February 24, 2009, 8:33 pm
Live Blog: Obama’s Address to Congress
By Kate Phillips
Stephen Crowley/The New York Times President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress.
Wrap Up | 11:34 p.m. President Obama walked out of the House chamber a short while ago, breaking into a grin now and then, while being swarmed by elected officials seeking his autograph and his hand on the way out.
If his mission tonight, as some had suggested and as aides had acknowledged, was to be realistic but reassuring, well, even Republicans were praising his performance.
“He brought his A-game tonight,” Senator John Ensign, Republican of Nevada, told Carl Hulse, our chief congressional correspondent. Mr. Ensign said he liked this speech better than the inaugural address.
And if you were monitoring congressional reaction on Twitter, as our Michael Falcone was doing, here would be some highlights from a few key members:
Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, and an obsessive congressional tweeter wrote that the show of mutual respect, even affection, between President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as the president entered the House chamber tonight “makes me proud of our democracy.” She added: “What a difference a year makes.”
On the other side of the aisle, Representative John Culberson, Republican of Texas, threw some sharp criticism Mr. Obama’s way, complaining that the president’s policy on bank loans “sounds like nationalization – very bad news.” He also took issue with the president’s call for Congress to pass legislation that would put a market-based cap on carbon emissions: “Get ready for your light bills to go even higher through the roof w carbon cap and trade Lieberman bill.” But even Mr. Culberson acknowledged the historical nature of the address: “This is always an awe inspiring experience no matter who is President – we celebrate our Republic and our great institutions tonight.”
Another Republican, Senator Mel Martinez of Florida, noticed a policy omission from the president’s remarks: “POTUS speech in re energy – He campaigned on nuclear, but totally absent from agenda.”
Representative Earl Blumenauer, Democrat of Oregon, was one of the president’s loudest cheerleaders throughout the speech. “Won’t accept a future where jobs and industries take root beyond our borders!!! This is the over arching theme.” A few minutes later: “Call to arms on healthcare reform. He means it!” And the eagle-eyed Mr. Blumenauer also noticed this about half-way into the president’s speech: “Some Republican senators are standing and clapping, including McCain. Great!”
But those Republicans may have been in the minority of the minority. As Representative Zach Wamp of Tennessee concluded: “Pres Obama is moving the ‘center’ to the left. We must stand our ground as conservatives. Liberal leaders in Congress threaten freedom.”
Throughout the speech, Mr. Obama stressed that there would always be disagreements over his policies. But tonight he tried again to find a common purpose, as Republicans have said they want too, in economic recovery. This speech seemed a straddle between life coach and lecturer. He gave a somber assessment of tough economic conditions as he tried to tap into the reserves of the American public. There is no time to waste, he urged, after years of individual and collective procrastination on a host of issues.
Early on, he said: “Those qualities that have made America the greatest force of progress and prosperity in human history we still possess in ample measure. What is required now is for this country to pull together, confront boldly the challenges we face, and take responsibility for our future once more.
Now, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that for too long, we have not always met these responsibilities – as a government or as a people. I say this not to lay blame or look backwards, but because it is only by understanding how we arrived at this moment that we’ll be able to lift ourselves out of this predicament. “
Somehow we can’t get that song with the line “lift me up” out of our heads, but we’ll move on.
On the agenda side, Mr. Obama hit hard on education, health care and energy as his top priorities, but he also lobbed a few light lines – even picking on Joseph R. Biden Jr., his own vice president when he talked about choosing him to oversee stimulus spending: “And that’s why I’ve asked Vice President Biden to lead a tough, unprecedented oversight effort — because nobody messes with Joe,” the president said to big applause. “I — isn’t that right? They don’t mess with you.”
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, one of our White House correspondents, made this more serious observation about the jibe:
“The relationship between President Obama and Vice President Biden is a source of endless curiosity in Washington, as was the relationship between former President George W. Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney. On several occasions, Mr. Obama has seemed visibly displeased with Mr. Biden, as was the case when Mr. Biden cracked a joke about Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. during a swearing in ceremony for executive branch employees. At his news conference, Mr. Obama was asked about a remark the vice president made suggesting that even if the pair did everything right, “there’s still a 30 percent chance we’re going to get it wrong.’’ Mr. Obama said he didn’t know what Mr. Biden was talking about – “not surprisingly.”
The “nobody messes with Joe’’ line, perhaps, is Mr. Obama’s way of giving a boost to the vice president, who is still trying to define his job in the post-Cheney era.”
Speaking of the No. 2 job, one of the most striking visual changes tonight beyond the presence of President Obama rather than George W. Bush, was the absence of the former vice president, Dick Cheney, from the chair beside Ms. Pelosi.
And that’s it. By now, the gridlock that wraps itself around the Capitol like an external rotunda should have eased up enough to get home.
The Republican Response | 10:20 p.m. Up Now: Governor Jindal of Louisiana to give the G.O.P. response to the president’s address. If he seems a bit stilted, well one explanation could be that he’s not speaking to a live audience in the way that Mr. Obama was, for one. He’s speaking into a camera from his home state.
After trying to draw the similarities between Mr. Obama’s background, and his own (he’s a child of immigrants), the governor then began reciting in a near schoolteacher-like monotone much of the Republican criticisms of the stimulus package and the differences between smaller government and bigger government. But he also falls into mocking, as other Republicans have, some of the initiatives such as high-speed rail that aren’t exactly going to be awarded or constructed without serious competitive bidding among several big projects.
Shaking Hands | 10:15 p.m. Mr. Obama is now making his way through waves of elected officials, shaking hands and patting people on the back, as is his usual gesture. He warmly hugged Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican who has made earmarks and “wasteful spending” part of his mantra.
President Obama is also stopping to grant requests to autograph copies of his speech.
‘Something Worthy to Be Remembered’ | 10:14 p.m. So in closing, the president highlights the resolve of the American people — ending on a somewhat upbeat note:
I know that we haven’t agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground.
And if we do – if we come together and lift this nation from the depths of this crisis; if we put our people back to work and restart the engine of our prosperity; if we confront without fear the challenges of our time and summon that enduring spirit of an America that does not quit, then someday years from now our children can tell their children that this was the time when we performed, in the words that are carved into this very chamber, “something worthy to be remembered.”
Doug Mills/The New York Times President Obama speaking before Congress on Tuesday night.
Not Quitters | 10:05 p.m. Attention Congressman James Clyburn, the House Democratic whip: Mark your calendar for the ground-breaking ceremony at that old school in South Carolina. It’s the one you’ve talked about, too. Recognized by Mr. Obama, the young student next to Mrs. Obama claps solemnly as the president quotes her saying; “We are not quitters. We are not quitters.”
‘Didn’t Feel Right’| 10:03 p.m. That was just the acknowledgment to Leonard Abess, one of the guests sitting with Mrs. Obama, invited by the White House. Mr. Obama uses his story as a direct contrast to the C.E.O.’s who have been castigated for swallowing bonuses and huge buyouts. As Mr. Obama tells it, Mr. Abess, a bank president from Miami, “who reportedly cashed out of his company, took a $60 million bonus, and gave it out to all 399 people who worked for him, plus another 72 who used to work for him. Mr. Abess didn’t tell anyone, but when the local newspaper found out, he simply said, ”I knew some of these people since I was 7 years old. I didn’t feel right getting the money myself.”
Supporting Troops | 9:58 p.m. In recognizing the service of the troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Obama reiterated that they have the nation’s “unyielding support.”
And then, as the president shifts into other policy matters regarding national security and terrorism, (the closing of the detention centers at Guantanamo Bay, for example) he forcefully says: “The United States does not torture.”
Doug Mills/The New York Times President Obama addressed Congress Tuesday night.
Check Point | 9:54 p.m. My colleague Micheline Maynard weighs in from Detroit. Early on in this speech, Mr. Obama renewed his commitment to helping the beleaguered, crippled auto industry and ended on a note about not letting down the nation that invented the automobile.
Nope, says Micheline:
President Obama says, “The nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.” Mr. Obama would get one wrong on the quiz I give my MBA students at U-Mich. The automobile was NOT invented in the U.S. It was invented in Mannheim, Germany, in 1885, by Karl Benz. Better to say, “The nation that perfected mass production of the automobile” since Henry Ford definitely gets credit for that.
On Education | 9:50 p.m. “Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. And yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education. We have one of the highest high school dropout rates of any industrialized nation. And half of the students who begin college never finish.”
Mr. Obama says, “it will be the goal of this administration to ensure that every child has access to a complete and competitive education – from the day they are born to the day they begin a career.”
“Dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself; it’s quitting on your country. And this country needs and values the talents of every American.”
We’re not sure how some parents and students who can’t afford college right now will react to a president who says they can’t drop out (say, to work) of high school. Or that dropping out lets the country down, as opposed to say, contributing to a family income during a period of high unemployment? That’s not to diminish the goal of lowering the dropout rate.
Must Not Wait | 9:47 p.m. “So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.”
It is interesting to note that while he speaks about health care reform, the administration is still without a secretary of Health and Human Services. Who will that be? Inquiring minds still want to know. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has been mentioned as a leading candidate ever since former Senator Tom Daschle withdrew from consideration over his personal tax problems.
Health Care | 9:46 p.m. Nearly everyone is waiting for the president’s health care initiatives, knowing all the while that the expense and the battle will both be bruising. When Mr. Obama mentioned another legislative success of his, signing into law the expansion of children’s health insurance — SCHIP — Mrs. Pelosi jumped to her feet and clapped.
We Interrupt This Address to Congress… | 9:41 p.m. Well, we’re not finished yet but Michael Steele, the new chairman of the Republican Party, has issued his verdict. The Republicans have taken great pains to point out that they would like to work with Mr. Obama while asserting that congressional Democrats are too partisan. The bipartisan debate became problematic for Mr. Obama as it seemed to dilute a message during the stimulus debate. Not one Republican in the House voted for the final package. Only three did in the Senate.
Note the word choice of “young” and also the emphasis again on bipartisanship:
Watching President Obama address our nation – and feeling the pride that is in every American’s heart – it’s worth pausing to celebrate our nation’s achievements. Yet even as we mark this historic event, we recognize the deep problems that continue to face our nation. Republicans are eager to work with President Obama on the challenges he discussed, especially restoring fiscal responsibility and growing our economy.
After last year’s State of the Union, then-candidate Barack Obama asked the nation to imagine a time when a President’s agenda would draw standing ovations from both sides of the aisle. That sort of bipartisanship is an admirable goal – and one that unfortunately continues to elude Washington. The Democratic leadership in Congress must be willing to work with Republicans to stop out-of-control spending, promote the creation of jobs, and to keep our troops properly funded.
Now would be a good time for this young Administration to ask the Democrat leaders in Congress to actually consider working in a bipartisan way to solve the real problems Americans are facing.
The Big Three | 9:39 p.m. Mr. Obama says the budget he will submit will invest in three big items: energy, health care and education. Those are the priorities of the Obama plan.
Deficit Projections | 9:36 p.m. My colleague Jackie Calmes offers up observations about the deficit projections, as Mr. Obama prepares Congress for his upcoming budget plan, which will be presented on Thursday.
She noted: “The Congressional Budget Office projected in January that the deficit for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, would be $1.2 trillion, or 8.3 percent relative to the gross domestic product. Mr. Obama has since won passage of a $787 billion two-year stimulus package, some of which will be spent this year.”
It’s About People | 9:30 p.m. Mr. Obama says, “I will not spend a single penny for the purpose of rewarding a single Wall Street executive, but I will do whatever it takes to help the small business that can’t pay its workers or the family that has saved and still can’t get a mortgage.”
“It’s not about banks, it’s about people,” he adds. That stark contrast in words lands Mr. Obama another ovation.
Credit Crisis | 9:30 p.m. How much can be borrowed? Mr. Obama is laying out specifics of new plans, to restore confidence in lending by establishing a new fund. And this segment on housing is intended to reassure homeowners and mortgage-lenders.
Taking Charge | 9:21 p.m. Before he begins talking about his economic recovery plan in detail, Mr. Obama achieves a few things. He managed in this passage to distance himself (and distance himself from the stewardship of) the previous administration and some of past eight years of spending and piling on debt. But he doesn’t lay blame; there’s also a note here of self-determination at the end — of “taking charge.”
In other words, we have lived through an era where too often, short-term gains were prized over long-term prosperity; where we failed to look beyond the next payment, the next quarter, or the next election. A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future. Regulations were gutted for the sake of a quick profit at the expense of a healthy market. People bought homes they knew they couldn’t afford from banks and lenders who pushed those bad loans anyway. And all the while, critical debates and difficult decisions were put off for some other time on some other day.
Well that day of reckoning has arrived, and the time to take charge of our future is here.
Keepsakes | 9:19 p.m. Mr. Biden and Ms. Pelosi seem to want to read along with their copies of Mr. Obama’s address, in their hands and now in their laps. Or maybe they’re just making a mental note that they want it autographed afterward.
‘We Will Rebuild, We Will Recover’ | 9:18 p.m. Mr. Obama receives his first standing ovation after beginning his speech, when he promises: “We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.” This was one of the notes his aides and others said he would hit as he outlined the tough times.
Doug Mills/The New York Times President Obama greeted Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Greetings Madame Secretary | 9:14 p.m. As Mr. obama makes his way down the aisle, he stops specifically to peck Hillary Rodham Clinton — the former rival, former senator and now his Secretary of State, in a special acknowledgment — a kiss hello.
President Obama Arrives | 9:12 p.m. The president enters the House chamber to applause.
Solis and LaHood Arrive | 9:11 p.m. Our colleague Carl Hulse tells us Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman, and Representative Hilda Solis, confirmed today as the secretary of labor, were shown a lot of love as they made their entrances.
Watch Along With Us | 9:06 p.m. You can watch President Obama’s address here.
Michelle Obama Arrives | 9:05 p.m. First Lady Michelle Obama has taken her place in her box, without the two Obama girls, Sasha and Malia (9 p.m. is past their stated bedtime). Mrs. Obama is wearing a sleeveless purple dress — we’ll get back to you on the designer. (It sends shivers on our arms, given that it’s been in the 20’s or lower here overnight.)
Mrs. Obama hugged a young girl sitting next to her. Her name is Ty’Sheoma Bethea, an eighth-grader who wrote to the president about her school, the 110-year-old J.V. Martin Junior High School in South Carolina that has become a symbol of falling-down schools around the country that could use stimulus money to be rebuilt.
Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesPresident Obama greeted Justice Ginsburg.
Applause for Justice Ginsburg | 9:03 p.m. Arriving now are the justices of the Supreme Court, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who receives a hearty welcome and applause after just returning to the court from being hospitalized with pancreatic cancer, and of course, John Roberts, chief justice of the United States.
Doug Mills/The New York Times Vice President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Staking Out Seats | 8:55 p.m. The House chamber is quickly filling up. Senators have now arrived en masse from their promenade across the Capitol Building to the House side. Some representatives had been staking out choice seats for hours — if they’re stationed along the aisles they get to shake the president’s hand or receive a shout-out. (A congresswoman who shall remain nameless embarrassed herself a few years back by clinging lengthily to President Bush during one of his final appearances before Congress.)
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is standing in his chair, as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi chats with him.
Getting Ready for the Speech | 8:33 p.m. Good evening, everyone.
We’re stationed up here in the Capitol Building, under tight, tight security, awaiting the beginning of President Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress. It’s going to be a late night, and we’re hoping you stay with us for a while.
The atmosphere has been a bit electric for people on both sides of the aisle up here; building throughout the day as all the accompanying television cameras, officials and guests arrive. Although this is officially not considered an official State of the Union address, those invited to attend do indeed include Supreme Court justices and Cabinet members as well as special guests of top elected officials.
Shortly before 9 p.m., we’ll begin a live blog, not only taking stock of the president’s remarks, but also of insights and observations from our colleagues of the scene and of course, some reaction afterward. (You can follow our updates on Twitter.
So far, we’ve zeroed in today on one key word that keeps popping up singularly – that is, tone — or any of its fitting synonyms. Setting the mood, or altering it altogether, will be one of those themes wafting over the success of this night, no matter the significant substance and goal-setting for economic recovery or the historic nature of witnessing Mr. Obama, the first African-American president, addressing Congress, during a time of extraordinary stress nationwide and overseas.
So that’s what we’ll call the “tone test” for the night. How much will he try to emulate the soldiering-on attitude of FDR or the bright tomorrows of Reagan?
There’s no doubt that Mr. Obama will devote a considerable portion of his speech to the substance of economic recovery – probably pausing to emphasize his success in the passage of the $787 billion stimulus package; his plans to closely monitor bank bailouts (no mention of the latest dreaded word, “nationalization”); and, among other issues, a little more detail on plans to try to rescue the housing/mortgage market.
But among the chattering classes and officials driving some of the most public conversation in anticipation of Mr. Obama’s speech, the overarching coaching notes seemed aimed at what tone, or tenor, he would strike tonight to pull the nation up rather than depress its spirits even more. Given the daily news of markets falling down, banks falling out, houses shuttered, jobs lost, part of Mr. Obama’s mission, in many officials’ minds, must be as the public’s cheerleader.
That could be considered a tough, tall order, or as Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader said today: “The bar keeps getting set higher and higher for him to deliver a good speech.”
And perhaps some of this expectation-setting started when Mr. Obama seemed to suggest two weekends ago that the nation appeared to be in irreversible decline. He retreated from that characterization during his first news conference, but the doom and gloom – evident outside the White House, too – lingered a bit, even into today.
You’ll hear an echo of that tonight, if you hang in there, from Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, 37, and a rising Republican star. Chosen to give the Republican response, Mr. Jindal has already seized upon those “we’re doomed” perceptions, according to advance excerpts of his remarks. “A few weeks ago, the President warned that our nation is facing a crisis that he said ‘we may not be able to reverse.’ Our troubles are real, to be sure. But don’t let anyone tell you that we cannot recover – or that America’s best days are behind her.”
Tone also must’ve been on the mind of former President Clinton, who in an interview with ABC News last week, sounded two ways about the message machine emanating from the White House. While saying he was glad Mr. Obama was offering straight talk to the public, he also coached the new president: “I just would like him to end by saying that he is hopeful and completely convinced we’re going to come through this.”
Well, that didn’t sit so well with the new occupants at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., down the street from us. Robert Gibbs, the press secretary, who snapped in a television interview today: “This president doesn’t need a lecture about hope.” Not even from the man from Hope, we’d add.
Various officials have told us today that Mr. Obama wants to stress how resilient Americans are as a people. And Mr. Gibbs alluded to that, in one of his many TV interviews offering previews today: “He will tell us, tell the country that we’ve faced, as I said, far greater challenges than the ones we face now. But we as Americans always meet those challenges, and in the Reaganesque words, there are always better days ahead.”
We’ll come back to you later, to ask how you think Mr. Obama fared on the tone-o-meter.
Fun Facts: And while we’re waiting, we want to point you to a few historical notes about such addresses, although some of these records were reached during official state of the union addresses. Despite all the comparisons between these tumultuous economic times and the Great Depression, FDR didn’t address Congress until more than a year into his presidency. Congressional Quarterly also offered these facts today: “Presidents George Washington and John Adams addressed Congress, but Thomas Jefferson shunned the practice, contending it was too much like the British monarch going before Parliament.” Woodrow Wilson returned to the practice, more than a century later. Herbert Hoover never appeared.
And if you get bored, and want to read some other presidents’ speeches, the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia offers an archive.
Also — One member of the Cabinet will be left behind tonight and not permitted to attend the address. This time around, it will be Attorney General Eric Holder Jr.
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1. February 24, 2009 8:45 pm Link
The optimistic twist is a nice change, but people – and the markets – till want details. How are we actually going to get out of this mess?
http://political-buzz.com/2009/02/24/obamas-speech-live-twitter-feed/
— matt
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2. February 24, 2009 9:09 pm Link
Not a mention of the absence of Justice Alto. Isn’t this man’s rudeness carrying a bit far?
— Helen
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3. February 24, 2009 9:25 pm Link
Republicans remained seated while the rest applauded the stimulus law. Very nice display, y’all.
Love the purple dress!
— Gladys
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4. February 24, 2009 9:26 pm Link
What a stunning change to have an articulate, thoughtful, and intelligent President after 8 years of nothing but the mindless parroting of right wing extremist talking points by an imbecilic cowboy.
— g english
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5. February 24, 2009 9:28 pm Link
This sounds like a speech to cover his backside, announce that he inherited the debt, and now tell us how he will cut the deficit by 2012…..an election year coincidentally.
My daughter is graduating this May. Will that tax credit be too late for me?
I don’t have Cobra…..his medical unemployment plan won’t help me.
When I hear people are able to refinance, get jobs, and consumer confidence returns then I’ll be convinced.
To that end, he is quite correct. What is he leading up to?
— LadyBeGood
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6. February 24, 2009 9:29 pm Link
No substance,
— spike
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7. February 24, 2009 9:35 pm Link
I’m tired of hearing that banks are “too fearful to lend.” As many as 1,000 banks could fail in 2009 according to one very respected analyst. And banks lack the capital. It has nothing to do with fear and everything to do with zero capital.
— Alan
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8. February 24, 2009 9:36 pm Link
Obama’s rhetoric is understandably U.S.-focused, but his speech and plan are short-sighted in that they don’t acknowledge or accommodate free, global markets.
— John
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9. February 24, 2009 9:37 pm Link
Same tired rhetoric. Will he still blame Bush in 2012? He has doubled our deficit in a mere 30 days, in that regard he puts Bush to shame!
What would he do without a teleprompter!
— Jim
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10. February 24, 2009 9:37 pm Link
Didn’t the free flow and dependence on credit get us here in the first place? Am I missing something.
I agree – details? I’m glad for the history lesson but, I’d like to know what’s going to happen today and tomorrow…
— Ellen
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11. February 24, 2009 9:37 pm Link
Everybody, please give the man a chance. We didn’t get into the mess overnight, it will take time, nobody complained when George Bush and the rest of the republicans created this mess.
— Madelyn
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12. February 24, 2009 9:39 pm Link
Could you give the guy a chance to get the words out of his mouth?
— Diana
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13. February 24, 2009 9:40 pm Link
“new american century” -nice dig at the neocons
— Evan Taylor
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14. February 24, 2009 9:40 pm Link
I haven’t heard anything concrete. There’s promises, and then there’s plans, and this is all promises. “It is time for America to lead again” sounds like he’s speaking to the lowest common denominator. I’m disappointed.
— Denis
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15. February 24, 2009 9:40 pm Link
a lot of smug politicians, grinning with their hands in the till…
all of our money tossed down the drain…smug politicians applauding again…no shame.
— dave
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16. February 24, 2009 9:40 pm Link
I have been holding my breath, waiting for something which will clearly show what that path is which will lead us to this promised land of which he speaks, but there is a sinking feeling in my stomach as he proceeds. Where’s the beef please. Why should Americans keep on buying and buying things which we don’t need, and do it on credit? Why should our system require that kind of idiocy? Can’t we offer the American public something better than credit cards, debts, loans and discounts?
— Ingrid Bengis Palei
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17. February 24, 2009 9:41 pm Link
In my town, Frederick, Maryland, BP Solar has decided NOT to expand it’s photovoltaic manufacturing capacity, and instead, leave a new building as a shell.
Unfortunately, although I’ve pointed this out to the Obama administration, they haven’t been able to fill the gap this reveals.
That’s the problem: Real solutions are needed for real people locally now! I am very fearful that Obama’s aides do not understand this truth.
— Bert Gold
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18. February 24, 2009 9:41 pm Link
Clean, renewable energy!! That is going to be America’s new greatness and Obama is going to lead us to that greatness
Also, hearing him talk instills in America a sense of hope because he is actually articulate when he talks unlike Bush.
— Kevin
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19. February 24, 2009 9:42 pm Link
And GOP thinks Jindal can top this?LMAO Obama is in top form. they are so delusional
— barbara
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20. February 24, 2009 9:42 pm Link
RIGHT ON – FINALLY TALKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, THE FUTURE, AND DOING THE RIGHT THING. No more doublespeak, reality based on delusion. For those who want details, read the budget and the package. There is detail a-plenty. This a speech designed to show the big picture. OBAMA WASN’T MY FIRST CHOICE, BUT I AM LOVING WHAT I AM SEEING!!!
— Beth
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21. February 24, 2009 9:43 pm Link
Accountability sounds great to me. Lets start with ACORN, Fannie and Freddie.
— LJ
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22. February 24, 2009 9:44 pm Link
“He has doubled our deficit in a mere 30 days, in that regard he puts Bush to shame! ” (#9)
What alternative would you suggest besides bankrupting 40% of the country? As long as the government is the only entity willing to invest, it has to do it – especially as the cost of funds is much lower for it than for any business.
— cobbler
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23. February 24, 2009 9:44 pm Link
It would make my law school career if the New York Times would start closed captioning these live broadcast videos so I could pay attention in class.
— CJ Messinger
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24. February 24, 2009 9:44 pm Link
Obama said America invented the automobile. It did not. Karl Friedrich Benz, a German, invented the auto. I’m just sayin’.
— Elisabeth
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25. February 24, 2009 9:44 pm Link
seems like everyone expects miracles and is disapointed that he can’t deliver in one month…the question is “are we headed in the right direction?”… I think we are.
— Jen
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YouTube – Broadcast Yourself.
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YouTube – Broadcast Yourself.
YouTube – Broadcast Yourself.
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