"What frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day. We can't wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side—a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. I'm speaking to both parties now. The confirmation of well-qualified public servants shouldn't be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators." - Obama, State of the Union 2010
Hear, hear. It's certain that every politician is motivated partly because they want to keep their job (who could blame them?), but when the permanent campaign becomes the central motive behind all actions, government is crippled; the net good of Congress is nullified.
What did you think of the State of the Union? Was it a sign that change is still viable?
A Warning about CBO Scoring
5 hours ago
2 comments:
I thought it was great. Not as mean as Reagan was in his first (although Reagan was justified in his rage), but still pointed enough to appeal to the group of Americans who still want their government to work.
I actually thought the G.O.P. response was worth watching too. Bob McDonnell did a much better job than Jindal did last year.
Clearly, there was much to like and much to hate regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, but overall I thought Obama was more relaxed than I was expecting, more conciliatory than he was being urged to be, and more like the candidate who we elected.
The speech definitely presented a side of the President that you wouldn't think was there had you only listened to right-wing pundits. I'm hopeful that the nation will soon have universal healthcare, but I got a sense of Obama's complete frustration at the party-line politics in Washington. There is a lot to be reworked...
On another note, I was stuck on campus late and only caught the last five minutes live and then I watched the beginning when it was replayed. My initial impression was that Obama was completely disillusioned with the possibility for Washington to cooperate. After seeing the entire thing, I now see the last bit of the speech as a gesture towards urgency.
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