Bishop to Boycott Obama Commencement Speech
South Bend is heating up over the controversy surrounding Obama and the local bishop...Read the post2009 College Grads: We're the Lucky Ones
Why there is hope for the graduating Class of 2009, and how they can find work in a recession...Read the postBeer in Vending Machines -- What Drinking Age?
U.S. policies on drinking age seem restrictive when examining the rest of the world...Read the postHow The Press Can Remain Relevant
Is it any surprise that Obama has employed a strategy to cordon journalists that is similar to previous administrations?...Read the postBe Afraid, Cheney Warns. Be Very Afraid.
Just when you thought the Bush-era warnings of Armageddon around the corner were over, Cheney strikes again...Read the postObama: You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry...
Obama threw down his stick, spat on the floor and growled in the face of cameras -- metaphorically... Read the postObama to GOP: 'I Won, I'm The President'
"You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," Obama told GOP leaders...Read the postPalin Seeks $11M Book Deal, but Can She Read?
One can only imagine what Republican rising star Sarah Palin could possibly write about in her memoirs...Read the post
politics
Obama Delivers Hopeful Yet Realistic Address
The hope is not gone, people.
If you thought a collapsing economy, rampant unemployment, a huge deficit and two wars was going to get President Obama down after a little more than a month in office, you were wrong. In his State of the Union-style address Tuesday night, delivered before a joint session of Congress, Obama was just as hopeful as he was before he became the chief executive, though he was bluntly realistic about the challenges.
Obama said he recognized that the economy was the one issue that Americans were thinking about now above all others. The challenges the country faces are severe, but he had faith that America would rise from its troubles.
"We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," he said. The way to do this: jump-start job creation, and pass a budget that invests in energy, health care and education, all while ensuring accountability. Obama said Vice President Joe Biden would be in charge of making sure money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus plan) is spent responsibly.
"Nobody messes with Joe," Obama said. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi loved that line. She quickly jumped up to give Biden a standing ovation.
Another key part of the recovery plan is ensuring the flow of credit, Obama said. At this point, President Obama became Professor Obama, explaining who needs credit, why they need it and how to free up credit.He's not going to let Wall Street bankers use taxpayer dollars to pad their paychecks any longer, Obama said, resuming his role as Commander-in-Chief and bringing out the tough talk:
"Those days are over."
Obama made it clear who his constituents were:
"It's not about helping banks. It's about helping people." He repeated the line twice, over applause.
Obama said his plan for America's recovery is directly tied to his budget proposal, which focuses on energy, healthcare and education, three areas Obama believes are vital.
He wants to see clean energy, more efficient cars and trucks and higher standards for the automobile industry.
He then turned into America's personal trainer:
"This is America. We don't do what's easy. We do what's necessary to move this nation forward."
He called for healthcare reform. CBS's cameras zoomed in on Hillary Clinton's standing O.
I heard echoes of Josiah Bartlett when he called for a cure for cancer "in our time." It doesn't have the strict deadline of John F. Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade, but at least it's being discussed. Since I am now a Twitter user, I can report that Lance Armstrong was very happy about the cancer line.
The most interesting parts of Obama's speech, I thought, were about education.
A good education has become a "prerequisite to opportunity," he said. He asked all Americans to commit to one year or more of college or career training. By 2020, he wants America to have the highest proportion of college graduates.
The line that made me most proud? "I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture," Obama said.
Obama had Republicans and Democrats alike on their feet applauding at many points in the speech. He even got them laughing. Can we figure out some way to bottle up his optimism and pour it into the stock market?
Categories
Most Popular Stories »
- U.S. retailers are on sale
- The Rivalry: 145 games strong
- Slideshow: Lehigh-Laf week
- HAWKS SKIN LEOPARDS
- Macys thanksgiving day history
Recent Comments »
Page 1/2
Post Your Comments Below
| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments
carl heck
10:50PM 10:50PM Feb 24th 2009
WOW,,,,,,Great Speech by OBAMA!!! Booby Jindl just Embarrassed the GOP beyond belief !!
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
GreatR
11:52PM 11:52PM Feb 24th 2009
Speech long on generalities and short on details. As usual the devil is in the details. Typical Socialist dribble.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Judy
7:23AM 7:23AM Feb 25th 2009
Republicans put down your Vice, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and false Pride, the American people need Virture, Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Delegence, Patience, Kindness and Humility something that was lost when this Country was invaded and occupied. Enough SAID!
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
FireEagle
12:25AM 12:25AM Feb 25th 2009
Gosh, I had chills running up and down my leg during the speech.. he was so forceful.. so dynamic... so full of shit...
He is going to force the banks to loan money to people that can't pay it back, just like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, when they force them to loan money to people that had no income and could not pay the mortgage. Now I am paying HIGH TAXES to support people that lied or were given mortgages they could not afford, while I have paid for 26 years on my mortgage and never missed a payment or paid late.
Now the Dumocrats have spent Trillions of dollars to fix their screw-ups. You and your children are going to have to pay, so go into your children's bedrooms and break their piggy banks and give the administration the money because that is what Pelosi and Reed and Obama have just done, stolen the money for years to come.
According to the GAO if the government did nothing this crisis will be over sooner. Now the government is going to spread it over years creating the highest deficit that America has ever faced.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Alyssa
11:46AM 11:46AM Feb 25th 2009
"According to the GAO if the government did nothing this crisis will be over sooner"
The GAO said no such thing. You can have your opinion, but quit just randomly making stuff up.
Rating :
Report!
Lucia
10:05AM 10:05AM Feb 25th 2009
If you can remember the mania, was that subprime was a tiny niche of the overall mortgage market so there was no need to worry about any market contagion. Subprime was contained and if any problems did occur, it was such a small portion of overall mortgage debt that it was isolated on an economic deserted island. Ironically, most of these people are now arguing that subprime caused all or the vast majority of the market problems. Keep in mind that $7 trillion has been wiped off from the S&P 500 and the United States real estate market has seen $8 trillion wiped away from the peak. Just with the S&P 500 and the U.S. residential market we have seen $15 trillion in wealth evaporate. You mean to tell me that roughly $1 trillion in subprime loans has caused $15 trillion in wealth to disappear? Is it any wonder why so many in our population don’t even understand the basics of Algebra but know who the last American Idol is?
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Lucia
9:56AM 9:56AM Feb 25th 2009
If you can remember the mania, was that subprime was a tiny niche of the overall mortgage market so there was no need to worry about any market contagion. Subprime was contained and if any problems did occur, it was such a small portion of overall mortgage debt that it was isolated on an economic deserted island. Ironically, most of these people are now arguing that subprime caused all or the vast majority of the market problems. Keep in mind that $7 trillion has been wiped off from the S&P 500 and the United States real estate market has seen $8 trillion wiped away from the peak. Just with the S&P 500 and the U.S. residential market we have seen $15 trillion in wealth evaporate. You mean to tell me that roughly $1 trillion in subprime loans has caused $15 trillion in wealth to disappear? Is it any wonder why so many in our population don’t even understand the basics of Algebra but know who the last American Idol is?
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Magic 8
10:31AM 10:31AM Feb 25th 2009
Great speech by the Lightweight... Again, Barry shows that he believes that delivery and media adoration equal actual achievement. The market always knows better-barfing up 2%+ in the first hour.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Ken Green
12:09PM 12:09PM Feb 25th 2009
"He called for healthcare reform. CBS's cameras zoomed in on Hillary Clinton's standing O".
One of the most disturbing sentences i have ever read.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Ken Green
12:24PM 12:24PM Feb 25th 2009
"He called for healthcare reform. CBS's cameras zoomed in on Hillary
Clinton's standing O".
One of the most disturbing sentences i have ever read.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
JD
4:01PM 4:01PM Feb 25th 2009
So he's going to force the banks to give risky, low interest loans to minorities again, only this time, the taxpayers will be forced to pay for them. ACORN, the group that intially bullied banks into making such loans, who Obama was a trainer for two years, are now going to take over and move into foreclosed houses. Like an empty house will set less of a value for a neighborhood more than a house full of crackheads. Great system we have coming up.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
JD
4:03PM 4:03PM Feb 25th 2009
You know, I've come not to believe anything a democrat or liberal says anymore. As a matter of fact, I'll think the reverse.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Annee
4:58PM 4:58PM Feb 25th 2009
Hey MORON - you don't give a STATE OF THE UNION speech until you've been in office for ONE YEAR.
All this was about is Obama ramping up the fear so he can steal from your pockets and you will help him.
Suckers.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Frank
7:55PM 7:55PM Feb 25th 2009
Annee,
You are obviously a Neocon as you have no interest in FACTS and are interested in name calling. Hypocritical? Maybe.
State of the Union Addresses have been given in February by newly elected presidents since 1934. Addtitionally Barack Obama is the President and can do what he wants when he wants. Deal with it!!!!!!!
Rating :
Report!
KUNZSP
8:09PM 8:09PM Feb 25th 2009
I am waiting for The Second Coming of
George W. Bush. It will happen.
The Socialist Speech of Pres. Obama
was a total turn-off.
Phyllis Kunz
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
john
9:21PM 9:21PM Feb 25th 2009
I will believe the man when I see the goverment stop wasting our money. He tells Americans to live with in our means, yet all he and the goverment have done is spend, spend, spend. Look at how much money it costs to fly all of our goverment officals all over the world. What doe's it cost to fly air force one to Denver so you can get away from Washington to sign a spending bill in to law??? Thats GOVERMENT waste at its finest. Maybe if Obama wants to lead he should set an example. Practice what you preach!
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
juryrocket
10:27PM 10:27PM Feb 25th 2009
Is there no end to Obama's spending? Obama has a dangerously messianic faith in the power of government to perform economic miracles, along with a well-cultivated contempt for those institutions that have made this country prosperous. But no matter how much he spends, he can't alchemize wasteful government spending into economic wealth and prosperity. Check out this great satire on Obama spending:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Hi6QIe8yM
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
nick
7:54AM 7:54AM Feb 26th 2009
Katlynn Riely you can get off your knees now you did your serve to obama, your sick lady.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
Richard Compton
12:52PM 12:52PM Feb 26th 2009
Solve the car problem by Taxing foreign owned car companies $2,000 per sale and consider droping Tax on American owned companies when they sell a car.
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
JMA
12:52PM 12:52PM Feb 26th 2009
IMPEACH this bozo NOW before he destroys America with his flawed economic non-plans and his anti-American policies....
Besides...He never truly proved his citizenship and should never have been allowed to run for the Presidency...
He is an Anti-American, Pro-Muslim, Lying, Thieving Chicago CROOK and he needs to be tarred-and feathered and run out of town...
Start IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS...NOW !!!
Rating :
Reply to this commentReport!
| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 20 Comments