Barack Obama entered the rotunda an embattled President, beset by few real issues but by a wide variety of Republican lies and media distortions. Frankly, I hoped he would come out swinging. He exceeded my expectations, albeit in a completely different way than I had envisioned. Most of his proposals should be pleasing to the left, but he made them in terms that should appeal to the middle, whose support he must win back to help Democrats hold the Senate, improve their standing in the House, and retake many State governments. I think that his speech was a huge success. You decide for yourselves. I have the speech in it’s entirety for you. I also have four misrepresentations Republicans call responses.
Here is a transcript of Obama’s address, as planned.
Obama’s SOTU Address:
I have seldom seen better oratory.
The Cathy McMorris-Rogers Response:
Toxic Sugar Alert!
Too much sugar will rot your teeth, but this sugar will rot your brain. It has nothing to do with Obama’s speech. Isn’t it ironic that, to counter the many valid assertions that Republican’s waging their War on Women, she sold herself out to that war, in addition to standard Republican lies.
The Mike Lee Response:
Barf Bag Alert!
This speech is a combination of class warfare, revisionist history, factual distortion and projection. You can fertilize your lawn with this one.
The Ted Cruz Response:
Double Barf Bag Alert!!
The background noise, the most relevant portion of the speech, is dubbed in to support the lie that Cruz is responding to the speech from the chamber right after the speech. However, the fool released it before Obama’s speech. Like Keystone XL, he should never have been allowed to cross the border.
The Idiot Response:
Triple Barf Bag, Trashcan, Shoe and Pocket Alert!!!
This "response" was recorded two days before Obama’s SOTU speech. Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after Idiot performed a major feat by setting the record for number of lies told in 10 minutes or less.
In summary, I find it easy to see why Obama did not go out of his way to slam Republicans. The Republicans did it for him.
15 Responses to “State of the Union: 2014”
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Thanks TC – sorry my bad back is bad again – will come back to this later if I can…
Cathy McMorris-Rogers talks about "A hopeful Republican vision"??? Talk about oxymorons! Where is her brain? The Kochs must have slipped her some InsaniTea.
Mike Lee has the balls to talk about income inequality while fighting to keep the status quo with all his votes. WOW! Another brain-addled politician.
Ted Cruz should put the fire out in his pants before he gets hurt. He said IRS too many times. Maybe they should audit him with his dual citizenship.
Idiot, Son of Idiot, etc thinks government is the cause of our problems. Well, has he stopped to think that he is a part of that problem?
Maybe the President's press secretary should stop giving out a preview of the SOTU prior to the specch. That might stop the "presponses".
This was a masterful speech by the President. I enjoyed hearing him stand behind liberal issues more strongly than usual. It almost brings me the hope I felt when he was first elected and re-elected. He certainly must carry through with his use of executive orders or other means to accomplish the stated goals, with or without Congress. I watched Cathy M-R's response and found her to be adorable. I think that's what they were going for, don't you? I can only assume substance was not the goal, as usual. I cannot bring myself to even watch the above other responses. It is infuriating that there is anyone in this country who can't see through the distortions that the R/Ts fill their rhetoric with. I don't listen to them because my blood pressure's already too high! I hope you're feeling better, Tom. Cheery bye!
I watched the speech, but not the gang of wack a doodles after. I'm happy to say I can't watch the videos either. My speakers are not working and I can't work on them until I have both paws functioning.
I suppose some will jump down my throat for this:
I didn't like having the soldier stand for so long with his dad having to hold him erect. Many of those clapping have recently cut veterans benefits. They had no right to pretend to give a damn.
Thanks Obama for finally making a statement that global climatic change is undeniably real and there is nothing to debate. Well done! Though how he can make that statement and immediately pronounce that more fracking is needed for energy independence is denying that climatic change is very tightly linked to our dependence on fossil fuels. I totally agree that must (should have long ago) end the tax payer subsidies for these huge international, non-taxing paying conglomerates and reinvest that money in R&D for more clean sustainable energy sources. I wish he had addressed the need for a new power grid, because many other countries are learning that new and more efficient grids are needed; for solar, wind and geo-thermal energy.
The increase of Federal employees and related government dependent companies to $10.10 is a superficial and symbolic raise that will not really help those who are scraping by on so little. This done by executive order is fully and completely legal, even if Bachmann doesn't understand the constitution. Therefore, he should have at least made the gesture real with no less than $20.00 a hour.
Congress gives themselves COL raises almost every year. If they had shred of humanity they would have been raising minimum wage along with their own inflated raises.
I would much rather he said. "we will enforce those gun laws that are on the books" than discuss more legislation that even if passed would still not be enforced.
People need more than one day off when family is sick or in need. We are the only developed country that cares so little for family, yet cries for lack of family values. Family values are about caring for family members.
So toss the rotten tomatoes in my direction. Those are opinions of mine about the speech, which overall, was well done. Since TV these speeches are mostly about showmanship, and Obama is very good at speeches, I think he knows that If he had said, "I'm against abortion, women are uppity and deserve nothing, children should work for their supper", he still would not have gained a single support vote from the republican tea bags. Why bother?
Feel better soon, TC!
*** Yes, I do understand that having that wounded solider stand was making a point.
The President's speech was indeed remarkable, and it hit several issues that were "expected" but only that, I doubt if he really has the ability to implement them with the Congress he's been given, although with the next election who knows.
What was ommitted from the President's speech was far more concerning to me! No mention of TPP, the mention of climate change in the same breath as lauding the nation's ability to frack its way to energy independence (while contributing every bit as much to climate change since fracking is as bad or worse than our fossil fuels, contributing to not only air, but water pollution and using between 2-10 million gallons of water per well, and those wells have a 50% likelihood of leakage within ten years, not to mention the earthquakes that the drilling has produced), NO mention whatsoever of the Keystone XL – which carries a new kind of oil nearly as viscuous as peanut butter and we have as yet no technology to clean its spills! No mention as well of Monsanto – I guess our agricultural resources are doomed to the unknown, since it's been given the "go-ahead" by Congress without the necessity of labeling, this with the pollination of crops, will guarantee that much of our private and organic food resources will be compromised!
Obama, may have wonderful ideas on the social and job fronts, but in my opinion, if you threaten the country and the world with continued climate change it is all a moot point! He was right to state that we've witnessed the fact that we are in the midst of climate change, but he truly offered no effectual fight against it, he showed himself to be just another puppet of corporate owned government, as I believe we will have with Hillary – I'm thinking I'll no longer sopport the Democratic Party at all, but switch affiliations to the losing "Green Party" with the consolation that as the POTUS stated, when the future generations ask what I did – I can look them in the eyes!
The multiple GOP responses were not worthy of comment, each being a little more ignorant and riling than the last!
I recently read a quote attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, which I cannot now find. It was to the effect that if you are given a task to build a boat and the tools you have are a hammer, a chisel, and one other (which I forget), you do the best you can. It would be nice if you had a saw, but you don't.
In the current political climate, turning one's back on the Democratic Party now appears to me like trading all your wood to get the saw. Sure, it's a better tool, but you are still not going to float your boat. Instead you will be turning the whole responsibility for the boat over to idiots. I don't happen to believe the country can afford that. If you do – if you believe America can turn the total management of the government over to idiots for years and still come back from that down the road without a bloody revolution – by all means go to a third party. Just please consider the consequences well.
I suspect you may be referring to me, but I who have voted Democrat all my life, am truly astonished at how corporate both major parties are, and if we give democrats the boat to float at the expense of both the country and the world it really is a moot point isn't it — Obama himself declared how undeniable climate change is — we are more than responsible for it – yet we are doing everything within our power to enhance it – I have a grandchild now, and another on the way – I cannot vote against their lives and health and the countries treasury, just to maintain the status quo, nor will I ever be able to face those children if I vote to make global warming worse – it's now become personal and urgent!
To sit complacently by while the President conjures up all the climate change possible is only giving corporate power a green light! Obama has done much in advancing rights for women, LGBT rights, equality, and wage increases. However when it comes to his war record, his dealings with Wall St and the banks, and his record on climate change – he's a corporate whore! hillary would only prove more so.
I don't yet go so far as to say I'm sorry that I voted for Obama twice, I'm glad to have opened the presidency to "other than the old white man", but I won't do the same just because Hillary is an old white woman – she is already as corporately controlled as was her husband! NO MORE!
Liked the speech,but am I to assume that Mr Obama will be working with Gordon Ramsey in the future.?
An intellectual GIANT from the Tea party, designated him as a CHEF!.
Re the comments in Spanish. Excellent idea,but but the nausea inducing Steve King has introduced a law to make illegal to speak in any language except ENGLISH.!!. (a true cosmopoliton!/! xenophobe and isolationist.)!!??
Take better care of youself, TC. Copd is dangerous.
I agreed with most of his speech but am disappointed that he has not refuted the XL Pipeline, and by all accounts is supporting the TPP. I didn't listen to the Rep. responses, too hard on my blood pressure.
The Kentucky State House of Representatives has passed a bill to raise the minimum wage here, now it goes to the Senate, where it seems likely to pass also. Yay.
Frankly, I marvel that the repubs let Cruz out in public at all. They obviously have no sense of embarrassment about any of their wingnuts, with Cuz being the most extreme. He is such an embarrassment to the entire country.
Thanks everyone.
I also have no trouble finding fault with Obama, but kudos to Joanne. Her point says it all!
Liked the speech and watched the entire thing… Although I try to engage, I've been suffering with medical conditions which the VA does a fine job in care… Thanks 😆
To Ted Cruz: STFU and go back to Canada.
No surprise here, but for the record (and your Bookmarks) McMorris Rodgers LIED in her "official-but-hard-to-keep-track-because-there-were-four-count-em-FOUR-rethuglican-responses" response to SOTU:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/cathy-mcmorris-rodgers-exaggerates-obamacare-victim-story
… AND for those (count me in) who really like granular details:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/30/1273347/-Where-is-Cathy-McMorris-Rodgers-ObamaCare-victim-Bette-in-Spokane-UPDATE-X3-Bette-SPEAKS