Obama's Big Speech: NO Pivot, Just Lies, Misdirection and Shifting Blame to Others

President Obama's Big Speech was given tonight, and unlike the predictions made by most pundits, there was no "pivot." He doubled down on Cap and Trade, he doubled down on health care and continued to say that the failed stimulus package was successful.

This was a defiant Barack Obama, he attacked the GOP, Industry and very surprisingly the Supreme Court of the United States.

He tried to give the impression that he "felt our pain" but it all seemed hollow. " I never said change would be easy, he said.  And that word I, he said it over and over because the speech was much more about HIM than US. There was no indication that the President actually listened to/or cared what American's were saying. He just lied, mis-directed or blamed others. For Example:

• The speech opened in typical Obama fashion, blame Bush

One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted – immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.

• He followed up by continuing his war against American Industry.

For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated; some are angry. They don’t understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded but hard work on Main Street isn’t; or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems. They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can’t afford it. Not now.

• Then another attack on American Industry

To recover the rest, I have proposed a fee on the biggest banks. I know Wall Street isn’t keen on this idea, but if these firms can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the taxpayers who rescued them in their time of need.

Here the President forgot to mention that some of his buddies that received TARP funds, GE Capital (Part of General Electric), and GMAC (Part of General Motors) but were exempt from the regulation. Or that these taxes are taking away money from the people who fuel the engine of our economy.

• Lies/Misdirection about Taxes
  

Let me repeat: we cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95% of working families. We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college. As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas, and food, and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers. And we haven’t raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person. Not a single dime.

Many of those income tax cuts were not cuts at all, but rebates to people who pay no taxes. And while he did not raise INCOME taxes, he raised other taxes that effect the poor, like the cigarette taxes.

• Lies about The Stimulus Plan. 

Because of the steps we took, there are about two million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. 200,000 work in construction and clean energy. 300,000 are teachers and other education workers. Tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers, and first responders. And we are on track to add another one and a half million jobs to this total by the end of the year. The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act. That’s right – the Recovery Act, also known as the Stimulus Bill. Economists on the left and the right say that this bill has helped saved jobs and avert disaster. But you don’t have to take their word for it.

Its hard to believe that he actually used that two million Jobs numbers with a straight face. And there are more economists that believe the stimulus was a waste, and according to most of the Polls, most Americans Believe it was a waste too.

• Time to Bash America, We are not as good as China: 

Next, we can put Americans to work today building the infrastructure of tomorrow. From the first railroads to the interstate highway system, our nation has always been built to compete. There’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.

• A Call For Another Porkulus, despite the fact that America Doesn't want one.

The House has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps. As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same. People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay.

• Time To Bash Bush Again

We cannot afford another so-called economic “expansion” like the one from last decade – what some call the “lost decade” – where jobs grew more slowly than during any prior expansion; where the income of the average American household declined while the cost of health care and tuition reached record highs; where prosperity was built on a housing bubble and financial speculation.

Even worse than the Bush bashing is the fact that he does not recognize the roll that Congress had in creating the housing bubble, especially his buddies Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.

•  Self-Contradiction
  

 One place to start is serious financial reform. Look, I am not interested in punishing banks, I’m interested in protecting our economy.

But wait scroll up, didn't he bash the banks at least twice in this speech so far?

•  An Unintentional Light Moment?

The House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes. And the lobbyists are already trying to kill it. Well, we cannot let them win this fight. And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back.

Remember when he said that he would veto any bill that had earmarks? Did he do that?

•  Here Comes Cap and Trade Again-You must have it because I say so
  

I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. This year, I am eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy; and I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future – because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation.

The scientific evidence is UNDERwhelming. With each passing day there is new evidence that man made global warming is an Al Gore Fraud.

• He Just doesn't understand the way buisness works.

...we need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America.

A noble goal, but to do that you need to cut taxes, you need to streamline regulation. You cant just shove our products down the throats of people in other countries.

• College is a Constitutional Right? Government takeover of College Loans.
  

To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer-subsidies that go to banks for student loans. Instead, let’s take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants. And let’s tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only ten percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after twenty years – and forgiven after ten years if they choose a career in public service. Because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college.

College is not a constitutional right.

Beyond the economic effects of this proposal, it waters down the quality of education. Before NYC started with "open enrollment," the City College system was amongst the best in the country, afterward....well, when was the last time you heard of a great scholar coming out of Brooklyn College?

• Health Care Lies?

Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan. It would reduce costs and premiums for millions of families and businesses. And according to the Congressional Budget Office – the independent organization that both parties have cited as the official scorekeeper for Congress – our approach would bring down the deficit by as much as $1 trillion over the next two decades.

Not true at all, unless you play some of their cute numbers tricks like putting ten years of tax revenue with only seven years of expenses. And most reports, including ones from the CBO and HHS say that the program will actually INCREASE costs for most Americans. That doesn't even include the Cadillac Taxes which will increase the burden on the (non-Union) middle class.

•  Americans Do Not Like Obamacare Because They Are Too Stupid to Understand Obamacare

Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people.

•  Another Obamacare Lie

But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. 

How can his plan strengthen Medicare for seniors when it cuts $500 billion from it?

•  I Swear It Wasn't Me-It Was Bush

So let me start the discussion of government spending by setting the record straight. At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. That was before I walked in the door.

The Republican-led congress increased the federal budget by $800 billion from 2001 and 2006. After the Democrats took over the federal budget was increased by $900 billion from 2007-2009. President Obama was in the Senate for most of that time (when he wasn't campaigning). H/T Ed Morrissey of Hot Air for that historical fact.

• Like Hunting Elephant With a Cap Gun

Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don’t. And if I have to enforce this discipline by veto, I will.

This is the what the freeze will save

And keep in mind the freeze does not cover Obamacare. Also the president is talking about a three year freeze and he is talking about what the freeze will save over ten years. What will it save over three years?

If the President held back the unspent Porkulus funds and put the TARP money returned by banks to the bottom line, the federal deficit for fiscal 2010 would be cut by over $500 Billion. But to execute that plan he would have to be serious about cutting the budget.

This is what George Phillips GOP Candidate for the House seat in NY's 22nd Congressional District said about the freeze:

"President Obama's State of the Union address was delivered in his typical, eloquent fashion, and it is encouraging to hear that he has finally realized what so many Americans have known for some time. The real concerns of our citizens today are the need to stimulate job growth and reign in the reckless spending we've witnessed during this administration thus far. Unfortunately, a temporary spending freeze which affects such a tiny portion of the budget is a small step in the correct direction. While saving $250B over ten years is a nice idea, it fails to carry much weight in an environment where Congress is running up a roughly $200B deficit each and every month. The President simply failed to offer a bold enough vision to rein in spending and create jobs. The real solution is to be found in broad tax cuts for small businesses and individual Americans which will get this country going again."

• He Really Doesn't Understand Business Part 2

But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, investment fund managers, and those making over $250,000 a year. We just can’t afford it.

Actually we can't afford NOT to. These are some of the people who create jobs, the more you tax them the more you take away their ability put people to work.

From some on the right, I expect we’ll hear a different argument – that if we just make fewer investments in our people, extend tax cuts for wealthier Americans, eliminate more regulations, and maintain the status quo on health care, our deficits will go away. The problem is, that’s what we did for eight years. That’s what helped lead us into this crisis. It’s what helped lead to these deficits. And we cannot do it again.

"It is a paradoxical truth that tax rates are too high and tax revenues are too low and the soundest way to raise the revenues in the long run is to cut the rates now ... Cutting taxes now is not to incur a budget deficit, but to achieve the more prosperous, expanding economy which can bring a budget surplus." – John F. Kennedy, Nov. 20, 1962

•  More Lies and Mistruth

That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.

Actually the reason for posting the visitors online, is that the White House lost a lawsuit.

As for the lobbyists, that is a huge fib, here is a partial list I received in an email from Erick Erickson of RedState.com

• Eric Holder, attorney general nominee, was registered to lobby until 2004 on behalf of clients including Global Crossing, a bankrupt telecommunications firm [now confirmed].
• Tom Vilsack, secretary of agriculture nominee, was registered to lobby as recently as last year on behalf of the National Education Association.
• William Lynn in the Pentagon as Deputy Defense Secretary. Mr. Lynn was a lobbyist for Defense Contractor Ratheon. I guess the Deputy Defense Secretary is not a policy-making job.
• William Corr, deputy health and human services secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until last year for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a non-profit that pushes to limit tobacco use.
• David Hayes, deputy interior secretary nominee, was registered to lobby until 2006 for clients, including the regional utility San Diego Gas & Electric. 
• Mark Patterson, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, was registered to lobby as recently as last year for financial giant Goldman Sachs. 
• Ron Klain, chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, was registered to lobby until 2005 for clients, including the Coalition for Asbestos Resolution, U.S. Airways, Airborne Express and drug-maker ImClone.
• Cecilia Munoz, White House director of intergovernmental affairs, was a lobbyist as recently as last year for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group. 
• Patrick Gaspard, White House political affairs director, was a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union.

• President Obama Attacks the SCOTUS It Was Wrong on So Many Levels

Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.

Lets See What Justice Alito has to say about what the President Said, I believe he is saying "not true"

• Do As I Say, Not As I Do
  

But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day. We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about their opponent – a belief that if you lose, I win.

Strong words for a man that has been accused of waging a perpetual campaign himself, especially during a SOTU which sounded like a campaign speech.

• I Wonder if the President is Related to the SENATOR Barack Obama, Who Tried to Filibuster the Confirmation of Justice Roberts. 

We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about their opponent – a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of well-qualified public servants should not be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual Senators.

• A Disingenuous Attack on the Republicans

To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that sixty votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let’s show the American people that we can do it together. This week, I’ll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. And I would like to begin monthly meetings with both the Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can’t wait

Here's something the President was correct about "we still have the largest majority in decades." But he forgets up until a week ago he had a filibuster-proof Senate, every single Republican could have gone out for Ice Cream Sundaes during each vote, and you still could have passed your initiatives.

His message to the GOP was "you are being obstructionist because you are not passing my legislation the way I want it," if the POTUS was truly looking for bi-partisanship he would have said something like, "lets try to find some common ground."

The Next Section of the Speech the POTUS talked about the war on terror without calling it that, and without talking about the controversial decision of moving the terror trials to civilian courts.

• This is the Time When You Should Have Blamed Bush

As a candidate, I promised that I would end this war, and that is what I am doing as President. We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August. We will support the Iraqi government as they hold elections, and continue to partner with the Iraqi people to promote regional peace and prosperity. But make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.

He didn't end the war, the surge worked and it was essentially over before he took office

• Its All Your Fault, There Are Too Many of You and You Are All Too Loud
  

But remember this – I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I can do it alone. Democracy in a nation of three hundred million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That’s just how it is.

That last comment says it all, I screwed up, but it wasn't my fault. I know you are angry, but your anger is misdirected. It was all caused by the Stubbornness of Republicans, the Greed of Big Business, and the Stupidity of the American People.  That's why you need me to get involved in your lives and run things right.

gggg