LIVE BLOGGING: The President's First Speech To Congress

Now that the clap-happy is done.....(that always trips me out)

I don't think it's ever taken a President 17 minutes to get in, shake hands, and start speaking.......

Well, here we go.

1) So far, one "crisis" and lots of word pictures of difficulty and loss.
2) "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than ever before."

(Pelosi ruined that line by standing up too early; that was the cornerstone line of the speech, given to the press earlier, and some people missed it all. Why am I critical? She HAS A COPY of the speech in front of her, and has had it for some time!)

3) It didn't happen overnight. Here's the lineup. Energy. Health care. Education. Debt. "Short term gains were prized over long term prosperity".

OH, first notice of "wealth to the wealthy".

OH II----people bought homes they couldn't afford......

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We're five minutes in, have heard nothing new.

He gets applause for saying he wants to talk to us tonight. Dear heavens!!!

Our first split decision: That "Recovery and Reinvestment Act" is now law. GOP stays seated.

3.5 million jobs......when we're done building broadband, turbines, and rebuilding roads, what do we do then?? What jobs will be next to create?

UNEMPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE? WHAT?? I didn't get that option last year. No, I'm NOT jealous.

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9:25pm---"Nobody messes with Joe." And thus is the bone thrown tonight to the Vice-President, who won't be seen again for a week.

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Time for the "credit CRISIS". (I'm not being tongue-in-cheek with the CAPS, I am trying to keep tabs on the use of the word.)

3!

"A New Lending Fund"-----paid for by????????

"Plan to help Responsibile Families" on their homes------how do they determine who a deadbeat is?

"Provide Support to clean up (bad banks) balance sheets...."------is that code speak for some sort of "nationalization"?

4!

Everybody stands on accountability. :) No brainer.

CEO's: "Those days are over". What about the ball players who make eight figures?

(REMEMBER---I ASK QUESTIONS TO MAKE US THINK!)

SIDEBAR: I do VERY much appreciate Obama's speaking style. He is speaking "to" the American people. Not all Presidents do that.

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Hmmm......."our outdated regulatory system." Haven't heard anyone in the media tackle this one yet.

Ut oh.......Obama history lesson. Ah, the GI Bill was AFTER THE DEPRESSION AND WAR. Sorry, that one doesn't wash.

Government "catalyzed"??? "CATALYZED"?? We can't spark anything without the government??? What the????

Now it's time to hear the cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.......

REMEMBER, we're in a trillion dollar deficit. Trillions of dollars in debt.


1) Energy----love the ideas. Who pays for it all?

Good line about cars. "The nation that invented automobiles cannot walk away from it."

2) Health Care-----a bankruptcy every 30 seconds. It COULD cause 1.5 million people to lose their homes. (Can we check that figure in a year, just to make sure that wasn't a throwaway line? Didn't say it wasn't true, but it should be fact checked.)

OMG----Pelosi is jubliant almost to the point of RUDE!!!! She wasn't sure whether to stand for a cure for cancer in our time, but she jumped up at that 11 million children figure. Legislation! I'll clap to that! I love it when children have health care. Who's paying for it? That's my only question.

"It will not wait another year."---oh, boy; so, who's paying???? And how does the GDP grow when you're thinking of taking 1/6th of it and nationalizing it?

3) Education-----Okay...the same public high schools he applauded in his history lesson are now desperately in need of fixing. It's either one or the other.

College affordable for seven million more students. Details??? Figures??? Who's paying the tuition???

Teacher incentives...."rewards for success". Criteria? Based on what?

WHOA----expand our committment to charter schools!!! Pelosi was STONE FACED on that one. Thank you, Mr. President, for realizing there are MANY ways to fix the education problem. I hope that wasn't a throwaway line.

By 2020----the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. CONGRESS IS ALREADY FILLED WITH THEM! Just a reminder, folks......

Responsibility begins at home. AMEN, MR. PRESIDENT!!!

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Okay, now the fun. Listen CAREFULLY. All this spending, and don't pass on debt. Hmmm......

WHOA---DEMS ARE DRUNK WITH POWER! Did U see Chuck Schumer laughing at the GOP while clapping over the "inherited deficit".

NO EARMARKS? EXCUSE ME?? 2 Trillion Dollars in the next decade. POST IT ALL ON RECOVERY.GOV!!!

"Cold War Era" weapons programs gone. Okay, so what do we REPLACE them with?

Notice, so far, NOT A WORD on defense. All this will be wonderful, so long as we don't get hit with "9/11 II", or, God forbid, beyond.

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"Not one single dime." Wonder how many people making between $250,000 and $500,000 owns small business and are about to get "gouged", now that they've been branded "rich"? I don't know a lot of people that make more than $250K that isn't either an owner or seriously invested in the company where they hang their hat, do you?

Americans-----PLEASE, PLEASE think for yourselves when it comes to the "definition of the rich".

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Yikes! We won't allow terrorists to plot attacks in safe havens halfway around the world. Do you realize what that means??? Did you see all the Democrats clapping?? That means CONTINUAL WAR for the FORESEEABLE FUTURE, FRIENDS! Don't you get it? Don't you understand?

And that's the reality of war that could never be wiped away by the campaign slogan, "ending the war in Iraq". There are people in that hall tonight simply not thinking. They're listening to soundbites and responding like Pavlov's dog to make sure they're doing the politically expedient "thing" if the camera comes upon them.

And DON'T get me started on "The United States does not torture......"

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Time for the conclusion.

Bank CEO in Miami shares wealth. Private citizen; private decision. That rocks!!!!

"We are not quitters."-----The Bible says "...out of the mouth of babes...."
Great story, and yes, government can answer the need and cry of a neglected public school system.

5!!!

And 51 minutes later, we're done. Let the pundits with cameras begin. :)