Boehner likes Obama less than Chris Brown likes Frank Ocean
By Emma Teitel - Wednesday, February 13, 2013 - 0 Comments
I heard Fran Lebowitz speak at Massey Hall last week about how much she hates strollers, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and audiences with low standards. She blames the latter on the Oprah effect—the impulse of the modern American audience to rise in applause of anything and everything. Nowhere in history (besides, perhaps, on the Oprah Winfrey show) was this phenomenon more pervasive than last night during Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address. Except for Ted Nugent or John Boehner, the live audience was perpetually on its feet. Even Paul Ryan couldn’t resist applauding this one liner — that or he really enjoys veiled digs at his own policy proposals:
“I am open to additional reforms from both parties, so long as they don’t violate the guarantee of a secure retirement. Our government shouldn’t make promises we cannot keep – but we must keep the promises we’ve already made.”
Three more observations about the State of the Union: Continue…
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5 things to watch for in President Obama’s state of the union address
By Emily Senger - Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 11:25 AM - 0 Comments
A preview of what the U.S. president must do on Tuesday night
President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address in Washington on Jan. 24, 2012 file photo. /Evan Vucci/AP)
1. Economy, economy, economy
With U.S. unemployment remaining at 7.9 per cent and an economy that shrank in last quarter of 2012, Obama will have to present a strong economic plan. Watch for themes including infrastructure, manufacturing, clean energy and improved job training and education, which a White House aide flagged as areas that the president will address.
Obama was criticized for failing to address economic issues in a meaningful way during his inauguration speech. Now is his chance and he’s going to take it. “I’m going to be talking about making sure that we’re focused on job creation here in the United States of America,” Obama told Democrats at a gathering last week, reports ABC News.
2. Striking the right tone Continue…
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Taxes focus of State of the Union address
By macleans.ca - Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 12:09 PM - 0 Comments
Obama: ‘Fairer’ tax regime is ‘common sense’
In the final State of the Union address of his term, U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to narrow the gap between rich and poor in the United States. The New York Times reports Obama showcased his core economic principals in the address on Tuesday, seeking to appeal to ordinary Americans who are suffering in a time of economic hardship and uncertainty. The president called again for changes to the tax code that would force wealthy Americans to pay more, saying such policies are seen as “common sense” by most Americans. He proposed using any gains from withdrawal from Iraq and a more limited role in Afghanistan to pay down debt and invest in infrastructure. In an emotional moment, Obama warmly embraced former Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was severely wounded in a shooting incident in Tuscon, Arizona last year. Obama closed his speech with a reference to the Navy Seal team responsible for the killing of Osama Bin Laden: “When you’re marching into battle, you look out for the person next to you, or the mission fails.”
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On a scale of 1-5, how would you rate Barack Obama’s performance in his first year in office?
By macleans.ca - Monday, January 25, 2010 at 4:03 PM - 66 Comments
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