Tonight Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress and an even more important audience — the American people. Since it was technically not a "state of the union" address, I think it's safe to call the speech the "state of the economy" address.
Hoping to turn the page on tough economic times, the president read the country a litany of reasons for the crisis. Gutted regulations, irresponsible home purchases, predatory lending, tax cuts to the wealthy, and a lack of investment in America's future have brought us all to a day of reckoning, he said.
After laying the blame, Obama explained his plan. Making it hard to believe he's only been in office for a month, Obama touted the specifics of the aggressive stimulus package. The president played professor for a bit too, spelling out why it's important to keep credit flowing and help banks. "It's not about helping banks, it's about helping people," he said frankly.
Perhaps most crucially, Obama called out the "neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford." Assuring skeptics, Obama said his housing plan won't bail out that irresponsible person, but it will help responsible Americans maintain the value of or refinance their homes.
Obama also took time to discuss his upcoming budget.
For the budget details, and for more photos, read more.
His priorities? Energy, health care, and education. His voice filled with emotion when he asserted that health care reform will not wait another year.
Touching on foreign policy, Obama broke sharply from the man who last spoke to a joint session of Congress. He reannounced the closing of Guantanamo Bay prison and proclaimed that "America does not torture."
While speaking of dire troubles, Obama exuded energy and optimism. Regardless of the merit of his policies, Obama performed like a true leader tonight. You can read the full text here.
Tory Burch
Marni
J Brand
"Perhaps most crucially Obama called out the "neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford." Assuring skeptics, Obama said his housing plan won't bail out that irresponsible person, but it will help responsible Americans maintain the value of their homes or refinance their homes."
What? Who else would we bail out?
1I thought it was a terrific speech, but must admit I became distracted watching Pelosi telegraphing the next round of applause.
2Haha, nice steph.
3I was impressed with what he had to say and judging by how many time the Republicans applauded and stood up I'd say they were too.
4I think he is talking about people who lost their stable jobs, living in affordable homes that they responsibly paid off before turmoil in the market led their employer to fire them and now can't make those payments by no fault of their own, but because of situations beyond their control.
5I’ll take Bobby's genuine faith in American entrepreneurship over O's fearmongering-turned-faux Reaganism any day
6Unfortunately Obama’s promise to veto any bills with earmarks is like his promise to close Gitmo. Not now, later. He completely ignored any comment about the omnibus bill heading his way for signatures with 9,000 earmarks in it. I can guarantee you while the vast majority of them are democrats, the republicans will be represented in their as well. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
7Shoot! I forgot to watch it. Still, I guess it doesn't matter that much...I'll just read the transcript and save myself a lot of frustration sitting and waiting for the speech through all that clapping.
That or just read the comments posted last night and get the general idea
.
8I really liked the speech, he discussed a lot of the things I've been worried about for 10 years (lack of innovation and research, lack of competitiveness for global jobs, entitlement needs revamped). I was in complete agreement when he said we have put these major issues out of the way for short term gains and its time to address these issues now. Overall very happy with it and feel more confident that some real changes can happen in the next few years.
9"neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford." Assuring skeptics, Obama said his housing plan won't bail out that irresponsible person, " This will be impossible to prevent. There will be those who bought what they knew they could not afford that will receive help from this bill, it is inevitable. There are alwasy those that skate through and benefit from programs designed to help those who actually need and deserve it.
10I agree Roarman, I'm sure that some irresponsible people will benefit from this help just like I'm sure that their will be some missteps in the spending of stimulus bill money. Its extremely difficult to legislate something that works 100% flawlessly.
I can't wait to see his budget and the cuts he is going to make, I really hope he goes for it and slashes the heck out of the dead weight.
11Maybe there will be some irresponsible people who are aided, but it would be a mistake to focus on that to the detriment of the overall housing market, and the stable innocent families who are seeing their home values plunge and their neighborhoods deserted.
12im all for optimism but when it becomes delusions of grandeur (everyone will have an education, there will be no more pollution, there will be no more war and there will be a surplus by the end of my first term) thats when i begin to get concerned.
13I do not find Bobby Jindal to be genuine at all!
14I'm all for being cynical or spectical, but when it turns into hyperbole then you kind of lose me.
15*skeptical
16I really appreciated Obama touching on personal responsibility when he began blaming "people who bought houses they couldn't afford". In his speech earlier to scare us into adopting the stimulus bill, he blamed it all on the banks. Personal responsibility has never been part of the Democratic party platform...so props to Obama.
17i think its hilarious that jindal had noo problem taking federal aid to help his citize when they lost jobs and houses during the hurricanes but is morally repulsed by it when he is being vetted for a presidential run. i also think its a huge knee slapper, that when louisana had a surplus it took a huge grass roots effort to get him to veto a pay raise for the louisana legislature, otherwise he would of done it. but you know jindal is all for personal responsibility
18That doesn't have anything to do with personal responsibility flutterpie, but you might have made some other point in there somewhere.
19His speech last night still did nothing to convince me that this stimulus package is going to be our great saving grace. I'm all for education and better ways to use energy and all that, but I think some of Obama's plans are a little far reaching. I read a blog one day that said 'yes we can' is quickly becoming 'maybe we can't'. And that is kind of the way I feel about the whole thing right now.
20I'm not quite there yet starangel, but maybe I'm biased because our governor has been really clear about what he is going to use the stimulus money for (and I support a lot of it). Even if it doesn't cause the economy to go gangbusters I get stuff I've wanted for a long time.
Maybe I'm just a glass half full kinda person. I was with Bush for the first couple years too.
21gangbusters!!
i think the last time i heard that term was on an ep of Mad Men!
22I love Mad Men!! Didn't know it was slipping into my vocab
23i just remember joan saying that in one ep.
i kinda remember most of what joan says, she's so mesmerizing!
24I thought Pelosi looked cute in her Snuggie
25For some reason I couldn't keep my eyes off Pelosi, and I don't mean that in a good way.
26Pelosi got on my nerves. Next time there is a live address her chair should be moved to the floor. She is way too distracting. And annoying.
27i thought obama did great but i think michelle stole the show, she looked absolutely gorgeous last night in the plum color!!
28I can't decide if Pelosi or Jindal was more annoying to watch.
29I agree that Bobby Jindal gave a poor speech compared to president Obama. I think part of it was the poor quality of the sound transmission. I moved around several channels and they all were the same. He also suffers in comparison for standing alone, without the background afforded a sitting president, but every opposition spokesperson suffered in the same comparison.
30As to the comment on Jindal and accepting and rejecting governmental aid ad hoc. He gave an explanation, a very valid one IMHO, and one that the Democrat Governor of Tennessee agrees with, and is doing the same for his state. Unfunded mandates are the bane of state and local govenments.
31Sound transmission issues wouldn't make Jindal sound like Kenneth from 30 Rock reading a story to a kindergarten class.
32i thought he sounded like he was reading a story as well, someone said he sounded sing songy last night and i could agree more.
33His downward spiral has begun. I knew it would happen, I just didn't realize it would happen this fast. I was hoping that his plans would work, but his approval ratings are dropping fast. He's still in the positive range, but I think most people are starting to wake up. He didn't SAY anything in his speech last night. He just went over and over the same stuff again. I wanted to hear NEW plans, ways to right the wrongs that he's already created.
I WAS however happy to hear him say that we are at war. It's the one thing I can give him credit for so far. He knows that troops are needed over there. I pray for him, because for ANY president sending men & women into battle, that decision has to way so heavily on them. Those decisions can never be easy, and it's even MORE difficult when the country you are leading questions every move you make. He's got to be second guessing himself every step of the way.
34hmm i didnt realize that approval rating in the high 60's(with the exception of the gallup poll) meant that public support was bleeding for the president.
35Actualy, Obama's approval ratings is almost dead average for a new president this early in a new administration. Remember Carter's approval ratings were even higher at this point of his administration. You can expect his approval ratings to slide as time goes on, it is normal for the office.
36Why all this focus on approval ratings? Not long ago, low numbers were interpreted by some here as a badge of honor for a president who did what he felt was right and didn't pander to voters.
37Agreed Steph, we care about approval ratings again? I thought they were moot.
38"I was hoping that his plans would work, but his approval ratings are dropping fast"
I wasn't aware that there is evidence that his plans have failed? And I also recall that the consensus on here was that approval ratings were fluff and were to be ignored.
39I find it interesting that when Obama speaks, the stock market falls. That tells me that investors don't believe in what he is saying.
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