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Obama's Statist of the Union address

February 3, 2010 - Orange County Register

President Obama made his State of the Union speech/lecture recently, opening with the obligatory, "I am happy to report that the state of our Union is strong." As any entertainer will tell you, it is smart to start with a good joke.

A friend told me that Obama should have gone to the podium with an announcement: "There is a truck with Massachusetts tags parked outside the Senate. Please move it as it is blocking my agenda."

The speech was classic teleprompter Obama: arrogant, dismissive, patronizing, and uncontaminated by any sense of reality. I felt like I was listening to a high school principal who calls the students together after a troubling event in the parking lot, lecturing, casting aspersions, and implying that he knows who did it. Obama's speech was full of scold and scorn, with none directed toward himself

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FILE PHOTO: In this Jan. 27, 2010, file photo President Barack Obama delivers the first State of the Union address of his presidency on Capitol Hill in Washington. To the joint session of Congress Obama said, "So, as temperatures cool, I want everyone to take another look at the plan we've proposed ... if anyone from either party has a better approach that will bring down premiums, bring down the deficit, cover the uninsured, strengthen Medicare for seniors and stop insurance company abuses, let me know... I'm eager to see it." Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are se

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It would be fun to see Obama's overworked teleprompters unionize, demand fewer hours for more pay, and then start fund raising and committing voter fraud on behalf of his Republican challenger.

In his first year, he has given more than 400 speeches and only five press conferences. As we know, dictators never like to be questioned. Obama seems to think he is making history by just speaking on a subject. I am sure he is documenting himself well for his presidential library, on which I hope he can start work in 2012.

Fortunately, Obama never seems to follow up on all the speeches he gives. He thinks that if he just pontificates on a subject, he has done his part and the problem will magically be solved. Obama's consistent theme has been that government does not work and we are here to give you more of it. But suddenly, he seems to be worried about jobs – his own and those of his fellow Democrats.

The mainstream media loved the speech, of course. They all shared a Chris Matthews moment when, yet again, chills ran up their collective legs.

It was fun to watch Joe "Plugs" Biden and Nancy "Picasso Face" Pelosi cheer Obama on during his speech.

Biden always nods his head in agreement when his boss speaks. He reminds me of the suck-up assistant sales manager at a used car dealership (and since they control GM now, this rings especially true) who stands beside the owner as he tries to fire up the sales force. I can see Biden spouting promises of what his dealership will do. "We stand behind every car we sell," he exclaims – which is why we all need to be careful backing out of his parking lot.

Perhaps Obama and Biden are finally realizing that actually governing is a great deal harder than they thought when they were giving those soaring campaign speeches. It seems every decision they make is the same one Bush did.

The Democrats now seem diminished by all of this, like a stripper who has to wear a change purse full of quarters on stage. Yeah, they are still in the spotlight, but something doesn't feel quite right.

On Monday, after whining and fretting about spending, Obama submitted a budget with a record $1.6 trillion deficit. Imagine what the real number will be. Astonishingly, of his $3.8 billion budget, 42 percent will either have to be printed or borrowed. The only people who will benefit from the largesse will be the ones who will not have to pay for it.

All the budget cuts he pretends to have every intention of enacting will supposedly take place in later years. It is like an alcoholic saying he is going to stop drinking in two years, or a smoker – like Obama – saying he is going to quit right after his next cigarette.

In fairness to Obama, having Congress, Pelosi, Reid and their merry band of leftist lobbyists revolving around the process is like having your drug dealer present at your intervention. Just don't tell them what number comes after trillion.