The State of the Union Is Comatose

New York Times ^ | January 30, 2010 | FRANK RICH

[ricks_place]

HANDS down, the State of the Union’s big moment was Barack Obama’s direct hit on the delicate sensibilities of the Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. The president was right to blast the 5-to-4 decision giving corporate interests an even greater stranglehold over a government they already regard as a partially owned onshore subsidiary. How satisfying it was to watch him provoke Alito into a “You lie!” snit. Here was a fight we could believe in.

There was more to admire in Obama’s performance as well. He did not retreat into the bite-size initiatives — V-chips, school uniforms — embraced by an emasculated Bill Clinton after his midterm pummeling of 1994. The president’s big original goals — health care, economic recovery, financial reform — remained nominally intact, as did his sense of humor. In a rhetorical touch William Safire would have relished, Obama had the wit to rush the ritualistic “our union is strong” so it would not prompt the usual jingoistic ovation.

...We keep hearing that they just don’t make legislative giants like that anymore. In truth, the long drought has led us to forget what they look like and to define senatorial leadership down. L.B.J.’s current successor, Harry Reid, could be found yawning on camera Wednesday night...

[hinckley buzzard]

Don't bother trying to figure it out. The NY Slimes needs to quit sending a faggy theater critic to do a man's work.

[screaminsunshine]

Well I say the regular Joes are starting to wake up. At work even the most unaware workers are mad as Hell. I know of lots of Democrats who are paying attention and ready are bolting from the Communists. Lots of them.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Yes, the MaObama Populist tone is certainly becoming the base argument for the Democrats at the NYT.

[Wildbill22]

You are right. The administration does care more of the perspectives of our nations potential enemies than the Republicans.
And of course in Obama’s narrow opinion it is the Republicans who are partisan. All while he spews partisanship and blame for everything in justification of his Cloward-Pivon policies.
I feel like I have been spun off into some parallel universe, or alternate reality. I would not have believed that this was possible 20 years ago.

[DTogo]

I know of lots of Democrats who are paying attention and ready are bolting from the Communists. Lots of them.

The ones I know are still "Stuck on Stupid."

[Salvey]

Once again, this preening fop is dead wrong.

[sinanju]

Mindless, desperate flailing.

[mulligan]

Nation is comatose and close to death with Obama in charge.

[MNJohnnie]

Frank Rich has his head so far up obamao’s arse he can see Keith Olberman’s ankles.

LINE OF THE DAY!

[MNJohnnie]

Dear Frank Rich,

You are still a moron.

[exit82]

Frank Rich has his head so far up obamao’s arse he can see Keith Olberman’s ankles.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Don’t bother trying to figure it out. The NY Slimes needs to quit sending a faggy theater critic to do a man’s work.

I thought it was a faggy weatherman ???

Oh, sorry, that was CNN that had their reporter arrested in Central Park with his weewee tied up with a rope (I kid you not) ...

and drugs in his pocket -— which he was so stupid he showed to the cop without being asked .......

and got off with a reprimand

no jail time !!!!!!!!!!!!

Gee, Freepers, do you think any of us would get off so lightly for 1/10th of a crime like this? Or just this fool?

NY and the MSM ain’t it great???

[okie01]

The historian Alan Brinkley has observed that we will soon enter the fourth decade in which Congress — and therefore government as a whole — has failed to deal with any major national problem, from infrastructure to education.

Hmmmmmm. Four decades -- that would be the naughts, the nineties, the eighties and the seventies. So, presumably, Brinkley (and Rich) are referring to the sixties.

What was "the major national problem, from infrastructure to education" that the Congress dealt with? Could it be...poverty?

Ah, yes. LBJs "War on Poverty". And decades later, we have spent literally trillions -- and, still, about 15% of the country lives in "poverty". A proportion essentially unchanged from the sixties.

Proving once again that, to liberals, it is intentions that matter -- not results.

[SoldierDad]

The SOTU was actually the “Mistake of the Union”!!!!!

[screaminsunshine]

I know 2 or 3 of those too.

[redpoll]

>>>The historian Alan Brinkley has observed that we will soon enter the fourth decade in which Congress — and therefore government as a whole — has failed to deal with any major national problem, from infrastructure to education.<<<

These guys just salivate for fascism, don’t they?