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Only a president long shielded from criticism and accountability could make the kind of State of the Union speech President Obama did Tuesday night. It's hard to know where to begin, given his repetition of tired ideas from his previous SOTUs, his taking credit for successful policies he resisted and omitting failed ones he promoted, his numerous misrepresentations on issues big and small, and his glaring refusal to address the main issues that threaten the nation.
Let me touch on just a few highlights in this brief space.
Excessive spending is the primary threat to our nation's and Americans' financial future, yet Obama glossed over it and distorted his record.
He said, "We've already agreed to more than $2 trillion in cuts and savings. But we need to do more." But everyone knows he's had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the cutting table. His unrelenting passion is spending. Even The Washington Post said, "Obama does not mention that Republicans forced him to accept $2 trillion in budget cuts during the debt-ceiling impasse."
Obama said, "I'm prepared to make more reforms that rein in the long-term costs of Medicare and Medicaid and strengthen Social Security, so long as those programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors." Well, that's mighty magnanimous of him, but why is he so grudging about it? As president, he should be singularly focused on entitlement reform. Yet he has obstructed and demagogued such reforms. His condition that the "programs remain a guarantee of security for seniors" is completely dishonest, because Paul Ryan's plan did just that and he rejected it while ridiculing and demonizing Ryan.
Obama said, again, that to avoid Warren Buffett's secretary's paying a higher tax rate than her boss, we should adopt the "Buffett rule," prescribing that "if you make more than $1 million a year, you should not pay less than 30 percent in taxes." The Heritage Foundation tells us that according to Congressional Budget Office data, the top 1 percent of income earners already pay 30 percent of their income in all federal taxes. In addition, when wealthy people pay a lower effective income tax rate, it's a result either of lawful deductions (often charitable) or of capital gains and dividends on property they've acquired with money that has already been taxed. Also, before the wealthy realize many of these gains, the businesses that produce these gains have already paid a corporate income tax rate of 35 percent (the highest in the world). This means that Buffett, on much of this income, pays an effective rate of 50 percent (35 percent corporate plus 15 percent capital gains). Indeed, 99.4 percent of millionaires and billionaires pay far more in taxes in actual and relative terms than middle- and low-income earners, and for Obama to suggest otherwise is not only deeply deceitful but also damaging -- because of the class envy he constantly stokes -- to the social fabric of this country.
Obama said he wants to lure American companies home yet has steadfastly refused, notwithstanding his SOTU rhetoric, to agree to rectify the primary reasons they leave: punitive corporate income tax rates and onerous regulations.
Obama suggested that he is not only a pioneer in clean energy but also bullish on domestic energy. His record on the former is disgraceful, and both his claim and record on the latter are insulting. He has wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on quixotic green-energy programs with Solyndra and its cousins, spending $5 million for every single "renewable energy" job he has created. He has defiantly refused to take responsibility and is continuing to pursue more. He has waged war on domestic coal, natural gas and oil. He not only imposed a punitive moratorium on offshore drilling in the Gulf but also lawlessly reinstituted another one after federal district and appellate courts shot down his initial moratorium. When he lifted this revised moratorium, drilling remained in limbo because of the administrative obstacles his administration had imposed on drilling permits. His actions caused devastating losses to the Gulf economy and jobs, which rippled throughout the nation's economy. Most recently, to placate his environmental extremist base, he blocked the job-producing Keystone XL pipeline for no legitimate reason.
Obama threatened to withhold federal subsidies to colleges unless they hold tuition costs down without recognizing that one of the main reasons they've skyrocketed is the profligate subsidies he continues to increase.
He railed against bailouts after having established a record as President Bailout. He blamed banks again for causing the housing crisis and economic meltdown by making loans to people who couldn't afford them, without admitting that government, mainly his party, was the primary culprit.
He said he'd established the closest military cooperation with Israel in history, but he has bullied that nation for three years, and our relationship has rarely been more strained.
Believe me, I could go on.
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David Limbaugh is a writer, author and attorney. His latest book, "Crimes Against Liberty," was No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list for nonfiction for its first two weeks. Follow him on Twitter @davidlimbaugh and his website at www.davidlimbaugh.com.
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January 27, 2012 @ 10:15 am
Apparently, what’s his name has an evil twin that keeps doing all these bad things behind his back or is he just schizophrenic?
January 27, 2012 @ 11:02 am
The Keystone Pipeline wasn’t solely rejected to placate radical environmentalists. As per usual, it also benefits a key supporter and donor, propaganda-tool Warren Buffet:
http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/210153.html
Only a hyppocrite could support Gingrich while decrying the moral decay of our society.
January 27, 2012 @ 11:52 am
One of Obama’s plans he highlighted in the SOTUS is to make every student stay in school until they are 18 years old, and that would force them to get an education. This is one of the most impractical and stupid ideas I have heard in a long time, and what is scary, it came from our President. Can you imagine trying to do that? So, think about it. If a student doesn’t show up for school, I guess Obama would send the police or someone from his civilian enforcers (SEIU) to their house and drag them out and take them where? Back to the classroom where they would have to be chained to their desk? Or maybe send them to juvenile hall to set an example of what happens if you do not go to school? The truant policies of today are difficult enough to enforce let alone starting down this path where the government now is deciding your life choices even more and taking your personal freedom away from you.
It is just a simple example of how out of touch Obama is with America at large and our heritage. He has so little practical experience in anything, based on his comments and behavior, and this to me, reinforces some speculation that Michelle is really the power behind the throne and Barack is just the “doer” with the title.
It should be vividly clear to anyone that pays attention (unfortunately, most voters do not engage in politics to any significant level) that this guy is in way over his head and is doing more damage then good to our country and needs to be replaced with an adult who can provide the desparate leadership we need at this point in our history.
For example, when you compare someone like Obama to Romney, it is like comparing a spoiled child, who is naively ignorant of how little they know, to an adult who has been there and done that and can connect to the implications of their decisions on a broader scale because of their real life experiences and background. It is the difference, in a somewhat simple example, between a theoretical model versus the practical implementation of the theory…like reading a book about sex versus experiencing it.
This is called the OBAMA SYNDROME…get to know it because it is going to get much more exposure in the next 6 months.
January 27, 2012 @ 3:26 pm
Obama is the master of slick talk and a great con man.
January 27, 2012 @ 5:14 pm
From this point on if I identify the Democrats running for re-election or election…I will openly CHARGE THESE DEMOCRATS as
”seeking to help Obama destroy our country’s ability to survive…that they support printing “funny money” and that they encourage Obama to trade strategic military technology in return for continued LOANS to this country to keep our head above water”
Democratics seeking offices must be compared with and charged with Purposeful seeking to destroy our economy by OVERSPENDING when they could be cutting.
Once they are identified as being associated with these actions…they may have to explain or reconsider what their prioritie must be….their Party?….or our COUNTRY?
January 30, 2012 @ 11:23 pm
Don’t forget the Republicans are almost as bad! They had a perfect chance to stop the spending and blew it. My representative (who is a Republican) said he would only vote to raise the debt limit if the Democrats would make cuts in spending. My question was why vote for an increase at all? If they make the cuts we have money we didn’t have before and we don’t need to increase the debt limit. If they don’t cut spending you say you won’t vote for increasing the debt limit and do what you say you will do. If they cut just a little, don’t vote to increase the debt limit. No response from him, but he DID vote to increase the debt limit. I am a VERY unhappy voter and plan to fight against him when he runs this year.
January 28, 2012 @ 12:57 am
I’m not so sure I agree with you, JDZ. I think Obama knows exactly what he is doing. People need to start listening more clearly to what our Poser-in-Chief is saying. During his “State of Confusion” speech he said he wanted Congress to grant him authority to “streamline government. He talked about how even the Executive Branch needs alteration and changes to strengthen it’s effectiveness. Does anyone else understand that he wants to minimize the authority of the Judicial Branch and the Legislative Branch…giving more power to the Executive Branch???? BELIEVE ME…HITLER HAD NOTHING OVER THIS SLIMEBALL. HE IS POWER HUNGRY AND INTENDS ON BEING THE FIRST DICTATOR OF THE SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERICA. WAKE UP, PEOPLE!