State of the Union Live Blog
Posted: January 20, 2015 Filed under: Live, Live Blog, SOTU | Tags: 2015 State of the Union Live Blog 105 Comments
Tonight we’re watching the State of the Union address to see exactly what the last two years of the Obama presidency may bring. It will be a tough few years given the group that was sent to Congress last fall. We’re about to see a bunch of whackadoodle dandies go wild. There are several rumors up on the internet concerning possible executive orders that will be announced to tonight. Here is one of the more interesting ones.
It is being reported that one of President Obama’s surprises at the State Of The Union will be an announcement of an executive order that will take on the Koch Brothers and Citizens United.
Eleanor Clift of The Daily Beast reported:
Wednesday is the fifth anniversary of Citizens United, and reformers have been told that the president may announce executive action in his SOTU speech that would require businesses contracting with the government to disclose political contributions after contracts have been awarded. This would ensure that the contracting process is blind, but also give the public (and the media) the information needed to connect the dots to look for backroom deals or conflicts of interest.
Guess who happens to have multi-million dollar contracts with the Department of Defense? The federal government hatingKoch Brothers have tens of millions of dollars in defense contracts with the federal government. Rush Limbaugh also has a federal government contract that allows his showto be broadcast on the American Forces Network.
It is possible that the president will announce this executive order tonight, but he may also decide to wait and make a separate announcement. When/if the president does decide to make this announcement it will be a huge boost to transparency. The Koch brothers have a web of secret organizations that they route their money through, so most of their campaign spending will remain a secret, but it will become a bit easier to connect the dots and figure how much direct influence campaign donations are having on public policy decisions.
Ron Fournier of the National Journal suggests we just the President’s agenda with this set of criteria. Progress or Politics?
Republicans just seized control of Congress. President Obama’s job-approval ratings just jumped. Gas prices and the unemployment rate are down. The gross domestic product is up. Now what? Democratic and Republican leaders face a choice: Begin governing together, or treat this moment like just another stop on a perpetual campaign.
Unfortunately, both the White House and the GOP-led Congress seem focused prematurely on 2016. Republicans are sending to the White House legislation they know Obama will veto. The president is pushing an agenda he knows Congress won’t pass. It’s a recipe for more gridlock, more fighting, more courting of donors and ignoring the needs of a country in transition.
In other words: The state of the union is the status quo.
If you’re OK with that, stop reading. If you’d rather see progress than partisan gains, consider this: The State of the Union address is an opportunity for the president to chart a path toward consensus on issues like jobs, social mobility, education, infrastructure, energy, the debt, the environment, and terrorism.
Is Obama more interested in politics or progress? Here are five ways to tell from his address tonight.
Isn’t Obama a lame duck? After all, this speech comes after Republicans won control of both chambers for the first time this presidency. Here’s a trivia question: When was the last time a President gave his seventh year State of the Union to a Congress that wasn’t controlled by the other party? Answer: Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. Every other two termer had lost control of Congress by the last lap of his presidency. They all faced a steeper political terrain than Obama does. Dwight Eisenhower faced Cold War setbacks. Ronald Reagan spoke in 1987 right after the Iran-Contra scandal broke, and he had to lead the speech with a discussion and apology. Bill Clinton was in the middle of his Senate impeachment trial in 1999. And George W. Bush spoke at a time when we were losing in Iraq. He faced withering controversy over the “surge” of troops, which proved a good policy, but made for a challenging speech environment. Some of them had productive last two years; some didn’t. But there is much room for a creative president and Congress to achieve things, even by fighting.
For President Obama, the new party balance offers some unexpected benefits. In recent years, Congress has been paralyzed, polarized, and entirely dysfunctional. Now conservatives control it, but at least it might actually pass legislation. Obama suddenly will be more central, more relevant than he has been in domestic politics over the past year. His veto pen will be all that stands between the Republican agenda and enactment. He can draw lines, pick fights, or choose cooperation. In so doing, too, he will have the ability to make broad public arguments in the context of a real debate—on the economy, on the role of government, on contentious long-term issues such as climate change.
How can the President use this diminished but still potent platform?
So, grab the popcorn and let’s see if this year’s hostile audience pulls any big tricks.
President Obama is courting controversy with his decision to address a group that has become dominated in recent years by extremists.
Some have questioned the appropriateness of the President speaking to such an extremist group, especially because in the past it has issued threats against the United States government.
The SOTU will be streaming at CSPAN and on the White House Website if you want to avoid the District Puppetry errrrr Punditry.
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Nice selection of Bingo cards. Better than St. Rose’s.
I like the AAUW bingo card. Tried to find good sources. Thx!
John Roberts is in the house.
Here he comes. Only one left for him.
Check out the guy who is doing the Tea Party response.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/one-presidential-speech-many-gop-responses
Not only was the dude an idiot. He was a condescending idiot.
No surprise there.
Look over there! It’s a camera!
Gee, I miss Michele Bachmann. Like an ingrown toenail.
There are 3 of them
Obama is on the way.
Do I need to show I.D.?
No, you have a VIP pass.
Michelle Obama is wearing a conservative gray suit with long sleeves.
I knew it, Obama has a crush on Ruth Bader Ginsberg!
Yup.
So do I.
All thinking people do!
Yessss!
Geez, now every time I see Brian Williams I think of that ass munch scene in Girls.
Who is the balded headed five star general?
Boehner remains seated when Obama says the state of the union is strong.
He is an ass. A darkly tanned ass.
Boehner doesn’t clap for all the new jobs that have been created. He has a pissy look on his orange face too.
I think he’s going to cry soon.
I hope so!
There you are! Yay.
Hey Ralph, it’s good to see you!
Well, he’s blowing his nose. His lips are quivering. Expect him to start sobbing uncontrollably any time now.
Fuck you Boehner, and the rest of these assholes, don’t give women equal pay.
and I like that 15,000 line.
Too drunk to stand. Slurred his words when he spoke.
Hey there girl!
Hey, it’s good news people………………good for Obama!
oooh, he said the v word
He’s doing a really good job so far. Laying out a lovely agenda it would appear.
I’ve missed you man.
I’ve missed you all!
So good to see you!
we missed you
Hi, Ralph!!!
Hi!
Hi there! I agree. Full of Vision.
Geez, Paul Ryan looked pissed, like he was about to jump out of his seat there a minute ago.
Paul Ryan was born looking pissed. It’s his natural state of being.
lol
lol
The only time republicans have stood up was when Pres. Obama saluted our soldiers. Complete stonewall from the republicans.
Just typical behavior.
Why do Republicans hate America?
Obama looks really happy. I think he’s feeling freed up to be himself.
It doesn’t really matter anymore…He can say whatever he wants, the GOP already have everything planned out.
I think it matters.
Oh yeah, it matters for now and for 2016.
Why then did he not say anything like this before, with this much emotion? I mean, damn…I wish he was like this all the time.
What was holding him back before? now that he has no chance of getting any of this through, he is talking the talk.
On yeah, beam us UP.
Would love to be to read Paul Ryan’s lips.
“to be able to”
That tax plan sounds sellable to me!
Excellent comments on civil and human rights.
very much so … and lots of women’s issues!!
Glad he mentioned people with disabilities, too.
Best part of the speech!
A quote from his 2004 speech at the Democratic Convention.
Boehner doesn’t applaud the right to vote.
What did someone shout? I couldn’t hear it.
Damn, I fell asleep…my fingertips on the keyboard.
Perhaps this is the reason for the “doesn’t matter” kind of feeling I at least felt throughout this speech. Obama Ad Libs Epic Burn Against GOP During State of the Union | Mediaite
I think I’m with you JJ. I’m too damn cynical. Obama’s saying all this because none of it really matters. Maybe it matters as positioning for 2016 so whoever gets the Dem kiss of approval can talk about how ‘we’ve’ been fighting for bleh bleh bleh. But they won’t implement it either. Because the monied powers that be don’t want them too. Yea, so cynical 😦
The only word i heard that really mattered was veto.
Good shot: I know, because I won the last two campaigns!
That was a good speech.
I really liked it. Now let’s see how long it takes for combat to start!
Yes. But I wish he put up that kind of speech and attitude all those other 5 times.
Yep, me too.
Anyone going to watch the hog castrator?
Yea. For as long as i can take it.
I can’t understand, she has never cast a vote in congress. Never.
Oh gawd she’s from Red Oak! That explains so much!
Keystone Jobs Bill. Holy Shit!
She just got a hell of pay raise, making $174,000 now.
She worked the biscuit line at Hardee’s. That’s good enough for me.
Yeah, they serve them catfish biscuits there.
David Brooks thought she smiled too much.
I give him the highest grade, A………………an F, goes to the three most conservative Justices – Thomas, Scalia, and Alito, they did not attend this year’s SOTU! “The supreme court is suppose to be the ultimate neutral arbiter – why, then, did the they not attend? The failed completely.
Obama said “YOU CANNOT RUSH INTO WAR”. Why do republicans have a fucking hard time understanding that concept?
Oh fuck, sunbeam bread.
Not very many people are agreeing with her accord to chart on MSNBC. What a fool, what a fool, she off on the wrong side of the bread.
She needs a magnifying glass so she can say “I see Billy, and there’s Jill…”
They want to destroy our planet with pipelines all over. They want to destroy the bread basket that feeds the 20 millions kids that are living below poverty. They want unhealthy children chock full of toxins from the spills in our river. They want to deny women access to health care. She makes me puke.
Yeah, you don’t have to be born rich to succeed, you just need the backing of the Koch Brothers.
You all nailed it, terrible response.
She was universally horrible! Should have talked about squealing pigs or something.
Ralph she is anti everything………..anti- social security, anti-medicare, anti-Obamacare, anti-gays, anti-women rights, anti-union, anti-immigration, anti-taxes. She just wants to repeal and fuck up everything for this country.
Did someone say squealing pigs?
No but it would have been better than her speech, 🙂
Bwaahaaa!
She absolutely spooks me right the fuck out.
LOL! Too true.
Joni reminded me of the women who sell jewelry on the Home Shopping Network.
Why was she smiling broadly the entire time?
How can you even talk when you’re grinning like that?
It’s a rare talent. While she was talking, I bought a steel CZ tennis bracelet and a bronze fake gold-toned necklace from her that I didn’t even like.
🙂
It’s funny, tears in my eyes.
OMG, Beata! LOL!
Well, Joni has a new name, Bread bag Ernst. I kept waiting for her to go into the “I walked three miles to school, in the snow, all uphill, coming and going, backward”.
I had to miss this in real time but it’s so good to read all your reporting and comments!