Bobby McDonnell

WOW.......

"Republicans want results, not partisanship....." Is Gov. McDonnell serious? His entire speech called for less government, partisan policies, unrealistic reform, and inhumane treatment of prisoners. The thing which really pisses me off the most was his belief that affordable healthcare for all could be established by intelligent reform and avoiding raising taxes and keeping coverage in the hands of private insurance companies. Well, Bobby, if that is the case, if Republicans hold the key to this mystical reform....WHY HAVEN't THEY EVER BEEN IMPLEMENTED!!!!??? This was the most partisan, idealistic, unrealistic, rubbish speech that I have ever heard.

8 year old's allowance

Did he actually send that young boy's allowance to Haiti? Or did he send a letter back saying....

"Unless you have another five million dollars, your ten bucks isn't going to help."

Please ask, I'll tell!!!

Over the past year, voters across the nation have been waiting for President Obama to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy which stains the reputation of the United States' armed forces. A campaign promise which lesbians, homosexuals, and allies alike have been waiting to be fulfilled for the past year has just been promised once again. Of course, one hopes that President Obama means business this time, but perhaps I should not hold my breath.

P.S. I loved the zoom in on the military officials after the stated promise to repeal the archaic policy.

"This war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home"

Much to my surprise, Obama has just made the promise to withdraw all troops from Iraq by the end of August. A bold promise, and I certainly hope he delivers.

Correction: This has always been the plan; however....

"For the most part, Obama's plan is faithful to his campaign promises. It calls for the end of combat operations and the withdrawal of most of the 142,000 troops in Iraq by August 31, 2010 (slightly longer than the sixteen-month timeline he proposed during the election). But the plan includes a major asterisk that should be of concern to all who opposed the war and who supported a complete withdrawal of American forces: it would leave in Iraq a residual force of as many as 50,000 troops until the end of 2011, the date the US-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement stipulates the removal of all US troops. According to the president, this transitional force would have three missions: training Iraqi security forces, carrying out anti-terrorism missions and protecting American civilian and military forces."

thenation.com

Opening the Flood Gates

As the President was addressing the mistrust which American citizens have shown towards Washington, Obama took a strict stance against Lobbyists. Amongst the very standard arguments for reform against interest groups, Obama took a much appreciated stab at the Supreme Court's recent decision to remove caps on corporate campaign contributions. Not only do I strongly agree and encourage more of these criticism, but I absolutely love that all justices are sitting right in front of the president.....straight faced.

OBAMA+Post-Secondary Education=Please Implement!!!!!

$10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increased grants!!!! Not to mention cutting down on the percentages of loan paybacks, especially if going into public service post graduation. Obama's ideas on post-secondary education have always appealed to me, and I would love to see the US with a more European educational monetary credit system!!!

BOLD STATEMENT

"We need to export more of our goods...."

I agree

How long should America put its future on hold?

I have been asking myself this question all year....and it has been directed at President Obama. We are supposed to be a progressive country, being the guiding light for political and social reform; however, President Obama has yet to close Guantanamo, cut down on troops, or protect the rights of the LGBT community!!!!

Obama is not short on ideas

Here are some ideas which Obama is proposing only 15 minutes into his address:

-Modest fee for banks to pay back to tax payers

-tax cuts, powered by the recovery act (stimulus bill)

-Financing is difficult for small businesses….30 billion to help community banks give loans to small businesses

-small business tax credit….hire workers or raise wages

-No capital gains tax on small business investment

-High speed railway (I hope they don't hire the Chinese again)

Pelosi....so agile for an old woman

In standard Pelosi fashion, the Speaker of the House is once again bobbing up and down like a buoy washing down a rapid river.

The President Begins

As Obama's cool, yet stern face appeared on the camera once again, he began speaking with an elegance matched only by what I might describe as the 'Voice of God' (aka Don La Fontaine). His first utterance is that of history, recalling crucial moments within the United States' past and tying them to present day hardships.

State of the Union

Tonight the President will attempt to recapture the hearts and minds of the citizens which have abandoned their hopes for him over this past year. It seems only appropriate that I use the President's annual address to reinvigorate this barren blog. So, over the next hour or so I will be posting live updates on the State of the Union, pointing out my likes and dislikes, and following it up with comments on the Republicans response.