Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Those who are easily outraged are easily manipulated.

You don’t get to peddle hatred on saturday and offer condolences on sunday.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

If you’re gonna whine, it’s time to resign!

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

Republicans choose power over democracy, every day.

Michigan is a great lesson for Dems everywhere: when you have power…use it!

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

Text STOP to opt out of updates on war plans.

Decision time: keep arguing about the last election, or try to win the next one?

The “burn-it-down” people are good with that until they become part of the kindling.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Someone should tell Republicans that violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, or possibly the first.

Be a wild strawberry.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Insiders who complain to politico: please report to the white house office of shut the fuck up.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

I like political parties that aren’t owned by foreign adversaries.

You are here: Home / Politics / America / 2018 State of the Uniom Live Stream

Reader Interactions

401Comments

  2. 2.

    mai naem mobile

    Maybe not watch it Adam? Thats what I am doing anyhow. Not giving ratings to Orange Douchebag.

  3. 3.

    LanceThruster

    Will rely on analysis afterward. About to watch Jimmy Dore go live. Looking forward to rebuttals by Bernie, Maxine Waters, and even Joe Kennedy the Nth.

  5. 5.

    Corner Stone

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I wonder why Ivanka is wearing a farmhouse kitchen tablecloth as a dress for tonight.

  6. 6.

    divF

    I’m going down to the Y, getting on a treadmill, and watching the first half of the Warriors-Jazz game while getting my work in. I’ll look here to find out what happened when I get back.

  10. 10.

    GregB

    Taking a page from the nuclear apocalypse themed novel Alas Babylon, the agriculture secretery is the designated survivor.

  11. 11.

    Corner Stone

    @eric:

    There is not enough monkey in the world to pay me to watch the spate of the uniom.

    I think this may say more about you…

  15. 15.

    BruceFromOhio

    Drinking a bourbon to toast the edge of civilization and wondering what a Uniom is, and what state it resides in.

    Then reading for a bit before clocking out.

  19. 19.

    PIGL

    I am just making a nice omelette, which I will enjoy with a drop of chilled Greene Chartreuse, while not watching the spectacle, but praying fervently for divine intervention of the kind most unmistakable and definitive.

  20. 20.

    NotMax

    The state of the union is about to immeasurably improve. I quit.”

    (One can dream, can’t one?)

  26. 26.

    PhoenixRising

    @Corner Stone:

    You know what to do in the comments.

    I am a little too old to literally poop myself.

    Or maybe not quite old enough. G-d wiling, you’ll get there.

  29. 29.

    Ladyraxterinok

    @Fair Economist: Amen! And so say we all Amen. ‘From the tops of our heads to the toes of our feet!’*

    * frequent close of prayer in Pentecostal churches

  30. 30.

    mai naem mobile

    Are Putins strings well hidden behind Dolt45 or have Dolt’s idiots done yet another shitty job with staging and the strings are clearly visible?

  35. 35.

    mai naem mobile

    Who’s the cabinet guy not there? Mattis I hope. All the others are awfuller. Hope it’s not Scotty Boy Pruitt,Betsy Devos or Keebler Elf.

  39. 39.

    PIGL

    @BruceFromOhio: Not the meteor. I was thinking of something a bit more specific, more lingery. Something also that would make better TV. Say a plague of boils, and swarms of Manchurian giant hornets…all with very hard feelings about anything Republican.

  42. 42.

    Adam L Silverman

    Just remember that every time the President has to give a teleprompter speech he has a twitter meltdown and/or an off the cuff media availability meltdown within 24 to 48 hours.

  48. 48.

    Baud

    CNN is on it.

    Melania Trump set to emerge publicly for the first time since porn star Stormy Daniels report

  49. 49.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    I want an emotional support scorpion for this. But I’ll settle for an emu. Or a peacock.

  53. 53.

    El Caganer

    Commentary by David Fucking Brooks? Talking about Donald Trump? No, thank you – there’s some hot clown-on-reptile porn that’s dying for my attention.

  59. 59.

    rk

    Watch Donald Trump give a speech? No thank you. I’ve never watched even Obama give one. I’m not about to begin watching this joker. I hope he keels over and drops dead! That would be the best thing to happen to the union.

  64. 64.

    Adam L Silverman

    He’s slurring his speech again. Apparently RADM Jackson gave him to much sudafed again.

  66. 66.

    Corner Stone

    With my beautiful wife Melania, who she has been grudge fucking for a week or so since the pr0n payoff news came out.

  71. 71.

    Mary G

    Clear vision. Righteous mission. Extraordinary success. Dems mostly in dark clothes sitting on their hands. Melania has a lady Coast Guard with her who saved people in Houston. Guess what? She’s white. So is the California fire fighter.

  72. 72.

    Steve in the ATL

    I’m at the printer getting copies of my 80-page offer of settlement. The down side of getting a deal in on the contract is I will leave California and go back to my red state. On the plus side, I won’t have to see these particular union thugs for a long time. By which I mean three weeks, when we start bargaining another contract.

    The good news is I am totally missing what I assume is a verbal tire fire.

  74. 74.

    JWR

    He’s already giving kudos to various attendees? Isn’t that usually done near the wind down? (We can only hope!)

    But damn, his seal-clapping is drowning everything out.

    ETA: And yes, his snuffling, too. ;-(

  75. 75.

    mai naem mobile

    @Corner Stone: they have an IV line in his right arm hiding under his suit shooting the cocaine straight into his blood. He’s going to be doing massive sniffing.

  78. 78.

    Matt McIrvin

    @rk: Obama’s were actually worth watching. He was just about the only major politician who didn’t give me embarrassment-cringe when he spoke.

  79. 79.

    Steeplejack

    @Corner Stone:

    Major sniffing.

    I’m already a couple of minutes behind on the DVR. Had to make myself an industrial-strength drink to get started. Think I’ll catch up as he calls out the heroes in the gallery and we pause for extended shmaltzy applause.

    Houston first-responder Ashley. Question (not to Ashley): Will Trump have a “hero” from the Puerto Rico fiasco?

  82. 82.

    mai naem mobile

    Is Melania wearing a sleeveless dress or is she wearing a ripoff of whatever Jackie Kennedy wore during a JFK Congressional address?

  84. 84.

    Steeplejack

    When Trump talks about love or uses the word beautiful—which he does a lot in his speeches—he gets this weird, oogly-googly tone in his voice that is thoroughly creepy.

  85. 85.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @BruceFromOhio:

    emotional support scorpion makes a great band name.

    Doesn’t it though?

    Also too:

    John Podhoretz‏Verified account
    @jpodhoretz

    couldn’t someone learn to mike this guy so we don’t hear the back breathing?

  86. 86.

    mai naem mobile

    @Mary G: the same Stevie Scalise who was all ready wit anti gay legislation even though the cop who saved his sorry white ass was gay? That Stevie Scalise?

  89. 89.

    Steeplejack

    Steve Scalise—there’s a real hero! Stood around doing nothing, got shot—partially because of his rabid Second Amendment fundamentalism—and had his ass saved by non-white officers.

  90. 90.

    Smedley Darlington Prunebanks (formerly Mumphrey, et Al.)

    Not watching the Spite of the Uniom speech. Not going to do it. Nobody can make me.

  94. 94.

    SiubhanDuinne

    AgSec Sonny Perdue is former Governor of Georgia. His first cousin David Perdue is Georgia’s junior senator. They are not related at all to the Perdue Chicken folks.

  96. 96.

    Steeplejack

    The clichés are piling up like snow under the eaves. Mountains climbed. Challenges met. Safe, strong and proud America being built.

  100. 100.

    hueyplong

    Y’all got stronger stomachs. I can barely stand to read the on-my-side commentary you put up about that fecal pile’s “speech.”

  106. 106.

    Steeplejack

    God, the Republicans are applauding and hooting after virtually every sentence. We may be here all night.

  111. 111.

    Mike J

    In January alone, 1,034 people attended an organizing academy held by the Washington state Democratic party. The state of our union is strong.

  113. 113.

    Steeplejack

    “Pension, 401K and college-fund accounts increasingly bigly.” Too bad fewer and fewer Americans have any of those.

  117. 117.

    JWR

    @Steeplejack:

    Will Trump have a “hero” from the Puerto Rico fiasco?

    Didn’t he already cover this in the first 30 seconds or so? And now, more shout-outs to people in attendance.

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    Trump says average middle-class taxpayer will see tax bill go down $2,000. Yee-fucking-haw. That’s $167 a month. Have a nice couple of dinners at Olive Garden and tip the babysitter generously.

  129. 129.

    Steeplejack

    Uh-oh. These hero small business owners hired a Negro. Don’t know how that will go over with the base.

  132. 132.

    JWR

    I really like the visual of Democrats largely remaining seated. (Jeebus! “SOTU! Now with even MORE shout-outs!)”

  133. 133.

    Steeplejack

    I’d like to know how in the hell Apple is going to hire 20,000 more people in this country. Aren’t they basically an idea lab and branding company now? Or are we going to have factories with nets on the outside to catch suicidal workers?

  140. 140.

    Steeplejack

    God, Trump talking about us as “one American family” makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

  147. 147.

    Steeplejack

    Oh, shit. Trump forcefully says, “The motto of America is ‘In God we trust.'” Behind him, Ryan does one of those baseball-player “I just hit a home run” looks to the sky, points his finger up and mouths “Amen.”

    Suddenly I don’t think I have enough liquor in the house.

  151. 151.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    And I never banged Stormy Daniels. Could of. Probably should of. Look at the cans on that one. Believe me! Believe me! Did I mention I have been great for women? Broads – what ya gonna do – amirite!

    State of the Boobies

  152. 152.

    Steeplejack

    Trump starts a sentence with “Our police, our military . . .” and the Rethugs are clapping before he gets another word out.

    ETA: Oh, they need our support. Another standing ovation.

  153. 153.

    raven

    This dude was a journalism professor at Georgia and I invite you to read this hilarious obit. At the end he urges people buy a young person a subscription to the NYT so if you don’t like it don’t read it and then go fuck yourself.

    My name is Barry Hollander, of Athens, Georgia. I died on January 30, 2018 due to complications related to thyroid cancer at the age of 59. Yes, I wrote my own obituary in advance. No one who knows me is surprised.

    Send flowers if you like, as Edith loves them, but in my memory raise a good glass of bourbon or single-malt whisky. In my memory, tell stories about me, especially the ones that make me sound like an idiot. In my memory, buy a young person a subscription to a good news source like The New York Times. And in my memory, watch out for Edith, the love of my life. I never deserved someone as good as her, and she doesn’t deserve this.

  160. 160.

    hedgehog mobile

    Watching Drunk History with a cider. May break out the bourbon for Colbert’s show.

  163. 163.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Aleta:
    More importantly, what’s the point of clean coal if pollution and climate change is just “politicized science”?

  168. 168.

    Steeplejack

    Jesus, “giving veterans choice in their health-care decisions” is a stopper applause line?

  170. 170.

    Matt McIrvin

    @Aleta: To be perfectly fair: Obama touted “clean coal” when he was campaigning in ’08. He seems to have wised up later.

  173. 173.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Cheryl Rofer:
    From what I’m reading, the GOP is lapping it up and think he’s doing great. Truly a cult they are.

  179. 179.

    Raoul

    “Our police, our military … need our support.” Our FBI needs to be run through a shredder and then pissed on repeatedly.

    Yeah, don’t expect Republicans/Trump to make sense.

  182. 182.

    Steeplejack

    “We can get Motor City revving its engine again. And that’s what happening.” Whut?

  185. 185.

    Steeplejack

    Okay, skipping ahead four minutes to get live. Someone can fill me in later on how we improved the FDA.

  188. 188.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @raven: That’s lovely. He was clearly a wonderful man. Edith must miss him horribly.

  189. 189.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    One could almost say, that his mouth is writing checks that his ass can’t cash, a phrase that has fallen out of favor around here.

  193. 193.

    Steeplejack

    Uh-oh: $1.5 trillion infrastucture initiative. Every federal dollar should be leveraged with state and local and, “where appropriate,” with private investment. Any bill must also streamline the approval process.

    “We will build gleaming new roads.” That doesn’t sound safe.

  194. 194.

    Adam L Silverman

    So much for never forsaking Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands:

  196. 196.

    The Thin Black Duke

    And the rest of the civilized world is laughing at us. Putin’s bitch is doing a great job.

  199. 199.

    Steeplejack

    “Let’s support working families by supporting paid family leave.” I can’t believe the Rethugs are applauding this!

  202. 202.

    Gretchen

    @Corner Stone: I’ll have you know that Oscar de la Renta designed that farmhouse tablecloth that Ivanka was wearing. It still looks like a tablecloth from a not-very-prosperous farmhouse. It’s amazing that she can spend thousands of dollars on a dress and still look tacky.

  203. 203.

    Steeplejack

    “Reforming our prisons to help inmates who have served their time get a second chance at life.” Standing ovation?! Okay, he’s just trolling the Democrats now.

  204. 204.

    Spanky

    Not watching. Not gonna. Are we bombing North Korea yet?

    I half expect the Trump version of “Hallelujah, hallelujah, the missiles are (sniff) flying.”

  205. 205.

    Steeplejack

    Okay, back to the red meat. Parents in the gallery whose kids were murdered by MS-13. Weeping on cue.

  208. 208.

    Bill Arnold

    Did he say that ex-cons will be getting the right to vote? Seriously, what is the proposal here re ex-cons?

  210. 210.

    Steeplejack

    Extended applause to honor these parents. But the Republicans in Congress won’t do a goddamn thing.

    Also, unknown loud-clapping person, step the fuck away from the live-feed microphone.

  211. 211.

    TriassicSands

    I just tuned in and Trump’s facial expressions and body language remind me so much of Mussolinie.

    Il Duce and Ill Douche. What a pair.

    I can’t watch or listen to much of this without getting sick. Over the years, the SOTU has morphed into a joke — nearly every line is an applause line. When the speaker is the greatest liar in American political history nothing he says can be taken seriously. And when his party is the most corrupt and incompetent in our history, the applause is meaningless.

  212. 212.

    Cheryl Rofer

    SOTUs are at least partly wish lists. But usually a president will say “And I will send a bill to Congress outlining…” None of that. Just a wish list. One of his campaign speeches barely cleaned up.

    Now a two minutes’ hate toward MS-13.

  216. 216.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @Adam L Silverman:
    Please, United Nations, please sanction us for this human rights violation. We deserve it.

    The climate we’re in right now is not sustainable. You can’t govern a country like this for long, where 2/3 of the populace hate your guts and want a political party gone, yet stubbornly hang onto power. This limbo we’re in where we pretend this is a democracy is already straining. Just declare martial law and be done with it or go home. The Republicans don’t get to have it both ways.

    The rest of the world will not simply bend to their will. There is a limit to what a single nation can do and they are pissing away 70 years of goodwill for nothing. Does Paul Ryan really think the United States is still going to be on top after all this?

  217. 217.

    Steeplejack

    “Close the deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13 to come into our country.” Here we go.

  219. 219.

    SFAW

    @magurakurin:

    Jem’Hadar Cadet Bone Spurs

    As we used to say in college, fuck THAT shit. The Jem’Hadar were highly competent, and had a moral (albeit harsh) code.
    Shitgibbon would fuck over anyone and anything, if he thought it would improve his grift by the eensiest amount, and has yet to (intentionally) tell the truth since he started his campaign.

  225. 225.

    Adam L Silverman

    And he just redefined Dreamers from the people covered under the DACA EO to Americans, who are Dreamers too.

  229. 229.

    Steeplejack

    Uh-oh, honoring an ICE agent in the gallery. Can’t wait to hear this back-story.

    “His team has arrested more than 400, including more than 200 gang members.” Wonder if that includes the schoolkids and 7-Eleven clerks recently rounded up.

  233. 233.

    TriassicSands

    “…race, religion, and creed…”

    Someone should tell Bozo that religion and creed are the same thing.

  237. 237.

    magurakurin

    @SFAW:

    A Ferengi then?

    Not sure if this is okay to say or not, but Deep Space Nine is way, way better than Next Generation.

  240. 240.

    Steeplejack

    Can I just say as an aside that a 10- or 12-year “path to citizenship” is bullshit? These Dreamers have been vetted so much that they probably should be granted summary citizenship tomorrow in any sane world.

  241. 241.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    @magurakurin: you mean you just don’t show up and vote? You have to register first? I thought there was no assigned seating.

  242. 242.

    SFAW

    @Steeplejack:

    “Close the deadly loopholes that have allowed …

    … Scottish women to come (illegally) to the USA to give birth to moran anchor babies, offspring of a second-generation German undesirable — Bavaria didn’t send us their best! — who was a beneficiary of chain migration. No more, I say — NO MORE!! Wait, what? ”

    At least, I think it was Bavaria.

  251. 251.

    ? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?

    @magurakurin:
    I can vouch for that too. Currently in the beginning of the last season. Really liked how they fleshed out a bunch of alien races, unlike TNG. As much as I liked it, little from TNG can compare to “It’s Only a Paper Moon”.

  253. 253.

    Chris

    @Steeplejack:

    MS-13 was born in our country. We’re the ones who exported it to Central America, not the other way around.

    ETA: damn it, Adam beat me to it.

  254. 254.

    Mary G

    Orwell has got to be spinning in his grave. “We will protect the nuclear family by ending chain migration.”

  256. 256.

    Steeplejack

    “Merit-based immigration system.”

    Various commenters around the Interwebs have begun to study how many of these members of Congress have immigrants in their own family woodpiles. Chained migration! Did you know that Joe Arpaio was an anchor baby?

  258. 258.

    SFAW

    @hueyplong:

    Cut the guy some slack. When he claps, he’s hitting a very small target.

    Excellent point.
    But not as small as if he tried to punch himself in the dick, however.

  261. 261.

    Steeplejack

    “My pledge: to sign a[n immigration] bill that puts America first.” What the hell does that even mean?

  263. 263.

    Corner Stone

    “Four Pillars”.
    That sounds like a call back to some book Bannon or Stephen Miller falls asleep to each night.

  264. 264.

    magurakurin

    @SFAW: Don’t you just know that he hates Jared intensely…I mean Jared got his precious Ivanka to convert. The things he must think about Jared are no doubt odious. There is no way he is okay with their Judaism. No way at all.

  266. 266.

    Steeplejack

    Opioids. “We must get much tougher on drug dealers and pushers.” Yeah, that’ll solve it. God, this is 1980s Law and Order.

  267. 267.

    Alternative Fax, a hip hop artist from Idaho

    @Cheryl Rofer: And as Fallows noted on twitter, that’s not accidental at all.

    Imma go try to find an emotional support scorpion after all.

  269. 269.

    Adam L Silverman

    It would be much easier to believe his seriousness regarding opioid addiction if the Office of Drug Control Policy wasn’t being run by a 24 year old who was fired from his menial job at a law firm for failing to show up for work.

  270. 270.

    Steeplejack

    Biggest challenges bring out the best in Americans. Yeah, no. But let’s have the illustrative story of the Albuquerque policeman in the gallery. I can’t wait.

  274. 274.

    SFAW

    @magurakurin:

    See, I’m torn on the Jared question: does Shitgibbon hate him because he’s Jewish? Or because Jared (theoretically) gets to schtupp Ivanka regularly?

    All of ’em, Katie?

  275. 275.

    Steeplejack

    Oh, this is the guy sitting next to Melania. I though he was her studmuffin.

    He and his wife apparently adopted a drug user’s infant, although Trump bungled the story so that it’s not quite clear.

  279. 279.

    Steeplejack

    Dump the sequester and “fully fund our great military.” Why didn’t anyone else think of that?

  285. 285.

    Steeplejack

    Did you know we have reclaimed “almost 100%” of the land held until recently by ISIS? Yeah, we have. “But there is much more work to be done.” Oh, Christ, and another thematically related hero in the gallery.

  288. 288.

    JWR

    And who’s the shouty GOPer, the one who beats the applause by shouting “Yeah!” before it kicks in?

  289. 289.

    Corner Stone

    So there’s no actual policy agenda here besides spending $1.5T on infrastructure and name checking first responders and military heroes.

  294. 294.

    magurakurin

    @Steeplejack: small quibble…Law and Order is a 90’s show…scary, I know. Seems like it should be older…but then I realize it’s me who’s older. I love watching how the telephones slowly change in the seasons of that show as the cell phones rapidly became adopted. The first season has Logan looking for pay phones to make calls…in 1990

  295. 295.

    Steeplejack

    “Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy combatants.” And? But a major applause line. WTF.

  296. 296.

    Steeplejack

    “In the past we have foolishly released hundreds and hundreds of dangerous terrorists, only to meet them again on the battlefield.”

  300. 300.

    Gravenstone

    @Steeplejack: “Veterans” is a magic totem for Republicans. Until they become inconvenient, demanding healthcare and housing and food and shit. Then they’re just another freeloader.

  304. 304.

    Steeplejack

    “Our warriors in Afghanistan have new rules of engagement.” Can we just have soldiers, not “warriors”?

  305. 305.

    magurakurin

    @Mary G: well, duh. That’s how were gonna make more nuclear families. Like that one mutant guy in the first season of Heroes…many more like that.

  308. 308.

    JWR

    Yeah, it’s time to take the gloves off, just like Bush the Smaller and Tony Blair did 16+ years ago. (‘Cause it worked so well the last time.)

  310. 310.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Steeplejack: Actually as the guy who did the terrorism and recidivism briefing for SOCOM’s Operations Directorate back in 2009, I can unequivocally say this is not true.

  316. 316.

    Cheryl Rofer

    I am getting to the point where my brain can no longer track his words. The bizarre intonation, the repetitiousness, the need for groups of three, groups of three, groups of three, the favorite words (great, beautiful will be banned from presidential speeches in the future), the total lack of theme. It’s so much work to track.

    Just now, for example: The JCPOA is the worst deal in the world, but Venezuela is worse, and North Korea is worse than that.

  319. 319.

    Steeplejack

    I’m back. “Mistakes of past administrations that got us in this dangerous position.” Let me guess—Korea?

    ETA: Nailed it.

  321. 321.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cheryl Rofer: Normally it is Chinese officials who do the groups of three patterns in their official speeches. Then within the groups of three, they like to break things down into reciprocal/relational pairs.

  322. 322.

    Corner Stone

    @psycholinguist: He’s pausing at strange points. I thought he was going to stop before announcing the family there for a second. That was almost two seconds before he continued.

  323. 323.

    Steeplejack

    God, parents of the American kid held prisoner in North Korea who later died are in the gallery. Again, weeping. Maybe not on cue, but why in the fuck put yourself through this?!

  324. 324.

    JWR

    Love to see a breakdown of this “speech”, highlighting how much of it was dedicated to policy, vs. how much to congratulating audience members.

  326. 326.

    Neldob

    He is so cruel how he has displayed grieving parents and families. What an unbelievably sickening spectacle.

  327. 327.

    Steeplejack

    Okay, this story about the North Korean urchin (grown up now, in the gallery, of course) sounds like complete bullshit. He “endured multiple amputations.” That should be a small integer number, right?

  329. 329.

    Soprano2

    Can doctors grow new legs for people now? I’d have thought we’d know about that if it were true.

  335. 335.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cheryl Rofer: Usually it is. Because they’re very, very good at being patronizing and insulting while making it sound like they’re being complimentary and welcoming.

  336. 336.

    Steeplejack

    Oh, fuck. Rethugs breaking out into rhythmic clapping and “USA! USA! USA!” This is a complete farce.

  338. 338.

    Mike in DC

    @Corner Stone: “The battle with the guards…was magnificent. Your…skill…is…extraordinary. And…I was going to ask you…to join us.” Shih Kien memorized all his English dialogue in Enter the Dragon phonetically, because he spoke no English.

  342. 342.

    Adam L Silverman

    The GOP Congressman and Senators are actually screaming USA! USA!

    What is this a pro wrestling match with Hacksaw Jim Duggan?

  343. 343.

    Bill Arnold

    Love to see a breakdown of this “speech”, highlighting how much of it was dedicated to policy, vs. how much to congratulating audience members.

    Feels about 80 percent praise of audience members and Real Americans to make malignant points (many of which are wingnut talking points or Trump campaign talking points), 15 percent praise of himself, and 5 percent policy. I haven’t heard a single coherent policy proposal, just a few promises, but wasn’t paying full attention. The North Korea bit about how previous presidents failed was very scary to hear out loud.

  344. 344.

    Steeplejack

    All of these police, military and first responders that Trump is rhapsodizing about are government employees. How does he square this circle? Never mind. Question never comes up.

  348. 348.

    Aleta

    Just doin’ the lord’s work giving the Religious right the go ahead to lift up all these people in churchly prayer.

  349. 349.

    Anne Laurie

    @Steeplejack:

    Some stylish guy in a suit next to the hero is chewing gum.

    Nicorette, maybe?

    Goddess knows I’d need something to get me through this without causing a scene, and the Capital screeners don’t permit flasks…

  351. 351.

    Steeplejack

    Okay, if a bomb went off in the chamber—just blue-skyin’ here—yeah, we’d lose some Democrats, but, silver lining, that would open up the field for the young leadership we’ve been wanting in the party. Just sayin’.

  353. 353.

    Corner Stone

    @Bill Arnold:

    I haven’t heard a single coherent policy proposal

    It wasn’t actually coherent, but the only policy he actually put it out there was $1.5T for infrastructure. The immigration stuff wasn’t actual policy goals.

  354. 354.

    Steeplejack

    And we’re done. I am spent. Will now go back and actually read the thread. [Slurps drink.]

  355. 355.

    Gravenstone

    @Adam L Silverman: Question is, who stage managed that? My money is one of the Kings, they’re about that dense. Although some Freedumb Caucus back bencher looking for their moment in the spotlight also applies.

  356. 356.

    Anne Laurie

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Actually as the guy who did the terrorism and recidivism briefing for SOCOM’s Operations Directorate back in 2009, I can unequivocally say this is not true.

    What, you expect Trump’s Troops to be able to tell all those brown people apart?

  362. 362.

    El Caganer

    I gotta stand up and admit I’m in awe: he has succeeded in turning the State of the Union address to Congress into one of his MAGA rallies full of braying pinheads. Is there anything this man can’t do?

  364. 364.

    Another Scott

    @Corner Stone: I didn’t watch the speech.

    Repost from a few days ago. RollCall:

    Trump Adviser Says Infrastructure Push Won’t Have New Revenue
    Amtrak, transit programs will be cut instead, he says

    Posted Jan 25, 2018 5:24 PM

    Jacob Fischler @fischlerCQ

    The White House says it will not include any new revenue sources to finance its plan for about $200 billion in infrastructure spending. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call file photo)

    White House infrastructure adviser DJ Gribbin told a gathering of the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday that the Trump administration’s upcoming infrastructure proposal will not include any new revenue to pay for $200 billion of new federal spending.

    The White House’s proposal, to be released one to two weeks after the Jan. 30 State of the Union address, would be paid for with money from existing transportation programs, Gribbin said, adding that existing formula funding for major programs would not be touched. He later clarified that certain federal transportation money, including for Amtrak and transit programs, would be cut to pay for the program.

    “There are reductions, as you know in last year’s budget, when it comes to Amtrak, when it comes to transit, when it comes to a number of programs,” he said. “We will propose repurposing those dollars. What we’re not proposing is, you know, eliminating the Highway Trust Fund or eliminating state revolving funds. So the major delivery mechanisms for funding infrastructure should remain in place. We do want to repurpose some dollars.”

    […]

    It’s a scam. Of course.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  368. 368.

    Adam L Silverman

    I just put up a fresh thread for the official Democratic responses by VA Delegate Guzman and Congressman Kennedy.

  373. 373.

    Mike in DC

    Fuck, that was a terrible speech. Terrible on substance, terrible as written, terrible delivery.

  377. 377.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Corner Stone: He mentioned her in his greeting at the beginning of his speech between the congressional leadership and the American people. Referred to her as the First Lady, not by name.

  378. 378.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    So has it been called “Presidental” yet?

    I am so disappointed no Trump call out to Stormy Daniels or the Gorilla Channel.

  382. 382.

    Bill Arnold

    @Bill Arnold:
    I forgot about the scaremongering about MS-13 and North Korea.
    Revised estimate: 70 percent praise of audience members and Real Americans to make malignant points (many of which are wingnut talking points or Trump campaign talking points), 15 percent praise of himself, 10 percent scaremongering, and 5 percent policy.

  383. 383.

    burnspbesq

    @Jonny Scrum-half:

    but scoffing at an extra $2000/year isn’t how we’re going to win.

    Making sure that people know that number is a fucking lie is how we’re going to win.

    At least make some effort to stay in touch with reality,

  384. 384.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Enhanced Voting Techniques: Here you go:

  388. 388.

    David ??Merry Christmas?? Koch

    Wilmer is on youtube right now, struggling with the teleprompter and denouncing “Huggies”

  389. 389.

    J R in WV

    Well, I’ve been watching and listening to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concertos, now on the Third, Opus 30, played by Anna Fedorova at the Concertgebow in the Netherlands.Young woman, attractive, killing it on a giant Steinway & Sons piano.

    I watched and listened to about 45 seconds of Drumpf’s missive, I caught the part where he promised that he would have a bill to Congress to stop paying foreign aid to countries who are Not Our Friends, that we gave away 60 Billion dollars to countries that voted against us in the UN, and THAT WAS GOING TO STOP!!!

    I also saw where the Korean expert who had been expected to take the position of ambassador to South Korea got fired for disapproving of starting a war on the Korean peninsula, before even being officially appointed.

    I stopped there, and I expect that since I was watching a broadcast via an antenna up on the ridge I won’t affect his ratings at all. Back to Ms Fedorova’s most excellent piano playing.

  392. 392.

    Steeplejack

    @WaterGirl:

    No. I was tempted, but I’m trying to cut down on my network TV viewing. And Kiefer Sutherland burned me bad on the interminable later 24 seasons.

  395. 395.

    Steeplejack

    @debbie:

    Thank you. As a shoe-leather newspaper reporter back in the day I sat through many an awful speech. Being able to do it at home with liquor and no pants is a walk in the park.

  401. 401.

    LanceThruster

    @Amir Khalid:

    Don’t watch that much TYT but know I agree with Jimmy on most things. His critiques of both the Kennedy and Bernie rebuttal was spot on. He called Bernie out for his Russiagate claims and war votes. The Bernie Bro dig is a bit tired.

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