Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.

Fear and negativity are contagious, but so is courage!

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

Everything is totally normal and fine!!!

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

I would try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Speaking of republicans, is there a way for a political party to declare intellectual bankruptcy?

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

“Perhaps I should have considered other options.” (head-desk)

Weird. Rome has an American Pope and America has a Russian President.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

The way to stop violence is to stop manufacturing the hatred that fuels it.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Watching the State of the Confederacy Speech…

Reader Interactions

125Comments

  4. 4.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Zam:
    In general I agree, but Jindal as a piece of unintentional performance art. I’m glad I caught that one.

  6. 6.

    Brian J

    If I don’t turn off the television and computer now, I will be up until 2:00 AM yet again. So let me say, it was a good speech. From the looks of it, he fired up a lot of people. Although I worry that Brad DeLong is on to something when he worries about the big turn as far as deficit spending goes, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. My guess is, it’s politics and little else, and if they can handle the messaging, they will be fine. Now we need to get some job creation and legitimate spending control that takes place once unemployment is below, and I’ll be very happy. Also, PASS. THE. DAMN. BILL.

    Oh yes, Axelrod on MSNBC: They say they can stop everything the president does with the 41st vote, but the president reminded them that they have a responsibility to govern. A responsibility to govern? Please, please remind them of this as much as possible. Call them out for being children. Pretty please?

  8. 8.

    scarshapedstar

    Favorite moments:

    Alito shaking his head and muttering what looked like profanities.

    Chuck Grassley’s herpes.

    Michelle looking extremely pissed for whatever reason.

    Obama mentioning 60 votes but not using the word “filibuster”.

    And, of course, the entirety of the vapid, platitudinous Republican response. Hey, everybody clapped for that guy, and only half of them clapped for Obama! GOP Daddies: their dicks are bigger!

  9. 9.

    camchuck

    Republican meme watch:
    Drudge leading with “What is she up to? Hillary skips SOTU”.
    Also, DADT, “I don’t quit”, Dem anger goes public, speech lengths of other POTUS…

  11. 11.

    SiubhanDuinne

    David Axelrod is on with Keith. David Axelrod’s *eyebrows* have more verve than the Republicans in the chamber tonight.

  12. 12.

    Travis

    What a unique atmosphere. Strangely cult-like. But at least I learned that “we all know” that one that health care doesn’t need is to be “turned over to the federal government.”

    I get that for various reasons, conservatives are going to oppose HCR. And they’ve been saying some pretty insane things in their opposition, from the leadership down to the loneliest little teabagger.

    But calling the Senate bill a “gov’t takeover” has got to be the biggest lie going right now, no?

  13. 13.

    Tomlinson

    Obama mentioning 60 votes but not using the word “filibuster”.

    Yep, they are clearly going to reframe away from “filibuster” to “minority rule”.

  15. 15.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    McDonnell wasn’t as good as Jindal vs. The Volcano but it was cool to see him return to his Republican roots after a campaign in which he ran as the heir to Warner and Kaine.

  16. 16.

    mai naem

    I just can not get up to praising Obama anymore. The Republicans are total dickhead assholes but Obama has been such an utter disappointment on healthcare I was yelling back at the teevee screen during his speech. Tax cuts blah blah capital gains tax cuts blah blah spending freeze blah blah blah I made mistakes blah blah don’t punish the bankers blah blah. Really asshole? Don’t punish bankers. Go fuck yourself.

  17. 17.

    jcricket

    If the Dems take Obama at his word and start acting like the majority they are – the public will respond, and Obama’s speech will be remembered as a great turning point in his presidency. Note this also requires more “action” from Obama to back up his words. This can be behind the scenes, but it still needs to happen – no more waiting for Congress to “do the right thing.

    Or it can be more empty words, and the Dems and Obama go down together. Obama will be remembered as a great speechifier who failed to rally his party. And the Dems will, once again, snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, dooming the American public to more years of racist, xenophobic, anti-environment, homophobic and corporate/rich-person loving rule from our GOP overlords.

    Your call Democrats.

  18. 18.

    JenJen

    Weird optics in the GOP response; McDonnell looked puny in the VA Statehouse compared to what we’d just watched, and you couldn’t help but make the comparison because it was almost as if the GOP wanted you do. It was damned awful and so I can’t help but wonder who came up with it. And McDonnell himself? Zzzzzzzz.

    Someone from fivethirtyeight.com tweeted tonight, “Is the State of the Union response jinx the new Sports Illustrated cover jinx?”

    Seems about right.

  22. 22.

    Tomlinson

    I missed the speech. Who got thrown under the bus?

    Republicans, Democrats, The Supreme Court, The Media, Bankers, Fat cat executives, health insurance companies.

    Probably a few more groups that I’ve missed.

  23. 23.

    inkadu

    @scarshapedstar: I saw an interview between the Obamas, and something is not right with that marriage.

    I’m guessing Michelle hates the First Lady bullshit, being quite an accomplished woman in her own right, and Obama is a bit insecure about it… but that was a really serious frown. It took Michelle about five seconds before she realized she was on national TV and should probably acknowledge the applause before going back to scowling.

    Should they break up? I’d love it if they could. I hate the idiocy of forcing politicians into having miserable private lives.

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @arguingwithsignposts:

    I agree. What Tweety said was at least as racist and probably a lot more (if not quite as vulgar) as Don Imus’ “nappy-headed hos” or whatever he said that got him canned from MSNBC and opened up that time slot for Morning Bad Joke.

    Tweety is just horrible. I don’t care if he and I agree on every policy issue in the world, the man should not have a public forum — in the MSM or in elected office. If he disappeared ::poof:: into thin air right now, I wouldn’t miss him for one second.

    I’m sure Smudge will support me in this.

  27. 27.

    Violet

    I’m watching CNN. Candy Crowley is sitting in front of the Presidential seal background and it looks like she’s got horns coming out of her head. ROFLMAO.

  30. 30.

    geg6

    I actually think this was just as bad as Jindal’s disaster. The visuals were just bizarre, but in the complete opposite way that Jindal’s were. Another guy with zero charisma, perhaps in a worse way than Jindal in that it’s just another holy roller, generic, white bread southern white male GOPer. Who needs public speaking lessons. Gawd, you almost feel sorry for these guys when they have to follow Obama. Especially an Obama who was so ON and kicking asses and taking names.

  31. 31.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    Soledad O’Brien prefaces a positive poll on the speech by reminding us that, of course, people who watch the speech favor the party of the president giving it.

    and I switch to see Olbermann still trying to concern-troll it.

  32. 32.

    JGabriel

    scarshapedstar:

    Alito shaking his head and muttering what looked like profanities.

    Ooh, I missed that one. Hope someone youtubes it.

    In any case, I think it may be time for Obama to resurrect a threat FDR made, back in the days when the SCOTUS was overturning all his progams: that he would add another two seats to the bench.

    Apparently there’s nothing in the Constitution that mandates a nine member bench.

    Of course, Obama will never do it. But it would be nice to see Roberts, Alito, and Scalia sweat.

    .

  34. 34.

    Violet

    @geg6:
    The setting and the cheering crowd were somewhat offputting. His speech and delivery were bland and forgettable. I don’t think he hurt himself in the same way that Jindal did, though. I think he was mostly just forgettable.

  36. 36.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @geg6:

    Has anyone mentioned the governor of the state packing the chamber with partisans? It’s not a scandal, maybe, but it’s so fucking cheap. The whole mini-SOTU, down to (I believe, I had the mute on) introducing the first lady ( a bit of shit I would like to see end. I won’t go as far as inkadu, but I hate the royal trappings of our presidency)

  40. 40.

    cbear

    How in the fuck is it legal for the repigs to commandeer the Virginia Statehouse for a canned political event without any opposition present?
    WTF.

  44. 44.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    aaaaaaahhhhhhh! CNN’s “best political team on television” includes Erik Erikson. Jesus wept, they’re still chasing fox viewers. Is he the “how odd it must be to be the brilliant George W Bush” guy, or was that someone else?

  46. 46.

    JGabriel

    Max:

    Glenzilla’s on it.

    Really? I’ll have to look it up.

    I want to say something like “Great minds think alike” but the Citizens United decision was so egregious that I’m sure many people jumped to the same idea of expanding the bench.

    .

  47. 47.

    Martin

    Holy hell, Erick the Erick is on a panel on CNN? What producer thought that was a good idea? Why did Erick think that was a good idea?

  49. 49.

    tam1MI

    Someone from fivethirtyeight.com tweeted tonight, “Is the State of the Union response jinx the new Sports Illustrated cover jinx?”

    Jim Webb seemed to survive it quite well.

  54. 54.

    Yutsano

    There are some nights I’m glad I get stuck at work and don’t get to watch these things. This is not one of those nights. I may have to watch when I get home tonight, especially the response. I remember how laughingly awful Jindal was, any The Office characters we can compare McDonnell to?

  55. 55.

    Cain

    @mai naem: <blockquoteI just can not get up to praising Obama anymore. The Republicans are total dickhead assholes but Obama has been such an utter disappointment on healthcare I was yelling back at the teevee screen during his speech. Tax cuts blah blah capital gains tax cuts blah blah spending freeze blah blah blah I made mistakes blah blah don’t punish the bankers blah blah. Really asshole? Don’t punish bankers. Go fuck yourself.

    Ask yourself this, if you were president what would you do to get the Senate to pass a reasonable healthcare bill? The bullpulpit can only go so much. But really it is no substitute for you and everyone else to call your representative to call them. I think you want Obama to solve your problems, but unfortunately we all have to work for it.

    Call them. Call them everyday if it is important to you. Representing you, it is their goddam jobs.

    For me, Obama did what I wanted him to do on this speech, call out all those fuckers. He is as frustrated as you are. He called them out public ally. You should be happy about that

    If you want healthcare, get off your ass and start calling. THERE. IS. NO. OTHER. OPTION.

    cain

  57. 57.

    Violet

    @Martin:
    She is one miserable-looking woman. That’s not a comment on her appearance, but on her attitude. She just looks like a mean, horrible person. Carville, otoh, seems like he’d be great fun to hang around.

  58. 58.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Ick. I just accidentally saw CNN for a second and some idiot guy was talking and I didn’t recognize him but he turned out to be Erick Erickson.

    This is why, as bad as they can be (and often are), I’ll take MSNBC over CNN pretty much any time.

  59. 59.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Violet: She sold her soul to Darth Cheney like Bellatrix LeStrange to Lord Voldemort. I remember when she could credibly present herself as a moderate Republican. An angry, soulless woman (based on my Fristian TeeVee watchin’ analysis)

  60. 60.

    cbear

    @Martin:
    Damn, how does James Carville not choke his wife to death when having sex?

    I dunno. Maybe she wears the wetsuits with the full facial hoods and he can’t get a good grip on her throat?

  62. 62.

    jenniebee

    Oh great, South bashing.

    You know, we produced some real dickheads (and what region hasn’t?) but we’ve also produced Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Patrick Henry, Fredrick Douglas, MLK, Medgar Evars, Harriet Tubman and Maggie Walker.

    Yes. Maggie Walker

    You can look it up.

    And without doubt a lot of people on that list would have rather not experienced the crucible that made them great, but they still were great and although they lived in opposition to the culture they were part of, they were still part of it, not anomalies outside of it. They shaped the culture we live in now, and they are ours to be proud of.

    McDonnell’s a real tool though. Can’t win ’em all.

  65. 65.

    Cain

    @jenniebee: <blockquoteOh great, South bashing.

    When there is great injustice that is where people who understand that injustice and are willing to fight for it come from.

    cain

  67. 67.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    aaaaaaahhhhhhh! CNN’s “best political team on television” includes Erik Erikson. Jesus wept, they’re still chasing fox viewers. Is he the “how odd it must be to be the brilliant George W Bush” guy, or was that someone else?

    No, that was Assrocket. Erick Ericksdottir is the “George W. Bush wasn’t conservative as a noun, he was conservative as a dangling participle.”

  69. 69.

    Comrade Luke

    Chris Matthews’ comment is a trending topic on twitter right now.

    So far this isn’t going away…

  70. 70.

    Delia

    I have decided that I really miss Bobby Jindal. In retrospect his Kenneth the Page imitation may have been totally off the wall, but at least it was original, memorable and unique. This McDonnell character is just another gooper clone with nothing to say who got a few stage directions from his speechwriter for when he had to say it.

  71. 71.

    TCG

    The State of the Confederacy is……. pretty strong.

    They found a whole bunch of people who are not white and really old to sit behind Gov Bob McDonnell while he gave his speech.

    Awesome.

  74. 74.

    MaximusNYC

    @jenniebee: Well said. I am half-southern (2 grandparents from Alabama), and spent a large part of my life there. It’s got its pathologies, but so does every place.

  75. 75.

    MaximusNYC

    1 thing: They need to make the podium mic less sensitive for Obama’s next SOTU. Every time he dropped his hands, you could hear the thump. Super-distracting.

  76. 76.

    Corner Stone

    @tam1MI:

    Jim Webb seemed to survive it quite well.

    Yeah. That lying sack of Quisling shit.
    “Mr. President. We will show him how to Lead, Follow, or get out of the way.”
    Then Webb was never heard from again til he fucked the D’s after the MA election of Brown.
    Fuck that ignoramus Webb.

  78. 78.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Corner Stone: Webb sent me a fundraising letter. I threw it away, pre-MA and his bed-wetting. I’m lying in wait for the next one, so I can put a letter where they’re expecting a check. Won’t do much good, but it’ll be therapeutic for me.

  79. 79.

    suzanne

    I know it’s a prejudice of mine, but the Republicans would sound s lot more credible if they would stop putting dudes with really languid Southern accents up there. Shit. Snoop Dogg sounds more presi-shizzle-dential than McDonnell or Jindal.

  80. 80.

    Lev

    @Corner Stone: To be fair, it’s not like Webb ever claimed himself to be a progressive champion. He’s a former Republican Pentagon official, for pete’s sake! He’s good on some things, not so good on others (and yes, his HCR idiocy is indefensible). But he’s going to hold that seat forever for the Democrats.

  81. 81.

    suzanne

    I know it’s a prejudice of mine, but the Republicans would sound a lot more credible if they would stop putting dudes with really languid Southern accents up there. Shit. Snoop Dogg sounds more presi-shizzle-dential than McDonnell or Jindal.

  84. 84.

    mai naem

    @Cain: What makes you think I haven’t called? Hell, I’ve been calling since last summer. I have called my reps. local and D.C. office several times(Mitchell), Chris Van Hollen’s(DCCC chair) office, Bob Menendez(DSCC chair), Left a message at the DNC,sent emails to the WH, called the WH, left voice mails for Pelosi, talked to Reid’s office a bunch of times, called Lieberprick’s office, Baucus’ office, Dodd’a office, Schumer’s office, McCain and Kyl(my a#hole senators), Conrad, Landrieu, Boxer(for her support of Lieberprick in 06), Sanders, Leahy(antitrust exemption), Rockefeller and a few others that I have forgotten. Is that enough calls for you? BTW most of these were made before it was fashionable to call. I expect nothing to be done and seriously, at this point I am satisfied to see Lieberprick’s head on a platter. Not asking for much there really.

  85. 85.

    Corner Stone

    @Lev:

    To be fair, it’s not like Webb ever claimed himself to be a progressive champion. He’s a former Republican Pentagon official, for pete’s sake! He’s good on some things, not so good on others (and yes, his HCR idiocy is indefensible). But he’s going to hold that seat forever for the Democrats

    Yes, I understand all that. Still think he’s a lying piece of shit who’s fucking hiding.
    IOW – regular politician.

  88. 88.

    Fax Paladin

    The name of the game is to look subliminally presidential. It worked for Shrub when he put up the blue oval not-the-White-House-Washington Texas Capitol sign in the old Supreme Court chamber to hold press conferences in front of, just like the president.

    For Jindal last year, and McDonnell this year… not so much.

  89. 89.

    KDP

    @camchuck: Uh, my first thought was ‘designated successor.’ You know, the person in succession who does not attend the SOTU and stays in an undisclosed location. Clicking through… I see. She’s in London dealing with the Yemen/Afghanistan talks.

  91. 91.

    inkadu

    @inkadu: I don’t know if this will make it worse, but let me amend my thoughts which kind of crashed together there. Half a bottle of pinot grigio.

    I wish politicians didn’t have to present themselves as idealized human beings, including perfect marriages… And I was thinking that a sitting president getting divorced and re-elected would be revolutionary in its own way.

    That’s all. I dont wish they would get divorced; I have no real idea what’s going on between them personally. But I also don’t really care. I’m not invested in them as a couple; I’m invested in him as a president. But, you know, I also don’t care that American Idol contestants have tourettes or children or lost their parents.

  92. 92.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    Ask yourself this, if you were president what would you do to get the Senate to pass a reasonable healthcare bill?

    There is a clear difference between what a president wants and what he only says he wants. Look at Obama pushing for Bernanke versus his indifference to health care reform.

  93. 93.

    Ana Gama

    @Corner Stone:

    Then Webb was never heard from again til he fucked the D’s after the MA election of Brown.

    Did you hear Webb whine (it was around xmas-ish) that the reason the Senate didn’t get HCR done sooner was because Obama never sent them a bill?

    Crazy fucker doesn’t know who the legislator is and who the executive is. Someone needs to send him a job description.

  94. 94.

    Cain

    @mai naem:

    @Cain: What makes you think I haven’t called? Hell, I’ve been calling since last summer. I have called my reps. local and D.C. office several times(Mitchell), Chris Van Hollen’s(DCCC chair) office, Bob Menendez(DSCC chair), Left a message at the

    I understand, and I’m glad you did it. It’s the only wayto get those guys to do what we want. Obama can do this part, and I thin he’s honestly trying but without us being the hammer to his anvil it’s not easy. I find that when there is a Democratic president the congress seems to be more independent than whene there is a Republican president who seems to be able to bully them by using right wing frames. You need to make them afraid of you. So keep calling. Nothing else is going to work.

    That’s what I’m doing.

    cain

  95. 95.

    cmorenc

    @jenniebee

    Oh great, South bashing. You know, we produced some real dickheads (and what region hasn’t?) but we’ve also produced Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Patrick Henry, Fredrick Douglas, MLK, Medgar Evars, Harriet Tubman and Maggie Walker.

    Yeah, but the ones who are politicians you include in your list were all dead over 150 years ago. That includes Patrick Henry, but we DO have modern-day U.S. Congressman named “Patrick McHenry” R-NC who’s sorta, well, kinda, well, not at all really within 10,000 light years of being anything like the original, but instead is is a strong candidate for the most insufferably arrogant, stupid twit among the entire GOP congressional delegation, and that takes into account some pretty stiff competition.

    Also, you failed to mention Bill Clinton (a bona fide southern politician, but…frankly for all his charm, not remotely in the Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe class.

    Yes, I’m from the south…North Carolina.

  96. 96.

    Mike in NC

    The State of the Confederacy is……. pretty strong.

    Over in SC, one of the Satanic offspring of shitbag dead Senator Strom Thurmond is contemplating a run for the US House of Reprehensibles, which should surprise maybe nobody…

  98. 98.

    Luthe

    You know, I was wondering why BJ has been depressing me over the last few days and I’ve finally figured out why. It’s not the fact that Fearless Leader is laid up or that we’ve had a week of sucky political news. It’s the lack of pet pics.

    I mean, we’ve have what, two weeks with nary a picture of Tunch or Lily? Dennis G. did put up a picture of his dog, but that’s not really enough to tide us over.

    I DEMAND CUTE ANIMAL PICTURES! AND A PONY! /firebagger

  99. 99.

    keestadoll

    Sorry to part with the lion’s share in here, but I found the woodshedding of SCOTUS wholly inappropriate. The President expressed his disappointment with the SCOTUS ruling many days ago and did it well and without mincing words. (And I wholly agree; this was a horrible ruling). He also expressed his want to undo some of the damage of this ruling via legislation. Ok. Good. Done. I know I’m going to get kneecapped for this, but there is such a thing as decorum and you cannot in one breath express “due respect for the separation of powers” then come down from on high and bitch-slap the high court who are (duty) bound not to get involved in SOTU theatrics. Yes, yes, Alito mouthed “not true, not true,” but for Christ’s sake, it’s not like the SCOTUS is adept at handling such things (nor, obviously, should it).

    Has such a rebuke directed at SCOTUS occurred during a SOTU speech before this time?

  100. 100.

    Anne Laurie

    @camchuck:

    Republican meme watch: Drudge leading with “What is she up to? Hillary skips SOTU”.

    Drudge, you willfully ignorant slut: The person third in line in the Presidential succession (that would be Secretary of State, Madame Clinton) is not supposed to be in the same room as the President, the Vice-President, and every Congresscritter who can sit upright. Do you want the terrists to drop a nuk-u-lar bomb and destroy the entire national legislative bench, you terrist-enabler?

  103. 103.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @Ana Gama:

    @Corner Stone:

    Then Webb was never heard from again til he fucked the D’s after the MA election of Brown.

    __
    Did you hear Webb whine (it was around xmas-ish) that the reason the Senate didn’t get HCR done sooner was because Obama never sent them a bill?
    __
    Crazy fucker doesn’t know who the legislator is and who the executive is. Someone needs to send him a job description.

    I don’t know, that might be a bit much for him, why not do something with brightly colored hand puppets instead.

  106. 106.

    Wile E. Quixote

    @keestadoll:

    Sorry to part with the lion’s share in here, but I found the woodshedding of SCOTUS wholly inappropriate. The President expressed his disappointment with the SCOTUS ruling many days ago and did it well and without mincing words. (And I wholly agree; this was a horrible ruling). He also expressed his want to undo some of the damage of this ruling via legislation. Ok. Good. Done. I know I’m going to get kneecapped for this, but there is such a thing as decorum and you cannot in one breath express “due respect for the separation of powers” then come down from on high and bitch-slap the high court who are (duty) bound not to get involved in SOTU theatrics. Yes, yes, Alito mouthed “not true, not true,” but for Christ’s sake, it’s not like the SCOTUS is adept at handling such things (nor, obviously, should it).

    I won’t kneecap you over this but I disagree. The Fellating Five, or whatever you want to call Kennedy, Roberts, Scalia and his two catamites, Thomas and Alito, are legislating from the bench and I’m of the opinion that if they’re going to act like legislators and not judges that going after them as you would go after a legislator is fair game.

  107. 107.

    scarshapedstar

    I won’t kneecap you over this but I disagree. The Fellating Five, or whatever you want to call Kennedy, Roberts, Scalia and his two catamites, Thomas and Alito, are legislating from the bench and I’m of the opinion that if they’re going to act like legislators and not judges that going after them as you would go after a legislator is fair game.

    Word. Thomas and Alito are fucking sock puppet hacks anyway.

    At least Scalia deigns to entertain us with ruminations like “Mere factual innocence is no reason not to carry out a death sentence properly reached.”

  111. 111.

    fraught

    My gaydar started pinging when McDonnell started talking. But then it doesn’t work so good anymore. Every Republican looks sort of queer to me in one way or another.

  115. 115.

    BDeevDad

    Anyone who wants to see a candidate with real gall, check out Carly Fiorina’s response to the SOTU address. Evidently, after overseeing the first large scale layoffs at HP, ever, she understands how to create jobs.

    What’s hilarious is she thinks she’s a serious candidate for Senate and has a total of 210 views on the video.

  116. 116.

    MattR

    @Anne Laurie: Actually that is not true. There is always one cabinet member missing from the SOTU as a precaution, but it is not necessarily the Secreatry of State. In fact this year it was Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. Clinton asked to be excused, and Obama agreed, since there are important anti-terrorism meetings in Europe this week. And since Clinton was not going to be in an “undisclosed location” she could not be the fall back option, so Donovan was chosen.

  117. 117.

    Chuck

    Sec. of State is #4 in succession, after the VP, the Speaker of the House, and the President Pro Tem of the Senate (that would be Byrd). What’s somehow funny is that the Treasury secretary comes next, then the Defense secretary, then the Attorney General. Then WAAAAY at the bottom comes Homeland Security, which comes after Interior and Agriculture and hell probably the towel boy at the White House gym.

  118. 118.

    Anne Laurie

    @MattR: Thank you. I sit corrected, because I can’t be arsed to stand just for slagging Drudge.

    @Chuck: I remember being told the Cabinet succession list follows the seniority of the founding of each Department, which is why Homeland Security Theatre gets outranked even by Education.

  119. 119.

    Martin

    @keestadoll: Give me a fucking break. What’s next out of the SCOTUS – taxes are a violation of the first amendment because they mandate that corporations give up 22% of their speech?

    The SOTU isn’t the ‘Piss on Congress’ speech. There’s nothing stopping the Executive from pissing on all the branches equally.

  120. 120.

    debbie

    @geg6:

    I actually think this was just as bad as Jindal’s disaster.

    Who’d have thought there could be something more “stagey” than those staged town halls?

    Republicans were wrong to think Jindahl’s problem was Jindahl. It was what he said and the principles he espoused that were so out of touch. As I recall, Jindahl mimicked a presidential-type address by being seen walking down a hall to a lectern set up in a big empty, ornate hall. Not very intimate. He could have just been sitting behind a desk in his office.

  121. 121.

    chopper

    @inkadu:

    michelle obama tends to look quite serious when she’s listening to something. i’ve noticed that over the years. it comes off as a scowl when really she’s just contemplating what the person is talking about.

  124. 124.

    AxelFoley

    @inkadu:

    With the utmost respect, please go fuck yourself.

    Hoping their marriage breaks up? Are you serious?

    Again, go fuck yourself, PUMA troll.

  125. 125.

    DPirate

    I only got to watch the first 15 minutes and I think there were something like 4 standing ovations. I am surprised no one introduced him as “Our Glorious Leader” or the like. Of course, it is just pathetic all over, as once one person stands, they all must or become the crippled antelope for the predators to chew up the next morning.

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