Posted by Tina
You probably missed it, the media certainly isn’t going to give it much coverage, but the official Republican response to Obama’s SOTU speech last night was a good one, delivered by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state. Key points followed a reminder of the nation as it has been and could be again…if only:
What an honor it is for me to be with you after the President’s State of the Union.
Tonight we honor America — a nation that has witnessed the greatest rise of freedom and opportunity our world has ever seen.
A nation where we are not defined by our limits, but by our potential. And a nation where a girl who worked at the McDonald’s Drive-Thru to help pay for college can be with you from the United States Capitol.
But the most important moments right now aren’t happening here. They’re not in the Oval Office or in the House Chamber. They’re in your homes.
Kissing your kids goodnight…Figuring out how to pay the bills…Getting ready for tomorrow’s doctor’s visit…Waiting to hear from those you love serving in Afghanistan, or searching for that big job interview.
After all, ‘We the People’ have been the foundation of America since her earliest days — people from all walks of life, and from all corners of the world — people who come to America because here, no challenge is too great and no dream too big.
That’s the genius of America.
Tonight the President made more promises that sound good, but won’t solve the problems actually facing Americans.
We want you to have a better life. The President wants that too.
But we part ways when it comes to how to make that happen.
So tonight I’d like to share a more hopeful, Republican vision…One that empowers you, not the government…
It’s one that champions free markets — and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you.
It helps working families rise above the limits of poverty and protects our most vulnerable.
And it’s one where Washington plays by the same rules that you do.
It’s a vision that is fair and offers the promise of a better future for every American. (continues)
I hope you will take the time to read it.
Well, she was tolerable, until she got to Sgt. Hess. Such a cheap shot. I loath people who milk that sort of thing for their own purposes.
Overall, it was a very pretty speech. But when we get into the nuts and bolts, what the GOP actually proposes to actually do … like these loo loos, for example:
13) H.R. 2681—Cement Sector Regulatory Relief Act: H.R. 2681 would provide a legislative stay of three EPA emissions standards that apply to cement manufacturing plants and are known as the “Cement MACT rules.” The bill would also provide for the implementation of effective regulation that protects communities both environmentally and economically.
14) H.R. 2250—EPA Regulatory Relief Act: H.R. 2250 would provide a legislative stay of four interrelated EPA rules, commonly referred to as the “Boiler MACT rules,” that govern emissions of mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from approximately 200,000 boilers and incinerators nationwide. The bill would remove this excessive regulatory burden placed on employers by the EPA’s Boiler MACT rules, potentially costing companies $14 billion and 224,000 American jobs, and replace them with sensible, achievable rules that do not destroy jobs.
15) H.R. 2273—Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act: H.R. 2273 would utilize the framework and requirements of an existing federal regulatory program developed by the EPA under the Solid Waste Disposal Act (RCRA) as the basis for enforceable minimum federal standards for the regulation of a waste stream known as coal ash. The bill would include enforceable federal standards, but would leave regulation and enforcement to the states. The bill would also provide consistent, safe management of coal combustion residuals in a way that protects jobs and encourages recycling and beneficial use.
… I don’t think the citizens are goin’ for any of this. I mean, isn’t it pretty transparent? The sponsors of these bills are interested in saving assorted industries’ monies, and even jobs created, by having to clean up their acts, environmentally speaking.
How they dare to call them “Jobs” bills is beyond me. They been taking lessons from Tina … or vice versa.
More on the travails of the Grand Old Party … from Slate’s David Weigel (and condensed by moi):
“A few hours of family feuding later, the RNC had protected the rules that set up a tighter, shorter primary, focused on coronating a front-runner as quickly as possible. Only four states would vote in February—Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. For the first two weeks of March, states would have to assign delegates proportionately; after that, they could go winner take all. The convention could happen as early as June. This was all designed to defeat the Democratic candidate—“she who must not be named,” as RNC general counsel John Ryder put it.
“… the Republicans outside of Paul’s movement, or outside the Tea Party, will not be caught slumbering again. “We tried to always be nice to them,” grumbled rules committee member and Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Rob Gleason, “but you know what? It didn’t go their way, and they left.” In Utah, party grandees are trying to end the convention system that unseated Sen. Bob Bennett in 2010 and created a primary challenge for Sen. Orrin Hatch in 2012. Inside the RNC, the Paul-friendly activists who took over state parties recently have been co-opted as much as possible.
“It’s a slow process, … James Smack, a Paul supporter in Nevada, went from party chairman to RNC committee member, and was invited into a working group to find a compromise on the rules. They fell far short of what Blackwell wanted. After one vote, the defeated Blackwell marveled at how Smack had been “worked on.”
“The Ron Paul insurgency is turning seven years old this year. It’s what got Smack back into politics. That and his outrage at local laws against pit bulls. As we finished talking, Smack’s wife appeared with a cellphone loaded with photos of their beloved pit bull.
“His name is January Genuine Midnight son,” she said.
“His name is Bruiser,” corrected James Smack.
“These were the kinds of Republicans who’d discovered or rediscovered politics at the end of the Bush era or in the early Obama years. These were the sorts of people who’d terrified the “establishment.” For now, outnumbered, they were going along with limits to their power in the cause of defeating She Who Must Not Be Named.”
Looks like those RINOS have roused themselves. And that moniker they’ve given Hilary … I do hope it catches on … it will make her unbeatable, amongst us Rumpole-Potter devotees, anyway.
Off topic, but worth watching the sparing of Ted Cruz and Eric Holder at today IRS hearing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXnzZzLyCnQ&t=5m10s
Libby: ” I loath people who milk that sort of thing for their own purposes.”
All of them or just Republicans?
Your objection to laws that would eliminate job killing draconian EPA laws on companies that have already reduced pollutants by up to 95% is really stupid Libby. Regulations that are unreasonable to implement don’t help anyone and they harm a lot of people. the energy producing coal plants that didn’t get built because of Obama’s harsh regulations are forcing prices up during bitter winter cold and have put coal miners and plant operators in the unemployment and food stamp lines.
This just shows how radical and unreasonable you and the President are and I think you are wrong about the American people. The American people have done a lot to clean up our air and water. Business has paid for much of it and has invented the new technology that makes it possible.
“$14 billion and 224,000 American jobs” may be a small price to pay by Obama’s who uses the government check book but its a lot to ask of business and workers.
Had you ever taken a risk or met a payroll in your life you might have some understanding of these things. But like Obama you have no experience and so are as dumb as he when it comes to making unreasonable demands that cost the American people jobs and their own hard earned cash.
Sounds like you are having a lot of fun at the republicans expense Libby but don’t forget, you all have to go through picking a candidate and setting the rules too.
We will both have plenty to laugh about all year.
Round #2 Mike Lee vs. Eric Holder.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/29/mike-lee-gives-eric-holder-the-grilling-of-a-lifetime-over-obamas-use-of-executive-orders-i-respectfully-but-forcefully-disagree/
Sorry for all of the posts, but they just keep on coming.
Obama has apparently gone from recycling his own SOTU speeches to plagiarizing Bush’s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CO2mLIs__xo
And great posts they are…thanks Peggy, keep em coming! -Jack
Response? Where was her response? It was more like a let me talk about myself speech for attention.
Let me go double check where did she respond to the SOTU?
No not a response kind of a lame rebuttal if all ya do is talk about yourself.
The real story was Michael Grimm losing it and bringing to National attention his campaign fraud, tied to Israel. Cantor is involved as well but I bet he covered his tracks better. The purpose? War with Iran.
Aw this is just warming up! All election season all Tea Party could do is sell war with Iran. How much Israeli money has the Tea Party Politicians hidden to start the war and win their elections?
One can only hope the lame corrupt DOJ full of neocons will do their job!
SOTU takes a back seat to this story! Let it rip open Please!
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/2014/01/28/rep-michael-grimm-threatens-to-throw-reporter-off-capitol-balcony/
http://richardedmondson.net/2014/01/18/fbi-arrests-michael-grimms-girlfriend-meanwhile-another-congress-member-implicated/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/nyregion/rabbis-followers-say-money-given-to-grimms-house-race-broke-the-law.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/10/670941/new-york-congressman-failed-to-disclose-privately-funded-travel/
Ah the infamous Citizens United at work
Now Sheldon Addleson’s money to Newt makes sense! Israel is buying a war at the expense of American lives and world peace! Good one Tea Party…let er rip!
Ok Jack, you asked for it. You’ve got to see this one from the “Grassroots in Chicago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7mYg6Gt15o&feature=player_embedded
Last one, I’m done after this one. It’s powerful and scary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZViuts8RQRY&feature=player_embedded
Dewey I dare you to take any speech by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama and count the instances where they use the words me, I, mine or my.
You might have to grab a few hundred friends so you can use all of their fingers and toes and possibly their ears!
This woman, who spent a few paragraphs to speak a bit about her family, rarely used those words.
Instead she spoke of America and the Republican Party’s desire for making the lives of all Americans better.
Tina: “Dewey I dare you to take any speech by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama and count the instances where they use the words me, I, mine or my.
You might have to grab a few hundred friends so you can use all of their fingers and toes and possibly their ears!
This woman, who spent a few paragraphs to speak a bit about her family, rarely used those words.”
OK, I counted. She uses the words “I,” “me,” and “my” a total of 21 times.
Obama’s speech is way too long to go through and count, but IMO, the number of times those words are used doesn’t really tell us anything about the substance of the speech.
“Dewey I dare you to take any speech by Bill Clinton or Barack Obama and count the instances where they use the words me, I, mine or my.”
What would that prove? Those words can be used in selfish … and about a million other … contexts. And Chris forgot, you can get the machine to do that for you, count words. So, I went and found the text and started with “me”:
“Let me tell you why ….”
“… wrote me a letter ….”
“… if this Congres wants to help, work with me ….”
“But let me be clear …”
“… Congress sends me a new sanctions bill … I will veto it ….”
There are ten more. Nothing terribly selfish here, is there? And … this little project got me to read the speech. They are much easier to take this way.
So I get to the very affecting conclusion, the rehabilitation of Cory, and I become even more disgusted by Rep. McMorris Rogers, though it probably wasn’t her doing. I mean, if you read it, her reference to Sgt. Hess does sound pat, trite, dropped in for effect. I’ll bet five bucks that her little crew of speech writers spent the minutes before her broadcast tracking down the name of a deceased veteran in her district, which makes it a really, really, cheap shot.
History either really does repeat itself or we’re on a merry-go-round with only one way off. – Death and taxes.
Now THAT’s A State Of The Union Rebuttal.:
“Majordawg forwarded the most excellent link to us yesterday, which included text from a 1948 rebuttal by Henry Hazlitt to Harry Truman’s State of the Union address. The parallels between what Truman said years ago and what Obama said this past Tuesday are remarkable.
And yet, here we are. We’re still having to explain BASIC COMMON SENSE to Democrats who cannot seem to get it through their thick skulls that everything they suggest, every policy change and every tax and every “investment” – means destruction of the very thing that makes America great – productivity.
Here’s the text from Hazlitt’s rebuttal which was printed Newsweek (emphasis mine, because LOVE):
“President Truman’s annual message to Congress was primarily a campaign document. It seems to have been written chiefly in fear of losing extreme leftist votes to Henry Wallace. The basic philosophy it embodies is unmistakable. It is the philosophy of the welfare state, the doctrine of salvation through bureaucracy. Free enterprise, free markets, and free prices are no longer to be trusted to stimulate and guide production and consumption. Everything is to be in charge of omniscient and omnipotent bureaucrats.
Everyone is promised economic security, regardless of what he contributes to production. We are to have bigger job insurance, bigger old-age benefits, bigger survivors’ benefits, bigger education. The government is to subsidize our medical care and our housing. It is also to reclaim land, replant forests, build more TVA’s. On top of this, it is to spend in fifteen months on European aid alone as much as it used to spend in the same period before the war for all its purposes combined.
Mr. Truman, by some miracle, is at the same time for “economy.” “Government expenditures have been and must continue to be held to the lowest safe levels.” But the proposals he makes would immeasurably increase even present expenditures. And the Federal government is already spending in one year as much as it took it five years to spend just before the war. Of course all this money is to be taken in taxes only from “the rich.”
Continued..
http://chicksontheright.com/posts/item/25336-now-that-s-a-state-of-the-union-rebuttal
Excellent find Peggy.