Thursday, January 28, 2010

State of the Union Arrogance

Once again, the voice of the people has fallen on deaf ears!  Last night, at his first State of the Union address, President Barack Obama made it clear he has no intention of changing the arrogant course set by him and his administration during his first year in office.  Despite an overwhelming mandate by the citizens of this country, this Administration dismissed the TEA PARTY movement and the shocking GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION  RESULTS in Virginia and New Jersey where angry citizens threw out incumbent liberal Democratic governors.  With his State of the Union address last night, the President made it clear he is, also, ignoring the resounding message the people of Massachusetts sent when they handed a historic defeat to Democrat Martha Coakley in an election to fill the seat of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, ending a 38 year Democratic reign in that state.

These events have one thing in common.  THE PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THE DIRECTION THIS ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING THEIR COUNTRY, AND THEY ARE FED UP WITH BEING IGNORED!  Scott Brown, who defeated Martha Coakley in Massachusetts, summed up the message. He was against the Healthcare bill, Cap and Trade, unbridled spending, Mirandizing terrorists and trying them in civil courts.  Most importantly, he stated that members of Congress WORK FOR THE PEOPLE; that their election to office does not give them the right to ignore the people's will.

The President's speech, last night, was not a "State of the Union" address.  It was another "campaign" speech; and an arrogant one at that.  Throughout the hour and fifteen minute speech, I didn't, once, hear him mention the "state of the Union".  If he did, it got lost in all the political rhetoric.  He spent the majority of the speech drawing political lines and chiding groups that opposed his agenda. He arrogantly reinforced his intention to pass Healthcare, EVEN THOUGH THE PEOPLE WERE AGAINST IT!  He did the same with CAP AND TRADE.  His plan for a SPENDING FREEZE would not go into effect until 2011, would LOCK IN THE MAMMOTH SPENDING INCREASES OF 2009 AND 2010 and would be a "drop in the bucket" compared to the MULTI-TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICITS his programs will create.  To think the American people would buy into this "sleight of hand" is an insult to their intelligence!

Rather than deliver a true "state of the Union", the President arrogantly LECTURED the Congress, Supreme Court and government agencies on how to do their jobs.  At the same time, he widened the partisan gap between the parties by publicly embarrassing the Republicans, accusing them of opposing anything proposed by the Democrats.  I have never seen this kind of admonishment in a State of the Union address, and it is undignified of a president to resort to this tactic.  He continues to blame the ills of the country on former President George W. Bush.  IT IS, NOW, THE BARACK OBAMA PRESIDENCY AND HAS BEEN FOR A YEAR!  The people are tired of that worn out excuse.

During the speech, President Obama showed brazen disregard for the CONSTITUTIONAL SEPARATION OF POWER which created three EQUAL, INDEPENDENT branches of the Federal Government (Executive, Legislative and Judicial) to ensure no single entity acquired too much power.  HE PUBLICLY HUMILIATED THE SUPREME COURT for their decision in a recent campaign funding case.  He, even, had the audacity to reference the "Separation of Power" when he admonished them!  In its unprecedented grab for power, the Obama Administration has continually ignored and violated our Constitution (see my article, The Oath of Office and Political Action).  Once again, I have never seen that kind of admonishment in a State of the Union address.

In the end, the things said by the President during this State of the Union address ring hollow and meaningless.  Talk is cheap.  Actions count.  This President made many promises during his campaign:  Unprecedented transparency (CNet coverage of bill negotiations, posting all bills on the Internet for five days before signing), limits on lobbyists, earmark reform, and more.  Unfortunately, he has reneged on all of them.  And with all the rhetoric, the President made no mention of THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.  To the contrary, the defiant message was that he and his Administration were redoubling their efforts to enact the very legislation that the people said they do not want.

It's back to business as usual inside the beltway.  But the people will have their turn.  Elections are coming!

1 comment:

ML1959 said...

And before him people didn't like the direction George W. Bush was taking the country as evidenced by his dismal approval ratings. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...