Obama '08?

Here we go.

I've been a Gawande fan for quite a while. He has generally good and useful observations. I posted a link to an earlier article of his with some different emphasis - that one called The Cost Conundrum.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all

(Sorry, I'm six days behind the times on this thread)

Obama is actually complimenting America in his speech!! I can hardly believe my ears, he's talking about the American Dream. He's actually talking about innovative businesses. Could this actually be George Bush talking with an Obama mask on??

Because he resorted to sounding like a conservative and patriotic American enough during his speech, I predict it will bump his ratings a few points. That depends on whether enough people actually cared enough to watch it?

Do not misunderstand, there was still alot of big government plans in the speech as well.

okie, You're surprised because you don't remember what Obama promised during his campaign, and what he actually accomplished. You have no memory.

What I remember from his campaign was precious little specifics, but much in the way of slogans and his "change" mantra. I remember McCain pointing out accurately that "change" was not the issue, but what kind of change, that was the question, which was not being answered by Obama.

Track record, what has Obama produced? Higher unemployment, a failing economy, a tax dodger overseeing the IRS, unaccountable czars, another monstrous government boondoggle we know as Obamacare, and mounting unmanageable debt that threatens to destroy the country. And in his speech, he had some good sounding statements, but again precious little in the way of credible proposals for fixing the problems that we have. Instead he wants to create more, that is what I heard, by proposing more programs and more spending.

I was struck by how President Obama's speech was largely devoid of discussion of foreign affairs. Iran, Israel, Korea etc.

I thought the speech was pretty good, though I doubt that it will matertially change the political debate.

I recognize that he didn't budge on some core issues, and that he proposes in effect to call the same old spending by a new name. "investments in the future", when in fact things like high speed passenger rail do little or nothing to improve economic productivity - they aren't investments at all. He omitted fundamental issues like energy production and the competitiveness of American labor entirely. His references to regulatory reform were mostly empty. -- Indeed he endorsed recent legislation that vastly expands the regulatory authority and discretion of the Federal bureaucracy, and , in areas like CO2 emissions he proposes to get what he wants in defiance of the Congress by claiming regulatory discretion under novel interpretations of existing law.

I thought he made significant (if arguably inevitable) concessions on the health care law, particularly with respect to tort reform.

I was pleased to note the absence of the hauteur and pious arrogance that often overlays his public speeches. That was, to me, a refreshing and meaningful change, one that probably did some real good in his relations with the new Congress.

Better yet, can anyone buy insurance that will protect us from you?

And, if Obama is so far left, why does he continually kiss the collective republican ass with his right wing policies?

I listened it in the car as I came home from my $8.50/hour job.

Rich coming from you.

Anyway, I was most struck by his emphasis on Americans needing to get more educated especially in science in order to compete in the future with other countries who are passing us up in that area.

Don't be a fool - he regularly talks about these topics in speeches.

Cycloptichorn

revel, Those are all necessary components for our country to remain competitive in this world marketplace. Without a good education for our children, we will become a third world country where most developed countries understand the necessity for good education to remain competitive. In math and science standards, we are still falling behind, and that will be our downfall.

plainoldfool, save your money on that insurance policy - unless you fear the truth, you have nothing to fear from me

I haven't noticed Obama kissing any republican ass, perhaps you could come up with a collective example for us.

Totally disagree. They aren't money-bearing investments; they are investments in infrastructure. Which is just as important as the kind you refer to.

This was a major theme of his speech that I guess you didn't catch.

And this -



I guess you think the SC's decision in Massachusetts et al. v. EPA et al. in 2007 is 'novel interpretations' of the law. The SC found that the EPA not only had a mandate to regulate CO2 emissions, they had a duty to do so.

It has little to do with Obama.

Cycloptichorn

rjb, Obama's primary message had to be about our economy, and I believe he has succeeded. Jobs is the number one concern for our country today; Iran, Israel, and Korea can wait for another day.

Iran, Israel and North Korea will be pleased about that.

Why? They would be stupid to act in any aggressive way.

I won't get a chance until later to view the full responses to Obama's address.
The official GOP rebuttal was given by Rep Paul Ryan. It was, from snippets I have seen, curious. The Repubs had promised to lay out a specific idea on cutting the deficit every week. That, to my knowledge, has not happened and Ryan certainly did not advance the ball.
Curiouser was the response given by Michelle Bachmann and comes on the heels of a speech she gave in Iowa that contained some jaw-dropping revisionist history. Is she really as dumb as she comes across?
Meanwhile, crossing the aisle, Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland OH) is suing the House of Reps cafeteria for $150k. He claims that a sandwich wrap he was served contained, are you ready for this, an unpitted olive!

It's a pity he didn't swallow it and a sharp point on the pitt lacerate his lower colon so he could claim $150 million for not being able to adopt his habitual sitting down position for a few months.