Live Blogging SOTU
Posted: February 12, 2013 Filed under: Live, Live Blog, SOTU | Tags: State of the Union address 2013 56 CommentsTonight’s State of the Union address is Obama’s first of his second and last term in office. Speculation is rampant about the focus and tone of the
speech given the changes apparent in the inauguration address to the nation. We’ve already seen that many of the invited guests tonight will victims of gun violence. Another guest of FLOTUS will be the 102 year old woman who represents voting rights in America. Ensuring the right to vote may be central a central them in tonight’s address to the nation.
President Barack Obama will announce a bipartisan presidential voting commission to focus on improving the Election Day experience, The Huffington Post has learned from two sources outside the White House with knowledge of the plans.
The commission is one of a number of efforts the Obama administration is making to address the problems that plagued voting on Election Day 2012. The commission, which will focus specifically on Election Day issues and not broader voting reform, will likely be co-chaired by one Republican and one Democratic lawyer, according to one of the sources.
The White House announced Tuesday that 102-year-old Miami resident Desiline Victor will be a guest of first lady Michelle Obama during the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, during which Obama is expected to discuss voting reforms. Victor is a naturalized U.S. citizen who stood in line for three hours at a local library on the first Sunday of early voting until workers told her to come back later that evening. A crowd of thousands of people erupted in applause when she emerged with an “I Voted” sticker, the White House said.
The FLOTUS guest list may hint at other themes. It includes many women including soliders, pay discrimination activists, and teachers. It also includes scientists.
- Dr. Jill Biden
- Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President
- Sergeant Sheena Adams (Vista, CA) – Team Advisor & Lead Instructor, Female Engagement Team
- Alan Aleman (Las Vegas, NV) – DREAM Student
- Jack Andraka (Crownsville, MD) – Winner of the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
- Susan Bumgarner (Norman, OK) – Early Childhood Educator
- Deb Carey (New Glarus, WI) – Small Business Owner, New Glarus Brewing Company
- Sergeant Carlos Evans, USMC (Cameron, NC) – Wounded Warrior
- Tim Cook (Cupertino, CA) – CEO of Apple
- Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton and Nathaniel A. Pendleton Sr. (Chicago, IL)
- Menchu de Luna Sanchez (Secaucus, NJ) – Registered Nurse, NYU Langone Medical Center
- Bobak Ferdowsi (Pasadena, CA) – Flight Director, Mars Curiosity Rover
- Bradley Henning (Louisville, KY) – Machinist, Atlas Machine and Supply
- Tracey Hepner (Arlington, VA) – Co-Founder, Military Partners and Families Coalition
- Peter Hudson (Evergreen, CO) – Co-Founder and CEO, iTriage
- Governor John Kitzhaber (D-OR)
- Mayor Marie Lopez Rogers (Avondale, AZ)
- Amanda E. McMillan (Jackson, MS) – Pay Discrimination Victim
- Lee Maxwell (Wilton, IA) – Graduate, Kirkwood Community College Wind Technician Program
- Lieutenant Brian Murphy (Oak Creek, WI)
- Lisa Richards (Arlington, VA) – #My2K Participant
- Kaitlin Roig (Greenwich, CT) – 1st Grade Teacher, Sandy Hook Elementary School
- Abby Schanfield (Minneapolis, MN) – ACA Beneficiary
- Haile Thomas (Tucson, AZ) – Let’s Move! Champion
- Desiline Victor (Miami, FL)
Draft dodger and confessed pedophile gun nut Ted Nugent is coming as a guest of nutty Texas Rep Steve Stockman. The Nuge is well known for threatening the president and calling women leaders misogynistic slurs.
NUGENT: I was in Chicago last week. I was in Chicago and said, “Hey, Obama you might want to suck on one of these you punk.” Obama, he’s a piece of shit, and I told him to suck on my machine gun. Let’s hear it for him. And then I was in New York. I said, “Hey, Hillary, you might want to ride one of these into the sunset, you worthless bitch. Since I’m in California, how about [Senator] Barbara Boxer [D-CA], she might want to suck on my machine gun. And [Senator] Dianne Feinstein [D-CA], ride one of these you worthless whore. Any questions? [Ted Nugent via LiveLeak.com, accessed 10/1/12]
Our hope is that some one will come to their senses and disinvite him. You’ll probably see him surrounded by the Capitol Police and the Secret Service. Here’s hoping he’s ignored by the press.
An enhanced version of the SOTU is available from the White House and will include stats and charts. The channel is on now with a lot of interesting historical background on the address, on previous presidents, and on the event itself. There’s also a chance to get on a mail list plus an after speech chat with a group of white house policy experts. You should look at it just because it’s really interesting and has some interesting background on the speech writing process too.
So, the speech starts tonight and can also be watched at the C-SPAN site.
Tonight, C-SPAN brings you President Obama’s fourth State of the Union address before a Joint Session of Congress. Our coverage begins at 8pm ET with comments from Frank Newport of Gallup and reporters from National Review and Huffington Post.
At 9pm ET, C-SPAN & C-SPAN Radio broadcast President Obama’s address and the GOP response from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). (Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) speaks at 10pm, C-SPAN.org). Then, viewer reactions via calls, Twitter & Facebook.
This post kicks off the first part of our live blogging sessions. Please join us through out the night!
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Sky Dancing 
Thanks for this, Dak.
No problem. It’s going to be hard to get the news back to the SOTU given the Dorner shoot out.
Poor Ted Nugent. He’s been completely overshadowed.
Mr. Mohawk is the scientist that FLOTUS invited from NASA. Just in case you wondered …
Some of the White House team are so young. I love that.
Eric Cantor is on the C-span feed right now.
Never mind. I have the right channel now.
Vitter on camera.
VItter at least voted for the VAW Act. I’m going to be kind to him today because of that.
Nice. Thanks Dak!
It was that or cover Fat Tony’s competing speech.
Scalia tonight on not attending #sotu addresses: “It has turned into a childish spectacle, I do not want to be there to lend dignity to it”
Tony should understand childish.
“lend dignity”
Who’s he trying to fool?
Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States…..
Ryan Lizza @RyanLizza
Obama will call for raising the federal minimum wage to $9.00/hour.
Press inside got copy of speech
Politix @bi_politics
FULL TEXT: Obama’s State Of The Union Speech http://read.bi/Xzh1wj
Is Boehner crying yet?
Jimmy Fallon had a great thing on his show last night about that.
Obama begins with quote from JFK on bipartisanship.
Biden’s got so many ribbons on him that he looks like prize livestock at a fair … will defer exact animal suggestions to yall
What’s with the green ribbons?
The green ribbons are for Sandy Hook.
Have you noticed that the republicans aren’t wearing them?
Sophie CT just told me it’s for the Newton Massacre
Some GOP are probably are wearing NRA buttons.
Nuge is back there with a bleach blonde … some one should check her ID
thanks!!! SophieCT just tweeted that to me … I was thinking hmmmmm. legalize pot? green energy? Independence for Northern Ireland?
ewwwww .. the catfood commission!!!!!!!
I’m going to have a million economist march where we all go to the reflecting pool and toss our review copies of our introductory texts at passing pols and beauracrats
Great idea!
Boehner’s tie must have been picked out with his new shade of orange spray tan in mind.
Why have I heard this before……………I certainly have.
I believe we have.
Well, part of the environmental policy was in McCain’s 2008 platform.
Heat wave – must do
Where were we….sorry
Heard the words violent crimes once, so far.
Boehner just wasn’t going to stand up when it came to the words “immigration reform”…………hmmmmm
Simpson-Bowles is trending on Twitter. Arrrrrrgh!
Loudest applause so far for Violence Against Women Act and equal pay for women.
OT– Dead body of Christopher Dorner found in burned cabin.
Knew they would kill him.
I think he killed himself, unless they’re lying. A single gunshot was heard as they were breaking in.
Excuse me, but $9/hr. is not “a wage you can live on.” Give me a break!
Boehner’s tie looks like pink with white polka dots. It’s making me queasy.
Michelle looks very cute tonight.
Loved her dress …
Okay, it was really boring and not so great until he got to the last part about the gun violence and fix the vote.
It was pretty boring, but I’ve heard worse–e.g. GW Bush.
I wish he hadn’t emphasized the deficit so much. And the bipartisanship schtick is way beyond tired.
We are citizens…………..I like that.
Best part of the speech I think. The hard work of self government cannot be over emphasized.
“Making people wait hours to vote is ” betraying our ideals.” #SOTU
I’m still waiting for the staunch defense of Social Security and Medicare. That it’s the right thing to do, to look out for our fellow Americans. Maybe some lines paraphrased from Krugman to tell Americans that those programs have nothing to do with the deficit. That American can be a country where everyone, not just the 1%, can retire without fear of the poorhouse.
Obama is a spineless excuse of a Democrat.