Obama's state of the Union Address

[Moonlight Graham]

discuss!

[Shady]

I thought his speech was ok, but definitely not the best one he's given. I thought it started out well, kind of died in the middle, but finished strong.

[eyeball]

I think he's full of crap.

The detention camp at Guantánamo Bay is still open so...nuff said.

[bush_cheney2004]

I think Serena will need to improve her serve and footwork to beat tiny Justine.

[BubberMiley]

I think it's funny the Oilers and the Flames are competing for the title of who sucks the most.

[Pliny]

Hey,everybody! We landed on the moon! Awwll right!

[sharkman]

The bottom line for me is that Obama has decided to stay the course. All of that nonsense about switching to a govern-from-the-middle strategy which helped Clinton to two terms will not be deployed. This is good because it means voter disenchantment and anger will simmer nicely through the midterms and give Obama the shellacking his arrogance deserves.

More good news, I think he finally gets it that it's the economy, stupid. It obviously wasn't last year since his non-stimulus bill only spent 11% of the total amount then. A much higher percentage could have staved off what the US is going to go through this year, but at least he's showing signs of learning on the job. Finally.

[Shady]

AP has his lie count at around 10 last night. Which is lower than I thought it would be, so I guess that's good.

The best moment of the night was when Justice Alito shook his head saying not true to one of Obama's distortions. He gets a huge thumbs up!

[BubberMiley]

The best moment of the night was when Justice Alito shook his head saying not true to one of Obama's distortions. He gets a huge thumbs up!

You want more activist, partisan judges who wear their lack of independence on their sleeve? Maybe Obama will fulfil your wishes when he fills the anticipated vacancies in the next two years.

[wyly]

More good news, I think he finally gets it that it's the economy, stupid.

he prevented GM and Chrysler from going down the toilet saving millions of jobs, he saved the banking industry going down that same toilet saving the entire economy and saving millions upon millions of jobs in the US Canada and around the world...he had the economy from day 1...

[Shady]

lack of independence on their sleeve?

What exactly is this so-called lack of independence? The Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of crafted legislation. Obama deliberately lied about the court ruling. The Supreme Court is AN EQUAL BRANCH of the federal government. If Obama wants to lie and criticize it, then I think a head shake and whisper is more than justified.

[Shady]

he prevented GM and Chrysler from going down the toilet

No. He prevented GM and Chrysler from going through a proper organized bankruptcy, which would have put them in a much better postion going forward. Instead, he just threw billions of dollars to them, and handed majority ownership of them over to the unions. It was all about saving the unions, not about saving and bettering Government Motors and Chrysler.

he saved the banking industry

Again, he just threw hundreds of billions of dollars towards the banks, without any strings attached. And now he wants to pretend he's outraged.

It's nice though, after a full year of economic disaster, he's finally pivoting to jobs. A little late to the show Barry. That's all people were ever concerned about from the beginning. Idiot.

[BubberMiley]

If Obama wants to lie and criticize it, then I think a head shake and whisper is more than justified.

It goes against the independence of the judiciary for a judge to act in such a partisan way.

But you're getting terribly lazy. Before you make your wild-eyed accusations, you should really clarify what you're talking about. How did Obama lie?

He said the Court's opinion changes the course on over a century of campaign finance law that seeks to limit corporate influence in elections. Is this the lie?

He also said this could lead to foreign corporate spending in U.S. elections. Is this the lie?

I know your drve-by smears typically lack substance, but you've really got to boost your game.

Edited January 28, 2010 by BubberMiley

[Shady]

It goes against the independence of the judiciary for a judge to act in such a partisan way.

Before you make your wild-eyed accusations, you should really clarify what you're talking about. How did Obama lie?

He said the Court's opinion changes the course on over a century of campaign finance law that seeks to limit corporate influence in elections. Is this the lie?

He also said this could lead to foreign corporate spending in U.S. elections. Is this the lie?

Yes, it's a lie. He's a liar and a demagogue.

The court ruled on Section 441a, but Section 441e was left untouched. That section prohibits foreign corporations from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and prohibited from making any "expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication."

This man was a constitutional law professor. He should know better. He obviously knew that he wasn't just bending the truth, but outright lying to the American people. If any utterance deserved a "You lie" moment, it was this one.

[wyly]

No. He prevented GM and Chrysler from going through a proper organized bankruptcy, which would have put them in a much better postion going forward. Instead, he just threw billions of dollars to them, and handed majority ownership of them over to the unions. It was all about saving the unions, not about saving and bettering Government Motors and Chrysler.

no one will buy from a bankrupt auto dealer except a complete moro...jobs are the economy...and I thought I was economically challenged, you set new standards...

Again, he just threw hundreds of billions of dollars towards the banks, without any strings attached. And now he wants to pretend he's outraged.

It's nice though, after a full year of economic disaster, he's finally pivoting to jobs. A little late to the show Barry. That's all people were ever concerned about from the beginning. Idiot.

he saved the banks from their own greed and expects them to repay the loan, wow that's really outrageous...saving the banks saved the american economy...saving the american economy saved ours...it prevented the entire world from going into an economic meltdown, even china's economy would have stopped...NO BANKS, NO JOBS, GOT IT NOW!

you best leave the discussion of economics to the grownups...

[BubberMiley]

The court ruled on Section 441a, but Section 441e was left untouched.

You are aware of the wide loophole for foreign corporations with a U.S. presence, are you not? With this ruling, they are free to stuff as much money as they want into that loophole.

[Shady]

You are aware of the wide loophole for foreign corporations with a U.S. presence, are you not? With this ruling, they are free to stuff as much money as they want into that loophole.

No they're not. Now you're lying. That simply isn't true.

[BubberMiley]

The federal law U.S.C. 441e((3) you referred to does not refer whatsoever to companies that are incorporated and headquartered in the United States but are owned by foreigners.

This loophole makes it possible for such foreign-owned corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on election campaigns.

This a fact that you cannot make untrue by calling me a liar.

Note: After posting, I noticed the sunglassed smiley face that automatically pops up when a B follows a closed parenthesis. I could turn off that feature, but I think it looks cooler that way.

Edited January 28, 2010 by BubberMiley

[Topaz]

Obama speech was good and make a lot of sense by saying jobs have to be the #1 to get the economy going. It was refreshing to hear a President speak of domestic problems rather than the terrorists out there waiting to attack. He was also right when telling the Republicans that the politicians are there to do a job for the PEOPLE and not to make themselves famous or who could get their own way and not have a open mind to certain decisions. BTW, here a chart that tells who are the biggest spenders since the WW2 in the US. Obama, has an uphill battle with the Fed. debt. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_debt_by_U.S._presidential_terms

[Shady]

The federal law U.S.C. 441e

There is more to the law than just U.S.C. 441e.

The Court held that 2 U.S.C. Section 441a, which prohibits all corporate political spending, is unconstitutional. Foreign nationals, specifically defined to include foreign corporations, are prohibited from making “a contribution or donation of money or ather thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election” under 2 U.S.C. Section 441e, which was not at issue in the case. Foreign corporations are also prohibited, under 2 U.S.C. 441e, from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and they prohibited from making any “expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication….”

[BubberMiley]

Thank you for making my point for me. You can see now how a foreign-owned corporation that is headquartered and incorporated in the U.S. would not fall under that definition.

I accept your apology on behalf of the American people for calling their leader a liar.

You'd think, after being proven wrong so many times, you would have learned by now.

[Shady]

Thank you for making my point for me. You can see now how a foreign-owned corporation that is headquartered and incorporated in the U.S. would not fall under that definition.

I accept your apology on behalf of the American people for calling their leader a liar.

You'd think, after being proven wrong so many times, you would have learned by now.

How would a foreign-owned corporation not fall under Foreign nationals?

[BubberMiley]

How would a foreign-owned corporation not fall under Foreign nationals?

It doesn't because it's headquartered and incorporated in the U.S. The corporation makes the donation and technically it's a U.S. corporation, even though its ownership is foreign.

Glad to help you out there. Next time you can PM me any questions before you call people liars.

Edited January 28, 2010 by BubberMiley

[Shady]

It doesn't because it's headquartered and incorporated in the U.S.

Foreign National:

Any person other than a US citizen, US permanent or temporary legal resident alien, or person in US custody.

And since The Supreme Court has already ruled that corporations are people, I can't see how the previous sub-section of the law I posted wouldn't apply. Even if the foreign company is headquartered and incorporated in the United States, they fall under that definition. You lost this case councillor. Better luck next time. And btw, I only PM people who know what they're talking about!

But at the heart of the matter was the denial of constitutional rights of American citizens. You can't include U.S. citizens in a law the prohibts freedom of speech to non-U.S. citizens. That's why the law was found to be unconstitutional. Which it is.

[punked]

Foreign National:

Any person other than a US citizen, US permanent or temporary legal resident alien, or person in US custody.

And since The Supreme Court has already ruled that corporations are people, I can't see how the previous sub-section of the law I posted wouldn't apply. Even if the foreign company is headquartered and incorporated in the United States, they fall under that definition. You lost this case councillor. Better luck next time. And btw, I only PM people who know what they're talking about!

But at the heart of the matter was the denial of constitutional rights of American citizens. You can't include U.S. citizens in a law the prohibts freedom of speech to non-U.S. citizens. That's why the law was found to be unconstitutional. Which it is.

Yes they do a US CORPORATION Can be owned by a foreign citizen. Not only that foreign nationals can set up US CORPORATIONS and funnel money through them.

A very large percentage of U.S. corporations are owned by foreign persons or entities. In 2006, USA Today reported: "Nearly one in five U.S. oil refineries is owned by foreign companies. Foreign companies also have a sizable presence in running power plants, chemical factories and water treatment facilities in the United States." It was also reported that, "Roads and bridges built by U.S. taxpayers are starting to be sold off, and so far foreign-owned companies are doing the buying." In 2008, it was reported that foreign ownership of U.S. companies "more than doubled" between 1996 and 2005. To get a fix on the spending power, consider this: "The total receipts of foreign-owned companies were $1.7 trillion in 1996 and just $39 billion in 1971."