Is that so?

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay act was passed on January 27th, 2009 and signed TWO DAYS LATER by the president on January 29th, 2009. A few days later on February 4th, 2009, Obama signed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program only HOURS after it passed through Congress. Then the following month, Obama signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009 on May 22, 2009 – only two days after it passed through Congress.

So pardon me while I “ROFL” when the president charges Congress with upholding a standard that he will not hold himself to, even after he promised he would. I think this falls under the category of “Do as I say, not as I do!”

On this occasion, he has found a new way of blaming Bush. Instead of blaming things on the “previous administration”, he now describes it as “the last decade.” That Obama, he sure knows how to choose his words carefully, doesn’t he? Although it does seem at times that he’s struggling internally when he disagrees with the words that are scrolling on the teleprompter.

I also noticed the rise he got when he said “If these firms [big business] can afford to hand out big bonuses again, they can afford a modest fee to pay back the tax payers who rescued them in their time of need.” Well, here is a thought, President Obama: If Congress can afford to give our legislators a raise when everybody else is losing money, then they can afford to give that money to the tax payers instead–who by the way pay them their salaries in the first place.

I’m glad that the president is finally focusing on jobs, but I am a bit perplexed. By the way Mr. President, why would you need to call for a “jobs bill” if your stimulus plan is working as well as you claim? Obama keeps telling of the stories of the business in Phoenix that is growing, the one in Philadelphia that has doubled its business, but he did not say what the business’ name is. He also wants to give $30 billion to small community banks, in the hopes that they’ll start lending to small businesses. It kind of reminds me of the phantom districts that received stimulus money and “saved or created” fictitious recordable jobs.

There was something I did like, no really, I’m serious. Obama said he wants to reduce the capital gains tax. I am all for cutting the capital gains tax and would have given him credit for bipartisanship had he given due credit to the Republicans (who have been pushing for that since he took office.) He also talk about persuing alternative energy. But instead, he chose not to acknowledge that, presenting it as if it was a novel idea.

As an aside, did you happen to notice where Joe Biden was reading ahead on the teleprompter and started to applaud before the prompt, when Obama was mid sentence? By the way: Way to go, Joe! That was a great rapid response in recalling the clap before everyone else noticed. Major gaffe averted. I can’t wait to find the video…that was priceless! It wasn’t necessarily of importance, but at least it was certainly humorous, and typical of Biden.

Obama said that what frustrates the American people most is a Washington in which “every day is Election Day.” Oh how wrong he is. If every day were Election Day, people like Obama wouldn’t be able to go back on promises of transparency and making deliberations public on C-SPAN. They’d be on their best behavior. He says that neither party should delay or obstruct every single bill, just because they can. Well how about if every single bill is corrupt, should we just pass it to let them win one, American people’s wishes be damned? First, he reminds the democrats that they’re still winning and should forge ahead. Then to Republicans, he says if they “are going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town, a Super Majority, then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well.” I’m sorry, maybe I was flawed in my thinking all along. I thought for some crazy reason that we sent both Republicans and Democrats to D.C. to REpresent us, to present our views in our absence. Perhaps I am mistaken and the president is correct, being a constitutional law professor and all, that the Republicans should lead by not serving the ambitions of their Republican constituents. So let’s show the American people that we can do what together, Mr. President? As usual, his rhetoric doesn’t match his actions, or even the rest of his rhetoric. The entire speech is 1 hour and 10 minutes of contradictions. He says he’ll be addressing Republican leaders finally, on a monthly basis. It’s only been how long since they’ve been requesting meetings? Better late than never, I suppose.

This man, Barack Hussein Obama, just said to the American people, that we can argue all we want about who’s to blame, “but I’m not interested in re-litigating the past.” Hmmm, I am not quite sure what to make of the numerous references to “who is to blame” earlier in the speech then. He wants to put aside the schoolyard taunts about who’s tough. Kind of like a few minutes prior when he spoke to Democrats and reminded them they still had the largest majority in history and should act on it. To me that sounded oddly reminiscent of “We won, we won! We shot the b. b. gun!” but maybe I’m alone in that.

America’s greatest strength has been our ideals, says Obama, we find unity in our diversity, the notion that no matter who you are, and what you look like, if you adhere to our common [Democrat] values, you should be treated the same. I’m guessing that those who were locking the doors to keep people out of town hall meetings during the health care debates weren’t embracing our nation’s great diversity. He’s touting the idea that he’s going to ensure that gays have “the right to serve” in the military. Why on earth are their entrance exams to be accepted into the military? Could it be that it is to screen those who should be serving from those who should not? Could it be that they are looking to see who is equipped to serve and who is not? Does the overweight guy who can’t pass the physical fitness test have the “right” to serve in our military? ABSOLUTELY he does! Just as soon as he CHANGES enough to meet the high standards that the strongest fighting force known to mankind has set in place. The military does not require that a person stop being gay in order to serve, only that they not proclaim it to those they’re working alongside. Likewise if an overweight person does trim down enough to meet standards, the military doesn’t require that they stop eating the same amount they used to eat, but it does require that they not do so to the extent that it might put fellow servicemen in harm’s way.

With regard to his earlier statement about Republicans and furthering their own ambitions, Obama ends his speech with a fervent, “We don’t quit, I DON’T QUIT!” Mr. “it’s not all about me, it’s just entirely about me” President, how about, “I don’t give up on YOU,” no, that won’t do, that takes the emphasis off of him and places it on the people he’s supposed to be serving. After all, Obama doesn’t quit…when his ambitions are on the line.