State of the Union 2012

26 January 2012 |permalink | email article

THREE of the nation’s leading newspapers had similar reactions to President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night—good but still a long way to go with a blue-collar speech aimed at winning over swing voters in November—New York Times: steadily more assertive than 2011, tone sharper, willing to apportion blame and need for more government action; Washington Post: soaring rhetoric, skips over major challenges, less a blueprint of the year to come than why he deserves reelection, sneak preview of second term agenda; Los Angeles Times: argumentative if not aggressive, more successful in achieving first objective than second, overall effective speech. The Party Opposite: House Speaker John Boehner often appeared sleepy while Majority Leader Eric Cantor sometimes applauded vigorously…Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stared straight ahead, no doubt counting the months to Obama’s defeat…Paul Ryan, the House member bent on destroying Obamacare, seated with four colleagues, at a front row table and visibly angry.

GOP Response

Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell convinced Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, now the subject of a “Draft Daniels” move to run for president, to deliver what was a pointed and pugnacious response to Obama’s speech. Daniels seized the occasion to slam the president for promoting “pro-poverty” extremism—an odd phrase, and leading a “constant effort to divide us.” That triggered a brief but pointed exchange between two MSNBC hosts, Rachel Maddow and Chris Matthews. To Maddow’s surprise, Matthews raved about the speech, saying it displayed “Midwestern conservativism of the best kind.” Maddow’s retort: “I could not disagree with you more.” Matthews said “he also had some solutions.” “No, Maddow murmured.” She was correct.

California Politic

Gov. Jerry Brown, aping Obama, scores with state voters in recommending high earners pay more taxes according to a new Public Policy Institute of California poll on the subject. But about half of likely voters oppose Brown’s welfare cuts, and 75 percent oppose the school cuts he’s threatened if tax increases don’t pass. Only 11 percent of all voters could identify both the top spending category (K-12 schools) and top revenue source (income tax).

Quotable

“How in the world do you, Mitt Romney, justify making more in one day than the medium American family makes in a year—while paying the same tax rate as the guy who scans shoes at the airport?”—Jon Stewart, taking on Romney’s newly released tax returns and low tax rate which adds up to about $57,000 a day.

 

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