In honor of Romney’s docu-dump (550 pages, more than a ream of paper) of just two years’ worth of tax returns, I give you Doghouse Riley:
… There’s no sacred text of Alexander Hamilton which consecrates what was done at Bain. There’s no shrine to unfettered rapine honored in every American household. What Bain did–what Willard Mitt Romney and his two hard-scrabbled Hahvahd degrees did–was take every advantage of a gamed system, a gamed system we can call, not for want of a better term but because there is no better term, the Reagan Revolution.
__
Faced with a troubled, stagnant economy which was in trouble, and had stagnated, largely because its multinational colossi did not want to be bothered adapting to a changing world–one in which energy wasn’t plentiful and cheap, one in which the United States did not stand as the only global player, one in which consumers had begun to take their rightful place in the endless merry-go-round of merchantilism–in other words, the world of the 21st century, the one we’re failing to adapt to today–unless their built-in advantages were preserved. So the Reagan administration, and the Western-Southern alliance in the Congress, defanged and dismantled the legislative safeguards which had for two generations somewhat leveled the playing field, and protected the vulnerable public from the worst of Boom and Bust. Which allowed the “visionaries” and “tenacious achievers” to bleed the system, to convert assets into cash. Meanwhile destroying the assets.
__
Fooled plenty of people. Made Reagan look like an Economic Miracle Worker, provided you didn’t look too closely or ask why he simultaneously had the worst jobs creation record of any post-war President. Until his successor inherited the snake oil inventory.
__
That’s what Romney did; his tireless efforts were designed to prove that any idiot with money can make more money, provided making more money is the only thing he cares about.
Apart from the State of the Union address — or, as the Media Village courtiers are pleased to call it, “President Obama’s inaugural campaign speech of 2012” — what’s on the agenda for the evening?
Bless their dedicated souls, the Guardian is liveblogging the State of the Union!
Death Panel Truck
Actual (not shorter) GOP response to the State of the Union address:
“Obama’s a failure! Obama’s a failure! Obama’s a failure! Other than that…we got nothin’. Thank you, and good night.”
Veritas
Shorter Doghouse Riley: WAAAH! WAAAH! WAHAAAAA! It’s NO FAIR some people are more successful and wealthier than me! WAAAAHHAAA! Daddy Government, DO SOMETHING! WA-HAAAAAAAH!
David Koch
Typical.
Saul Alinsky will be sitting next to Michelle Obama during SOTU.
Mark S.
If any good comes out of this, hopefully every new tax proposal will be subjected to the question, “What would Mitt Romney pay under such a system?” Because if that fucker is paying a lower percentage than someone making minimum wage, it is a flawed tax system.
lamh35
so josh marshall made a gr8 point on twitter. that romney campaign thought by releasing the tax forms today that they’d get buried in the SOTU coverage but…not knowing POTUS would be discussing fair tax and equality, and the Buffett Rule…by releasing the taxes today, Romney just became the poster child for the Buffet Rule…
Stillwater
his tireless efforts were designed to prove that any idiot with money can make more money, provided making more money is the only thing he cares about.
I think that’s unfair. Romney isn’t an idiot.
He’s a sociopath.
Villago Delenda Est
You can substitute many names for “Romney” here. First one that came to mind for me is “Trump”.
Note to Veritas/RealityCheck: Please inform us in advance of the type of upholstery you desire for your tumbrel.
Frankensteinbeck
It has to be a campaign speech. To ‘journalists’, the idea that he might want to discuss policies and inspire the people to make this a better nation is incomprehensible. It simply cannot be so.
MikeJ
@efgoldman:
Since he’s not going to call for the nationalization of the the entire banking, insurance, and health care industries he’s obviously just like bush and is throwing our veal pens under the bus.
Trentrunner
If any one can supply the goddamned subject for that goddamned first sentence of that goddamned second paragraph, I’d be fucking obliged.
Yutsano
I kinda hope Daniels goes all wonky and cerebral in his response. With charts. And graphs.
Raven
Root canal recovery.
Baud
@Yutsano: If Mitt Romney is elected President, expect SOTU addresses with powerpoint.
Baud
@Raven: Wow, you’ll do anything to avoid watching those GOP debates, huh?
David Koch
Wow.
Michelle Obama wearing a stunning blue dress.
jake the snake
@Veritas:
Way to stay classy. You could probably stand to drop a few pounds from the troll feeding that is done on BJ.
JPL
@David Koch: He can raise the dead..I always knew he was the second coming …
Svensker
@Raven:
Did someone have a root canal today?
:)
Be sure your dentist isn’t fixing things in there with paper clips…
As the proud owner/recipient of many root canals, may I sympathize? But boy did I impress my newly acquired Vietnamese Torontonian dentist with all my gold crowns — with the price of gold these days, my teeth are my 401K.
Brachiator
People are rightly making a deal about Mitt’s tax returns.
But Newt’s may be messier.
Good times.
On to the State of the Union. Warren Buffet’s secretary is sitting with the First Lady. Expect Obama to make a point over who’s paying their fair share and who is not.
The widow of Steve Jobs has been invited as well. Nice touch.
And if you haven’t done so yet, a prior poster noted the cool site dedicated to enhanced info about the State of the Union Address.
David Koch
Poignant.
Gabby Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly, chatting with Steve Jobs’ widow in the gallery.
JPL
By the way, the NYTimes dining section has Mormon recipes..link
good times
Baud
@JPL:
“To serve Mormon.” Yum.
Citizen Alan
@Stillwater:
Well, Shrub made money too, so the thesis still stands.
geg6
David Koch @17:
I have yet to see FLOTUS look anything other than stunning. I’d kill for her arms.
David Koch
Jill Biden is fricken gorgeous.
Benjamin Franklin
@Veritas:
Could anything he says be worse than the prevarication and hegemony of Bushs’
2003 SOTU?
I will never allow the bastards to forget they’re promotion of that travesty.
GFY
David Koch
Admiral McRaven in the President’s box.
MikeJ
Oh how I wish CSPAN was in HD. I’d prefer to watch in HD but without the graphics and talking heads.
Cacti
@JPL:
As one who sat through many years of Mormon potlucks. Wasatch Front “cuisine” is just awful.
JGabriel
@Stillwater:
They’re not mutually exclusive.
.
Raven
@Svensker: Yea, I’m a whiny little shit. JPL warned be about the paperclip caper. My dentist is cool.
jrg
Spent some time today reading the CNN message boards. It’s amazing how many Republicans will defend people worth hundreds of millions of dollars that pay less as a percentage of income than middle-class families do.
Even more amazing is that half those “conservatives” were accusing people of wanting a free lunch, or living off the government. How fucking stupid do you have to be to accuse someone paying a higher tax rate than Romney a welfare queen? It’s absolutely astounding.
scav
@Cacti: 7th Day Adventist Hospital food level or worse? If worse, it’s a little worrying to know there are still depths that might be plumbed.
JPL
Who is the first conservative to embarrass themselves. Maybe they will stand and say I will not use modern day technology. lol
Omnes Omnibus
@Raven: I am scared of dentists (even though I have not had a filling since I was 16 y/o) and clowns (b/c they are creepy).
WereBear (itouch)
@Cacti: I’ve got a lot of Midwest literally under my belt. Jello salads sprung to mind.
David Koch
Elizabeth Warren/Bill McRaven 2016
Benjamin Franklin
@Baud: ot?
No man can serve two masters: Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. ~Jesus, Matt 6:24, Luke 16:13
geg6
Raven @33:
Man up, dude! You had a frickin’ root canal! That is nothing! Says the woman who’s had two gum surgeries and had to have her jaw broken in order to get her wisdom teeth out.
barath
You know what would be awesome? If Obama announced Jimmy Carter as his new secretary of energy, and said he’d be a recess appointment.
dmsilev
I’ve got PBS on. David Brooks really needs to be slapped in the face with a trout.
Comrade Mary
Mammon sounds tasty. Even better if you wrap it in bacon.
Raven
@geg6: Gotcha! Hey, did you seem my note last week about GED stuff?
Baud
@Benjamin Franklin: Not getting the bible verse. Mine was an obscure Twilight Zone reference.
Benjamin Franklin
@Veritas:
I didn’t have to defeat Bush. History will do that for us all, Idiot bastard son.
liberal
@Veritas:
Shorter Veritas: I luvs it when people get rich making money from government-granted privileges while making no actual productive contribution to the economy.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
watching hockey, reading twitter will flip on the speech if it seems interesting.
dmsilev
@Veritas: Feeling a tad threatened by her, are we?
lamh35
so rachel says that Mitch Daniels response is extremely partisan…color me not suprised
PeakVT
Fuck bipartisanship and fuck any reporter that mentions bipartisanship.
That is all.
Omnes Omnibus
@dmsilev: She is … tall. And you know how threatening that can be to little men.
Benjamin Franklin
@Baud:
I think Rod Serling used the King James.
Cacti
@Benjamin Franklin:
Of course, we all remember the final tally of Bush’s “election”…
5-4
Roger Moore
I’m busy boggling at the incompetence of the Indian bowling in Australia. Clarke has already reached a double century, and Ponting is just 2 runs away. India is setting itself up for its third innings loss in 4 tests, which is just crazy. This isn’t just a defeat, it’s a massacre.
WereBear (itouch)
@Baud: It was exactly what I was thinking :)
Speech coverage starting. I need a smarm-seeking missle.
Comrade Mary
@Omnes Omnibus: Guys, the comment you’re linking to is gone. I’m guessing the troll said something vile about Michelle Obama, right?
Baud
@PeakVT: The only way you’ll ever get true bipartisanship is to elect Democrats to every federal office.
Omnes Omnibus
@Roger Moore: How many cricket fans frequent this blog?
Chyron HR
@Veritas:
So were you born stupid or just raised that way?
Cacti
@lamh35:
Lemme guess…
Blah blah blah Tax Cuts blah blah blah burdensome regulations blah blah blah job creators.
David Koch
Okay. Who here didn’t tear up at that moment?
Omnes Omnibus
@Comrade Mary: Yep. Good guess. BTW that color is fantastic on her.
wobblybits
@Comrade Mary: yes.
dmsilev
Aiieeee, teleprompters! It’s all a lie, a lie I tell you!
Raven
@wobblybits: How’s that diss?
Omnes Omnibus
@David Koch: Okay, a little.
slag
@Comrade Mary: Yes. I’m just please to see we have some standards around here.
Veritas
@Cacti
Yup, I sure do. Gonna whine some more about that election, loser?
Gore lost. Kerry lost. It was a real pleasure especially to watch John “F’ing” Kerry go down in flames. Boy, that was a thing of beauty!
Cacti
Iraq made us safer and more respected?
Ummm…okay.
General Stuck
Cool, plays the Obl sleeping with the fishes card first thing.
Dexter
@Omnes Omnibus: Here is another cricket fan. I guess that adds up to a grand total of two?
JGabriel
Holy shit. Republicans didn’t stand to applaud bin Laden’s death: I guess that makes them objectively pro-terrorist.
.
JPL
When my 32 old son was in third grade he admired a gal who was Mormon. She was in a tragic car accident and suffered severe burns and could not go to school for six months. The family had 11 children. The hospital released the little girl after six weeks if the mom could return her each day for treatment. The mom slept 4 hours a night. Where was the dad?
He had to work and that wasn’t his responsibility. That’s what I know about Mormons. My son used to read her school work in the afternoon.
Veritas
Obama bragging about following Bush’s Iraq strategy?
Roger Moore
@Omnes Omnibus:
I’m not sure. I don’t even know if I’d classify myself as a fan; I’m more in the cricket curious category. It might help if I could actually watch it on TV sometime instead of just checking the test scores on the BBC web site.
SIA
I love BHO’s confidence and how it makes the wingers chew out their stomach linings. Osama mentioned in the first three minutes! Go Prez!
wobblybits
@Raven: Met with my chair, who said it looked like a dissertation proposal by a history student and not a lit student so back to the drawing board I went and re-worked it. This is version 3.4
Omnes Omnibus
@Dexter: Nah, there are are a lot.
@General Stuck: Lead with some of the good stuff. Primacy and recency, people remember the first and last bits.
middlewest
Tom Vilsack gets the booby prize of being the next president in hiding.
dmsilev
I’m pretty sure the real John Boehner has been replaced with a mannequin that blinks occasionally. The mannequin would probably do a better job running the House.
Cacti
@JGabriel:
Of course.
Remember when they were openly rooting for Somali pirates?
SiubhanDuinne
@David Koch: I’m still leaking.
(Edit: My EYES)
JPL
Now the repubs are just looking like fools for not standing…
SIA
Post heading at Hot Air:
Heh.
Dexter
John Boehner is thinking about his Scotch or whatever he drinks every evening.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: You haz edit?
SIA
@JPL: Boo fairness!
Brian R.
@SIA:
That should be part of every answer during the debates.
“Well, Brian, your question about housing policy reminds me of when I decided to have our troops make a housecall on Osama Bin Laden. Knock, knock. You’re dead.”
JGabriel
@Veritas:
If Obama was following Bush’s strategy, he’d have left the troops in Iraq with inadequate support until the next president came along.
So, no, not so much.
.
dmsilev
Heh. Obama just called out Romney as a liar on “blame Obama for job losses due to Bush’s recession” thing
JPL
This is where he should turn to Boehner and say will you work with me..
Montysano
That’s some true stuff right there. The whole thing is excellent.
Brian R.
Hilda Solis heard the word “workers” and knew the cameras were on her. That’s a pro.
SiubhanDuinne
@Raven: I sympathize. I wish Balloon Juice had been around when I had full mouth extraction and five, count ’em, five surgeries for implants. I won’t mention the $75,000 it cost me out of pocket because my otherwise-wonderful health insurance didn’t pay a cent of it. Anyhow, ouch, and feel better soon.
Brian R.
SUCK IT, MITTENS.
Raven
@wobblybits: I am not suggesting this but I fired my chair 3 years in.
Svensker
@Raven:
Well, I don’t know about that. But there’s something about a fugging root canal that makes ya just want to climb back up into the womb and suck your thumb. Either that or lots of drugs and petting.
wobblybits
@JPL: I would give up my lil book money to see that.
Dexter
Obama just called out Mitt without naming his name regarding the auto industry collapse.
dmsilev
“some said we should let the auto industry die”
Translation: Suck it, Mittens.
middlewest
Suck it Mitt,
Love Detroit
SIA
@Brian R.: Ha!
JPL
Is this where Boehner’s skin turns from orange to green?
lamh35
I see Scott Brown the only Repub to stand and clap…methinks he really wants to beat Liz Warren doesn’t he
Baud
“unionized plant” That’s gotta hurt.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
I cannot tell a lie, I “edited” before hitting submit. So I’m a weaselly hypocrite, sue me.
robertdsc-PowerBook
Never mention the deficit. Fuck that noise. Otherwise, keep kicking their ass, POTUS.
Southern Beale
@lamh35:
Noticed that too. Thinking the Tea Party will be very unhappy about that.
Dexter
What’s wrong with John Kerry’s face?
lamh35
there goes Obama slicing Mittens with a samurai blade and didn’t even have to mention his name.
Raven
@Svensker: It really wasn’t that bad. I’ve had some major shit in my life and this in pretty far down on the list. It sounds good though doesn’t it?
Veritas
GM will have to be bailed out AGAIN in 20 years I’m sure. Just like Chrysler was bailed out already in the ’80s. It would have been better to let Chrysler die in 1980 rather than waste taxpayer money not once but TWICE.
middlewest
Man, this soshalism stuff sounds pretty awesome.
Southern Beale
What happened to John Kerry? His face is all bashed up.
JPL
@Dexter: hockey game..
Raven
@Dexter: He broke his nose in a hockey game.
dmsilev
Did John Boehner just swallow a toad or something? I mean, I know he’s always orange, nut he’s not usually this dyspeptic.
Old Dan and Little Ann
Nice face, Cantor. You fucking douchebag.
General Stuck
@Southern Beale:
Hockey pick up game.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne:
There’s your lie.
Southern Beale
Eric Cantor looks like he’s ready to break out a light saber or something.
Veritas
Shorter TOTUS: “Our Five-Year Plan is exceeding all our expectations. More centralized planning! More taxes! More government! More regulation! More trade wars with foreign powers! MORE MORE MORE!”
I half expect him to call for the collectivization of agriculture and the liquidation of the kulaks as a class.
SIA
Ooh Cantor looks eeevilll
Raven
@Southern Beale: Fuckin little twerp.
RinaX
Gawd, I saw Eric Cantor’s face and wanted to vomit. I truly despise that little weasel.
lamh35
@Southern Beale: I’m ashamed to say the first thing I thought was Botox or plastic surgery
wobblybits
@Veritas: i’m pretty sure you’re wrong.
middlewest
LOL, I’m even better at kicking China’s ass than you.
Veritas
I hate these stupid personal anecdotes. Was it Clinton that started that shit?
“Granny McWrinkles is from Richmond, Virginia. She’s 85, and on a fixed income blah blah blah….zzzzz”
General Stuck
@SIA:
So did Boris Badenov, but was just a cartoon. Same with Cantor.
Omnes Omnibus
Who is sitting with FLOTUS? The lady?
Raven
@Veritas: Hey douche bag, here’s what your stupid fucking bullshit looks like through the pie filter:
“Bye, bye. Miss American Pie.” That’s the saddest line I’ve ever heard.
JPL
@wobblybits: hypocrites..gotta be hypocrites..just ignore them.
dmsilev
@Veritas: I’d worry if I were you. When the FEMA concentration camps come online, first theyll come for conservative Internet commenters.
Raven
@Omnes Omnibus: Lady mechanic from Charlotte
Anne Laurie
@Dexter: The official explanation, here in MA, is “ice hockey accident”.
It’s been an abnormally warm winter here, but not so much that windsurfing is possible. And Kerry actually did play hockey in college, IIRC.
Dexter
Is Boner trying to swallow something? His face has this odd twitching.
wobblybits
@Raven: nah, i like my chair and i know that she is making sure that i write the best diss possible.
Anne Laurie
@Omnes Omnibus: Warren Buffett’s secretary, I hear.
Raven
@wobblybits: Cool. Hang tough then.
SIA
@General Stuck: Haha! How ya doin’ General? How’s Charlie? :)
Veritas
Why the fuck is the President dictating policies to the State governments? Butt out, TOTUS.
SIA
@Dexter: Onset of DTs
Cacti
@Dexter:
Must be getting the booze shakes.
middlewest
Universities and colleges are “on notice”. He’s channeling Steven Colbert tonight.
wobblybits
@Raven: thanks so much for the moral support. i’ll be back here whining about diss blue.
geg6
Raven, I missed the GED stuff. You remember that I have an interest in that subject. Point me to a linky or explain. I’m interested.
Meanwhile, work study shoutout! Woohoo!
Omnes Omnibus
@Anne Laurie: It is my understanding that he still played frequently at least until shortly before his Prez run.
Old Dan and Little Ann
“The opponents of action are out of excuses.” It would be nice.
Montysano
I know that doesn’t really matter that the First Lady, besides being intelligent and accomplished, is also drop-dead gorgeous, but it surely doesn’t hurt.
middlewest
BWAHAHAHA McCain looking like he wet his depends when the Dream Act is mentioned.
Judas Escargot
This speech is a Big Fucking Deal.
wobblybits
Ha! Did you see that smirk from Pappy McCain when the President dare mention congress sending him a bill to create a path for students to earn their citizenship?
wobblybits
Ha! Did you see that smirk from Pappy McCain when the President dare mention congress sending him a bill to create a path for students to earn their citizenship? Dream Act ho!
dmsilev
@middlewest: McCain still hasn’t forgiven Obama for beating him. The bitterness is just eating him up.
Svensker
Did y’all realize that TOTUS indicates “teleprompter of the U.S.”? Isn’t that just the cleverest thing? Cuz that Obambi guy is just dumb, ya know.
General Stuck
Was wondering if Obama was going to go for immigration reform, rather than not with the complicated politics of that issue. Was glad he mentioned it, and hope dems take the risk of pushing for comp reform before the election. I think it’s a winner, overall.
SIA
McCain is one toxic bastard.
SiubhanDuinne
Boner keeps chewing on his lower lip. What an unattractive tic that is.
AA+ Bonds
If you’re wondering what else the money behind Newt Gingrich is doing, it’s this (NY Times link):
In Police Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims
Sheldon Adelson, people. I told y’all: crazy fuckin billionaires
wobblybits
@wobblybits: stupid double post
lamh35
ooh, looks like Sully’s not enjoying the SOTU. That means it’s must be hitting the right points then.
KDUN
Any predictions on which “columnist” will do the predictable annual “I, me” count on the speech?
…and no fair calling the Gateway Dumbshit. Hoft only does one every year to prove that he can, in fact, count.
General Stuck
@SIA:
Doin’ fine, as is Charlie
Birthmarker
IIRC Chrysler paid back the 80’s loan early.
Raven
@geg6: My dissertation was a qual study of GED grads. Why they quit, why they went back and what they made of the process of preparing. I got mine way back in 1967 when it was mostly a reading test but it was an honor to work with the folks in my study.
Montysano
@dmsilev:
Too much newt in his diet.
freelancer
@Judas Escargot:
I love my President, but this speech is boring the shit out of me. It’s very meh in terms of content, IMHO.
TaMara (BHF)
Interactive FLOTUS seating chart.
wobblybits
@Svensker: Whoever came up with that demonstrated that they don’t have even two brain cells to rub together.
Ogliberal
Sully is having a huge hurt over Obama’s populism…translated as making the GOP look like heartless idiots. Translated as telling it like it is.
Roxie
@Svensker: But can you figure out what V E R I T A S stands for
fleeting expletive
I’m liking this SOTU. “I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy”— oooh, ending oil industry subsidies!
Judas E, indeed it is.
Veritas
Great clean energy companies like Solyndra! Oh, wait…
I’m for American energy, that’s why I trashed the Keystone pipeline and will make Canada export oil to China instead!
Obambi is a fucking fraud.
dmsilev
Heh. “end oil company tax breaks”, and all the Republicans just sit there stone-faced. I’m shocked, shocked I tell you.
Trentrunner
Uh-oh. Sully’s falling out of love with Obama.
Get ready for Dish for Ron Paul, bitches!
JGabriel
Shorter SOTU: Congress, do your fucking job.
.
Colby
Jesus, Veritas is terrified. This is how I reacted to the 2004 SOTU.
JPL
In the last State of the Union he focused more on Elementary education and had students sitting with Michele. It’s a nit and maybe a little nit but since the repub candidates haven’t spent two percent of their debates on education, I wish more time was spent on Elementary Education.
Judas Escargot
@freelancer:
You and I are not a “normal” audience.
This is the kind of talk that could get a Republican father-in-law to vote for him.
dmsilev
@Trentrunner: He’ll color his website gold, I assume?
lamh35
theme of this speech guys…”Send me a bill” i.e. Congress do ur damn jobs!
General Stuck
@freelancer: It’s a Norman Rockwell speech. Maybe that is the best tact at this particular point in time. Boring may be a good contrast with batshit crazzzzzy gooper POTUS candidates shredding each other round the clock
scav
Virtual
Entity
Repeating
Irrelevant
Tautologies
As
Sacraments
barath
Hah…I knew Sullivan would whine about how there isn’t enough tax reform and similar pet issues.
Cacti
I can practically see the flecks of spittle hitting Royalty Check’s monitor.
JPL
@Veritas: Where’s your stamp and envelope. If you don’t like modern technology then don’t use it. The last thing you want to be is a hypocrite, right…hahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahha
Raven
@lamh35: And the little sawed off motherfucker from hooiserville will say “Hell No”!
Elie
@freelancer:
Well you don’t know “good” when you hear it…
Sad really…
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Veritas: Wait till they start pointing out all of the wasted money the government spent on your education.
Keith G
@lamh35: Actually his reaction is mixed – some good stuff and some not so good stuff.
But that’s the way most SOTUs go.
Veritas
Financial fraud?? One of the biggest frauds of the past four years was Solyndra, and that was on the taxpayer dime you incompetent shit. God I can’t wait until January, 2013.
Micheline
@Veritas: You are a freaking idiot. If you knew anything about the supremacy clause, then you would never made that silly comment you made.
geg6
Aaaaack! Lieberman closeup!
Love my preznit tonight. Even the stuff I don’t like is not the worst thing I could imagine. Love this “I won’t go back” stuff.
middlewest
Dairy farmers shouldn’t cry over spilled milk… He earned those boos.
Veritas
@Micheline
Ever heard of the Tenth Amendment?
JPL
Why in the world did President Bush start the Solyndra deal??
fleeting expletive
Banks’ “living will”. I like it.
Roxie
Very
Early
Reptilian
Intelligence
Acting
Stupid
Nom de Plume
@Veritas:
Yeah, Obama’s re-inauguration should be something to see, huh?
lamh35
@Keith G:
“9.48 pm. This speech is beginning to make Bill Clintons’ look like clear and visionary. But people loved Clinton’s long laundry list of micro-policies. I think this is the worst SOTU Obama has given. But maybe it will work. It sure seems like it has been put through a software program to pander to various industries.”
It’s mostly dislike.
wobblybits
@Veritas: You’re going to watch PBo be sowrn in again for his second term as well? cool.
Cacti
Gingrich leads Romney in national poll
Just for our resident Rombot troll
Ben Cisco (mobile)
Damn, he is taking it to them. Pivoted from killing silly rules about milk spills to enforcing new ones to prevent future bailouts, and introduced Cordray to boot! BRING IT!
SIA
@scav: Perfect.
wobblybits
@wobblybits: *sworn
TaMara (BHF)
This blog needs a better class of trolls. This one just isn’t up to BJ standards.
Omnes Omnibus
@Veritas: Do you understand the difference between a failed business and a fraud? The question is rhetorical.
dmsilev
@Cacti: Don’t worry the Oceans of Corporate Cash will carry the day for the Romneytronic 3000.
Micheline
Edit:
@Veritas: You are a freaking idiot. If you knew anything about the supremacy clause, then you would have never made that silly comment.
freelancer
@General Stuck:
No it makes sense. With the other side stuck between a doughy secessionist and a craven robot who, right now, is probably asking his aides, “Well Jeez, can we just PAY them to like me? Y’know, like cut everyone a $50 check?”
Anya
Cantor is such a douchebag.
Elie
@Judas Escargot:
This is the vow, the recap of what is important. That you can’t hear that is, well, disappointing. You hear what you value and since you don’t hear it, makes me wonder what you value… if the delivery is the main point for you, then you will sleep through a lot of important things in this life… most of which is quiet ..
I find him vigorous, energetic and renewing what he staked himself to 3 short years ago. If that doesnt energize you, then …
Old Dan and Little Ann
Cantor looks like Severus Snape right after a trip to the barber. I wish they’d stop showing him. My tv is in danger of being smashed.
middlewest
Oooh he just announced a new series of Law & Order: Financial Crimes Unit
MazeDancer
Build, Baby, Build!!!
love the constant references to “Public investment”
That Government can’t create jobs stuff not gonna work for 9 months. Especially if their candidate is a guy who destroyed so many jobs.
Cacti
I can’t wait till Gingrich wins the GOP nom.
400+ electoral vote landslide for Barack.
SIA
@Roxie: That works too!
Dexter
Tax heavens and Buffet rule!! There he goes carving up Mittens.
dmsilev
@TaMara (BHF): Wait, BJ has standards?
Southern Beale
Neither John Boehner nor Eric Cantor are wearing flag pins.
Just saying.
JordanRules
Wait, why do we get a ‘dedicated’ thread for the 50-11 clown car races and not the SOTU?
I think there’s some great stuff in this one, for those willing to listen.
Ahhh, the Buffet v. Secretary tax line. Nice.
JPL
@TaMara (BHF): It’s unfortunate but I’m not sure there is a better class of trolls. Once they are educated, they got nothin.
Omnes Omnibus
Shiv is going into Romney right now.
lamh35
@Keith G:
“9.52 pm. A big idea… Pure populism. Pure redistributionism. But the speech has lacked any big sustaining argument about the inequality and unfairness that has marked the last few years. And so all of this sounds like a series of shameless panders that someone has to pay for.”
It’s mostly just negative. Interspersed with some random positivity…dude is def falling out of love
middlewest
Thanks for releasing your taxes, Mitt!
WyldPirate
Interesting tautology Obama made re: putting higher ed “on notice” about holding down costs. Costs are going up for two main reasons:-1) decreasing funding by state governments that shifts more costs to students and 2) bloated bureaucracies of assistant to the assistant VP of masturbatory affairs and the like.
If the trends in #1 and #2 continue, costs will continue to rise. His threat will further ratchet up costs.
Mike in NC
Appears that the pie filter is OOC just like the damn Edit button.
Keith G
And the room got really quiet.
TaMara (BHF)
“when I spoke with the Speaker this summer” Boner actually flinched.
Ed Drone
@Baud:
Thou canst not serve God and Mormon! Saith the Lord.
Ed
fleeting expletive
“An America Built to Last”.
Cacti
@MazeDancer:
Someone should tell Raytheon, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin that the government doesn’t create jobs.
lamh35
Obama: “When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it’s not because they envy the rich”
Another rapier cut.
Villago Delenda Est
@Old Dan and Little Ann:
“He moves faster than Severus Snape when confronted with shampoo.”
middlewest
Woah, are republicans booing a ban on insider trading by congressmen?
Birthmarker
A bit of googling revealed that actually the government never gave Chrysler a penny. The govt guaranteed traditional loans. The loans were fully repaid in 1983.
Keith G
The last third of this speech is finally beginning to rock
Ben Cisco (mobile)
Oh shit. He is taking on EVERYBODY in Congress now. UP OR DOWN VOTE BITCHES!
FlipYrWhig
@wobblybits: Hey, what’s your field in lit? I did 18th-c British.
freelancer
@Keith G:
Agreed, it’s picking up. But Sully is going to take his ball and go home, it seems. I’m guessing the old Tory was hoping he’d re-embrace Bowles Simpson or the Ryan plan, not go centrist by using the government to do things that are popular with most people, aka petty populism.
Southern Beale
@JordanRules:
I think the website is broken … slow as shit.
scav
Vaingloriously
Endorsing
Romneybot
Is
Totally
Amusing
Shit
SIA
Nancy SMASH! Looking very fine tonight.
Omnes Omnibus
Basically, a lot of this has been, “Congress, do your freaking job.” Also, “I am sane and grown-up.” Nice two pronged thrust.
fleeting expletive
NANCY SMASH in the house! And Hillary, who looks a little tired, but that very long blonde flip is working for her. My hair is that long, but much more gray and I am almost her age. I wonder if it would work for me. I don’t wonder enough to dye it again, gave that up quite a few years ago.
Kyle
@Veritas:
That was Reagan, the king of cheap, transparently-manipulative sentimentality that goobers like you ate up with a spoon.
Keith G
@lamh35: The finish of that point was the bulls eye:
…that shortfall will either be added to the deficit of be made up by others with less money*
A battle cry that needs to be repeated every week.
*paraphrase
Anne Laurie
@JordanRules:
FYWP has got the slows for me, too. Couldn’t get a new post up until you guys were well into the commentary!
Ben Cisco (mobile)
You know what? SCREW SULLY. He was just waiting for a reason to show his Tory ass again anyway.
JPL
My goodness, he is shooting down all the repub bullshit..
jl
@scav:
I wonder who is the winner (or loser, depending on your viewpoint) here of their drinking game tonight.
OK, people, do not use everclear or other dangerously high proof spirits for these drinking games. You’ll put your eye out, kid
DCLaw1
Good lord, Andrew Sullivan’s concern trolling about this speech is INSUFFERABLE.
freelancer
Veritas doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
SIA
I just gave Lieberman the finger. Felt good. Fucker killed Medicare for all.
wobblybits
@FlipYrWhig: It’s cultural studies 20th century (looking at the silencing and later (re) construction of collective national memory with regards to a brazilian national lit written in german during the time of nationalization)
Roxie
@scav: Nice one
Judas Escargot
@Elie:
Perhaps I’ve been too vague: I agree that this is an energizing speech. But we live in an age where cynicism passes for sophistication.
There are words here that might get through.
dadanarchist
I have to echo everyone else: Sully is rolling out some Class-A Butthurt right now because Obama is actually laying out a liberal agenda.
It’s hilarious/glorious to watch.
Ben Cisco (mobile)
I do believe a rotund amphibian just got bitchslapped.
robertdsc-PowerBook
Stomp their fucking ass, POTUS. Stomp that shit flat!
Omnes Omnibus
@jl: Absinthe? What? I happen to like it.
For the record, I am drinking mint tea.
wobblybits
@wobblybits: brazilian nationalization, that is
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Omnes Omnibus: He also misses the part where Bush was the one who guaranteed the loan in the first place.
But that’s ok, I’m pretty sure Veritas’s biggest accomplishment in life is blowing his wad after typing something here he thought was witty.
Keith G
It seems one person was worried about cyber threats.
lamh35
@JPL: when he’s on his game, it is like shooting fish from a barrel
He’s been pretty fiesty since the beginning.
RAchel said Mitch Daniels response was “partisan and pugnacious”…I wonder if they anticipated how fiery POTUS might be/
freelancer
@dadanarchist:
but but but, Obama is a sekrit conservative! Just like meeeee!
Chris
@Kyle:
“I heard this story about this black woman from this white judge in Chicago, therefore welfare queens driving Cadillacs are the source of all our nation’s woes.” Yeah, that was Reagan, all right.
GregB
@DCLaw1:
I just went over there and Sullivan is distraught.
Soon he’ll be carping about the lack of Burke and Hayek.
DCLaw1
@dadanarchist: “His accurately describing GOP intransigence is so out of tune with those promises he personally made to me about bipartisanship!”
jl
@Omnes Omnibus:
I wasn’t referring to you necessary. But, if your absinthe starts tasting like mint tea, you’ve had way too much.
You damn kids get off my lawn, I’m trying to listen to the President.
garbo
@SIA: Me too. I just HATE that sanctimonious asshole.
JordanRules
@Southern Beale: Word. Glad we have a living thread at least.
Close it out and drop the mic (figuratively of course) POTUS. Do your job Congress.
middlewest
Obama/Gates/Clinton = BFF4EVAH
Angela
@dadanarchist: I had to close Sully’s tab. He was making me sick.
wobblybits
I refuse to watch the republican reponse. what’s the point? It will just be: obstruction, obstruction with a few soshulist, kommunist, alinsky, and he-is-not-like-us thrown in for good measure
DCLaw1
Gotta say, the president is pwning this speech.
Elie
@robertdsc-PowerBook:
Abso-fucking-lutely… flat as shit..
the repugs look like stupid stumps sitting there — unable to admit that Obama is speakin truth… they KNOW he is but are not mensch enough to stand for our country — together…
Whateveer some of y’all are gonna pick apart about what is or isnt to your liking tonight… your choice is clear and you cannot say that this man — this LEADER is not speaking the truth and to the heart of what we say we value. All the rest falls aways as bullshit.
That’s all
General Stuck
Some Seal team 6 kudos. Little wingnut baby jeevus got a woody.
dadanarchist
I can hear Sully’s bipartisan boner wilting all the way down here in Tennessee.
SiubhanDuinne
Dudes who killed OBL might have been Republicans, might have been Democrats. In the Situation Room I sat next to Bob Gates, Dubya’s SecDef, and Hillary Clinton, my rival for 2008 Dem nom.
Wow.
garbo
@dadanarchist: Best part…A recent poll of Sully’s readership showed that they are mostly Liberals. So he’s preaching to a choir that is lapping this speech up. Poor Sully. He’ll get beat up by his readers and then come around.
SIA
@garbo: Can’t wait till he’s GONE.
Ben Cisco (mobile)
WE ARE ALL AMERICANS YOU FUCKER’S. *Drops microphone*
lamh35
now who thinks Romney or Gingrich is gonna beat Obama in a debate
Old Dan and Little Ann
Let’s see. More ideas in about seventy-five minutes than zero in eleventy GOP debates.
freelancer
This is Pure Jon Stewart “I go, then you go…” points about the legitimacy of Unity.
Oh and Veritas can burn his sphincter on a red hot, rusty pitchfork.
Scamp Dog
@Trentrunner: I think I found the subject. If you delete huge amounts of the first sentence to get this:
largely because its multinational colossi did not want to be bothered adapting to a changing world … unless their built-in advantages were preserved …
and combine with the nominal second sentence, minus its first word (So):
the Reagan administration … defanged and dismantled (etc)..
…then the subject would be the Reagan Administration.
Doghouse Riley could use an editor. Just like most of us bloggers and commenters, come to think of it.
General Stuck
Now its Mitch Daniels to tell us we are owned by Citibank, and should be grateful. Especially those heathen labor unions.
JordanRules
@Anne Laurie: Gotcha, thanks for lookin out though AL
FYWP
Southern Beale
Howard Kurtz, on Twitter:
Correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t he a member of the political press? Isn’t this … his job?
middlewest
He is ready to destroy Mitt. He’s already tasting the blood in his mouth.
garbo
@SIA: At least we threw him out of the party. I’ll always look back on that vote with satisfaction.
Omnes Omnibus
@jl: Absinthe tastes nothing like mint tea.
As to the Pres., I think it was well done. He went for sane and sensible with liberal underpinnings.
dmsilev
Watching members of Congress asking Obama for his autograph as he walked out was hilarious.
JPL
Peggy Noonan said a speech about everything is a speech about nothing. Gotta say Peggy there is medicine for your condition and under the Obama health plan you also, too can afford medical care.
Veritas
@lamh35:
Depends on if he’s allowed to use his teleprompter or not.
geg6
Took it to them where it hurts, pugnatious, mostly liberal, policy wonk heaven.
I liked it. Sully hated it. Which is good enough to me. Who is this on MSNBC talking about overseas corporate income? If it’s a juicebox mafia member, I’ll forgive his next libertarian bullshit post/op-ed just for that.
Angela
Sully must be mad that he was reprimanded by the WH for printing something that was embargoed.
I loved the ending, we are all Americans perhaps a few people in one party could start to remember that.
fleeting expletive
Why doesn’t Sully just go back to Jolly Old E? Who f’ing needs him over here? I never read his shit because I don’t care for the dude. Remember when he scratched his ass/pulled his knickers from out his butt after being on Bill Maher’s show?
Also, that chamber must have a lot of exits, it emptied rather quickly.
JCT
@JPL: Way too late — alcoholic encephalopathy is really hard to reverse.
dmsilev
As I said an hour or so ago, David Brooks really needs to be slapped in the face with a large wet fish.
Keith G
Hmmm….. Lotta converts to the bully pulpit tonight.
JGabriel
Is that Mitch Daniels? Or Tin Tin?
.
Keith G
Fuck….Daniels just shot Newt.
freelancer
Oh hey everybody. It’s the villain from that old timey Mel Gibson movie The Patriot, only all growed up, and dressed like Howdy Doody.
Omnes Omnibus
@Keith G: Oh for fuck’s sake, this crap again?
middlewest
I’m trying to remember why old Bell Curve Sully’s opinion matters, and for the life of me, I can’t.
Chris
@garbo:
Me three. Possibly hate him even more than anyone (officially) on the other side of the aisle for that alone.
gnomedad
@JPL:
If you shoot it, you just make it mad.
jl
I did not have the guts to read, or listen to, Romney’s prebuttal.
So, not sure whether Obama keyed more off of Romney tax return release, or the prebuttal.
WyldPirate
Daniels really tried to go their pinning “trickle down” on Obama….unbelievable.
WyldPirate
Daniels really tried to go there pinning “trickle down” on Obama….unbelievable.
Villago Delenda Est
@Veritas:
My god, someone get this pathetic little shit a boner pill prescription, he needs it he’s so fucking limp.
Benjamin Franklin
Why do we place such import on words. No, rhetoric.?
clayton
Listening to the old white guys on CBS after the speech and that they focus on the taxes tells me why I don’t give much weight to their analysis.
It’s always about their taxes. Always about their money. It never changes.
Keith G
@Omnes Omnibus: Jus’ sayin’
WyldPirate
Sorry bout the double post…
Villago Delenda Est
Sully is the sort of pathetic little ass we tarred and feathered 240 years ago.
Montysano
Did Daniels really talk about unemployment in terms of “men of prime working age”? Did he just come through a wormhole from the ’50s?
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
daniels has gone from the vi-agra of debt to the niagara of debt.
Omnes Omnibus
@Keith G: Yeah, well, as has been said before, the bully pulpit is a tool. Sometimes it is the right tool for the job; sometimes it isn’t. It works better during campaign season than it does during policy debates.
Montysano
@Montysano:
And “freeborn”? What is this, 1875?
Omnes Omnibus
@Villago Delenda Est: You really are a bit of a late 18th century guy at heart, aren’t you?
Also too, Daniels is a charisma vacuum. You feel the personality being sucked right out of the poor camera man as we watched. It was horrible.
Keith G
@Omnes Omnibus:
Progress.
@Villago Delenda Est:
Sully made a few on target observations, but they got buried by a whiny affectation that seemed to have the character of a scorned lover. Sometimes he can live up to the worst stereotypes.
dww44
@JordanRules: I agree. I thought the speech was very effective. Full of stuff to chew on. Replete with specifics and positive and upbeat and determined. He covered most if not all the bases he needed to to slap down all those GOP charges about not being pro America. Started off with his Grandfather fighting with Patton. He goes a little far, IMO, with how great America is, but I darn well know why he does it. Humility in the face of all that lying and misleading from the right is no virtue.
Frankensteinbeck
@Keith G:
Alright, we’ll do this again. And again, and again.
The ‘bully pulpit’ is laughed at, because people like you kept coming forward and saying that Obama could make a speech to the nation and thus move congress. No, that does not work.
Obama DOES give great speeches about liberal values. I’m glad you listened to this one. They can be very moving, as you see. It’s a shame the media does not report very many of them, but thankfully they can’t miss a SOTU, and now it’s campaign season.
General Stuck
@Frankensteinbeck:
You see. Entitled white progressives cannot fathom that Obama can succeed unless they listen to them on what he should do. And is thoroughly lost on them, that the are intellectual pipsqueeks compared to the black guy that got his self elected president OF THIS country.
Cacti
@General Stuck:
They’re the other side of the coin that insists on seeing Obama’s transcripts, birth certificate, student loan records, etc., because it’s just un-possible that a Knee-grow could win the WHITE house without cheating somehow.
Jebediah
@Cacti:
You’re right, sadly – and I really thought that the US of A would be closer to over that shit by now. Is it going to take another 150 years?