THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
In a letter sent Friday, Boehner says the country faces immense challenges and Americans expect the Congress and White House to work together on solutions. Boehner says cooperation will require, quote, a "willingness to seek common ground as well as presidential leadership."
The White House says it has accepted the invitation.
MR. BACHMAN WILL BE HOSTING A "LIVE" BLOG REACTING TO STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS AND THE REPUBLICAN RESPONSE. OFFER YOUR COMMENTARY BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL REACTION AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS.
Ok my students, will this speak mobilize his legislative agenda or will this mark the beginning of his lame duck period.
ReplyDeleteoh boy, so excited!! I've been waiting for this all year!
ReplyDeleteVery funny
DeleteSo far with his first term, unemployment has gone up and so has the deficit. He has failed to fulfill most of his campaign promises so I am thinking this will start his lame duck period as he wont do much his second term either. Arent you proud of me for being the first one?
ReplyDeleteNick beat you
Delete(First one to answer your question)
Deleteminimum wage up to $9 hmm not bad
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteThe news caster just said that the Republicans and Democrats are making an effort to sit together-this shows other countries watching how unified the U.S. is and how party lines do not necessarily control the government.
yeah what? Minimum wage is going up? That will make my job that less sucky
ReplyDeleteDon't worry Nick, Waldbaums will still take half of our paychecks for "Union Dues." and we will still be poor. go Waldbaums.
DeleteI just hope that his speech really brings America together and that Obama better do a really good job on delivering this speech. Also, like the commentators said, I think he should be less progressive so that he sort of tends to both parties, so he's giving himself a better start for the next two years. Like the commentators also said, if he doesn't do well in the next two years, his lame duck period will begin and I'm sure that he wants to really effect America and wouldn't want that to happen. I hope he does well and makes a good speech because I think out country needs his state of the union address too be a good pep talk in order to have a successful future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allie, I think that despite our opinions and views ultimately we need to put our differences aside and stand behind our President as much as we can. Even if we don't always agree with him, it can only prove our strength to other countries.
ReplyDeleteMr. Bachman, is there any chance Jed Bartlet will walk in?
ReplyDeleteGood point Allie. I also think that a less progressive and liberal speech will help unify the country more in that he's addressing both sides.
ReplyDeleteExpect Obama to insist, as he has in the past, that it is essential that any approach to fiscal responsibility be balanced, with spending cuts and new revenue both contributing to cutting deficits. And expect him to indicate that he will not compromise easily on this. Spending cuts alone, he has said, will lead to reductions in the kinds of federal spending on education and research that would eventually inflict paralysis to long-run economic growth.
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteThe President is smiling-he must have a really good speech planned! :)
Since Obama is expected to be speaking about gun control, universal background checks, and so forth, the country should hopefully expect to see an even newer wave of amped-up security measures since the 9/11 attacks.
ReplyDeleteObama promised during his re-election campaign to make overhaul of the nation's Immigration laws a second-term priority. He has expressed support for a recently unveiled bipartisan Senate package of principles that would provide a path to legalization for many undocumented immigrants now in the country.
ReplyDeleteThe Republican leadership's choice of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to present the GOP response may indicate that they expect immigration to be a key part of the president's speech, and they want to be a party to framing the debate before the American people. Rubio, a Cuban-American, was among the bipartisan group of senators who unveiled the recent immigration proposal. Thus, he puts an immigration-friendly face on a party that has shown weakness in that area.
With the recent news surfacing about the threat of North Korea, people have speculated that his speech will be geared to dealing with matters of foreign policy. Hopefully with all of the negativity going on with the budget deficit and unemployment, President Obama will use this speech to give the American people hope and put a positive light on the next four years to come.
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteAnyalists are saying that Obama is more confident as he begins his second term and will be expecting Republicans to work with him more now than they have in the past.
Aww Michelle with the kiss! What a good support system he has.
ReplyDeleteI like how he began with "partners for progress." Nice start Barack, it's a way to combine the two parties and it's great.
ReplyDeleteAlso, quoting JFK, classy I think, being that he was well liked.
It's great to see all the support that the people still have (and still should have) for our soldiers overseas, despite their feelings on the war.
ReplyDeleteQuick question: can the president get sponsored for wearing a specific brand name suit?
ReplyDeleteHe seems extremely confident which is important, especially when starting a second term. He needs to convey a positive uplifted tone. In sharing that troops will be returning home, he is starting his audience off strong with reassurance.
ReplyDeleteI agree-In order to pass his policies and legislation, he needs to look confident so that the majority of the American people will support his ideas.
Delete"Partners for progress"-he doesn't want to be a Lame Duck President.
ReplyDeleteObama is thankng the people and tells them that troops are coming home. He is clearly trying to gain more support from the people.
"i knew JFK and let me tell you, Your no JFK" haha sorry mr. abchman first thing i thought of
ReplyDeleteI think that by saying that the constitution has made us "Partners for progress" really just shows how the US has put up a united front in these past years. With the job market expanding and security being amped up, I think you see more people coming together in times of trouble to better the country.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allie Obama is trying to expand his audience and gain more support for his policy
ReplyDeleteIm not surprised that he is saying that the state of the union is strong. He wants the American people to think that the country is rebuilding and is headed in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteHe is saying that we have recovered from our crisis. That the state of our Union is stronger...I think that these are statements too bold for him to be making.
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
DeleteI agree...but he WANTS to be bold-he wants to evoke a response. He wants everyone to support him,so he is going to use bold statements in order to make everything seem better than it really is. He probably wants to be like the State of the Union adress where the goal was to land a man on the moon. Bold statements make the American people excited for the future. :)
Obama is starting the speech by addressing the positive aspects of his last term including troops coming home, the healing housing market, and the creation of new jobs. He is establishing that the union is strong due to the help of the American people. The president emphasizes that a strong middle class must be restored in order to help the economy succeed and be prosperous once again.
ReplyDeleteit seems that each thing he says is targeted mostly toward one party, such as only one side of the room may stand and applaud in response to something but less often are both sides standing at the same time
ReplyDeleteObama recognizes the issues with the economy, but he compliments that with a mission to help the middle class rise and "help the many" by encouraging free enterprise.
ReplyDeletebut he is not helping the middle class, the hard working middle class is being taxed more while the lower class are getting free thing
DeleteRight, but he is proposing that the government work to help the middle class in the years to come. We'll see if he actually follows through with this or not
DeleteI could be thinking waaaaay to much into it, but does anyone else think that Joe Biden is wearing a purple tie as a subtle hint of showing he thinks that democrats and republicans should be "partners for progress" and really try hard to work together for the success of the country? Anyone think so?
ReplyDeleteHaha I like that idea! It's a "blending of the parties"
Deletethat's what I was thinking!!
DeleteHonestly, I think their color choices are intentional to some degree.
DeleteMe too.. I mean, Obama is obviously wearing blue to represent his party, but wouldn't it be really smart if Biden wore purple to represent both parties? I don't know, that's just me!
DeleteThe guy to Biden's right is wearing a slightly pink-ish tie...or at least that's how it looks on my tv set...what is the relevance of that? or is it really just red...
DeleteLooks like ol' Johnny Boehner got himself a pretty bad spray tan
ReplyDeleteI think this second term will focus more on providing solutions to our problems through collaboration among Republicans and Democrats. He is definitely trying to appeal to both parties more.
ReplyDeleteStarting his speech with listing all of the positive things that the United States has accomplished is a good way to remind the American people that despite the hard times there have been some good progress made. It allows the American people to reflect on the last four years with some pride that we are getting through these tough times.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Corinne. I don't think any president would really like to say that the state of the union is poor, but I definitely don't think our union is any stronger than it has been in the past year. If anything, I feel that more problems have ensued. 2012 was a big year, and I don't necessarily feel for the better.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Obama obviously wouldnt want to start out saying that the state of the union is bad but he should not have built it up to seem like the state of the union is so strong.
DeleteExactly! Like what Emily Smith said, he's going to list out all the positives of the past 4 years like Clinton did, but after such a brutal year, maybe that was just too strong a comment to make.
Delete"They expect us to put the nation's interests before the party's." A not so subtle plea to Congress to work together to solve the nation's problems--basic decisions on our budget.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of Obama's speech reminded me of the clip of Clinton's State of the Union from his last year in office. Clinton focused on the progress that America achieved during his presidency, and the strength of the union. Obama almost immediately referred to the strength of the union, and referred to it as "Our Union," drawing the American people into the speech itself and connecting them. I definitely think starting off the speech this way, and with JFK's quote set him up for a strong speech.
ReplyDeleteObama is focusing on what I believe is the main problem in our nation's government today: party gridlock. He, like countless Americans realizes that cooperating in a bipartisan manner is required to move our nation forward--and I believe this MUST be done in order to accomplish anything of note in Obama's second term and ever in the future of our country.
ReplyDeleteI agree Steve. Party gridlock will most definitely not benefit the nation at this point in time. If anything is going to change, like the deficit, congress must act as one, bipartisan congress, whose interest is not in the parties, but in the people of America.
DeleteObama is steadfast in conveying his balanced approach to debt reduction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Danielle, it's definitely evident that this next term will be used to fix the problems that already exist in the U.S. It seems as though party lines will play a lesser role than usual in policy making, in order to benefit the nation as a whole, and not by party lines.
ReplyDelete"Our government shouldn't make promises that they can't keep." WOW! What an epiphany from Pres. Obama.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Obama is talking like everything is so easy to do. He is saying how we should just get rid of tax cuts for the wealthy, but he hasn't done anything about it yet.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think he may be getting ahead of himself and to me it comes across as a little cocky.
DeleteIt's great that Obama is offering to lower medical bills and make other reforms in order to fix the deficit. After more than doubling the deficit, he surely has a lot of work to do. He wishes to "keep the promises he already made;" hopefully these next four years will make a difference.
ReplyDeleteCan congressmen who rely on special interest donations for reelection support closing loopholes that support those same special interests
ReplyDeleteThey cant, because they're taking the money to keep those loopholes open and help out the people and companies who are giving the congressmen money. By taking the money, they are promising to make favorable legislation for those people.
DeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDelete"We must keep the promises we have already made"-he wants to fulfill his promises from his first and most recent election.
The President is re-iterating his thoughts on the wealthiest contributing mroe to deficit reduction-"we cannot cut our way to prosperity."
Obama recognizes that the government must keep the promises it has already made. He wants to reduce the deficit by using ideas from both parties. He focuses on the idea of bipartisan tax reform to help bring down the deficit. It is important to unite the country and consider the ideas of both Republicans and Democrats in policy.
ReplyDeleteLike what Steve said, Obama seems to be using this as a way to try to lessen gridlock. He continually mentions both parties, and them working together, having a very "we're all in this together" attitude. "Bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform--we can get this done"
ReplyDeleteOptimistically put.
This is totally true-he wants everyone to "agree."
DeleteThe president is strongly pleading for republicans and democrats to work together but he has also been trying to get this to happen for majority of his time as president. What can he do differently now that will get the two parties to work together?
ReplyDeletePresident Obama has started this off with appealing to the American people by having a positive outlook on what is to come in order reduce the debt and taxation. I think in order to have a successful State of the Union address President Obama needs to not only address the positives of our nation but also have a realistic outlook on what his plan is to make change for the next four years.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think John Boehner should crack a smile every once in while.. he's too serious.
He is being applauded for putting himself in the same unfortunate category as other politicians who wish to fix the economy, yet fail to do so...
ReplyDeletelook at the speaker of the house.. he looks soo happy to be there right now
ReplyDeletewould you want to be in his spot?
Deleteohhhhh HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteObama seems to be setting the bar high and unrealistic for economic turn around.
ReplyDeleteWhat a large claim to carry out: "Anything I say (propose?) tonight should not increase the deficit," something to that degree.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I think Obama can only go up. So his first term wasn't ideal, but to be fair, he was thrown into an economy that was on its way spiraling downward. The economy "must be the North Star our guys are after" as he put it. Obviously, as predicted much of his speech would involve proposals for new economic plans. Everything obviously looks good on paper but if his "plans" can live up to the hype, I believe Obama's second term will not mark the start of a lame duck presidency, but help America take a HUGE step in the right direction.
ReplyDeletejust wrote a very, very long paragraph but it got deleted. Im considering jumping out the window...
ReplyDeleteso as i tried to say, i am interested in seeing what he says about gun control because of how popular of a topic that is right now and especially because there are families in the gallery tonight that are families of victims form colorado and connecticut. He also mentioned that the way to fix medicare is by getting money from the "wealthy and most powerful" rather than by making tax cuts. Also the news anchors said before this started that the democrats are on the left side of the audience and the republicans are on the right so it is interesting to see who claps when they show crowd shots. Also he just promised that the deficit will not be raised anymore. He is also promising to bring many jobs back to america, especially Apple products.
I think that the next time we do this, we should be allowed to be graded on the amount of sarcastic comments we can make because right now they just keep coming to me...
And by the time I finally comment something, it's irrelevant.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree! I'm curious as to what he's going to propose. Either way, there are going to be unhappy people everywhere, but for the sake of the future and our safety, I think something definitely needs to be done to protect the 2nd amendment, while also protecting our lives. But that compromise isn't the easiest thing to do. Especially with the recent shootings....this has been an ongoing problem.
DeleteWhy is he trying to push more legislation? Even if it doesn't increase the spending, we could use that money instead to decrease our deficit. The problem he should focus on is decreasing the deficit, not creating more but not maintaining the debt.
ReplyDelete"I thank last Congress for passing *some* of that agenda...I urge this Congress to pass the rest."
ReplyDelete"Not a bigger government but a smarter gov't"
Yes. I agree. So does everyone. Maybe we all don't agree how to change, but we agree that things must change.
All of this investing and new projects arent free, they are going to cost money. There is no way that he wont increase the deficit with all of these new ideas.
ReplyDeleteUp until this point, his speech sounded more like a campaign speech than a State of the Union. It sounded like he was trying to be elected for a second term. Maybe he forgot he was president?
ReplyDeleteThere are a few things for which we will be looking with the new policy-pushing organizations. First, strict regulations should be put in place to make sure they do not engage in any election related activity. This means no candidate support and no TV ads. In fact, tightening regulations and closing loopholes that allow said organizations to operate as dark money political committees should be an area of reform on which this organization focuses.
ReplyDeleteWe should encourage the new organization not to accept any corporate contributions. "Soft" corporate contributions and money should not be allowed to influence our government from either side of the aisle or from the oval office.
theres no motivation for these big manufacturing companies to even open because they are all just going to be taxed ridiculously
ReplyDeletethese promises are also much more involved than what i remember from hearing when we had that blog homework to watch the other state of the union addresses. I wonder if he can hold up to those promises.
ReplyDeletewoah spotty applause on that climate thing..
Allison Latini
ReplyDelete"Cure Cancer" ideas-he wants to further investments in research and medicine....SPACE RACE reference!!!! Clearly his State of the Union is based on the other extremely successful State of the Unions of the past. Obama wants to create a legacy-and is clearly hoping that a monumental discovery (like the curing of cancer) will occur during his next four years in office.
Yes, he does seem to be drawing on other successful SOTU addresses. I think he really wants something monumental, like you said. He has plenty of places to focus his efforts (energy, cancer, research for Alzheimer's). The question is, can he focus on all at once.
DeleteWith recent storms related to climate change I think its important for Obama to focus on the environment to bring attention to the need for bipartisan policy
ReplyDeleteNow we're deciding to look at science and make a change to "drive strong economic growth?" Why couldn't we do that when it was discovered that we could drill domestically rather than overseas in order to save a heck of a lot more money?
ReplyDeleteRemember the informal roles we talked about when he says he will direct his cabinet to act without congress
ReplyDeleteI think that Obama is taking this time to emphasize the importance of bipartisan reform efforts, and that there needs to be compromise on both sides. He addresses the need for "bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform" --not reckless cuts, that will only create more problems . As he said earlier, the nation cannot "cut its way to prosperity." Neither side will be completely satisfied, but it is better than the alternative.
ReplyDeletehe is going to use an executive order to put through new alternative energy sources.. informal power
ReplyDeleteSure, what he is saying is certainly possible, but it is so much easier said than done. He needs to be more realistic. The American people don't want empty promises even if it raises their spirits.
ReplyDeleteObama's mention of global warming in his second inaugural was viewed as significant by many observers. It was a first-term priority that had gotten sidetracked by other major agenda items, such as the battle to pass the Affordable Care Act.
ReplyDeleteWith Republicans now controlling the House, and the specter of Republican filibusters in a Senate run by Democrats, it's unlikely Obama could get through Congress legislation that would significantly reduce U.S. carbon emissions.
But in his inauguration, Obama couched the issue in terms of religious faith and generational equity. Thus, even though he doesn't appear to have the votes in Congress, he will have the bully pulpit to speak on an issue that could come to dwarf even the U.S. economy and jobs in terms of its importance to the average American.
Which leads to an important point. A State of the Union address isn't necessarily a laundry list of what is legislatively doable. It also has been used by presidents to describe a vision.
What is Biden squinting at? He has been squinting the entire night
ReplyDeleteQuick look the speaker smiled
ReplyDelete"A goal for Americans": in 20 years cut in half energy consumption--this again reminds me of JFK when he created the goal of getting Americans on the moon by the end of the 60s.
ReplyDeleteI agree-he clearly wants to create a legacy for himself. He wants to be remembered in the AP history textbooks as a President who did something extremely awesome.
DeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jess-especially since Long Island was severely damaged by Sandy. We need more enviornmental legislation in order to prevent further erosion on the coasts. We also need the government to focus more on the re-building process. So many small buisnesses have been forced to close due to the damages of Sandy-the hurricane destroyed jobs. Obama wants to create more jobs, but first we must restore the old ones.
Obama wants to cut in half the amount of waste produced by homes and businesses and puts the responsibility on the American people, saying the federal government will work with the states. He is really focusing on becoming more "high tech" to attract foreign countries to work with us.
ReplyDeletevery involved GO GREEN promises right now that i'm not entirely sure everyone will be able to get on board with too easily. I just did the iron triangle on Energy and what he is saying is not going to happen so easily. There is no committee only focused on energy. They're "energy and natural resources" and 'energy and commerce" Maybe the focus should start with making plans to focus ONLY on energy issues, rather than tacking Energy on to other things.
ReplyDeleteObama giving public attention to a bill in congress he wants passed, well done
ReplyDeleteHe just called the speaker out for not sending abill to the floor for a vote
ReplyDeleteOne of the problems with America is that everyone will believe what they hear as fact without questioning it. Those tuning in to listen tonight will have this false sense of hope that the deficit will ACTUALLY be fixed and that all of these other reforms will prove successful. People need to be more realistic in today's world.
ReplyDelete"What are we waiting for?" is exactly what everyone else is wondering too, Obama.
ReplyDeletePrivate preschool? why would that ever be necessary?
ReplyDeleteThe expectations kindergarten these days virtually require preschool education
DeleteI thought that America was more politically correct..."poor kids?"...I was under the assumption that the term had become "the less fortunate."
ReplyDelete"Why would that be an issue, helping folks refinance" -- "Help entrepreneurs expand"
ReplyDeleteObama, let me answer your question. Your senators are paid by corporations to vote no on bills like that if it means that the corporations would suffer in some way.
the speaker literally looks like he is contemplating how to jump over that table in one move to take him down before anyone stops him
ReplyDeleteLet's give our kids that chance--let's make everyone equal.
ReplyDeleteObama is basically saying that Germany has a better school system than us. What is he going to do to fix our education system that wont raise our deficit?
ReplyDeleteI like his education proposals. This is the future of America. Education is absolutley imperative, education should be a top priority. Obama needs to work with states, especially those who have proved they need help.
ReplyDeleteObama is comparing our country to Germany-he probably wants to make Americans feel obsolete and behind. He wants to inspire Americans to try harder so that the U.S. can be one of the best/top countries in the world.
ReplyDeleteBy rewarding schools, Obama hopes to encourage schools to upgrade and get ahold of better educational tools.
Obama wants to work with the states to make high-quality pre-school available to every child in America. It is also important to point out that he addressed high school and it's connection with technology; today, this idea is as relevant as ever.
ReplyDeleteA college report card.... How would CPU do?
DeleteTalking about colleges keeping their cost down REALLY affects us! I'm asking the same thing.....
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I do not think that INcreasing funding for preschool is not the right thing to do at this time, when our deficit is already increasing almost uncontrollably. On the other hand, I agree with a new emphasis on the high school education, in order to lessen the absolute requirement in today's world of a college education for any job.
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDelete"Everyone who is willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead." This was the reason so many immigrants came to America in past centuries. Obama is trying to re-establish the idea of the "American Dream." He wants to make this dream obtainable for everyone.
I like that Obama plans on judging federal funding to college on their costs. This will help students like us and our younger siblings. Its nice to see that he is trying to reach out to everyone, even students.
ReplyDeletea lot of this sounds like common sense
ReplyDeleteThe gap in average mathematics and scientific achievement between the United States and the top-performing national school systems is staggering. In mathematics, the average U.S. student by age 15 was at least a full year behind the average student in six countries, including Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands. Students in six additional countries, including Australia, Belgium, Estonia, and Germany, outperformed U.S. students by more than half a year. The less-than-impressive performance of U.S. students is particularly striking given the magnitude of resources that our nation allocates toward elementary and secondary school education. An agenda centered on mitigating the global achievement gap between U.S. students and those in nations with a similar GDP and degree of economic development will provide a more encompassing rationale for educational reform than one focused primarily on closing achievement gaps among subpopulations and minorities in the United States.
ReplyDeleteDuring the past two decades, state and federal efforts to improve U.S. education have centered on the development of test-based accountability systems that reward and sanction schools based on their students’ performance on state assessments. The evidence is clear that the federal No Child Left Behind Act and its state-level predecessors have improved student achievement, particularly for students at the bottom of the performance distribution. Yet the progress made under these policies falls well short of their ambitious goals. Equally notable, the progress appears to have been limited to a one-time increment in performance rather than launching schools on a trajectory of continuous improvement. Especially given the current strains on district and state budgets, any funds devoted to areas such as increasing teacher salaries should instead be targeted at improving mathematics and science education.
A well-educated populace is integral to our economic vitality. Economic growth is contingent upon innovation, and this depends largely on sufficient education in mathematics and science. In the past, we’ve been fortunate enough to have a remarkable cadre of innovators who have pioneered new products and processes, but our once unmatched dominance is slipping as our students’ performance deteriorates relative to other high-achieving nations around the globe.
give people a chance if they work hard for it.. if people are working hard for it, then why do hard working people have to pay taxes for these kids toget a free education
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick and Courtney. Education is becoming, as it should be, the most important. Ensuring that students will come out of school prepared to work in the current economy is important. And introducing ways to lower costs and compare schools to see where you will get what you paid for is crucial.
ReplyDeletethat's very misleading... "send me a bill, i'll sign it" that could make Americans think that progress should be made much faster than it actually is. That can only make him look bad.
ReplyDeleteoh so Paycheck Fairness Act...half standing ovation, half blank stares
Agreed. He's making it seem like its such an easy process. If it was that easy, the bill would already be on his desk.
DeleteTaking a step toward ending discrimination and passing an Equal Pay Act--nice touch, Obama...oh, AND raising minimum wage! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteLike Angela said, it's imperative that technology be integrated into our school systems more. Obama's plan to make pre-school available to all children could be one of the most beneficial ideas for the nation, and our overall success in education. Schools who use stem-learning and integrate technology daily into lessons should be rewarded, as they are leading education and children into the future.
ReplyDeleteBringing in Romney-clearly seeking Democrat AND Republican support.
ReplyDeleteI was just thinking that. I think that's an underlying message he's trying to relay-that a unified country is a step towards a stronger country.
Deletethe speaker's dirty looks hidden by a sip of water...
ReplyDeleteRaise the min wage to 9.00$ Sure! I'm all for it...why haven't we done this. What are the problems...
ReplyDeleteBut if you make, like, exactly $9 right now-will you're wage stay the same? Or will it rise to accomidate the minimum wage raise?
DeleteThis is true: the more money people can make on their own, the less the government needs to step in and help them with money taken from others.
ReplyDeleteAs a female, I like the sound of the Violence against Women Act and the Paycheck Act. It kind of sounds too good to be true, though. Even decades after the Women's Rights Movement, we still don't share exactly the same rights as men. There are still some differences between wages and such. HOPEFULLY, this can do something to lessen the gap?
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteI like what Jean said-but I just hope that Obama will be able to accomplish all of this within the next four years. He has so many ideas-but all that matters is whether or not he will be able to impliment all of them.
His problem is going to be bipartisanship and the money. But he promised he wouldnt raise the deficit and that congress would work together, so who knows.
DeleteThe joint chiefs applauding... You won't see that often
ReplyDeleteThe strengthening of America would be a great accomplishment, although everyone must realize that Obama and the government can realistically only do so much; the rest of the effort lies within the people, themselves.
ReplyDeleteObama, can you actually guarantee that the war will be over in Afghanistan next year?
ReplyDeleteI agree that raising the minimum wage to $9 would make many Americans more self sufficient, and that it would be beneficial for the nation, especially considering the number of Americans living below the poverty line.
ReplyDeleteObama keeps piling on promises and ideas for reform. I will admit, some of these ideas could benefit the nation. The question is whether or not he will accomplish any of these goals, or become a lame duck president before he has the chance to.
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
DeleteI agree-I also wonder how much all of these new ideas will cost. How will we balance the budget with all of these new policies and new legislation? The government will have to cut back somewhere.
I like how Obama wants to help other countries-he doesn't want to just leave other countries hanging after the military accomplishes its original goals.
ReplyDeleteObama is proposing a process much like Nixon's "Vietnamization"--replacing Americans with those of their own country so that they can lead themselves--now hopefully this doesn't turn out to be more that a repetition of Vietnam, where all our work over more than a decade was wiped out in an instant.
ReplyDeletesaving gun control for last i suppose..
ReplyDeleteHey ladies, I'm looking for a prom date. Preferably a hot young lady who is well versed in politics and government and can hold an in depth converstaion with me about The State of the Union Address.
ReplyDeleteYou are in the wrong blog for this conversation
Deleteexecutive order*** to strengthen the abilities to deter cyber attacks
ReplyDeleteNorth Korea plans to "test" a rocket by aiming it at the US
ReplyDeleteHe signed an executive order on cyber security--Congress didn't pass it then...
ReplyDeleteAIDS free generation...now that is just setting himself up for backfire..
ReplyDeleteIt's a big promise but I hope he is right
DeleteHe is making some BOLD promises. Its sure to backfire.
DeleteIt all starts with the people, themselves, in this situation. Medically, yes, Obama should work towards that; containment-wise, that relies on the people.
DeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDelete"America must remain a beacon"-Encouraging the people to strive to be the best that they can be, while stating that America is one of the best countries on the Globe. Gives the American people a sense of hope for the future as well as a feeling of superiority over other parts of the world.
I feel like he would have to know the AIDS-free generation can happen before making a promise that big in front of the whole country
ReplyDeleteThis is kind of irrelevant-but I feel like Joe Biden has looked like he is on the verge of tears for the majority of this speech...
ReplyDeletehere it comesssss
ReplyDeleteObama can make gun laws as strict as he wants, but I think he is forgetting that criminals dont usually buy guns at the stores, they get them from other places. You can take away everyones gun who legally owns them, but criminals will keep getting them.
ReplyDeleteWhile this logic works for drugs (saying that criminals will get them anyway because they don't follow laws), it's different for guns. People can't make assault rifles in their basement, people can't grow a shotgun on a plant with a UV light, people can't make a gun in a lab. Guns have to be made by companies and if those guns never get to the public, criminals can't get to them.
DeleteBut there is no way he can get rid of every gun that has been made for the past few hundred years. He can surely stop new ones from coming in, but they will always be around.
DeleteWell yeah, but eventually the guns will become broken/no longer efficient. I don't really see deaths due towith Civil-War-Era weapons in the news
DeleteAfter the Newtown, Conn., elementary school massacre, Obama made increased gun control a priority. At the top of the list is his push for universal background checks, regardless of whether weapons are bought from retailers — which now must do checks — or at gun shows, where buyers need not be checked. Other priorities are a reinstatement of the assault weapons ban and a prohibition on high-capacity firearms.
ReplyDeletei know this is a cliche statement, but it is not only guns that are taking away the birthdays and graduations and such...
ReplyDeleteIf Obama can't get a bill passed with that, he is most definitely a lame duck
ReplyDeleteHe's being fairly aggressive with the speaker of the house tonight
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely heart-touching story; great way to push his political agenda forward--I don't mean to take away from the severity of what these families had to go through.
ReplyDeleteI agree I think it was extremely effective to have victims and family members in the room
DeleteI agree that including these stories was effective, and made the subject matter that much more relevant to the time and why changes need to be made.
DeleteIt's sounding like a sports arena...Vote vote vote
ReplyDeleteGod bless these United States of America ... Great job tonight guys
ReplyDeleteChristopher Dorner has been found dead!
ReplyDeleteAllison Latini
ReplyDeleteThe way that Obama is recognizing individuals is extremely moving and shows how individual Americans who are affected by all of the issues he wants to put an end to.
Overall, his speech was very optimistic. He had many new ideas but the problem will be bipartisanship and funding. He promised not to raise the deficit and challenged the Speaker of the House to bring bills to the floor for votes. I hope he can do what he promised because if he can do it without raising taxes and soon, our future as a nation is looking bright.
ReplyDeleteI agree. If Congress can do what he's asking, the future is indeed looking bright.
DeleteOh it's over, who won? I was attending to my Fantasy Baseball Draft. I got Mike Trout
ReplyDeleteGOP response
ReplyDeleteI think he sent a message by saying that he just paid off his student loans. It just goes to show how expensive college is and how reform is necessary so that more students like us can afford to go to college.
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