity measures that cut to the bone: the bond markets don't give a damn about your impressively aggressive budget cuts if growth is anemic. Look at what's happening in Europe.

Bitching about earmarks is about as petty as you can get. No one gives a damn about earmarks because they don't matter. It's purely a symbolic move. McCain knew that, Boner knows that, and Obama knows that. It won't make any sort of recognizable difference in the long-term budget picture.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 

Glad to see he'll veto any legislation that will have earmarks, you know.. after 2 years of not vetoing a shit ton of legislation with a shit ton of earmarks and you know.. after the guy behind his shoulder said no bills leaving the House will have earmarks. Bold.

Spoken like yet another tea-tard who doesn't really understand what an earmark is. It isn't just pork barrel spending added to a bill - it's wording in the legislation that directs the government to spend already appropriated money in a specific way. It's effects less than 1% of the budget - and lack of earmarks doesn't change the overall amount that's appropriated.

At first blush I was thinking the President had bought into the Republican hyperventilating about earmarks. On reflection, I realized that by vetoing anything with an earmark in it, he looks to the rubes like he's cracking down, while at the same time daring Congress to try to tell him how to spend what they appropriate. Kind of clever, actually.

How's that austerity program working out for the U.K., by the way? .5% GDP contraction in the fourth quarter, and the risk of a double-dip recession - can't wait to see how that pans out here if dopes like Ryan get their way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElCapitanAmerica 

 

Would you prefer this Snaieke ?  Rand Paul's crazy budget;

http://www.randpaul2010.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Overview-500-billion-cuts-2.pdf

If Rand Paul can't freaking format a PDF correctly, I wouldn't trust him to decide what to cut from the federal budget.

Anyone who thinks the deficit is the reason we're in trouble doesn't know what they're talking about.  And vetoing earmarks is just fucking stupid. The whole earmark fetish is completely asinine, which is why the GOP is all over it, I guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhukov 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 
What was even better, for me anyways, was after Obama had said we need to spend more money on our education and get us some of those scientists types and math folks the local news talked about how the state budget gap was so huge that they're cutting more funding from education, mostly higher education. It's like Obama doesn't live in the real world.

 

Goddammit Sniake, it's like you don't live in the real world. You have never said a single good thing about the Stimulus Act, even though that's the only thing that has been keeping those state cuts from happening for the last two years. What is the federal government supposed to do when a shithead state like Texas, that has noisily adopted your ass-backwards philosophy of government limited to impotency, responds to a $33 billion deficit by pledging to raise >no< taxes, and is instead going at education and social service budgets with an axe? (Is it irrelevant that Rick Perry was among the most vocal opponents of the stimulus even as he covered 97% of the budget deficit with stimulus funds while crowing about the state's low taxes and balanced ledger?)

 

Were you passed out drunk when the President went on at length about freezing domestic spending? How about when he made the incredibly valid point that domestic spending is only a small part of the pie, that issues in MEDICARE and SOCIAL SECURITY had to be addressed? How about getting his Secretary of Defense to make significant cuts in the DoD, something no other President has had the balls or ability to do?

 

Fine, you don't like the guy, but don't act like this stuff was not brought up. Some commentators are running around yelling that "he didn't specifically bring up the deficit and the fact that China owns us and we're all DOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!!" Get a grip, man. Robust economic growth is the only way out of this hole, not austerity measures that cut to the bone: the bond markets don't give a damn about your impressively aggressive budget cuts if growth is anemic. Look at what's happening in Europe.

 

Bitching about earmarks is about as petty as you can get. No one gives a damn about earmarks because they don't matter. It's purely a symbolic move. McCain knew that, Boner knows that, and Obama knows that. It won't make any sort of recognizable difference in the long-term budget picture.

I've actually said I liked several things in the stimulus act, first time home buyer credit, cash for clunkers, items that encouraged purchases and helped out ailing sectors. Especially when our government will make it's investment back, either on a local, state or federal level which is what happens when folks have new cars and new homes.

As to Obama's savings?

http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2011/01/26/obamas-plan-would-cost-another-20-billion

Keep in mind, I'm for spending freeze. The GOP's proposal before the State of the Union was to have a 10 year spending freeze and revert spending levels to 2008\2006 levels. Obama was talking about 400 billion, GOP is at 2.5 trillion. If Obama's spending requests are denied and they both can agree to cuts then that's a net win. Unfortunatly the Obama administration has operated on lies and misdirection from the get go. Everytime they talk about eliminating costs and reducing budgets they reallocate the money somewhere else and increase spending in other sectors for a gain in spending.

It's fine to talk about medicare and social security, wake me up when they actually do something about it. As I first posted, Obama is all talk and no action.

You're such a disengenuous little stain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 


Unfortunatly the Obama administration has operated on lies and misdirection from the get go.

And as a person who operates on lies and misdirection, you're offended why, you abominable shit stain. Because he's encroaching on your territory?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devildoubt 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 


Unfortunatly the Obama administration has operated on lies and misdirection from the get go.

And as a person who operates on lies and misdirection, you're offended why, you abominable shit stain. Because he's encroaching on your territory?

I back my shit stain up with links to credible news sources and post facts, sorry you don't have a blog by an unemployed guy in his underwear from Huffington Post you can't pull up to counter how shitty Obama is.. 2011 deficit? 1.5 Trillion dollars. Double Dip housing market slump? CHECK! inflation? DOUBLE CHECK! High unemployment that isn't expected to come down until 2016! You betcha! State of the Union that said we need to have our sputnik moment? Yep! Oh and by the way, Obama compared us to the Soviets... they collapsed because of economic reasons ... just sayin'

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 


 Oh and by the way, Obama compared us to the Soviets... they collapsed because of economic reasons ... just sayin'

Wow. Just like Sarah Palin, you don't get what a "Sputnik moment" means right?

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/sputnik+moment.htm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devildoubt 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 


Unfortunatly the Obama administration has operated on lies and misdirection from the get go.

And as a person who operates on lies and misdirection, you're offended why, you abominable shit stain. Because he's encroaching on your territory?

 

I back my shit stain up with links to credible news sources and post facts, sorry you don't have a blog by an unemployed guy in his underwear from Huffington Post you can't pull up to counter how shitty Obama is.. 2011 deficit? 1.5 Trillion dollars. Double Dip housing market slump? CHECK! inflation? DOUBLE CHECK! High unemployment that isn't expected to come down until 2016! You betcha! State of the Union that said we need to have our sputnik moment? Yep! Oh and by the way, Obama compared us to the Soviets... they collapsed because of economic reasons ... just sayin'

Yeah fuckhead, I'm upset because I cannot counter you with cherry-picked articles from right-wing outlets.  You got me.

We've been over this fucknugget.  You're disingenuous, you obfuscate, and you either feign ignorance or you're actually ignorant.  Responding to you substantively is an act of futility, so I'll just leave you with this: fuck off. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devildoubt 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaieke 


Unfortunatly the Obama administration has operated on lies and misdirection from the get go.

And as a person who operates on lies and misdirection, you're offended why, you abominable shit stain. Because he's encroaching on your territory?

 

I back my shit stain up with links to credible news sources and post facts, sorry you don't have a blog by an unemployed guy in his underwear from Huffington Post you can't pull up to counter how shitty Obama is.. 2011 deficit? 1.5 Trillion dollars. Double Dip housing market slump? CHECK! inflation? DOUBLE CHECK! High unemployment that isn't expected to come down until 2016! You betcha! State of the Union that said we need to have our sputnik moment? Yep! Oh and by the way, Obama compared us to the Soviets... they collapsed because of economic reasons ... just sayin'

The "Sputnik moment" is a way to refer to the US being slapped in the face because someone beat us to something, you disingenuous fucktaster.  We looked in the sky and we KNEW that there was Russian metal flying above us and that shit just wouldn't stand, so we worked our asses off and went to the fucking moon before the.  It was Obama's way of saying "Look at what these guys did before we could!  Look at them beating us at our own game!  You gonna take that shit lying down?"

In Snaieke's twisted perfect world, yes.  Yes, we're going to take that shit lying down, because doing things and working to be the goddamn best in the world is JUST TOO HARD.

You fucking coward.

Again, it's kind of depressing but both Snaieke and Palin didn't "get" what the president meant. I really never imagined it was that hard to understand ...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2011/01/sarah_palins_weird_sputnik_sto.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by Art Decade 

I hate with every fiber of my being that this guy is my Senate representative.  Maybe I can use that "Well, he's not my representative" line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zhukov 

 How about getting his Secretary of Defense to make significant cuts in the DoD, something no other President has had the balls or ability to do?

This right here.  Ask anyone who is apoplectic about government spending what percentage of the budget they think should be spent on the military, and then ask them if they know what percentage is actually spent on the military.  I'll bet they have no clue.