State of the Union Speech, GOP & Tea Party Responses: Join the Live Chat
Tonight on a special edition of 360° at 11 p.m. ET, we'll have all the angles on Pres. Obama's State of the Union address and the response from the GOP and Tea Party. Plus, an update on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords condition. A seat was symbolically left empty tonight in the House chamber in her honor.
Want more details on what covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
Scroll down to join the live chat during the program. It's your chance to share your thoughts on tonight's headlines. Keep in mind, you have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules.
Here are some of them:
1) Keep it short (we don't have time to read a "book")
2) Don't write in ALL CAPS (there's no need to yell)
3) Use your real name (first name only is fine)
4) No links
5) Watch your language (keep it G-rated; PG at worst - and that includes $#&*)
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Filed under: 360° Radar |
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Good night AC and AC360
Honestly, the frame when the president spoke with 3Bs (you know initials of the president and the two men behind him) is the perfect picture of USA in my eyes.
Good night Anderson, Megan, Isha, Jane, Martina, Nicole, Kim, Emily, Gloria, Mike, Casey, Milan, Vivan, Gabriela, Cessy, Paula, Isabel, David-Indiana, JoAnn, Monica, Kathy, Jane, Gayle, Renee, Caroline, (Danie), Lori, (Adelaide), Heather, BettyAnn, Starr, Sharon, A. Smith, Devin, Karin, Dulcie, Michael, Karen, Miranda, Sree, Nancy, Sue, Kenya, Libby, Nina, Samantha,others and my friend Twitter/Facebook Bloggers!!!!
See you tomorrow night, Have a great night & Sleep tight everyone!!!
Anderson,
Have a great/good night, Tight sleep & rest,
See you tomorrow night!
I agree with Anahita. The President is in touch and more importantly his policies are already paying off. It takes longer to build bridges than to tear them down.
Good night Anderson, the AC 360 team, and the panel of experts. Have a good day and see you tomorrow at 10 PM Eastern.
Speaches are great if they stand for something real. Jobs and paychecks are real, so is having money to buy goods and services. With 1/4 of the population out of work or under employed a turn around is a distant dream.
I can't believe President Obama said he would veto any bill with earmarks, I don't think Washington can function without them at this point. What will congress do?!?!
If Republicans want to cut costs back to ? what ever year, their salaries need to be cut too. OR, how about those in Congress who are independtly weathy, how about they work for free, buy their own health ins.- that should save significant money too.
Thank you and good night Anderson & Team 360 for another great show.
Good night fellow writers, i'm so glad to see that many of you enjoyed Pres. Obama's speech.
I wish ALL of you a safe and peaceful day tomorrow.
Good night Anderson, Isha, 360°Team, Jo Ann, Mike, Megan, Nancy, Nicole, Gloria, Casey, Starr, Nina & Bloggers.
Good night Emily, Mike, Starr, Nicole, Nancy in Oregon, and Megan.
Thought the president gave a good speech. Unfortunately, it looks like the Republicans are going to try to block anything Obama tries to accomplish. The republicans are adamant about tax breaks for the rich, claiming it will create more jobs. Wrong! Trickle down economics does not work. Reagan tried it and it failed. They made the same claims during the 8 yr Bush disaster and again it failed. The only result will be that the greedy rich will get richer and no one else will benefit.
I've read a lot of comments on here about how the President wants to reach across the isle and work with the Republicans in his speech. Where was that bi-partisonship when the Dems were cramming down the healthcare law down us. Not one Rep invited to those talks. What makes you think he's really changed that much or was he just saying what he wanted the american people to hear. I a little put back by this.
America is really bad at providing a good education for it's young people. The education is there but a good one is not available to most, sorry to say. If state budgets need to be cut, it's usually educational institutions that have to take in their belt another notch or two.
I think President Obama did a fantastic job tonight! He is the President that is right for the job at this time! The republicans response speech sounded like, "TALKING ROBOTS". Andeson, please remind them that Americans are not computers!!! I think that the republicans offered no solutions to this nations problems, and is not looking out for this nations long term goals! The President is clearly looking out for the future of this country and not small time politics!!!!!
@Emily, "I think that's because Independents on a whole, just want to solve things."
Yes, we want to solve things, but if we don't see progress we vote accordingly.
I do believe that the Republicans and Democrats must settle their differences and come together to help put the nation in good shape by fixing the economy, inflation, the recession, education, health care, employment, and everything the American people is asking for. I do agree with President Obama's "State of the Union's address and the points he made on the economy, employment (job growth), and especially education. I have strong feelings for education.
The most interesting exchange of the night was on the panel – David Gergen's questioning of Ari Fleischer regarding funding education. Fleischer: "you can't have everything you want." Gergen: "education isn't a 'want'. Do you really believe that we can cut education on math and science?" Fleischer: "no more redistribution of wealth". There you have it. Two radically different views of American society moving forward. And Gergen is a conservative (but not feudal)!
@sig gronich, "He said that by freezing federal spending the next five years that the per cent of government spending will be be less than the per centage since Dwight Eisenhower."
Last year Obama promised to freeze spending for three years, but failed to deliver. What makes this promise any different?
Michelle Bachmann wants me to be able to buy my health insurance coverage anywhere I choose. Great; only problem is that before Health Care Reform became law I was denied coverage by every insurance company I applied to. Why does she believe it will be any different for me now? Can she guarantee me coverage is health care is repealed?
That was a good point that Tom made about Independents. I think that's because Independents on a whole, just want to solve things. There are not a lot of "special interests" that you need to cater to for Independents.
Why do members of congress need to have healthcare coverage for life? Even after 1 term in office? When they leave office they should have to buy insurance like the rest of us who leave a job. Wouldn't that save the government lots of money?
Didn't feel either rebutal really addressed the President's speech. Enjoyed President Obama's speech. Feel he has done the best anyone could of done with the mess he inherited. It certainly can not be fixed quickly but feel positive about our future and certainly don't feel "the glass is half empty" as I heard in both rebutals.
Both parties have always done a great job with delivering rhetorical messages. We need to just agree on "HOW" and get the job done. Politicians need to be held responsible for delivering results like in the private sector.
I am a single mom and jobless but I am still encouraged by Pres. Obama – Where I am discouraged is when I hear that we need to "take back our country" – I have been obliviously unaware that "our country" has been recently hijacked – I am 44yrs old and for the first time in my history I feel like I am a part of this country and not just painfully watching from the sidelines – This country sat idlely by as the previous president took us for the ride of our lives and inevitable took us places we should not have not and we've seen things we should not have seen and the bill for this ride have landed squarely on the current Presidents tab – We "The Country" say lets all (Dem,Rep&Tea) just fix it!..Stop Nit Picking...Come together of "Shut-Up"!!
I do not know how President Obama is going to fix the status of employment and unemployment, but if there is a will, there is a way. I do understand from Paul Ryan about the fiscal budget, but I am kind of lost of what he is trying to say to the public. With Bachmann, I do understand that unemployment had skyrocketed during the last couple of years, but it is time that the United States do something about. Generation Y (people who age from 16-28) may have to pay the prices with high taxes and inflation and other things.
President Obama tonight talked out of both sides of his mouth as usual.The biggest one was him saying any law loaded with earmarks that hit his desk would be vetoed. Have you seen the Healthcare law!!!!!
The President was right on! I believe it was a call for all Americans to wake up and work together and stop bickering, fix the problems and move forward.
@Bette, "And the Tea Party! A joke!"
That "joke" helped take a lot of seats away from the Democrats in the House.
I am a teacher. I am very disappointed in the discussion (speeches) about education at the governmental levels. There is this obsession with math and science education competition with other countries yet we ignore some core points. Other countries do well in math and science while maintaining a HIGH emphasis on creativity and the Arts in education. Yet we laser focus on math and science at the expense of the Arts and creativity classes. They will "claim" that they support Arts education but DO little to support it. Instead, they force restrictions and "accountability" to the point that administrators and teachers are forced to decide on where to give their time and effort. The Arts are routinely tossed aside in an effort for fact and basic skill regurgitation on mandated Standards testing while students cannot think for themselves or create new solutions to the problems they face.
Why do people expect Obama to turn around an economy already speeding towards a market crash in 2 years? The unemployment rate was already on the downward trend. I feel the Tea Party Express had no intelligence of the issue's @ hand. Not sure Rep. Bachmann (which flub history) was the right choice.
President was upbeat & positive. The GOP & Tea Party was negative with the same ole same ole
It's good to hear of Congresswoman Giffords' progress, and to have seen the atmosphere of unity during the speech.
I love president Obama jokes about salmon!!!!! LOL! He is so funny though.
Interesting observation from Tom Foreman.
The Republicans and Tea Party do not have a leader who is as smart, forward thinking, and as charismatic as President Obama. He is the one best suited to make strategic decisions to lead the US into a new era. Im on board. Great Speech. I;m an independent.
I am an American, I believe that as a whole we should work together regardless of party. to compromise, work on things and stop blaming Obama and Bush and the political parties. We all have made mistakes. The problems we have right now need to be dealt with in a timely efficient manner without arguing who did this or that, leave that to the kids, we are adults. Either talk and makes changes or go, enough about batter one another rep. or dems and get to work that's why they are payed 250k a year is it not?
I believe that the president put all the republicans on the hot seat by saying that he Will talk to them and compromise!!! But will they, they are now on the spot
What does your panel think of the President's salmon story? To me it sounded like a democrat advocating consolidation of redunant government. Less government if you will. Yet I don't see any republicans jumping up to vacate their seats.
I can't believe that Michele Bachmann believes our nation currently enjoys the world's finest healthcare. We have the highest infant mortality rate, and there are more statistics which contradict what she said.
As a republican, I am so sick and tired of the republican argument. I want results. I don't have to like obama but that is what elections are for. I am saddened that most republicans have embraced the fringe(Tea Party) instead of embracing solutions. The political cycle is happenning all over again and I am disgusted that 2 more years will go by and it will continue to be gridlock. If we can't go along to get along than we should get out. 4 years from now there will a thrid party if this continues and anyone who does not deliver will be subject to expulsion. I hold the house responsible if nothing gets done.
I really don't know why Ryan was chosen to give a response. No one, not even his own party supports his "big plan", for the future. I am stumped why Americans would put the same party in office that put us in this mess in the first place. And the Tea Party! A joke!
Bachman's speech was recorded before the SOTU was delivered and was hardly a "response" but just more of a political speech against the President. She added nothing to the conversation.
@ Karen and Cheri, I wholeheartedly agree with both of you. I just got my US citizenship in May 2009 and I will – for the very first time – in November 2012 vote for my President. And you better believe it, President Obama has my vote 🙂 I think he is the ONLY President in recent years who really, deeply and wholeheartedly cares about the "little guy", not just corporations and tax cuts for the rich. He is truly a President for ALL OF US. Not just for the ones who were born with a silver or golden spoon in their mouths. President Obama has common sense, something that republican or tea party people have a serious lack of.
Anderson:
President Obama made a definitive statement in his state of the union message that your panel members seem to be tone deaf to. He said that by freezing federal spending the next five years that the per cent of government spending will be be less than the per centage since Dwight Eisenhower. The real issue is what size should government be. Let someone say 19%, 18% or 20% and go from there. All this discussion without a value is just waving hands and espousing slogans.
Also the greatest unfunded debt we have is from George Bush who passed the Medicaire drug program unfunded. Also for Michelle Bachmann to attribute the unemployment rate in 2009 to Obama when it came out of the Bush Administration and Wall Street is incredible.
Sig Gronich
I'm watching them debate numbers. The Bush deficit hovered around 2 trillion. Remember the surplus? If the government had done what they should have done and reduce the deficit then rather that give a pay out to the people that deficit would have been 350 billion less.
I am so tired of the lying. Alot of the problems that America has did not start on January 20th, 2009 nor did it start on November 3rd, 2008. These issues have been years in the making by several people & parties in our US Government.
My problem is that "CUTS" always have to be to education. When did investing in prisons become more important than investing in our children? People need to realize that OUR CHILDREN are OUR FUTURE...these are the future doctors, lawyers, medical assistants, mechanics, librarians, teachers, engineers, chemist, presidents, nurses, homemakers, xray technicians and all of the above. Telling OUR CHILDREN that WE as a country would rather invest in them becoming a CRIMINAL than an educated person of society is just shameful.
The President can't fix anything if the House and Senate won't let him. So therefor it's the House and Senate's fault nothing is getting accomplished. The arguing needs to stop. He probably could have added more to his speech if he didn't have to keep reminding them to "keep working together" and "compromise." No other president has had to overcome so many hurdles, arguments, and criticism, than this presidency. Not to mention the disrespect! It seems the people want the arguing to stop and the politicians to compromise! So why don't they start?
The state of the union speech today was one of the best i have ever heard this president give. I am a republican but i am considering being a democrat now.He looked very presidential and i was so proud to be American