No Sign of Reset After Massachusetts Message
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on January 29th, 2010 5:31 am by HL
No Sign of Reset After Massachusetts Message
Clive Crook, The Atlantic
Little sign of a reset that I could see. The speechemphasized jobs and the economy over healthcare reform, but that wouldhave made sense even if the political landscape had not shifted. As forthe poll numbers, as for Massachusetts, they might never have happened.He mentioned Scott Brown's victory only obliquely, and in way thatdenied it any significance.I know it's an election year. And after last week, it isclear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But westill need to govern.He conveyed almost no sense that the country was sending him amessage and that he was…
A Bid to Recapture the Magic – With a Dose of Reality
Peter Baker, NYT
WASHINGTON By now, President Obama can hardly be under any illusions about the depth of the partisan divide as he seeks to reboot his presidency. Yet he still seemed surprised on Wednesday night when he could not get Republicans to applaud tax cuts.The latest on President Obama, his administration and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion.As he boasted in his first State of the Union address that his economic program had cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, Democrats jumped to their feet to cheer. Republicans sat quietly. Mr. Obama paused as…
Obama Defined Problems, But Was Short on Solutions
The State of the Union is Strongly Angry
Gail Collins, New York Times
My fellow Americans, the state of the union is angry. Also strong. Presidents usually say the state of the union is strong. But this year you would have to go with strongly angry. Gail Collins David Brooks and Gail Collins talk between columns. In his speech on Wednesday night, President Obama actually dropped that traditional state-of-the-union-is rhetoric completely in honor of the new irascibility. “We all hated the bank bailout,” he said in one of his first big applause lines. Yes, the one good thing you can say about our highest elected officials is that they are…
Faux Contrition: Obama Blames the Public
George Will, Washington Post