Live Blog Transcript: 2012 State of the Union Address
What: State of the Union Address
When: Tonight — Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Where: All channels on broadcast TV
Why: Beats me
I’ll be doing a live blog transcript of Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address as it airs tonight. Refresh this page every few minutes during the speech to bring things current.
Chime in below in comments if you know when, exactly, these speeches became strictly partisan affairs and stopped having any real meaning or purpose.
Obama’s intent tonight is to use it as a 2012 campaign kickoff speech, so it’s of interest to see how he’s going to attempt to rev up his base. In particular, I want to see what encouragement he gives the Occupy Wall Street crowd (the Occupoopers). This would be a direct affront to the majority of Americans who want him to deliver specifics on how Obama intends to solve their unemployment problems.
It’s also, I admit, interesting to see how terrible some people look — the ones you rarely see assembled together in public. It’s a strange tradition when you think about it, to bring every important person in government together in one place but not have them do anything at all to further the business of the United States people. They just come together to sit there and play this weird game where every three minutes a number of them wildly rise to their feet to applaud and cheer like they’re watching a sporting event that only they can see.
When was the last time this speech actually mattered or contained quotable lines that anyone repeated the next day?
HotAir has various snippet of what to expect from the SOTUA. Hint: it’s going to be mostly boilerplate, recycled platitudes. They seem to be very pro-Mitch Daniels over at HotAir, which I don’t get. I mean, they’ve seen the guy right? They know how he caved again and again to The Tolerant Left in Indiana, right? If you are reading this and can explain the Cocktail Party GOP establishment’s fetish with wimpy, milquetoast guys who are as appealing as soggy cucumber and mayonnaise sandwiches I’d love for you to chime in below in comments and tell me why people like Willard “Mittens” Romney, Charlie “The Green Iguana” Crist, and Mitch “Frosted Mini-Wheat” Daniels get so much love in Republican ranks. What is it about these guys that the Cocktail Party loves so much?
756pm: Finding a feed before the SOTUA begins. I figure if I have to watch it, I’ll watch it on MSNBC where I’m guaranteed to hear as much Leftist nonsense as possible.
0800pm CST: Ugh. Brian Williams, Andrea Mitchell, and Chuch Todd. Plus Kelly O’Donnell (who used to do local news in Cleveland).
They’re making a big deal about Gabby Giffords being there — she resigns tomorrow. They’re showing Giffords on TV and she seems more with-it and in better health than Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd, or Strom Thurmond did when they hung onto office for YEARS when they were in no shape to hold office.
Andrea Mitchell is talking about Giffords coming back to politics in the future — it appears to be 100% her personal decision to leave and the Democrat Party is upset about it.
For those wondering, Michelle Antoinette Obama looks almost appropriate tonight. She has a normal, decent-fitting dress that’s only ruined with a weird, attention-demanding strip of diamonds across her chest. She always seems to do this — embellish whatever she’s wearing with something gaudy.
806pm CST: Obama walks in and starts kissing people as he walks by. This is new. I’ve never noticed him do this before. He kisses both the men and the women, European style. No tongue though.
John Kerry’s shown, with black eyes from what he claims was a hockey game, but in reality it looks like either a botched Botox or plastic surgery puffing.
Justice Ginsberg is wearing what looks like a tribal necklace made of small fish bones.
My boyfriend spotted someone he thought was Gerald Ford — but it was Senator Leahy. Though, in fairness, it could have indeed been the ghost of Gerald Ford.
I have to say, as bad a job as John Boehner does as Speaker, it’s still nicer to see him up there than it is to watch Nancy Pelosi popping up and down from her seat during the SOTUA.
811pm CST — Obama begins speaking.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, and other people, last month I went to an airbase somewhere and met with our last troops in Iraq. Several thousand people gave their lives. This generation of heroes has made the US safer and more respected around the world.
(standing ovation)
812pm — For the first time in 9 years there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. For the first time in 2 decades, Osama bin Laden is not a threat to this country.
(standing ovation)
Most of Al Queda’s top lietenants have been defeated and the Tally-Bahn has been broken. It is a testament to the teamwork of our armed forces. They are exceeding expectations and don’t obsess over differences. They focus on the mission at hand and work together. Imagine what we could accomplish if we follow their example.
(Note: he’s talking like he’s reading a children’s book to kindergarteners)
We need to attract high tech manufacturing and high paying jobs and control our own energy with an economy built to last where hard work is rewards. We Can Do This, and I know we can because we did it before. When the soldiers returned from WWII they built the strongest economy the world has ever known.
My grandfather was part of Patton’s army and used the GI Bill and my grandmother triumphed over depression and contributing to a story of success that every American had to share. You can own a home and send kids to college and put a little away for retirement. No challenge is more urgent, no debate more important. If we shrink people, they will do well, or we can restore the economy and give everyone a fair shot and have everyone play by the same rules.
(standing ovation)
What’s at stake aren’t Democrat or Republican values. We must reclaim them. Let’s remember how we got here. Long before the recession jobs were leaving our shores and some jobs are just obsolete. Folks at the top saw income rise like never before. In 2008 the house of cards collapsed and morgages were sold to people who don’t understand them. Those banks were doing bad stuff. No one had the authority to stop things that were wrong and irresponsible. It put us in a crisis and left innocents holding the bad. In the 6 months before I took office we lost 4 million jobs. That’s the facts. But so are these. IN the last 22 months businesses created more than 3 millions jobs.
(standing ovation)
818pm – Last year they created the most jobs since 2005. Manufacturers are hiring again since the late 1990s. We can cut the deficit and HOLD WALL STREET ACCOUNTABLE so it does not happen again.
The state of the union is stronger. We have come too far to turn back now. I will work with anyone in this chamber to work on this momentum and I will fight and oppose anyone who returns to the policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place.
No, we will not go back to an economy weakened by outsourcing, bad debt, and phoniness. We will lay out a blueprint for an economy built to last on manufacturing, energy, skills for workers, and a renewal of values.
When I took office the auto industry was collapsing, but I refused to let that happen. I helped them in exchange for retooling and restructuring. Today, GM is back on top as the world’s number one auto maker.
(standing ovation)
821 — Chrysler is growing fast, Ford is building stuff, and there are jobs being added. We bet on the auto industry and it is back. (Note: No it’s not).
(standing ovation)
What’s happening in Detroit can happen to you. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Raliegh can be just like Detroit. It’s more expensive to do business in China and America is more important. Some CEO told me that it makes sense to bring jobs here. MasterLock is running at full capacity in Milwaukee. So, like, there’s a huge opportunity for the moment to bring manufacturing back. Hey business leaders, ask what you can do to bring jobs back and this country will do everything it can to help you succeed.
Start with tax code. There are breaks to move jobs and profits overseas but we have high tax code in the world. Let’s change it. If you outsource jobs you should not get a deduction to do that. That money should be given to MasterLock so it can bring jobs home.
No American company should avoid taxes by moving jobs and profits overseas. Every company should pay a basic minimum tax and it should be given to companies that choose to stay here and hire in America.
Third, if you are a manufacturer you should get tax cut. If you are high tech, we should double the tax cut. If you build plants and train workers then good for you. Stop rewarding businesses that ship jobs overseas. Send me these tax reforms and I will sign right away.
Make it easier to do business. We are on track to meet the goal ahead of schedule. Soon there will be new cars on the streets of Seoul imported from Detroit and Toledo and Chicago.
I will go anywhere to open markets and won’t stand by while competitors don’t play by rules.
(standing ovation)
Talking about a surge in Chinese tires. Then saying that foreign manufacturers are subsidized and pirates are taking copyright materials. There will be more inspections to prevent counterfeit and unsafe goods. No foreign company to have advantage in manufacturing. Level the playing field and America will always win.
(standing ovation)
I also hear from many business leaders who want to hire but can’t find skilled workers. Twice as many openings but no workers when workers are looking for jobs. We know how to fix it. Jackie Bray can do it. She’s a manufacturer or lasers and robots and she got a college to pay her tuition and then she worked in a plant somewhere. I have a commitment to train Americans and robots with lasers like Jackie so they can have jobs too.
(standing ovation)
I want semen and companies to get up and running. People need to learn stuff like data management. We need to teach them hot to cut through mazes like Jackie and her lasers. We need an unemployment system that reemploys people to go to work and not be unemployed.
(standing ovation)
These reforms will be about jobs that are open today. Let’s prepare for jobs tomorrow and commit to skills education. For less than 1% of education budget we can raise standards for teaching and learning. The challenges remain but can be solved. States are laying off thousands of teachers. A good teacher can increase a classroom’s income by $250. Every person in this chamber knows a teacher. Teachers are tireless with modest pay and dig into own pockets for school supplies. We need to give schools a resource to keep good teachers and reward the best ones and grant them flexibility to teach outside the test and replace teachers that don’t help kids learn.
(standing ovation)
I propose every state, all 57, requires that all students be required to turn 18 and graduate. College is daunting. Americans owe more tuition debt than credit card debt and student loans keep doubling every July. Why’s that? Extend the tuition tax credit that saves folks millions of dollars. Double the number of work study jobs in the next five years. It’s not enough to increase student aid. We can’t subsidize tution. States need to make higher education a higher priority in budgets. Keep costs down.
College presidents have done just that. Some use technology. Point is,it’s possible. I am putting colleges on notice, the funding from tax payers will go down if tuition goes up. Every American should be able to afford tuition. The fact that people aren’t American citizens is a challenge…many were brought here as children and should not be deported.
We should not deport people who came here illegally because they vote Democrat. We need butts on the border. The opponents of immigration reform are stupid heads. We need more illegal immigration in all forms now.
But, if election year politics keep the plan from happening we need to stop deporting illegals. Send me a law that gives future Democrat voters a chance to earn their citizenship and I will sign it right away.
An economy built to last is where we encourage the ingenuity of others. Women should earn equal pay for equal work
(standing ovation)
It means we should support everyone who is willing to work and all the new entrepreneurs who will replace Steve Jobs who has now died.
We need to pass agendas to help aspiring entrepreneurs. Expand tax relief. People agree on this stuff. But it in a bill and take to my desk and if I am not out golfing or eating fancy things I will sign it.
(standing ovation)
We need more vests for cops and firemen so they look sharp.
We need more of them computer chips. Get the barbeque and vinegar kind that Michelle likes.
Right now, American oil production is the highest in 8 years. Not only that, we relied less on foreign oil than we did in 16 years. But, oil isn’t enough. We need an all of the above strategy that develops energy.
(standing ovation)
We have a supply of natural gas that can last 100 years. My administration will take every opportunity to drill for gas in Oprah Winfrey because America will develop this resource without putting Americans at risk. We don’t have to choose between our environment and our economy. I will develop the technology to extract natural gas out of Oprah. What’s true for her natural gas is true for clean energy.
We have a partnership to be the leading manufacturer of high tech bats.
People will have jobs because of it.
Some guy named Brian was laid off when making furniture. Now he makes wind turbines made from furniture. They were going to make yachts but I told them not to.
Natural gas and other payoffs don’t come right away. Some technologies don’t pan out and some fail. I will not walk away from Brian and people like him who make furniture that makes energy.
I will not seed the wind with solar batteries from China because we already subsidized energy for centuries and that is not enough. We need to double down on clean industry and pass clean energy tax credits to create these jobs.
We can sperm energy innovation with new incentives. We need to fight climate change with a clean energy standard and innovation.
I am directed my administration to allow the development of clean energy on public land to power three million homes. The Department of Defense will purchase Navy clean energy.
The easiest way to save money is to not waste it.
Let’s just give companies smaller energy bills so they can hire more construction workers. Send me a bill that creates these jobs.
Building a new future is just one part of how to repair infrastructure. Let’s not have crumbling roads and bridges. Let’s not have an incomplete broadband network. America built the Hoover Dam and the Golden Gate Bridge. We invested in great projects that invented things.
In the next few weeks I will clear away red tape that slows down construction projects. Take the money from war and pay off the debt and do some nation building at home.
(standing ovation)
Construction workers are hot, and they are hurting.
Home values decline.
Responsible homeowners need relief.
That’s why I am sending homeowners the chance to save $3k a year by refinancing at low rates. No more red tape and runaround. We need to give banks a chance to repay the deficit of trust.
(standing ovation)
846pm No bailouts no handouts no copouts.
We all pay price for lenders selling to people who can’t afford it. Smart regulations prevent stoopid behavior.
Rules to prevent financial fraud and toxic dumping.
Regulations help free market work better.
I have approved fewer regulations than George Bush did.
I order agencies to eliminate rules that don’t make sense. We will save ten billion over five years.
We got rid of a rule that had dairy farmers control milk spills. I don’t wanna cry over spilled milk.
I am confident a farmer can contain a milk spill. I don’t want to look over his shoulder.
(standing ovation)
I will not back down from an oil spill in the gulf like two years ago.
I don’t see a difference between women and men.
Let’s not have new rules.
Any financial system has a core place and there are entrepreneurs who have homes and kids in college. If you are a big bank you are no longer allowed to make risky bets and you need a living will because we are not bailing you out every again, sucker.
If you are a Pay Day Loans sender you have confusing forms and you are over. American consumers have a core grade with laser robots to look out for them.
We will establish a Financial Crimes Unit and have someone punish the repeat offenders. The vast majority of bankers have seen Do the Right Thing. We need leading state attorney generals to expand investigation into housing crisis. These new troops will investigate and put people in jail who are responsible for things.
We need to protect the people and the economy and pay down debt.
We need to stop the tax hike while the recovery is fragile
854pm CST — people cannot afford $40 from a paycheck this year. Let’s agree here and now, no drama. pass the payroll tax cut without delay. Let’s get it done.
We are spending trillions more on the wealthiest 10$ of Americans. A quarter of all millionaires pay more tax than middle class households. Warren Buffett pays less taxes then his secretary.
We need to invest in education and medical research and the military and veterans and stuff.
Congress pays their fair share of taxes, I guess.
Tax reform should follow a Buffett rule, if you make more than $1 million you need to pay 30% taxes. You should not get tax subsidies if you earn a million.
If you make less than $150k your taxes should not go up. You are the one who is struggling.
Now, you can call this class warfare all you want, but a billionaire should pay as much as his secretary in taxes. We don’t begrudge anyone their success.
(NOTE: it’s 858pm CST, and I have SO had enough of listening to this).
We will reduce our deficit and have an America that is built to last.
No matter what party you belong to most Americans are thinking the same thing right now — this speech is too long.
Washington is broken.
Can you blame people for feeling cynical.
The greatest blow to our confidence came from a debate whether the US would pay its bills or not. Who benefitted from that fiasco. The divide between this city and the rest of the country gets worse every year.
Let’s take steps to fix things.
Let’s ban insider trading by member of Congress and I will sign it tomorrow.
(standing ovation)
Let’s limit elected officials from owning stock.
Let’s make sure money bundlers can’t lobby Congress.
Some of what is broken has to do with the way Congress does business.
Routine business can’t be passed through the Senate. Neither party is blameless and both parties should put an end to it.
I asked Senate to pass simple rules and they defy me.
They need to pass things within 90 days.
The executive branch is outdated and too remote. It needs to be leaner and stronger to deal with the American people.
We need to lower the temperature in this town. We need to end the two parties who are locked in perpetual campaigns and having elections all the time. I am a Democrat and am tired of there being Republicans. Abraham Lincoln said that too and you all know who he was.
(standing ovation)
Obamacare relies on private markets.
Republicans support federal roads and office buildings so spending is good.
We should all want a smarter and more effective government. We can make real progress. With or without Congress I will take actions to make the economy grow.
When we act together, there is nothing we cannot achieve.
(standing ovation)
We dealt blows to enemies in Iraq and Pock-ee-stahn, and AL Queda knows he can’t escape us. We are winding down the war in Afghanistan. We need 23,000 more to leave by this summer. We will have a partnership with Afghanistan. (feed cut out here and livestream stalled).
As the tide of war recedes, a wave of change washed over the Middle East.
Kadaffi was a murdering dictator and is now dead.
Assad in Syria will be dead soon. That can’t be denied.
It’s good when secular governments in Muslim countries are replaced by Islamist theocracies.
We will advocate for those values. We will stand for the rights and dignity of Muslim human beings.
Look at Iran.
We stand as one.
Iran will have no nuclear weapons.
A pizza resolution of this issue is possible.
We have old alliances in Europe and Asia. We have an iron clad commitment to Israel and we have military cooperation between our two countries.
We have made it clear that America is a Pacific power and there’s some stuff in Burma that gave us hope. There is hunger and disease and blows dealt to our enemies. America is back.
Our influence has not waned. You don’t know what you are talking about.
That’s not the message we get.
That’s not how people feel in Tokyo and Berlin and Rio.
Yes the world is changing.
No we can’t control events.
As long as I am president I intend to keep it that way.
That’s why I work with military leaders and propose a military budget that’s cut by a trillion.
We need to fight the growing dangers of Santa Claus.
There are women and men who wear uniforms to defend us.
When people come home, we must serve people and give them stuff. We will increase VA spending every year I am president. We will enlist veterans in the work of rebuilding our nation. We need tax credits for companies that hire vets. We need 135,000 jobs for veterans. We need a veterans jobs boards to hire vets as cops and those who defend us.
I am back to where I begin and will read all this one more time for those who didn’t hear all of it.
If you don’t like that tough.
My proudest position is the flag that the SEAL team gave me after I sent them to kill bin Laden. People wrote their names on it, I am going to display it in my presidential library.
Hillary Clinton is a woman who ran against me for president.
But she’s not president. I am.
Pilots who land helicopters spin out of control. SEALs charge up stairs. The mission to kill bin Laden succeeded because everyone trusted me. There was somebody behind all them watching their back, and that was me.
Each time I look at that flag I am reminded that our destiny is stitched together like the 57 stars stitched onto a flag with 15 strips. There is no challenge too great and no mission too hard.
Our journey must move forward and the state of our union must always be strong. God bless me.
© 2012, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
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Sorry ~ must clean out the cat boxes (and I don't even have cats anymore!) I have to be up at 5am for work tomorrow, so I will catch up tomorrow evening on what Zippy said, the fallacies of what was said, and see what my friends here at HillBuzz had to think about it all.
Honestly Kevin, I don't know how you can stomach it. Fairly easy to summarize the speech though:
Lie lie lie lie uhh-uhh umm-uhh umm lie lie lie lie uhh-umm- uh-let me be clear lie lie lie lie.
jmc — you forgot blah blah blah the rich aren't paying their fair share blah blah blah millionaires and billionaires blah blah blah muslims helped build America blah blah blah corporate jet owners blah blah blah shared sacrifice…..
I cannot watch it. Kevin – you are a much better man than I. I want you to know how much I appreciate your effort in this. His voice repulses me.
From Wikipedia: " Harry S. Truman's 1947 address was the first to be broadcast on television. Lyndon B. Johnson's address in 1965 was the first delivered in the evening. Three years later, in 1968, television networks in the United States, for the first time, imposed no time limit for their coverage of a State of the Union address. Delivered by Lyndon B. Johnson, this address was followed by extensive televised commentary by, among others, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Milton Friedman." and "Since 1966, the speech has been followed on television by a response or rebuttal by a member of the political party opposing the President's party. The response is typically broadcast from a studio with no audience. In 1970, the Democratic Party put together a TV program with their speech to reply to President Nixon, as well as a televised response to Nixon's written speech in 1973.[19] The same thing was done by Democrats for President Reagan's speeches in 1982 and 1985." From this, it looks like somewhere between 1945 and 1965, it got increasingly partisan until the need for a rebuttal was perceived.
Driving home from taking my daughter to theater class, I kept her iPod plugged in the radio. The Fountains of Wayne song “Tell Me What You Already Did” came on and summed up my mood as far as anything POTUS might have to say. It’s a hell of a good song to compare Newt to anyone in the GOP field, too.
Thank you, Kevin! Neither hubby nor I can stand to listen to the man so you are a waaaay better person than either of us. Or both of us. Put together.
First prediction: Sheila Jackson Lee will wear a red suit and stand on the end of an aisle so she can get into the camera shot shaking Urkel's hand.
Close – bright green!
Also — we should be grateful that Nancy Pelosi is no longer speaker, so we don't have to watch the nauseating spectacle of her channeling Jack-in-the-box popping up to applaud wildly with every syllable uttered by Urkel.
Yes, the SOTU speech will be Obama (who is not a Muslim) (re)launching his reelection attempt. Yes, it will be an hour and a half of extreme leftist propaganda, broken only by the Dems leaping to their feet and cheering wildly at every possible moment.
Sure it will turn my stomach, but I will watch it so I'm better informed of the libtard party's public persona. From that, we can try to guess the hidden agenda and plans that are never discussed in public (but a few slips have happened). If the Libs aren't coordinating behind the scenes, then how do all the talking heads and wonks all pop-up with the same buzz words?
So, I will be watching and grooving to Kevin's live-blogging.
Just to be clear, are you attempting to type up the entire transcript of the speech as it happens?
"Who is John Galt?"
We cannot afford to disengage, but it sure is tempting!
From twitter: The tag is #SOTU, but I keep seeing #STFU.
Amazing! Michelle O is wearing something tasteful! (and not some tramp-rag outfit).
Hillary has a Jr High School hairdoo.
See Big Pink for explanation. The tasteful outfit means she's being nicey wifey, as per agreement, to try to help him get re-elected. (Can't imagine!) But, according to the tabloids, if he loses election, the agreement is that she will leave because they've already agreed the marriage is over. She'll take her share of their $100 million net worth.
I noticed Hillary's hair, too. It's really cute, but a very youthful style. If I didn't know who she was, I wouldn't guess that she's the Secretary of State.
Hey! The whole SOTU speech is here: http://nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/full-text-s…
I'm reading it online while Obummer reads it off his TOTUS.
Watching an infomercial on Bare Minerals. Wow. That make up can really cover up the acne scars!
Perhaps John Kerry should give it a try!
BO must've been really jealous of Newt's standing ovations and uproarious applause during the SC debates. Apparently the word went out that Congress was to applaud furiously and often stand up during this speech. There is a desperation in BO's voice that I've not noted before.
Is it just me, or is Boehner's tan darker than Obama?
But in all seriousness, Obama's actually doing a good job (in his speech, I mean). This is a lot easier to watch than any of his previous addresses. Though I don't agree with him on all his points and continue to believe his ideas are a HUGE overreach of federal gov't, I can see that he's going to make this a very challenging election for the Republican candidate, whoever that turns out to be. I'm more convinced than ever that it needs to be Newt Gingrich. Obama would mop the floor with Romney, who gets flustered and stutters every time something doesn't go as he expected.
I know this is unseemly during such a dignified occasion, but there's a line from a Gene Wilder/Harrison Ford film, "The Frisco Kid," that keeps going through my head: "Can somebody please show this poor a–hole the way out of town?!" Cannot wait for Nov. to vote this POS out of office. Apologies for my lack of decorum.
I had to snicker when the Bamster mentioned the photo op from the War Room where he and the cabinet were watching the bin Laden raid LIVE. This account was soundly discredited and even the administration had to admit it was staged for effect. Why go back to the lie now? Very odd.
Thought the Hillbuzz Community might find this amusing. Pastor Manning's take on the state-of-the-union address:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3ThfpfEpqc&fe…
Great catch! Bumped to front page
I know Obama is sometimes referred to as Urkel, but tonight he was definitely Rerun!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDDRiGIUYQo