Obama's 'won both' elections State of the Union quip, Republicans' many responses to the speech (and gibe)
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Did you watch President Obama's sixth State of the Union address last night? If not, you can catch up today.
There's the fast-forward version, the #SOTU (as it was tagged on social media) in a two-minute video courtesy Bloomberg TV.
You also can read the prez's prepared speech. The White House posted the transcript on Medium. There you'll find three words that had never before explicitly been part of the annual presidential address to the joint Congressional session and the American public: lesbian, bisexual and transgender.
But neither of those options will give you the moment that generated the most comment, at least immediately following the speech, Obama's one-liner about his two presidential election wins.
Live, it's Tuesday Night! When the president noted last night that he has "no more campaigns to run," Republicans in the House chamber chuckled and began to applaud. But not for long.
Without missing a beat, Obama fired back, "I know because I won both of them."
It was the Democrats' turn to cheer and applaud.
The GOP naturally slammed what that Party saw as misplaced arrogance by Obama. After all, Republicans won most of last November's midterm races for the House and Senate.
Democrats, many of whom already were buoyed by the more liberal and assertive tone of the speech, reveled in Obama's rejoinder.
Overall, the moment was a snapshot of the tensions that still exist between the White House and the now Republican-controlled Congress.
Official and unofficial feedback: Following the SOTU, the Republican Party offered its formal response. Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa's newest U.S. Senator, was selected to deliver the official GOP rebuttal.
Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida basically translated Ernst's remarks into Spanish for those who preferred to listen in that language. He did, however, make one addition, a mention of immigration policy.
But the Republicans didn't stop at two Party-sanctioned replies to Obama's speech.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, expected to contend for the GOP 2016 presidential nomination, delivered a 12-and-a-half-minute video that some have characterized as the most pessimistic State of the Union response ever.
Another Floridian, Rep. Curt Clawson, delivered his take on the SOTU from the Tea Party perspective.
And Sen. Ted Cruz, the junior Senator from my home state (sorry America), also got into the act. Unfortunately for Cruz, his extemporaneous attempt didn't go too well.
After flubbing his iPhone recording (oops, to quote another Lone Star State Republican) about 40 seconds into the take, Cruz opted for a do-over. But Cruz's muffed first take version briefly made it onto the Internet, where it was captured for posterity by Mediaite.
And the reviews keep coming: Today, my email box is stuffed with SOTU reactions from political and industry groups across the political spectrum.
What did you think of the SOTU? Rather than add to my email crush, share your thoughts in the comments section below. My one request: please be civil. My one wish: please make substantive comments, suggestions instead of just saying you liked or hated the president's or GOP respondents' ideas.
All this discussion is a good sign. Whether you agreed with Obama or some of those who gave their own speeches after the State of the Union, ideas are being exchanged.
Now comes the hard part.
In a few weeks, Obama will present his budget proposal, which should flesh out some of the items, including tax provisions touched on in last night's speech.
The Administration and White House then will have to talk to, not at, each other to come up with a way to fund the country and keep it running. And it's up to us to keep our lawmakers on track.
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I honestly couldn't watch it. The political climate in this country is so divisive and ugly.
Even the off-the-cuff segment to which you refer: For half a body of elected officials to clap and cheer that our President cannot run for office anymore....and then for the other half to clap and cheer when someone in the Office of President acts like a smart aleck during the SOTU address? Shame, shame, shame all around.
I just couldn't bear to watch that much ugliness and preferred to have quality time with my baby instead. Because babies don't give a rip about politics.
Posted by: Jill | Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 11:43 AM