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Harris Sherline: Obama’s State of the Union Lecture
Forgive me if I appear to be skeptical, but after his first year in office, I’m just not able to take anything President Barack Obama says at face value.
The annual State of the Union message he presented to Congress on Wednesday is required by the Constitution, albeit not necessarily in the manner and form that are employed today.
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says: “He (the president) shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”
In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson initiated the practice of delivering the State of the Union message in person. Before that time, it was a written report that was sent to Congress to be read by a clerk.
I had a number of reactions to Obama’s address: It was more of a campaign speech than a message to Congress on the status of the nation. It was also overly long and boring, and Obama was combative much of the time, rather than unifying — the prime examples being a direct insult to the U.S. Supreme Court about its recent decision on campaign finance and his frequent references to the fact that he had inherited most, if not all, of the nation’s current problems from the Bush administration.
The speech was riddled with self-serving “facts,” many of which were either distortions or downright lies. But perhaps most of all, typical of Obama’s style, it was not so much a speech as a lecture, which I found insulting.
A Fox News fact check noted seven instances in which Obama’s statements did not square with the facts, including the following:
Obama: “Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will not be affected.” Fact: Obama failed to point out that this amounts to less than 1 percent of the deficit.
Regarding his health-care initiative, Obama said: “Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan.” Fact: There is no way to guarantee that, and it most certainly can’t be the case with the type of single-payer plan he envisions.
Obama also took his “share of the blame” for “not explaining” his health-care plan better, but he failed to acknowledge “that 61 percent of voters nationwide want Congress to drop the health-care plan.” (Rasmussen Reports). Translation: He intends to stuff it down the throats of those who disagree, like it or not.
Obama: He called for action by the White House and Congress “to do our work openly, and to give our people the government they deserve.” Fact: This is an astounding claim, considering that the entire process related to the health-care proposal has been done behind closed doors, without including any Republicans, who were literally locked out.
Obama: “We will continue to go through the budget line by line to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work. We’ve already identified $20 billion in savings for next year.” Fact: Pay attention to Obama’s words. He may have identified savings, but that doesn’t mean any have been or will be realized.
Obama: “The United States and Russia are completing negotiations on the farthest-reaching arms control treaty in nearly two decades.” Fact: The United States and Russia have not reached any agreement, yet Obama unilaterally abandoned the anti-missile system that was intended to protect Poland and the Czech Republic without getting anything from the Russians in return.
Obama said lobbyists have “outsized influence” over the government, claiming that his administration has “excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs” and that they should be required “to disclose each contact they make on behalf of a client with my administration or Congress” and “to put strict limits on the contributions that lobbyists give to candidates for federal office.” Fact: The White House obtained seven waivers from the ban against lobbyists, including Eric Holder (attorney general), Tom Vilsack (agriculture secretary), William Lynn (deputy defense secretary), Will Corr (deputy health and human services secretary), David Hayes (deputy interior secretary), Mark Patterson (chief of staff to treasury secretary), Ron Klain, (chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden), Mona Sutphen (deputy White House chief of staff) and Melody Barnes (Domestic Policy Council director).
There’s more — much more — that could be said about Obama’s State of the Union speech; however, suffice it to say that more of the same probably won’t change anyone’s opinion about him. The bottom line is that I don’t like the man, I don’t trust him and I believe his policies are bad for the country. I found his speech more of the usual self-aggrandizing, self-righteous posturing we have come to expect of him.
Those on the other side of the political divide obviously disagree. So be it.
— Harris R. Sherline is a retired CPA and former chairman and CEO of Santa Ynez Valley Hospital who has lived in Santa Barbara County for more than 30 years. He stays active writing opinion columns and his blog, Opinionfest.com.
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» on 01.30.10 @ 10:54 PM
On the most basic level any essay that references Fox News as a source of support has been written with very little reflection. Harris-write less think more.
» on 01.31.10 @ 02:24 AM
Instead, try quoting that bastion of right-wing ideology, the Associated Press, which had an even more scathing fact-checking article about President Prevaricator:
» on 01.31.10 @ 03:03 AM
The entire country was focused on President Obama’s State of the Union address this week. I have nothing original to add to the discussion other than my view that it seems the prez is trying to jump start his faltering administration. A lot of “the experts” are at the moment dismissing this White House as dead in the water. If they had any concept of history they would know better. Many presidents in the past got off to a bad start. If George W. Bush were judged only on his first year in office, he would today be remembered as one of the worst Chiefs Executive in American history….
[Long, awkward pause]
Okay, maybe that’s not a good example. Let me try again….
Jack Kennedy had a fairly shaky start in his first year (Remember the Bay of Pigs?) and yet he turned out to be pretty good at the job. A year from now will find us at the half way point of Obama’s first (I hope) term. Let’s see what happens between now and then. NOTE TO THE LIBERALS: To abandon all faith in this president now would not only be foolish, it would be a half-step away from insanity. Chill!
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
» on 01.31.10 @ 03:25 AM
His talk with the Boys work out good he thought, but then when your on a stage looking down at them with a big screen TV behind you showing your face it’s kind of intimidating eh ? maybe he could try this method with the chinese and iranians.
» on 01.31.10 @ 03:29 AM
Oh sorry, I was referring to the state of the union power speech he gave the Republicans.
» on 01.31.10 @ 04:43 AM
Fact: most of the health plan negotiation was in fact done on C Span and Republicans had ample opportunity to present their input and present many amendments, which they did. So you are a bald faced liar. I don’t like you either, and if I met you in person, I would kill you.
» on 01.31.10 @ 05:29 AM
You are right on Mr Sherline, it is a shame that the American people can be so easily convinced (bought with Gov’t handouts) and lied to straight to their faces. Please America, WAKE UP BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!! This man’s policies will bring America to it’s knees (before Communist China). If a President ever deserved Impeachment this ones it. I love my Country, he is ruining it. May God heve mercy on us.
» on 01.31.10 @ 06:25 AM
As usual, I agree with Mr. Sherline’s comments - even though he is my uncle. I applaud the often lonley conservative voices in Santa Barbara and their hosting by Noozhawk. I feel that both Santa Barbara and California in general suffer from a lack of these views.
» on 01.31.10 @ 08:52 AM
» Alfo Catullus wrote on 01.31.10 @ 03:43 AM
Fact: most of the health plan negotiation was in fact done on C Span and Republicans had ample opportunity to present their input and present many amendments, which they did. So you are a bald faced liar. I don’t like you either, and if I met you in person, I would kill you.
———————————————-
WHAT!? Because you disagree with him? If you’re serious, then you’ve lost any sense of what reasonable disagreement is (and should likely be evaluated for a psychological imbalance).
» on 01.31.10 @ 11:20 AM
None of those closed-door negotiations were televised — you know, the ones where Big Labor walked away with its insurance plan tax exemption, Nebraska got its Medicare bribe and Louisiana got its $200 billion payoff.
On the other hand, you probably need to smoke a lot more of what you’ve got. Dope’s supposed to calm you down. It’s not working for you. Try Xanax.
» on 01.31.10 @ 12:19 PM
Alfo Catullus - did you just threaten to kill Mr. Sherline?
Anonymity may breed trollish behaviour online, and normal people will become monsters when hiding behind a keyboard. At the same time, the perception of anonymity may prompt some people to do something stupid, like sending death threats.
That said; Mr. Catullus, I have filed a formal complaint with the Santa Barbara Police Department. Regardless of your political beliefs, making a death threat, either online or in person has absolutely no difference. You should be permanently banned from commenting on Noozhawk. Daniel Petry
» on 01.31.10 @ 12:59 PM
Gee whiz, Sherline, your first line sets up the premise for the rest of the editorial, like “I’m just not able to take anything President Barack Obama says at face value” I mean not anything at face value, not even a tiny bit? On the State of the Union being an address to the people by TV instead by a written report to the congress? Of course, the congress does get a copy but the presidents have been reporting directly to the people since 1913, is this a big problem? And the “A Fox News fact check.” That so called news organization is simply a mouth piece for the extreme right! Your article reiterated much want Fox News wrote on the 27th. I would recommend FactCheck.org as little more “Fair & Balanced” source.
» on 01.31.10 @ 02:15 PM
I’ve heard from some belligerent colleges that CNN is the “Commie News Network”. CNN is no more a communist mouth piece than Fox News is a mouth piece for the extreme right. Those of you who have so thoroughly ensconced yourselves in your little left wing enclave here in Santa Barbara ought to get out and about and discover the rest of the country and I don’t mean your other little liberal safety zones where everyone thinks the same and anyone who doesn’t is automatically “hated” (or threatened with death as Alfo the idiot has demonstrated above).
Fox News is number one in the country for one reason. They give BOTH sides a voice. They may be right leaning as CNN, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, NYT, LAT, BG, AJ, SPI and just about every other news agency in the country is left leaning, but giving both sides a chance to speak up and be debated makes the difference, a difference you won’t find anywhere else except here on the internet. Too many of you lefties, who continue to mistake the “Daily Show” for news or soak your brain in the rabid one sided culture of hate at MoveOn and the DailyKoz, have a very warped view of the world. Consequently you miss such hilarious pokes at your own narrow mindedness as pointed out by “Yeah, don’t quote Fox News” above.
BTW – Go sic him Daniel! I may disagree with you on keeping ones identity discrete, but this idiot Alfo crossed the line. I hope the authorities nail this guy.
» on 01.31.10 @ 02:53 PM
Probably after all the lies spewed by the Republican party (weapons of mass destruction, death panels, President Obama is not a citizen; and in our town the “Official NonPartisan Voter Guide” with the false League of Women Voters logo on it) make it hard for right-wingers to separate truth from lie. And “the entire process related to the health-care proposal” was not done behind closed doors.
» on 01.31.10 @ 03:02 PM
AN50, I think you are wrong to say that Fox News offers both sides of a story and both sides of an opinion. That is simply not the case. They are not Fair and Balanced. They have NO ONE on their regular programs from the middle or left. I have never seen them offer anything other than a shouting match, where the rightwing not is always given the last word. They started to run the discussion between the GOP and Obama the other day but when it was clear that Obama actually was making very strong points and trying to work with the GOP leaders, they took it off the air. Roger Ailes, the CEO and President of Fox, is as hard right as it gets and he dictates the programming.
I know you may be wishing it were true but the entire country does not believe as you do, not even the majority. Yes, Fox News is more than just leaning slightly right, it is hard right. CNN is the middle of the country and MSNBC is left. You probably think Rush,Hannity,Beck, Palin and O’Reilly are middle and not right wing??? I must remind you of the results of the National Election just one year ago? Most people in this country are still prochoice, pro gun control, pro environmental regulation and pro healthcare reform with a public option which in your mind and others makes them liberal when actual they are the mainstream of this country.
All that said, I do agree with everyone here that Alfo has gone way too far.
» on 01.31.10 @ 03:29 PM
Fox “news” is popular because it confirms what the old, white guys ‘know’ and they like to look at the babes. It figures Mr. Sherline would watch it.
Fox is not news. They have been caught using old video(of a Palin book signing) and pretending it was current. Their “reporter” was busted trying to enliven a crowd (of tea baggers I think). They were also found to have used Republican press releases as news. That is not news. That’s propaganda.
» on 01.31.10 @ 04:39 PM
You’re walking around thinking everyone agrees with you but reality is that fewer than 1 in 5 Americans do and the only way you can actually get elected is if you lie about how leftist you are. A pitiful existence, actually.
» on 01.31.10 @ 06:47 PM
Fox “news” is popular because it confirms what the old, white guys ‘know’ and they like to look at the babes. It figures Mr. Sherline would watch it.
Fox is not news. They have been caught using old video(of a Palin book signing) and pretending it was current. Their “reporter” was busted trying to enliven a crowd (of tea baggers I think). They were also found to have used Republican press releases as news. That is not news. That’s propaganda.
» on 01.31.10 @ 06:49 PM
For a higher quality fact checker try: http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/obamas-state-of-the-union-address/
In sum:“This was the president’s first State of the Union address, but not his first speech to a joint session of Congress. We found a number of errors in his first one on Feb. 24, 2009, and also in his health care speech Sept. 9 (when a GOP House member shouted “you lie”).
This time Republicans merely scoffed and grumbled at some of Obama’s statements. And while we found Obama strained the facts or cited uncertain statistics at times, we uncovered nothing we could show to be false.”
» on 01.31.10 @ 07:24 PM
3 cheers for Tom Degan and Charles Croninger,and Jim Hill and 2 bad that the usual anonymous cowards are sending their vitriol(oops) out and interfering with rational conversation.
The problem with Fox news is it isn’t and their talking heads wouldn’t recognize a fact if it hit them in the face.
Giving Mr. Sherline a pen without pensee will continue to be absurd and non-productive except to the cowards who think he is saying something intelligent.
» on 01.31.10 @ 09:19 PM
@tough to be liberal- Way to raise the civil discourse level! I know you are but what am I? Nyaah, Nyaah!
» on 02.01.10 @ 04:09 AM
Harris Sherline’s article is long, boring, and filled with prevarication.
Perhaps he can tell me where I can find those Weapons of Mass Destruction that the previous president used to justify $3 trillion spent to justify the war in Iraq and the deaths of 500,000 civilians in Iraq.
» on 02.01.10 @ 10:36 AM
quoting Sarah Palin for the title of your article was a good idea. I didn’t even have to read this and i knew it was crap.
» on 02.01.10 @ 03:38 PM
Read up to Alfo Catullus’ death threat above and you may see why conservatives post anonymously. That along with job discrimination. Too many liberal whack jobs out there.
» on 02.01.10 @ 03:40 PM
Because they hate the truth.
» on 02.01.10 @ 06:38 PM
Local, like it or not you are outnumbered 2 to 1 by conservatives. For the total population you liberals get 20%. Hate to be the bearer of that little bad news, but you local liberals here have a much skewed view of the country as a whole. I constantly pick on you guys about your worship of all things Europe and your intellectual narcissism provoked blindness. You seem to be offended by it. It’s just to wake you up and realize you’re a small very animated and vocal MINORITY, not to mention wrong, but that’s for us to argue about.
Small P, we went to war to remove Saddam, remember the UN resolution? Didn’t say anything about WMD’s but did say Saddam let us in or the US will take you out. He called the UN’s bluff and GW answered. We all might not like the after effect but at least quit spewing the MoveOn lies you guys love to clench to about why we went.
» on 02.01.10 @ 10:52 PM
For those critics of FOX news and fans of CNN you should spend a little time watching that arrogant, caustic and vitriolic buffoon, Lafferty, who punctuates Wolf Blitzer’s daily attempt at news coverage in the “situation room”.
MSNBC is so far left they make PRAVDA look conservative. There is NO so called cable “news” network that slants their so called “news” coverage more than MSNBC.
If FOX is the harbor of only that “handful” of right wing “kooks” and “tea party” adherrents as you lefties like to claim, why is it that their ratings are so much higher than everyone else?
The fact is they are the station that many moderates and centrists watch including the so called Independents who now make or break virtually every candidate and they are clearly up in arms over the arrogance of power demonstrated in Washington by Obama, Reid, Pelosi this past year and the “we won, we are the power with our super-majority, and we can do what we want and the rest of you can stuff it”, crowd!
The complete change in the Obama dialogue since the Scott Brown win in Massachusettes, is proof positive he is just another mealy mouthed politician blowing wherever the wind does or his party central clique tells him he better go to, in order to placate the mood of the majority of Americans. The speed that “jobs” and the “economy” replaced “health care” as the center of Obama’s new platform a day or two after the Brown win, was dizzying!
» on 02.04.10 @ 08:22 AM
funny, I seem to remember a whole speech at the UN by Colin Powell on Feb. 5, 2003 all about Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Where are Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction? AN50, can you show them to me?
Without those Weapons it is fair to conclude we had no valid case to invade Iraq, and spend $3 trillion dollars. Funny how conservatives LOVE wasting the taxpayers money in Iraq.
» on 02.04.10 @ 05:38 PM
Small P, did you read what I wrote? I don’t care what Powel said. The reason we went was the UN resolution requiring Saddam open up to UN inspectors or risk an invasion to remove him and allow the inspection to proceed. You on the left seem to continuously forget that. Why??? You want to find fault with the intent but it is clear as crystal and in the RECORD, it wasn’t about WMDs being there it was about being unable to verify that. Got it? Spread the word to all your other lefties who seem unable to research anything outside of MoveOn or DailyKos.
» on 02.05.10 @ 08:06 PM
AN50, show us the record. The UN inspectors were on the ground in Iraq and could not find any WMDs. Back it up with proof.
» on 02.06.10 @ 02:00 PM
Local; you need to take some of those miracle memory enhancing pills. Sadam played hide and seek with the inspectors until he finally kicked them out. Between those games, his numerous repeated threats and claims that he had such weapons, his use of deadly chemical weapons against the Kurds, the mass murders of any opponents within Iraq for years, his lahing out and attacking first the Iranians in a sensless 5 year war for no good reason, then his sudden invasion of Kuwait and finally his lobbing missles into Israel during the first Gulf war freeing Kuwait, (you remember don’t you, Sadam threatened that it was going to be the “mother of all battles”) all demonstrated what a dangerous lunatic he was.
It was fair to assume, when he used chemical weapons of mass destruction on his own, people killing thousands, and his claims he had other weapons of mass destruction, and the fact he played hide and seek with inspectors, then kicked them out, all pointged to the likelihood that he probably had WMD.
Hind sight by biased lefties, calling Bush a liar, starting a war for oil, or because his father Bush no. I had been threatened with assassination, etc. etc. is the kind of distorted vision that is worthless and reflects nothing but a vitriolic prejudice from the left wing, pushing their anti-Bush agenda!
Like I said local find some of those memory pills and share them with publius with a small p he too has one of those selective memories clouded with obvious anti-Bush bias!
» on 02.07.10 @ 02:08 PM
So, AN50, you are saying you love that old UN so much that any old resolution violation is grounds for an invasion.
The Palestinians would love you to invade Israel based on Israel’s violations. I guess you are totally in favor of the US invading Israel too.
I never knew that conservatives loved the UN so much. Maybe they’d like us to up our $ contributions to the UN.
The Bush administration said there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. There weren’t any.
The invasion of Iraq was a waste of $3 trillion in US taxpayers money, not to mention a vicious waste of 1000’s of lives of American Soldiers. Conservatives HATE AMERICA.
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