RochesterConservative.com

Let me apologize for rambling on, I inherited it from my predecessor and it was necessary to clean up his mess.

<phantomlord@rochesterconservative.com>

---

Madam Speaker, Vice President Biden, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They’ve done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they’ve done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.

I’d like to compare myself to the leaders of the past, who guided America through the worst of times.

It’s tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable -– that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run, and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday, and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were the times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations and our fears, America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, as one people.

Bull Run (which, even as a northerner, I learned as the Battle of Manassas) was the first major battle of the American Civil War. The landing on Omaha Beach was a key turning point in the European theater of WWII, but it was hardly a roadblock to the American way of life even though losing there would have doomed our allies. Rather than quibble about those details, I note the key battles he left out which truly defined our country. Bunker and Breeds Hills, the siege of Boston, crossing the Delaware River to turn the tides of war on the British. I think the oversight is deliberate, even if he is unaware himself, in that he chooses to routinely ignore the ideals our country was founded upon.

He notes that America prevailed, but it wasn’t because we chose to move forward as one nation, as if being led around by the nose. It was because we, the people of America, are unique, exceptional, if you will. We firmly believe we can accomplish anything, that all we need to succeed is the will to do so. We understand the difference between right and wrong and we make an effort to right our wrongs. Again, not because we’re told to do it, but because we demand it from ourselves.

and on one more side note, even as an American, Bloody Sunday is about an Irish massacre, not a localized union event in the Pacific Northwest. Then again, I’m not in bed with big union, so I might not share their rhetorical views.

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

and here starts the “poor me” routine from Obama. It was all Bush’s fault… I’m unique in that I’m the only President to ever walk into office with problems waiting to be solved. On that note, you say YOU acted. That’s a stark contrast from the way you continuously blame Bush for the deficits, which as a member of the Senate, you voted for, the cost of TARP, which, as a member of the Senate, you voted for, etc.

Further, experts across the political spectrum did NOT agree that we might face a depression. KEYNESIAN experts said we WOULD face a depression if we didn’t go on a spending orgy. Austrians said we would face a sharp recession, but if left alone, the economy would quickly correct itself and we’d be better off both in the medium and long run. What Obama really means is Keynesians across the political spectrum (yes, there are idiotic Republicans that believe in Keynesian economics) were in agreement.

And for that matter, the worst of the storm has NOT passed. Rather, Keynesian policies delay economic recovery. Every time it has been tried, Keynesian policies have failed to work out. The Great Depression spiked in 1937, years after FDR and his band of merry communists first took office, largely because of the Keynesian policies, like the introduction of Social Security and its taxes, the National Recovery Act’s effects on businesses, paying farmers to destroy crops rather than export the surpluses, etc. The “policy” that ended the Great Depression was WWII. No, not OUR government’s spending on WWII, but the spending of other nations buying our goods as their own manufacturing capacity was decimated. America became a major exporter and the influx of dollars got the factories working again.

But the devastation remains. One in 10 Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. And for those who’d already known poverty, life has become that much harder.

10% unemployment and 18.5% underemployment (those who are either involuntarily working part time or have given up on finding a job). Remember, according to Obama and his Keynesian experts, the $787 billion stimulus bill was supposed to cap unemployment at 8%. It didn’t and despite a one month dip, new cases of unemployment are quickly rising again. FACT: his policy failed and the stimulus had nothing to do with stimulating the economy, or more than 1/3rd of it would have been spent already. Further, despite Obama’s campaigning to the contrary, not all spending is stimulative. I’d also like to introduce him to the Broken Glass Fallacy.

Home values haven’t declined. Oh, sure, they’re worth less money, but that’s only if you look at a home from a pure investment standpoint. The value of a home doesn’t simply equal its cost, the value also includes providing safety and shelter, determining where your children will go to school and what type of neighbors you will be exposed to and the opportunities that arise from them. The truth is, the prices of homes were inflated, largely because of the big government policies Obama is so in love with, and when the market began to correct itself, the bottom on the bad investments began to fall out.

For those already living in poverty, that is, those that were already unable and/or unwilling to provide for themselves, little has changed. They live off the government teat. Their Section 8 housing hasn’t been taken away, their food stamps haven’t molded and soured. In fact, here in NYS, many of them got to buy big screen TVs thanks to the government largess giving them free money meant to be used for school supplies, but with mandatory oversight that it was spent for that purpose.

This recession has also compounded the burdens that America’s families have been dealing with for decades –- the burden of working harder and longer for less; of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college.

Funny he should mention that. He might want to pick up a copy of Dr. Thomas Sowell’s Economic Facts and Fallacies, where the good doctor completely decimates the argument that Americans are doing with less. In fact, the governments own statistics prove otherwise when you look at the Census data (http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p23-202.pdf ) that shows as of 1998, 67.7% of all “poor” households have air conditioning, 25.7% have a dishwasher, and 18.4% have a personal computer. Going back even just 30 years, those things were almost unheard of in all but the wealthiest of households while today, they’re commonplace.

Has the cost of a car gone up dramatically from the 1970s? You bet… but we aren’t buying a car built to 1970 specifications. Today, cars have mandatory seat belts, airbags and emissions management, anti-lock breaks, complex fuel injection and multi-cd/mp3 player capable stereos are factory defaults, we’ve switched from steel to composites, from gasoline to complex hybrid engines. They simply aren’t the same car… but those changes have come in part by demand (nobody wants a car without a radio anymore) and in part by government mandate.

Building codes, tax codes, insurance mandates, dollar manipulations, programs like Cash for Clunkers which destroy secondary sales markets for people that can’t afford to buy new, etc are all actions by government and all of them have increased the cost of attaining basic necessities. Obama and his ilk would love to blame that on the evils of capitalism, but those are all borne from central economic planning. If people want seat belts in their cars because they want improved safety, that is something the market will decide. If someone truly wants the no-frills car from 1970 new today, they can’t buy it at any price even though it would be cheaper to produce today than it was then.

So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They’re not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for President. These struggles are what I’ve witnessed for years in places like Elkhart, Indiana; Galesburg, Illinois. I hear about them in the letters that I read each night. The toughest to read are those written by children -– asking why they have to move from their home, asking when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work.

I’m sure you personally read those letters every night.

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

Bad behavior on Wall Street has been rewarded because it is the people from Wall Street advising the Presidents on what to do. Your own administration is neck deep in shenanigans and there has been little to no oversight from your party in Congress. However, your biggest contributor, Goldman Sachs, has been doing quite well.

People are tired of the partisanship and the pettiness. How, oh, the current administration constantly trots out the “wah it’s Bush’s fault” line, how the current Congress has refused to give the Republicans a seat at the table in crafting multi-thousand page bills that dramatically change the very structure of our country which were written behind closed doors, how Congresscritters are bribed hundreds of millions of dollars to pass such legislation, etc.

Further, President Reagan said it way back in 1981, during the last major economic downturn, government isn’t the solution to our problems, government IS the problem. By the way, President Reagan didn’t spend the first year in office whining about what he inherited from his predecessor, he simply got the job done.

So we face big and difficult challenges. And what the American people hope -– what they deserve -– is for all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to work through our differences; to overcome the numbing weight of our politics. For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories, different beliefs, the anxieties they face are the same. The aspirations they hold are shared: a job that pays the bills; a chance to get ahead; most of all, the ability to give their children a better life.

Hope… I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Kinda like how the American people hoped they’d have someone more economically responsible than President Bush, but got someone who’s first deficit is three times larger than Bush’s worst one.

Our anxieties aren’t the same. Politicians’ anxiety is about getting re-elected, providing enough bacon and spin to win over the voters today, damn the cost tomorrow. Some people worry about whether or not the government is going to cut them a bigger check. Others worry about how much the government wants to take out of their checks. Some worry about what the government can do for them, others worry about what the government will do to them.

Not everyone aspires to holding a job or paying their own bills. Sadly, many don’t even care about giving their children a better life. Almost everyone worries about one thing though, and that is oppression, true oppression, not self-imposed imagined impression, holding them down. Thomas Jefferson, a name I haven’t heard you reference in a while, said that “The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.” No Presidents but FDR and LBJ wanted a government as big as imposing as the one you desire.

You know what else they share? They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity. After one of the most difficult years in our history, they remain busy building cars and teaching kids, starting businesses and going back to school. They’re coaching Little League and helping their neighbors. One woman wrote to me and said, “We are strained but hopeful, struggling but encouraged.”

What are they supposed to do? People have a job and they go to work to pay their bills. Just because their neighbor lost their job doesn’t mean they should quit their own in solidarity. This may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. “Lost my job, guess I can’t coach Little League anymore…” seriously?

It’s because of this spirit -– this great decency and great strength -– that I have never been more hopeful about America’s future than I am tonight. (Applause.) Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength. (Applause.)

So, you weren’t more hopeful when your wife said she could finally be proud of her country? You’ve just been beaten in your own personal Waterloo, and you’re hopeful? For what? That despite your blatant mismanagement, America will someday recover and if it happens in the next 3 years, you’ll claim credit?

And tonight, tonight I’d like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise.
It begins with our economy.
Our most urgent task upon taking office was to shore up the same banks that helped cause this crisis. It was not easy to do. And if there’s one thing that has unified Democrats and Republicans, and everybody in between, it’s that we all hated the bank bailout. I hated it — (applause.) I hated it. You hated it. It was about as popular as a root canal. (Laughter.)

Wait, I thought your most urgent task was the $787 billion stimulus package? Or was it the first Act of Congress you passed, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act? I thought it was Bush that asked for TARP to relieve the banks. I’m so confused. And if you hated the bank bailout, all the Republicans and Democrats hated the bank bailout, and the people of America hated the bank bailout, why was it passed again? Why did you vote for it?

But when I ran for President, I promised I wouldn’t just do what was popular -– I would do what was necessary. And if we had allowed the meltdown of the financial system, unemployment might be double what it is today. More businesses would certainly have closed. More homes would have surely been lost.

Oh, you certainly didn’t do what was popular… and you certainly didn’t do what was Constitutional. I’m intrigued about how, if we didn’t bail out the banks, unemployment would have doubled. Is that the same math that said unemployment wouldn’t top 8% if the stimulus was passed?

It isn’t a popular thing to say (let me pre-martyr myself like you), but recessions are about cleaning the cruft out of the economy so it can function better. Recessions give companies an opportunity to become lean again. Someone in 1979 might have lost a job as a file clerk, but in 1980, they may have gained one in information technology as the same company, or even another, switched over to a computerized system. Similarly, houses which were too expensive for average families to afford, are now affordable by those very same people. Economics is rarely a zero-sum game. Every ending creates new possibilities. Life may have been hard for people getting laid off by the buggy whip industry, but a whole lot more people are employed by the automotive industry that replaced it.

So I supported the last administration’s efforts to create the financial rescue program. And when we took that program over, we made it more transparent and more accountable. And as a result, the markets are now stabilized, and we’ve recovered most of the money we spent on the banks. (Applause.) Most but not all.

how did you make it more transparent and accountable? Your Treasury Secretary and the guy you renominated to head the Federal Reserve were busy cooking the books. Your recovery.gov site shows a few hundred dollars creating thousands of jobs in non-existent zip codes. What you did, was play the discovery game. That is, when you get sued in court and someone asks for your email pertaining to X, you don’t just give them the exact email you’re looking for, you give them thousands of emails, preferably on paper rather than electronically, so as to make sifting through the data near impossible. Instead of getting specifics, they’re forced waste time searching for a needle in a haystack. And it’s not a simple haystack, there are socks, thorns, spare tires, etc thrown in there to try to throw you off.

How are the markets stabilized? You’ve replaced the old bubble that burst with a new bubble that is already teetering on the verge of bursting. M0 has more than doubled, treasury yields are sky high, we’re on the cusp of hyperinflation, and you say everything is hunky-dory.

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

Said fee is a cost that will be necessarily born by the customers of said banks. Meanwhile, interest is being held artificially low to prop said banks up, banks are still going bankrupt and revising their earnings down… oh, and aren’t government fees simply taxes by another name? Tax… to tax, to burden. Taxes burden the economy, not help it improve.

Now, as we stabilized the financial system, we also took steps to get our economy growing again, save as many jobs as possible, and help Americans who had become unemployed.

repeat until people believe it.

That’s why we extended or increased unemployment benefits for more than 18 million Americans; made health insurance 65 percent cheaper for families who get their coverage through COBRA; and passed 25 different tax cuts.

extend my unemployment benefits and it’s that much longer until I’m forced to find a job and/or create a business to provide myself with one. You passed 25 different tax cuts, how many tax increases have you passed?

Now, let me repeat: We cut taxes. We cut taxes for 95 percent of working families. (Applause.) We cut taxes for small businesses. We cut taxes for first-time homebuyers. We cut taxes for parents trying to care for their children. We cut taxes for 8 million Americans paying for college. (Applause.)

watch this hand! I put $20 in my left pocket! Don’t watch the hand taking $100 out of my right pocket! I may have spent $100, but, see, I saved $20, so I’m ahead, right?

Specifically, how did you cut taxes for 95% of working families? Didn’t you also raise taxes on a good number of them as well? Like with the increased taxation on tobacco. Lots of working class families have smokers. By the way, you didn’t cut taxes for first-time homebuyers, you subsidized the purchase of their home in an effort to inflate the prices of other homes. See, when you give a tax credit to a person, you cut their taxes, when you give tax credits to business, you subsidize them. Note the double speak.

I thought I’d get some applause on that one. (Laughter and applause.)

You love me! You really love me!!! Clap some more. I need the adulation. Feed my narcicism.

As a result, millions of Americans had more to spend on gas and food and other necessities, all of which helped businesses keep more workers. And we haven’t raised income taxes by a single dime on a single person. Not a single dime. (Applause.)

and we needed it since gas prices have doubled in your first year in office. Weren’t high gas prices part of the trigger for the economic collapse? As for not raising income taxes, you’ll be doing that by default later this year when the Bush tax cuts expire. So by doing nothing, you are, by default, raising taxes.

Because of the steps we took, there are about two million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed. (Applause.) Two hundred thousand work in construction and clean energy; 300,000 are teachers and other education workers. Tens of thousands are cops, firefighters, correctional officers, first responders. (Applause.) And we’re on track to add another one and a half million jobs to this total by the end of the year.

again, a completely made up number. If you got a pay raise of 25 cents thanks to the stimulus, even if your job was never in jeopardy, he counts it as a job saved. If you’re in a non-existent zip code, working for a fictional business, you may have had thousands of imaginary jobs saved. There is no way to quantify jobs saved. But his advisers and him constantly bring these numbers up to get us to argue about just how many jobs he’s saved (a positive thing) instead of looking at how many jobs were lost under his first year (more than twice as many as his bogus jobs saved statistic).

The plan that has made all of this possible, from the tax cuts to the jobs, is the Recovery Act. (Applause.) That’s right -– the Recovery Act, also known as the stimulus bill. (Applause.) Economists on the left and the right say this bill has helped save jobs and avert disaster. But you don’t have to take their word for it. Talk to the small business in Phoenix that will triple its workforce because of the Recovery Act. Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it created. Talk to the single teacher raising two kids who was told by her principal in the last week of school that because of the Recovery Act, she wouldn’t be laid off after all.

window manufacturer… You mean Serious Materials? The only window manufacturer that is getting stimulus money, which happens to have an executive which is married to one of your administration’s appointees? I can’t believe you had the guys to bring that up.

and why is it that the teachers, firemen and policemen are the first to be laid off? Are there no pencil pushing bureaucrats that can, and should, be the first to go? In fact, why is government one of the few sectors experiencing job growth if things are so dire for governments?

There are stories like this all across America. And after two years of recession, the economy is growing again. Retirement funds have started to gain back some of their value. Businesses are beginning to invest again, and slowly some are starting to hire again.

No thanks in part to a year worth of uncertainty about what their health care costs are going to look like… I mean, if I don’t know what I’ll be paying for my employees health care tomorrow, I might not invest in hiring new employees today. In fact, if I’m worried my costs will go up, I might take the opportunity to lay them off now.

But I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from; who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response. That is why jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010, and that’s why I’m calling for a new jobs bill tonight. (Applause.)

weren’t jobs supposed to be the number-one focus of 2009? No, that’s right, the health care monstrosity was, followed by trying to implement tax and cap by hook or by crook, followed by date nights in NYC, trips to Europe to try to get the Olympics or to accept Nobel prizes, etc. If jobs and economic recovery were the number-one focus, we would have all had a one time refundable tax credit of Y thousand dollars. That extra money would have been spent, either paying off debt (taking care of that bank bailout), investing in new windows (taking are of the window bailout), a new car (taking care of the Big Auto bailout), etc or it would have been saved (scary thing it is, Americans saving for the future instead of blowing tomorrow’s earnings today).

Now, the true engine of job creation in this country will always be America’s businesses. (Applause.) But government can create the conditions necessary for businesses to expand and hire more workers.

Yes, government can create the necessary conditions for businesses to expand… by getting out of their way instead of trying to foist more mandates and more control upon them.

We should start where most new jobs do –- in small businesses, companies that begin when — (applause) — companies that begin when an entrepreneur — when an entrepreneur takes a chance on a dream, or a worker decides it’s time she became her own boss. Through sheer grit and determination, these companies have weathered the recession and they’re ready to grow. But when you talk to small businessowners in places like Allentown, Pennsylvania, or Elyria, Ohio, you find out that even though banks on Wall Street are lending again, they’re mostly lending to bigger companies. Financing remains difficult for small businessowners across the country, even those that are making a profit.

wait, small businesses start most of the jobs? Why were you so worried about bailing out big businesses then? Again, I’m confused. And if people are too happy collecting an unemployment check, what is their motivation to start a new business? And if big banks are lending to big business, why did we give them money (to buy other banks) when we should have been encouraging the small community banks? Again, I’m so confused…

So tonight, I’m proposing that we take $30 billion of the money Wall Street banks have repaid and use it to help community banks give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. (Applause.) I’m also proposing a new small business tax credit

I’m proposing that the repaid TARP money be spent the way the TARP legislation mandated, by paying off the loan from which it came. Otherwise, we’re creating inflation… remind me, inflation plus unemployment plus economic stagnation equals? Oh yeah, President Carter. Community banks are largely solvent. They weren’t in on derivative trading and whatnot. Most of them didn’t make bad loans and those that did got special favors from Congress anyway.

-– one that will go to over one million small businesses who hire new workers or raise wages. (Applause.) While we’re at it, let’s also eliminate all capital gains taxes on small business investment, and provide a tax incentive for all large businesses and all small businesses to invest in new plants and equipment. (Applause.)

why do I have a feeling this is another case of “look at me put $20 in one pocket while I take $100 out of the other?” You’ll forgive me for not trusting someone that has broken nearly every promise they ever made to the American people…

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

technology fetishism. How about the reason why Europe or China should have the fastest trains is because that is what works best for them? America doesn’t have to be #1 in everything. Just because the tallest building in the world is in Dubai doesn’t mean we have to build one taller. We should do what’s best for us, not try to top everyone in everything or we’ll doom ourselves to failure.

Tomorrow, I’ll visit Tampa, Florida, where workers will soon break ground on a new high-speed railroad funded by the Recovery Act. (Applause.) There are projects like that all across this country that will create jobs and help move our nation’s goods, services, and information. (Applause.)

Most of them of Fast Ferry quality. They have no hopes of being revenue neutral, much less making money, and will never live up to their promise.

We should put more Americans to work building clean energy facilities — (applause) — and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient, which supports clean energy jobs. (Applause.) And to encourage these and other businesses to stay within our borders, it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America. (Applause.)

That $5 I spent on caulk this year deserves a big fat rebate…. and why, I’m sure I employed dozens of people with that one purchase. PS – companies that ship jobs overseas are often getting tax breaks (in addition to other cost reductions) for doing so. If you want jobs to stay in America, how about making it so companies don’t HAVE to ship jobs overseas to stay in business? I mean, it is a global market. For example, there are reasons why most electronics are made in Asia rather than in the US, even if we design much of it here.

Now, the House has passed a jobs bill that includes some of these steps. (Applause.) As the first order of business this year, I urge the Senate to do the same, and I know they will. (Applause.) They will. (Applause.) People are out of work. They’re hurting. They need our help. And I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay. (Applause.)

He’s like a poor man’s President Clinton. He doesn’t so much feel your pain, just knows that you’re in pain and he wants to use his community organizer skills to agitate you into action.

But the truth is, these steps won’t make up for the seven million jobs that we’ve lost over the last two years. The only way to move to full employment is to lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth, and finally address the problems that America’s families have confronted for years.

But you saved two million jobs! Surely that seven million is meaningless! The way to lay the foundation for future economic growth is to get the government out of the way, not more entangled in it.

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

Jobs grew more slowly? Unemployment remained steady over the last decade despite an increasing legal population as well as an increasing illegal population which took jobs away from legal workers. 1990s Japan experienced the lost decade, where they implemented policies like your own which they still haven’t recovered from.

Again, cracking open Dr. Sowell’s book, the average American household’s income decreased because there were more households. Instead of having extended families living together, more people got credit with shaky loans to purchase their own homes. If you have a household of 5 (ma, pa, a 25 year old kid, and two high schoolers) that makes $100k, if the 25 year old moves out, you’ve dropped their average household income by half! Tuition increased because there are no controls holding it down – they conspire to keep prices inflated, the government subsidizes education, etc. As for health care costs, can anyone say government mandates and a detachment between the patient and the cost of the services they demand even if they don’t need them?

From the day I took office, I’ve been told that addressing our larger challenges is too ambitious; such an effort would be too contentious. I’ve been told that our political system is too gridlocked, and that we should just put things on hold for a while.

You had a super majority in both houses of Congress. There was no gridlock, save for the political infighting of your own party. How could you be too ambitious with those numbers?

For those who make these claims, I have one simple question: How long should we wait? How long should America put its future on hold? (Applause.)

I say we should take it off hold. It’s the boot of government on our throats keeping us where we are.

You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. These nations — they’re not standing still. These nations aren’t playing for second place. They’re putting more emphasis on math and science. They’re rebuilding their infrastructure. They’re making serious investments in clean energy because they want those jobs. Well, I do not accept second place for the United States of America. (Applause.)

What part of our economy needs to be revamped? We need to take the breaks off. Revamping means changing it entirely… I’d rather not have a planned economy. Didn’t work out too well for the Soviets or anyone else that tried it. And, as for you not accepting second place for America, aren’t you, you know, against American exceptionalism?

As hard as it may be, as uncomfortable and contentious as the debates may become, it’s time to get serious about fixing the problems that are hampering our growth.
Now, one place to start is serious financial reform. Look, I am not interested in punishing banks. I’m interested in protecting our economy. A strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs. It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy.

uh, you’re proposing a new fee on banks, you’re capping bank pay and bonuses, you’re buying banks through TARP and the government controlled AIG, you’ve proposed preposterous taxes on banking executives, but yes, I uh, understand you aren’t out to punish banks. After all, your biggest backers are big bankers. Like Harry Reid and Janet Napolitano, I’m having a hard time trying to stay awake at this point. All the circular references and illogic conclusions. You’re feeling very sleepy… when I snap my fingers, you’ll wake up and won’t remember that I told you to worship me.

shakes head, sorry about that. Obama is great.

We need to make sure consumers and middle-class families have the information they need to make financial decisions. (Applause.) We can’t allow financial institutions, including those that take your deposits, to take risks that threaten the whole economy.

right, that’s the government’s job.

Now, the House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes. (Applause.) And the lobbyists are trying to kill it. But we cannot let them win this fight. (Applause.) And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back until we get it right. We’ve got to get it right. (Applause.)

like you sent the bills with earmarks back after you promised not to sign any bills that have earmarks?

Next, we need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history -– (applause) — an investment that could lead to the world’s cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched. And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy. You can see the results of last year’s investments in clean energy -– in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide helping to make advanced batteries; or in the California business that will put a thousand people to work making solar panels.

hope for change, I’ve heard this campaign speech before. It’s all Bush’s fault. Praise be unto his Holiness, Obama.

But to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. (Applause.) It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. (Applause.) It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. (Applause.) And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America. (Applause.)

yeah, cap and tax will really help the economy grow again. I mean, to quote The One, praise be unto him, electricity prices would necessarily skyrocket.

I am grateful to the House for passing such a bill last year. (Applause.) And this year I’m eager to help advance the bipartisan effort in the Senate. (Applause.)

Too late. Congress is already running for their lives after they found out what Brown could do to them. Thank you voters of Massachusetts.

I know there have been questions about whether we can afford such changes in a tough economy. I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change. But here’s the thing — even if you doubt the evidence, providing incentives for energy-efficiency and clean energy are the right thing to do for our future -– because the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. And America must be that nation. (Applause.)

who cares if we can afford it? It’s spendorama time! Wooohoo! I mean, it’s not like the Republicans were trounced in 2006 and 2008 because they spent too much, let’s spend more!

and about that overwhelming scientific evidence… you know, the stuff that proved that the IPCC and its supporters are frauds? Yeah, you might want to see someone in late 2009 about that. I mean, I know you’re so busy looking at the future, it’s hard to kinda keep up with the past.

Third, we need to export more of our goods. (Applause.) Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. (Applause.) So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America. (Applause.) To help meet this goal, we’re launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security. (Applause.)

and of course, raising the cost of production will help us export those goods. Oh, and, uh, maybe nobody told you, but farm products are already global commodities. I mean, I know I’m probably crazy for pointing that out, but I’m just sayin’. If you go to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, I’m told you’re familiar with Chicago, you can see those types of things being traded daily.

We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. (Applause.) But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. (Applause.) And that’s why we’ll continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets, and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea and Panama and Colombia. (Applause.)

Seeking new markets is fine and all… but we have to seek markets we can compete in. Kinda hard to do that when there is too much government bureaucracy and too many mandates. Oh, and, uh, maybe nobody told you, but free trade agreements with countries that have laws that are more lax than ours is likely to result in more manufacturing moving to those countries. On the plus side, a tv might be 50 cents cheaper here in the US. Go Samsung (which, if you spell it backwards, you get Gnus Mas… which is Spanish for more gnus (an African wildebeast). Of course, that’s about as informative as Obama’s speech so far).

Fourth, we need to invest in the skills and education of our people. (Applause.)

yeah, because we haven’t been doing that for decades either. Free public education, state subisized colleges, government education loans, the GI bill, etc. I mean, this is groundbreaking stuff he’s got here. He dares to be bold. I mean, nevermind that the result is thousands of dollars in debt to get a job that you didn’t need a high school diploma for 50 years ago. It’s all good.

Now, this year, we’ve broken through the stalemate between left and right by launching a national competition to improve our schools. And the idea here is simple: Instead of rewarding failure, we only reward success. Instead of funding the status quo, we only invest in reform — reform that raises student achievement; inspires students to excel in math and science; and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to the inner city. In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. (Applause.) And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential.

a national competition to improve our schools… like ending the voucher program in DC. Gotcha. Isn’t the rest of this No Child Left Behind. Maybe he does live in the past, he just forgets to look at the failures so he’s doomed to repeat them.

When we renew the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, we will work with Congress to expand these reforms to all 50 states. Still, in this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job. That’s why I urge the Senate to follow the House and pass a bill that will revitalize our community colleges, which are a career pathway to the children of so many working families. (Applause.)

why does the federal government need to be involved in education? I mean, I’m looking at this wrinkled old document here, and its companion document says something about any powers not being delegated to the federal government belong to the people and the states… I can’t seem to find this federal education mandate here, can someone help me?

To make college more affordable, this bill will finally end the unwarranted taxpayer subsidies that go to banks for student loans. (Applause.) Instead, let’s take that money and give families a $10,000 tax credit for four years of college and increase Pell Grants. (Applause.) And let’s tell another one million students that when they graduate, they will be required to pay only 10 percent of their income on student loans, and all of their debt will be forgiven after 20 years –- and forgiven after 10 years if they choose a career in public service, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they chose to go to college. (Applause.)

all your loans belong to us. We, the government, own you. And what’s all this about having to only pay 10% of the cost of their education? Doesn’t that, you know, allow tuition to skyrocket since the real pain won’t be felt by the student, but by the taxpayers? And why would we forgive debt after 20 years? Certainly, the biggest investment most people will make, and one actually critical to survival, unlike college, is a house… shouldn’t we give people free houses instead? Oh, only if they work for the government, because, you know, recent studies haven’t shown that government compensation is higher than the compensation in the private sector and we all know that, since the government has to make sure it meets its bottom line, it culls the unproductive workers.

And by the way, it’s time for colleges and universities to get serious about cutting their own costs -– (applause) — because they, too, have a responsibility to help solve this problem.

How can they cut their costs when you’ll invariably increase their mandates? Not only that, but decreased costs don’t necessarily equate to decreased prices, especially in an non-free economy. What downward pressures are there to cut costs? More importantly, what downward pressures are there to reduce prices?

Now, the price of college tuition is just one of the burdens facing the middle class. That’s why last year I asked Vice President Biden to chair a task force on middle-class families. That’s why we’re nearly doubling the child care tax credit, and making it easier to save for retirement by giving access to every worker a retirement account and expanding the tax credit for those who start a nest egg. That’s why we’re working to lift the value of a family’s single largest investment –- their home. The steps we took last year to shore up the housing market have allowed millions of Americans to take out new loans and save an average of $1,500 on mortgage payments.

wait, child tax care credit affects the price of college how? And forcing people into a government IRA on top of government mandated Social Security helps them how? Everyone has access to start an IRA, tax free at that with the Roth IRA. And the average American is saving $1,500 in mortgage payments? Per month? Year? Over the course of a 30 year loan? My monthly mortgage payment, including our high property taxes, was only a fraction of that to begin with, you see, we bought a house we could afford.

This year, we will step up refinancing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages. (Applause.) And it is precisely to relieve the burden on middle-class families that we still need health insurance reform. (Applause.) Yes, we do. (Applause.)

read: this year, we’ll bail out people with bad mortgages. I mean, we already bought the paper at 100 cents on the dollar, so why not further subsidize them? And how does ObamasCare help middle-class families again? He’s been trumpeting that tune for a year now and nobody is buying. It’s like the same old stump speech, never having left campaign mode… I mean, how many times… zzzzz… uh, Long live Lord Obama!

Now, let’s clear a few things up. (Laughter.) I didn’t choose to tackle this issue to get some legislative victory under my belt. And by now it should be fairly obvious that I didn’t take on health care because it was good politics. (Laughter.) I took on health care because of the stories I’ve heard from Americans with preexisting conditions whose lives depend on getting coverage; patients who’ve been denied coverage; families –- even those with insurance -– who are just one illness away from financial ruin.

No, you took on health care so the government could be more in control of people’s lives because that is the desire of statists like yourselves, to control the people.

After nearly a century of trying — Democratic administrations, Republican administrations — we are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans. The approach we’ve taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market. It would require every insurance plan to cover preventive care.

it would protect everyone from the worst practices of the insurance industry by transferring the problem to the federal government while completely invalidating pesky little things like your Fourth Amendment right to privacy.

And by the way, I want to acknowledge our First Lady, Michelle Obama, who this year is creating a national movement to tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity and make kids healthier. (Applause.) Thank you. She gets embarrassed. (Laughter.)

You mean like that garden she planted, which was then features on the food channel even though, you know, it wasn’t really food from her garden? Seriously, did anyone catch the Michelle Obama PSAs telling kids to shape up or ship out? I didn’t.

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

I’m drowning out here… same stump speech, over and over and over again. We’ve heard you Barry, you simply haven’t heard us. We said no and we meant no. You’re as tone deaf as you are arrogant.

Still, this is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became. I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people. And I know that with all the lobbying and horse-trading, the process left most Americans wondering, “What’s in it for me?”

411 speeches, 42 news conferences, 158 interviews, 23 town hall meetings, 28 political fund raisers, and 7 campaign rallies in the last year. Again, we heard you, you didn’t hear us. Can you hear us now? Well, even after losing Ted Kennedy’s seat, you still didn’t hear us. I need to get ahold of that Verizon guy so he can check the coverage on Pennsylvania Avenue. We heard you, we saw you, we’re sick of your campaigning.

But I also know this problem is not going away. By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this chamber. (Applause.)

by the time I’m done writing this, someone will have died. Life goes on, but way to pull at the heart strings. In fact, hundreds of Americans died during your speech. Maybe you shouldn’t speak so they can live. See, non-sequiturs are fun.

So, as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we’ve proposed. There’s a reason why many doctors, nurses, and health care experts who know our system best consider this approach a vast improvement over the status quo. But if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors, and stop insurance company abuses, let me know. (Applause.) Let me know. Let me know. (Applause.) I’m eager to see it.

wait, I thought the science was in and temperatures were rising. I’m so confused. For every health care profession you can trot out in a lab coat on the White House lawn, there is at least one more that says you’ll be destroying our system. The Republicans, Libertarians and others have offered better suggestions, you’re just deaf to hearing them. You want what you want and you want it now.

Here’s what I ask Congress, though: Don’t walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people. (Applause.) Let’s get it done. Let’s get it done. (Applause.)

don’t walk away from reform. I don’t want it to be my Waterloo. I need your validation since my father wasn’t there for me.

Now, even as health care reform would reduce our deficit, it’s not enough to dig us out of a massive fiscal hole in which we find ourselves. It’s a challenge that makes all others that much harder to solve, and one that’s been subject to a lot of political posturing. So let me start the discussion of government spending by setting the record straight.

ok… we’re going to set the record straight on spending, now you have my attention.

At the beginning of the last decade, the year 2000, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. (Applause.) By the time I took office, we had a one-year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. All this was before I walked in the door. (Laughter and applause.)

At the beginning of the last decade, there was no surplus. The appearance of one was an accounting trick. The national debt increased every year Clinton was in office. Still, let’s pretend there was a surplus, who wrote the budget? Oh yeah, that party of Bush… Oh, and ignore that dotcom collapse Bush inherited, we know you’re the only President to inherit problems. And 9/11? That’s right… just a simple man made disaster, not anything that might destabilize our already shaky economy.

Bush’s worst deficit was a third of yours and your OMB has projected a doubling of the deficit in 5 years and a tripling in 8 under your plans. But lets blame Bush. God, do you ever stop whining? You sound let a petulant, spoiled brat. You wanted to be President, you wanted to wear the big boy pants, suck it up.

Now — just stating the facts. Now, if we had taken office in ordinary times, I would have liked nothing more than to start bringing down the deficit. But we took office amid a crisis. And our efforts to prevent a second depression have added another $1 trillion to our national debt. That, too, is a fact.

As opposed to the ordinary times GWB took office in, gotcha. As Rahm says, never waste a crisis. And you’ve added another $1.4 trillion to the debt in just your first year, but why quibble over a 40% difference?

I’m absolutely convinced that was the right thing to do. But families across the country are tightening their belts and making tough decisions. The federal government should do the same. (Applause.) So tonight, I’m proposing specific steps to pay for the trillion dollars that it took to rescue the economy last year.

And some daddies are convinced that the right thing to do is to kill their daughters for dishonoring the family by doing things like wearing shorts… “but”

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

starting in 2011, I’m prepared to stop spending more money, but let me jack up the spending first. The amount of the budget he’s talking about is in the ballpark of 5% of the budget. And he’s not talking about cutting 5%, he’s talking about not spending an additional 0.001-0.025% because he wouldn’t increase that 5% by its usual 2-5% growth rates. We’re talking peanuts here… less money than is wasted by Medicaid fraud annually.

We will continue to go through the budget, line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work. We’ve already identified $20 billion in savings for next year. To help working families, we’ll extend our middle-class tax cuts. But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, for investment fund managers, and for those making over $250,000 a year. We just can’t afford it. (Applause.)

wait, you went through the budget line by line this year, eliminating the waste? Wow, I don’t remember you sending a bill back to Congress because you didn’t approve of some line items in there and the SCOTUS already ruled the Line Item Veto to be Unconstitutional… so, uh, yeah, I’m going to have to say that you’re full of praise be unto his greatness.

Now, even after paying for what we spent on my watch, we’ll still face the massive deficit we had when I took office. More importantly, the cost of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will continue to skyrocket. That’s why I’ve called for a bipartisan fiscal commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad. (Applause.) This can’t be one of those Washington gimmicks that lets us pretend we solved a problem. The commission will have to provide a specific set of solutions by a certain deadline.

anything done to Social Security and Medicare will be a Washington gimmick that lets you pretend you solved the problem. Bush actually tried to solve it by privatizing Social Security but your compatriots had a conniption fit at that.

Now, yesterday, the Senate blocked a bill that would have created this commission. So I’ll issue an executive order that will allow us to go forward, because I refuse to pass this problem on to another generation of Americans. (Applause.) And when the vote comes tomorrow, the Senate should restore the pay-as-you-go law that was a big reason for why we had record surpluses in the 1990s. (Applause.)

Screw that whole Separation of Powers. I get what I want or I’ll stomp my foot!

Now, I know that some in my own party will argue that we can’t address the deficit or freeze government spending when so many are still hurting. And I agree — which is why this freeze won’t take effect until next year — (laughter) — when the economy is stronger. That’s how budgeting works. (Laughter and applause.) But understand –- understand if we don’t take meaningful steps to rein in our debt, it could damage our markets, increase the cost of borrowing, and jeopardize our recovery -– all of which would have an even worse effect on our job growth and family incomes.

because if you put the freeze off a year, it’ll give a chance for the rainbows and unicorns to magically fix everything! I love rainbows and unicorns. They’re as real as Obama’s populist rhetoric.

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

uh, tax revenues went up over the last decade… the problem was the spending, not the income.

Rather than fight the same tired battles that have dominated Washington for decades, it’s time to try something new. Let’s invest in our people without leaving them a mountain of debt. Let’s meet our responsibility to the citizens who sent us here. Let’s try common sense. (Laughter.) A novel concept.

you mean like a $2.5 trillion health care takeover? Yeah, I mean, pfft, it’s only about 1/6h of our economy. That’s peanuts.

To do that, we have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust -– deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue — to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; to give our people the government they deserve. (Applause.)

you mean like the crap going on with your Treasury Secretary, AIG and the Fed? You mean like printing new dollars and never pulling them back out of the system, which could trigger hyperinflation? You mean like not knowing if Washington is going to gun to take over your business or fire your executives next?

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

Where we can see that Bill Ayers visited (but not that Bill Ayers)… and that Bertha Lewis visited (but not that Bertha Lewis)… and that Jeremiah Wright visited (but not that Jeremiah Wright)… and that Malik Shabazz visited (but not that Malik Shabazz).

and your lobbyist policy has more exclusions than the IRS code… Again, I reference the wife of a window manufacturer being in charge of handing out grants to window manufacturers. It’s just crazy how well you’ve kept out the cronies.

But we can’t stop there. It’s time to require lobbyists to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or with Congress. It’s time to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office.
With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests –- including foreign corporations –- to spend without limit in our elections. (Applause.) I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. (Applause.) They should be decided by the American people. And I’d urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.

Like Justice Alito doing his impression of Rep Wilson , let me roll my eyes on this one and note that you’re lying. See, in America we have this little thing called the First Amendment. I know you’re a Constitutional scholar and all, but let me refresh your memory since you may have forgotten some things since your community organizer days. See, Americans have the right to assembly, they have the right to associate with each other and they have the right to free speech. Now, I know it’s hard for a community organizer to base their livelihoods on such preposterous notions, but that’s what the Constitution says.

Oh, and this from the guy that still hasn’t verified about half of the donations he received while running for President? And who also turned off the identification verification on credit card donations while knowingly taking money from foreigners? You’re about as disingenuous as you are disasterous.

I’m also calling on Congress to continue down the path of earmark reform. Applause.) Democrats and Republicans. (Applause.) Democrats and Republicans. You’ve trimmed some of this spending, you’ve embraced some meaningful change. But restoring the public trust demands more. For example, some members of Congress post some earmark requests online. (Applause.) Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single Web site before there’s a vote, so that the American people can see how their money is being spent. (Applause.)

owww, owww, make it stop. I’ve gone from falling asleep to dying of laughter. How many thousands of earmarks have you already approved despite promising this before? Oh, and how about you granting no-bid contracts to your friends despite promising to stop that too? Oww, oww…

Of course, none of these reforms will even happen if we don’t also reform how we work with one another. Now, I’m not naïve. I never thought that the mere fact of my election would usher in peace and harmony — (laughter) — and some post-partisan era. I knew that both parties have fed divisions that are deeply entrenched. And on some issues, there are simply philosophical differences that will always cause us to part ways. These disagreements, about the role of government in our lives, about our national priorities and our national security, they’ve been taking place for over 200 years. They’re the very essence of our democracy.

See, even your own party laughed at that nonsense.

But what frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day. We can’t wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side -– a belief that if you lose, I win. Neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill just because they can. The confirmation of — (applause) — I’m speaking to both parties now. The confirmation of well-qualified public servants shouldn’t be held hostage to the pet projects or grudges of a few individual senators. (Applause.)

All you’ve done is campaign for the last year, but please lecture us on how Washingtonians can’t wage a perpetual campaign. And didn’t you support the filibuster of several of your predecessor’s appointees? Oh yeah, oops, I wasn’t supposed to remember that.

Washington may think that saying anything about the other side, no matter how false, no matter how malicious, is just part of the game. But it’s precisely such politics that has stopped either party from helping the American people. Worse yet, it’s sowing further division among our citizens, further distrust in our government.

Government doesn’t exist to serve the people, it exists to ensure their liberty from enemies foreign and domestic. I know that you have no desire to follow that notion.

So, no, I will not give up on trying to change the tone of our politics. I know it’s an election year. And after last week, it’s clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But we still need to govern.

Didn’t Bush campaign as a uniter, not a divider? Did you inherit that too?

To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. (Applause.) And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town — a supermajority — then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. (Applause.) Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. (Applause.) So let’s show the American people that we can do it together. (Applause.)

Sorry, you still have the majority, the responsibility to govern is on your shoulders. You wanted the job, you take it… quit trying to pass the blame onto everyone else.

This week, I’ll be addressing a meeting of the House Republicans. I’d like to begin monthly meetings with both Democratic and Republican leadership. I know you can’t wait. (Laughter.)

Republicans get a monthly meeting… liberal news pundits get a daily one where they’re in on the strategy sessions.

Throughout our history, no issue has united this country more than our security. Sadly, some of the unity we felt after 9/11 has dissipated. We can argue all we want about who’s to blame for this, but I’m not interested in re-litigating the past. I know that all of us love this country. All of us are committed to its defense. So let’s put aside the schoolyard taunts about who’s tough. Let’s reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values. Let’s leave behind the fear and division, and do what it takes to defend our nation and forge a more hopeful future — for America and for the world. (Applause.)

No issue has united us like security, but it’s about 80% of the way through my speech. As for re-litigating the past, isn’t that what you do every time you go overseas to bow before another leader and apologize for the wrongs you inherited?

That’s the work we began last year. Since the day I took office, we’ve renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our nation. We’ve made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take American lives. We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence. We’ve prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the Pacific to South Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. And in the last year, hundreds of al Qaeda’s fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed — far more than in 2008.

The system has worked! And we Mirandized the terrorists in less than an hour from his arrest, when he was still burning and on pain medication, since we determined that he had no actionable intelligence. We’re doing our jobs… really. Psst. Don’t ask me how closing Gitmo is going.

And in Afghanistan, we’re increasing our troops and training Afghan security forces so they can begin to take the lead in July of 2011, and our troops can begin to come home. (Applause.) We will reward good governance, work to reduce corruption, and support the rights of all Afghans — men and women alike. (Applause.) We’re joined by allies and partners who have increased their own commitments, and who will come together tomorrow in London to reaffirm our common purpose. There will be difficult days ahead. But I am absolutely confident we will succeed.

Just in time to pull them out and let the Taliban take over.

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

the withdrawal you inherited from Bush, er, wait, you wanted credit for that one…

Tonight, all of our men and women in uniform — in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and around the world –- they have to know that we — that they have our respect, our gratitude, our full support. And just as they must have the resources they need in war, we all have a responsibility to support them when they come home. (Applause.) That’s why we made the largest increase in investments for veterans in decades — last year. (Applause.) That’s why we’re building a 21st century VA. And that’s why Michelle has joined with Jill Biden to forge a national commitment to support military families. (Applause.)

More importantly, they have to know they make a good photo-op.

Now, even as we prosecute two wars, we’re also confronting perhaps the greatest danger to the American people -– the threat of nuclear weapons. I’ve embraced the vision of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan through a strategy that reverses the spread of these weapons and seeks a world without them. To reduce our stockpiles and launchers, while ensuring our deterrent, the United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades. (Applause.) And at April’s Nuclear Security Summit, we will bring 44 nations together here in Washington, D.C. behind a clear goal: securing all vulnerable nuclear materials around the world in four years, so that they never fall into the hands of terrorists. (Applause.)

Three wars since we’re not conducting an unauthorized clandestine war in Yemen to take out the man-made disasterists. And how has bending over backwards while Ahmadinejihad develops nuclear weapons preventing proliferation? I mean, didn’t you give him a deadline of the end of the year and you really meant it? Or what?

Now, these diplomatic efforts have also strengthened our hand in dealing with those nations that insist on violating international agreements in pursuit of nuclear weapons. That’s why North Korea now faces increased isolation, and stronger sanctions –- sanctions that are being vigorously enforced. That’s why the international community is more united, and the Islamic Republic of Iran is more isolated. And as Iran’s leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: They, too, will face growing consequences. That is a promise. (Applause.)

diplomatic efforts… you mean like bowing to foreign leaders? Or getting Sarkozy to laugh at you? Or snubbing Angela Merkel, Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth? Got it.

Growing consequences… how scary. Are you going to write them a letter threatening a new letter if they don’t comply?

That’s the leadership that we are providing –- engagement that advances the common security and prosperity of all people. We’re working through the G20 to sustain a lasting global recovery. We’re working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science and education and innovation. We have gone from a bystander to a leader in the fight against climate change. We’re helping developing countries to feed themselves, and continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. And we are launching a new initiative that will give us the capacity to respond faster and more effectively to bioterrorism or an infectious disease -– a plan that will counter threats at home and strengthen public health abroad.

you aren’t leading anything, you’re following the whims of worldwide polling. How about a new initiative to respond faster to natural disasters like the one you’re bungling in Haiti since you ragged on about Katrina for so long?

As we have for over 60 years, America takes these actions because our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores. But we also do it because it is right. That’s why, as we meet here tonight, over 10,000 Americans are working with many nations to help the people of Haiti recover and rebuild. (Applause.) That’s why we stand with the girl who yearns to go to school in Afghanistan; why we support the human rights of the women marching through the streets of Iran; why we advocate for the young man denied a job by corruption in Guinea. For America must always stand on the side of freedom and human dignity. (Applause.) Always. (Applause.)

but not the girl that yearns to get a decent education in our nation’s capital. And how did you support the human rights of women getting shot in the head for protesting a stolen election in Iran again? Oh yeah, you didn’t want to interfere. Real brave there tough guy.

Abroad, America’s greatest source of strength has always been our ideals. The same is true at home. We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution: the notion that we’re all created equal; that no matter who you are or what you look like, if you abide by the law you should be protected by it; if you adhere to our common values you should be treated no different than anyone else.

unless, of course, you’ve got a hyphen and favor identity politics. Then you get special treatment, like the Muslims that attacked our soldiers in Arkansas and at Ft Hood. I mean, you might even get appointed to a special commission before you go on your rampage!

We must continually renew this promise. My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination. (Applause.) We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate. (Applause.) This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are. (Applause.) It’s the right thing to do. (Applause.)

you mean like dropping the already won case against a group of individuals trying to intimidate voters? Or you mean like calling right leaning veterans potential terrorists?

We’re going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws -– so that women get equal pay for an equal day’s work. (Applause.) And we should continue the work of fixing our broken immigration system -– to secure our borders and enforce our laws, and ensure that everyone who plays by the rules can contribute to our economy and enrich our nation. (Applause.)

Again, read Sowell’s book. There is no wage discrimination between the sexes. And yeah, you want to fix our broken immigration system by naturalizing everyone!!! Woohoo, who cares about cultural stability? Those are votes in your pockets and you’re going to need them come 2012. Hell, with the way Massachusetts went, even 20 million illegals might not be enough to turn the tide for you.

In the end, it’s our ideals, our values that built America — values that allowed us to forge a nation made up of immigrants from every corner of the globe; values that drive our citizens still. Every day, Americans meet their responsibilities to their families and their employers. Time and again, they lend a hand to their neighbors and give back to their country. They take pride in their labor, and are generous in spirit. These aren’t Republican values or Democratic values that they’re living by; business values or labor values. They’re American values.

the very values you constantly spit on and refuse to acknowledge with your socialist, statist agenda. And yeah, you do have a socialist mop… you inherited that from Bailout Bush too.

Unfortunately, too many of our citizens have lost faith that our biggest institutions -– our corporations, our media, and, yes, our government –- still reflect these same values. Each of these institutions are full of honorable men and women doing important work that helps our country prosper. But each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people’s doubts grow. Each time lobbyists game the system or politicians tear each other down instead of lifting this country up, we lose faith. The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates to silly arguments, big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.

We’ve lost faith precisely because of people like you… people that lie to us, people that steal from innocent people to bribe their political backers, etc. You and the type of government you advocate are what’s wrong with the country. And you inherited that from Bush too.

No wonder there’s so much cynicism out there. No wonder there’s so much disappointment.
I campaigned on the promise of change –- change we can believe in, the slogan went. And right now, I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe we can change –- or that I can deliver it.

We got the change I expected… but I’m a cynic so I knew you were lying. It’s the people that so wished for things could be better that you betrayed and in the process, created a new generation of apathy. But that’s the point, right? Get people to the point where they assume the worst of government and when it comes, they just roll with the punches.

But remember this –- I never suggested that change would be easy, or that I could do it alone. Democracy in a nation of 300 million people can be noisy and messy and complicated. And when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy. That’s just how it is.

That’s why we’re not a democracy, we’re a Constitution Republic. A limited government of limited powers meant solely to protect our freedoms and to regulate international and interstate affairs. One nation, under god, with liberty and justice for all. Not one nanny state to feed us, clothe us and tell us what to do. Freedom baby, yeah.

Those of us in public office can respond to this reality by playing it safe and avoid telling hard truths and pointing fingers. We can do what’s necessary to keep our poll numbers high, and get through the next election instead of doing what’s best for the next generation.

You can do the hard thing, what’s necessary and end the federal entitlement system, rolling our government back to the scope which it is defined by in the Constitution. That would take fortitude, that would take character, but that’s not what you want. You want a return to despotism, where the ruler controls the people.

But I also know this: If people had made that decision 50 years ago, or 100 years ago, or 200 years ago, we wouldn’t be here tonight. The only reason we are here is because generations of Americans were unafraid to do what was hard; to do what was needed even when success was uncertain; to do what it took to keep the dream of this nation alive for their children and their grandchildren.

and today, we’re too worried about what Uncle Sugar can do for us, perpetuated by your own mentality. No longer are we individuals willing to stand alone, we’re beholden to our government, putting the shackles back unto ourselves.

Our administration has had some political setbacks this year, and some of them were deserved. But I wake up every day knowing that they are nothing compared to the setbacks that families all across this country have faced this year. And what keeps me going -– what keeps me fighting -– is that despite all these setbacks, that spirit of determination and optimism, that fundamental decency that has always been at the core of the American people, that lives on.
It lives on in the struggling small business owner who wrote to me of his company, “None of us,” he said, “…are willing to consider, even slightly, that we might fail.”

Then they are fools. Failure is what makes success important. There can be no success if there is no failure, just as there can be no good if there is no evil.

It lives on in the woman who said that even though she and her neighbors have felt the pain of recession, “We are strong. We are resilient. We are American.”

and we’re collecting a check from Uncle Sam

It lives on in the 8-year-old boy in Louisiana, who just sent me his allowance and asked if I would give it to the people of Haiti.

which, I’m sure you did, right? Hey, where’s that money from the Nobel Prize you weren’t allowed to take?

And it lives on in all the Americans who’ve dropped everything to go someplace they’ve never been and pull people they’ve never known from the rubble, prompting chants of “U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A!” when another life was saved.

you seemed to have missed a chant here in America this past year… It was three little words, easy to miss… It was “we the people” not “save us government.” The path to prosperity is not through the government, but with the people.

The spirit that has sustained this nation for more than two centuries lives on in you, its people. We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come. A new decade stretches before us. We don’t quit. I don’t quit. (Applause.) Let’s seize this moment — to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more. (Applause.)

you’ve got me fired up now… but for all the wrong reasons. You’re trying to tap into the populist rage that swept you into office in 2008. But it wasn’t that the people hated Bush, it was that the people hated the big spending, power hungry government. You’re not only continuing Bush’s policies, you’re expanding them. Good solid B+ my rear.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)

What would Rev Wright say about you now? See you at the ballot box in November.