By Scott W. Winchell
GCC/Staff
Jan, 29, 2010

I watched that speech and was appalled at how his speech sounded more like a campaign speech than a State of the Union address. I

t was self-serving, contrived, had blatant falsehoods, and worst of all, it attacked a new standing Supreme Court decision right in front of the Supreme Court Justices.

About every two seconds I had to grunt, swear, yell at the TV, and throw my hands in the air. How can anyone believe this guy anymore?

I have now witnessed over 30 State of the Union speeches, but this long winded self-aggrandizing, twisting of the facts diatribe, that misleads the people was the worst.

 

You can read the entire text of Obama’s State Of The Union Address at the New York Times.

The Statement was untrue:

Obama took a shot at the Supreme Court regarding the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission ruling and Justice Sam Alito nodded his head negatively and mouthed the words “not true.”

See the video here at The Politico:

 

“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections,” Obama said.

He went on further to say: “Well I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities.

They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stood up behind the justices and clapped vigorously while Alito shook his head and quietly mouthed his discontent.

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) was glad the president called out the Supreme Court. “He [Alito] deserved to be criticized, if he didn’t like it he can mouth whatever they want,” Weiner said.

“These Supreme Court justices sometimes forget that we live in the real world. They got a real world reminder tonight, if you make a boneheaded decision, someone’s going to call you out on it.

 

Polifact checks Obama’s facts and headlines with:

Why Alito shook his head: Obama was wrong.

Bradley A. Smith, who is a Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Designated Professor of Law at Capital University Law School, gets straight to the point:

The Court held that 2 U.S.C. Section 441a, which prohibits all corporate political spending, is unconstitutional. Foreign nationals, specifically defined to include foreign corporations, are prohibiting from making “a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election” under 2 U.S.C. Section 441e, which was not at issue in the case. Foreign corporations are also prohibited, under 2 U.S.C. 441e, from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and they prohibited from making any “expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication.”

 

Obama’s statement was ignorance of the law, and/or blatant misrepresentation of it.

Decorum Transgressed?

Randy Barnett, Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, said the following:

In the history of the State of the Union has any President ever called out the Supreme Court by name, and egged on the Congress to jeer a Supreme Court decision, while the Justices were seated politely before him surrounded by hundreds Congressmen?

To call upon the Congress to countermand (somehow) by statute a constitutional decision, indeed a decision applying the First Amendment? What can this possibly accomplish besides alienating Justice Kennedy who wrote the opinion being attacked.

Contrary to what we heard during the last administration, the Court may certainly be the object of presidential criticism without posing any threat to its independence. But this was a truly shocking lack of decorum and disrespect towards the Supreme Court for which an apology is in order. A new tone indeed.

A Self-Reverential State of the Union Address. is putting it mildly.

 

Also read here.

 

If substance was the main take-away of this address, it would have been merely mediocre. But what made it downright harmful for Obama and Democrats was its tone.

The speech was defensive and petulant, backward-looking and condescending, petty and graceless. He didn’t persuade people; he lectured them. What was on display last night was a man of unsurpassed self-righteousness engaged in constant self-justification.

His first year in office has been, by almost every measure, a failure – and it is perceived as a failure by much of the public.

Mr. Obama cannot stand this fact; it is clearly eating away at him. So he decided to use his first State of the Union to press his case. What he did was to set back his cause.

 

Call for Republicans to help

From Market Watch

“He also appealed to Republicans, who have almost unanimously opposed health-care reform and Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, to set differences aside and work with him and Democrats.”

“What the American people hope – what they deserve – is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics,” said Obama.

“Working together, we will adopt a bold agenda for our economic growth—founded on good-paying jobs; strong schools, quality, affordable health insurance; and critical investments in small businesses and our clean-energy future,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Now all of a sudden its the fault of the Republicans not helping pass the Obama agenda that has caused the hardships now at hand. Obama said: “Despite our hardships, our union is strong.”

We at Stand Up America beg to differ Mr. President. As usual, your eyes are closed to the citizenry’s plight. How self-serving can he be? Ohio wont forget your speech, nor will Michigan, California, Rhode Island, and Nevada!

 

The left calls Bob O’Donnell a liar: Roots Wire

These lefties call out McDonnell’s words as lies yet completely gives Obama a pass. Read what they wrote below and tell me how these are lies and Obama’s are not:

UPDATE: Excerpts from Bob McDonnell’s response have been released. Standard conservative rhetoric about “strengthen[ing] the private sector,” “promot[ing] entrepreneurship and innovation,” the “proper, limited role of government,” “explor[ing] for and produc[ing] oil and natural gas offshore,” “[m]ore school choices,” blah blah.

Also, I just loooove the Big Lie by McDonnell, that “most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government.” Of course, as anyone who has looked at the health care bill for 10 minutes knows, this thing entrenches, expands and enriches the private insurance companies’ role, doesn’t even provide a public OPTION for people.

How in bloody hell is that “turn[ing] over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government?” Right, it doesn’t, which is why what McDonnell is saying is a blatant, outright lie.

Hey, here’s an idea: maybe somebody should yell “YOU LIE!” at him as he gives his response. Oh wait, there are only going to be Republicans there? Hmmmm…funny how it worked out that way.

UPDATE #2: Media Matters on McDonnell’s response: “Brand New Face, Same Old Lies”

UPDATE #3: Another Big Lie from McDonnell. “We want results, not rhetoric. We want cooperation, not partisanship.” Yeah, right, from the “we want him to fail, we want to BREAK him” party?!?

UPDATE #4: More Big Lies by McDonnell, this time on energy. “But this Administration’s policies are delaying offshore production, hindering nuclear energy expansion, and seeking to impose job-killing cap and trade energy taxes.” No, this administration has not hindered nuclear power in any way. As for cap-and-trade, not only isn’t it “job-killing,” it’s job creating—big time! What a bunch of bull…

They believe Obama and his rhetoric to the point of absurdity. It is clearly a “Fool-Aid Moment”.

Source: Stand Up America  

  

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@goldcoastchronicle.com