State of the Union Address, February 12, 2013 (VIDEO and Text)

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President Obama's State of the Union Address, January 25, 2011 (Video)

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President Barack Obama's State of the Union Address, January 27, 2010 (Full Video and Transcript)

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Health care went from "soloist" to "choir" (Video)

If you did not get the memo that the train LEFT on the health care fight, then it took Howard Fineman on Keith Olbermann's Countdown to just say it:



The road to win for November is a Jobs Bill and watch one pushed through in record speed. But, if not, then this White House will go back to being criticized for being "leaderless". Make the Republicans voted on a Jobs Bill and vote NO to the American Public. This is how elections are won.

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Chris Matthews forgets President Obama is black (Video)

and had the nerve to say this out loud?

In other words, to me, Matthews looks at a person first because of color? Please write NBC on this one. Unbelievable. h/t sluggahjells posting @ Daily Kos



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Winning in November is about JOBS.

I have been out here on the street, talking to people, co-workers, neighbors, etc.; since the summer and all people care about right now is jobs.

Unemployment is 10% this is a psychological message to many Americans, the big double dip. People have become more caution on spending, starting to save a bit more, and are mired with worry of "Will it be me or my spouse next?"

All of these worries are valid.

We must create a jobs bill, demand and bring change on the financial regulatory front and stick with it to win in November.

The health care fight has exhausted many resources, time and energy. It is a much worthy cause, but at this time this ship has sailed the port. Can some things be done to fix it? Sure, but until the bill is reconciled, the standoff will continue. And let me be clear, the finger pointing and anger must cease among Democrats. No fraction of this party is at fault, the blame is on who crafted this disastrous bill and who did not champion it. The crafting is from Baucus and lobbyists, the one who did not champion it to make sure it was pulled over the final line is Barack Obama. Period.

No more blaming conservadems, moderates, centrists, progressives or liberals, the State of the Union's full focus is on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS and this economy which has been sorely ignored by this White House. And don't argue that the White House has not ignored it, from polling after polling; many Americans believe that this White House has not handled, nor focused on the economic issues. The reality is this, if the public believes that, if it comes up in polling numbers, it will come out at the ballot box. Remember that. Massachusetts was convoluted and hard to read for many things, but one thing was consistent, the voters did not believe this White House was working hard enough on getting people back to work.

That is about to change, the course correction is evolving and this is the new fight for November.

President Barack Obama's chief political adviser says the president will focus on job-creating plans in his State of the Union address Wednesday night.

Strategist David Axelrod says the White House takes only "cold comfort" from the fact that the president's stimulus program saved about 2 million jobs - given the millions lost in the deepest economic downturn in decades.

Axelrod says that the administration continues to share the public's "consternation" with the financial sector, which was bailed out with public money and has returned to massive profits and huge bonus pay-outs.

Axelrod spoke Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

This is the immediate reality: jobs, unemployment, bank bailouts, anger at Wall Street, and the perception of no help on My Street.

That is what needs to be tackled and we are in the position to do so, but with some changes, in my opinion.

The Jobs Bill must and will be passed through congress and with Republican support. How? Why?

It is called taking their "balls to the wall on this one". This is an easy win. Democrats can champion putting people back to work immediately, helping small businesses, helping Americans with education to qualify for jobs, all of this can be done and it must come from the loudest bully pulpit of President Obama. This is a fight that is winnable. Paint the Party of "NO" with saying "NO to helping American Families get back on their feet, "NO" help with education in changing job careers, "NO" help with the small business sectors of this country. Make the Republicans take that NO vote and see how it turns out. Then run with it all the way to the polls in November.

That's how you win elections.

The anger at these bank bailouts and Wall Street is not a myth it is real. Every time we hear of more bonus money or record profit that these banks made off of our taxpayers’ money, it enrages folks and that is understandable. Also continuing to have Tim Geithner and Larry Summers in the White House, does not help matters on the message front.

This perception does not help, but hurt us:

The vaunted White House economic team may have called some shots right, but the members aren't helping much in getting a concise message out, critics said.

High-powered and experienced in Washington policymaking, the group has included former Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, ex-Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker and onetime New York Fed chief -- and current Treasury secretary -- Timothy F. Geithner, as well as such respected academic economists as Christina Romer.

Now, even some Democrats see the team as conventional in its economic thinking, too cozy with Wall Street and ineffective in communicating how its policies would benefit ordinary people.

The problem, said Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University, stems from the president and his economic team focusing on pragmatic, nuts-and-bolts responses to the economy's woes.

"He wants to create jobs. He wants to restore the viability of our financial systems . . . make our economy more green. There is a set of well-defined objectives he's trying to achieve," Stiglitz said.

"Part of a pragmatic approach is you make a list. It's not a vision."

Obama seemed to acknowledge the problem last week.

"If there's one thing that I regret this year," he said in an interview on ABC-TV, it was that "we were so busy just getting stuff done and dealing with the immediate crises that were in front of us, that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are."

If we are going to run as a party that will not tolerate the raping of Americans by Wall Street and these Banks, we need to have people to champion that message. So far, the job has been dismal. Neither Geither nor Summers is good on television and the arrogance of Summers stating the recession is over is not felt on My Street when many are unemployed. The President needs to make a decision to keep either or both around. Geithner has had his own problems, the obvious that his policies are helping Wall Street and not My Street, whether that is a fair assessment is not for me to call, but it is an assessment that the public believes. The miscalculation of the public's anger at Wall Street stops at the White House. The White House needs to clean this perception of being cozy to Wall Street up. A strong bill for Wall Street is doable, again paint the Party of "NO" to wanting to continue lining the coffers of Wall Street and the banks, and believe me it can work.

Bringing in David Plouffe is a good thing, but remember he is there to work on getting Democrats elected he is not the silver bullet or silver lining. In my view, this White House has been on campaign mode since 2008 and the people of this country are in meltdown from its message. Going forward the message must be simple, concise, cohesive and decisive for the American Public to grasp. No more, "I will fight for you", unless you can deliver that punch line. It is time for the Commander in Chief to tell congress what he wants, tell the American Public what he wants and show that he means business.

Winning in November is easy, but the changes must be made along with the course correction. And the best thing out of all of this? It happened in January (Massachusetts special senate election), which means we have 10 months to get it together. Communication is the key for getting a cohesive message out. Our team has been pathetic on the messaging. From polling many Americans think the stimulus package is part of the bailout package to banks. (Video Below)



Folks, this is a "Houston we got a problem" alert. The Obama White House needs to be cleaned up on the Communication effort. We all can argue from here to Timbuktu about it, but the fact is really simple, if the American Public believes this then we just did a bad job in conveying how the stimulus package was/would be good for them. This is too simple and just needs to stop from the White House.

Going forward, the economy and jobs should be the focus of our message, along with understanding the public's frustration at Wall Street. The President should demand banking and Wall Street overhaul in new laws. We should use this populist message to push change and put in place mechanisms that Wall Street and these banks will never come to the financial brink again. The time to push this is NOW.

Finally, today the President announced a tax break for the Middle Class, this is a step in the right direction for My Street.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Rahm Emanuel: No troop escalation until assessment of Afghanistan government (Video)

We all know the Afghanistan elections were a fraud, so why would we just blindly send troops to a horrific region and don't know who we are dealing with. My take, we have been at war for eight years, spent BILLIONS, TRILLIONS of dollars with no end in sight or nothing to show for it? We have major domestic problems, but won't even help our own people here? A lot of assessment needs to be made on Afghanistan in a whole. Remember, the Soviets were there for 10 years and got NOTHING in return. When is this ever going to end? Source





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Discrediting Fox News continues, David Axelrod on This Week on ABC (Video)

I don't care about Fox News, as a whole, but their continuous pounding of not reporting facts is a problem. How can you actually believe that this organization is fair and balanced when this organization continues to not report the facts but skew the facts. I am the first, and many know who read this blog, when Obama or his administration is bogus and I don't agree I state so with my reasons. My problems with Fox News has nothing to do with it slanting the conservative bend, it is not reporting the facts and have looney tunes as Glenn Beck as their national spokesman. Big problem. And Murdoch is all about making money, because if this network was serious about reporting the news, Glenn Beck and his antics would not be on Fox News.



And Rahm Emanuel on CNN's State of the Union, about Fox News:



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Forget the Republicans of Maine, "No Public Option"

Again, why is this a surprise? After the stimulus bill, did anyone expect any Republican help? This is about the Democrats, and I hope they got the message by now.

Key senators said Sunday the "public option" favored by House Democrats for healthcare is all but dead, but a pivotal Republican said it's not dead enough.

President Barack Obama "should take it off the table," said Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) on CBS's "Face the Nation." "It would give real momentum to building consensus."

Build consensus? What have the Republicans done to build consensus? Absoulutely, NOTHING. But it is ok, for Democrats to continue to cave? Please. We have had enough of that. And this from Susan Collins of Maine.

And Snowe said she could support a so-called "trigger" that would enact the government-run plan to compete with private insurers if the private insurance market fails to become more competitive.

"It is a possibility for bridging the gap at some point in the process," Snowe said.

Snowe's comments and the remarks of other officials Sunday left unclear the direction that the Senate healthcare debate is headed, but put the Senate on a collision course with House Democrats and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Snowe is a crucial vote, but the Senate bill she supports includes "cooperatives," not triggers. Other Republicans show little support for the trigger concept. Other Democrats, such as Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), flatly oppose the public option. And Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) said there's no way it can pass the Senate.

"It's not gonna pass ... the only thing that has the prospect of passing is in the Senate," Conrad (D-N.D.) told "Fox News Sunday."

Read more here

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Sunday Talking Heads on Health Care Reform and Town Hall Meetings (Video)

This Week With George Stephanopolous, with Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich







CNN's State of the Union with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)



CNN's Reliable Sources



MSNBC

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Senator Dianne Feinstein, "GET WITH THE PROGRAM ON HEALTH CARE", PLEASE

DiFi on State of the Union, stating, "....we don't have the votes..." Will she get with the program and work to get the damn votes!!! Especially with California, this state has 18% of its residents UNINSURED.

I don't think Democrats in D.C. understand something, the something is that if you don't work with Barack Obama for public option in the health care bill, there are some Democrats who will go DOWN in 2010. I hope these D.C., out of touch, blowhards understand this.

After the CBS/NYT poll came out that over 70% want a public option, Feinstein and the rest need to get with the program. And for Grassley to state, our budget is trillions in deficit spending, where was HE AT during the BUSH REGIME???

And the debt to the Chinese? Ask the former Bush Administration, who put this country in more debt than any former adminstration ever had.

nuff said.



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From CNNs State of the Union, former GE CEO give Obama an "A" (Video)

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Dick Cheney emerges from his undisclosed location because he has something to say

Dick Cheney is one who should share a jail cell with Bernie Madoff. He, more than anyone else, was the main cheerleader for the invasion of Iraq. Well, 8 long years can be a bitch and in the end he left as one of the most disgraced Vice-Presidents EVER. Well, what can I write? He's back.

Cheney surely does not like Barack Obama and was a heavy pusher of total partisianship during his tenure. The word "bi" was not even in his vocabulary. He believed in us vs. them, which is why many Americans see such vitriol in Washington, DC. He had a lot to do with it and Bush just followed behind.

Towards the end of the Bush Administration it was written and rumored that Cheney tried very hard to get former President Bush to pardon, MANY. In fact, he wanted pre-pardons, for the likes of, um like, disgraced and dumb former Attorney General Alberto Gonazles, but it did not happen. Cheney really wanted a full pardon for Scooter Libby, but Bush just said NO, to all of the above. In other words, those who thought they may be saved, were left hanging out to dry by the former president.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said he and former President George Bush had “a fundamental difference” over pardoning Scooter Libby.

“I was clearly not happy that we in effect left Scooter hanging in the wind, which I don’t think was appropriate,” Cheney said.

Cheney pressed for a pardon for Libby, his former chief of staff convicted in 2007 of perjury in connection with the CIA leak case. Bush declined to issue the pardon.

Cheney said the details of his disagreement with Bush are “best left to history” – or his upcoming memoir, which will cover his 40 years in Washington.

Cheney and Bush have spoken by phone three times since leaving office, the former vice president said. “We traveled a long way together in eight years,” Cheney said.

Now in Cheney's words:



And of course, Cheney does not believe the economic failure was on the Bush-Cheney watch. Why would he? This man benefited and profited from this economy, especially the Iraq War. A war that bankrupted this country. So, of course he don't give a damn.

Don't blame the Bush administration for all the country's economic problems.

That's the message from former Vice President Dick Cheney.

President Barack Obama constantly talks about the enormous economic troubles that he inherited when he took office in January. Cheney agrees that Obama did indeed came into power amid very difficult economic circumstances.



But Cheney says he doesn't think the Bush administration can be blamed for creating the economic woes. Cheney says it's a global financial problem. He says the idea that fault can assigned to the previous administration is "interesting rhetoric" but he doesn't think people care about that.

While the Republicans wither every time Rush Limbaugh opens his mouth, they wither even harder when the "old administration by the name of Bush or Cheney" comes skipping out to any microphone so they can say their peace. In other words, when Bush-Cheney left the White House, the Republicans said, "Good riddance". So, Cheney maybe you should continue to remain in your undisclosed location, either way your opinions are really not relevant any longer.

More from CNNs State of the Union, Iraq War:



After watching this, Dick Cheney as George W. Bush, were two elected officials who left this country in shambles and will continue to try to clean their image up. But like Herbert Hoover, when you leave a catastrophe on the desk for the man behind you to clean up, the only thing that will be remembered is what you DID or DID NOT do to put this country on the course it is on.

As for John King, CNNs interviewer, I am sure he is in the running for one of the WORST INTERVIEWS, EVER.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

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Obama's First State of the Union Expected in February (Video)

I am glad this question was answered because I was wondering when or if he was going to address the joint session of Congress. The reason for wondering is that this speech is usually given in January.

President Barack Obama plans to address a joint session of Congress next month to deliver a State of the Union-style speech.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that Obama plans a speech at the Capitol in February. Gibbs said no date has been set but joked that they are trying to schedule it around "Dancing with the Stars."

Source

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