SOTU Response Preview
Virginia governor Bob McDonnell is giving the response to the State of the Union speech. Some excerpts have already been released.
Excerpts from Governor Bob McDonnell’s Republican Address to the Nation
Excerpts as Prepared for DeliveryWashington, Jan 27 –
Below are excerpts from tonight’s Republican Address to the Nation, to be delivered by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell following President Obama’s State of the Union Address:
JOBS: “Good government policy should spur economic growth, and strengthen the private sector’s ability to create new jobs. We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation, so America can better compete with the world. What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation, and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class.”
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SPENDING: “The amount of this debt is on pace to double in five years, and triple in ten. The federal debt is already over $100,000 per household. This is simply unsustainable. The President’s partial freeze on discretionary spending is a laudable step, but a small one. The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level.”
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HEALTHCARE: “All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality. But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government.”
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ENERGY: “Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas, nuclear, wind, coal, and alternative energy to lower your utility bills. Here in Virginia, we have the opportunity to be the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas offshore.”
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EDUCATION: “The President and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools, and rewarding teachers for excellent performance. More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement. A child’s educational opportunity should be determined by her intellect and work ethic, not by her zip code.”
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NATIONAL DEFENSE: “We applaud President Obama’s decision to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. We agree that victory there is a national security imperative. But we have serious concerns over recent steps the Administration has taken regarding suspected terrorists.”
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THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT: “Here at home government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents in liberty to pursue the American Dream. Republicans know that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all. That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise, economic growth, strong families, and individual achievement.”
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OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT: “Top-down one-size fits all decision making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our Founders clearly stated, and we Governors understand, government closest to the people governs best.”
Yawn. I guess it will all be in the delivery.
Favorite line:
“We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources, and we must use them all.”
Politifact is breaking down SOTU related comments: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/
The GOP “response” was a joke. Staged, contrived, no people of color save two props – just as phony as the GOP message. I wonder how many of those sitting in the House of Delegates in Richmond were paid actors. According to WaPo:
In a presentation that mimicked many of the trappings of President Obama’s address, McDonnell delivered his speech in front of a packed audience of about 250 family members, friends and donors in the state’s historic Capitol.
McDonnell walked down the aisle shaking hands as he entered the House of Delegates chamber, much as Obama did in the nation’s Capitol. He was flanked by Cabinet members and some of his leading supporters, who punctuated his remarks with repeated and enthusiastic applause.
And special guests were on hand — a pair of local schoolchildren and a state police helicopter pilot who was shot at during a manhunt for a mass killer last week in Appomattox.
The theatrics were a clear departure from other recent rebuttals, which have generally been delivered alone in subdued settings. Last year, in response to Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) was widely criticized for delivering a flat speech from an empty room in his governor’s mansion, a backdrop that did not seem to flatter him.
The congressional staffers and McDonnell advisers who organized this year’s response — which cost about $30,000 and was paid for by the Republican Governors Association and the political action committees of McDonnell and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — sought a more commanding and friendly venue.
Here’s a link to the article – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/27/AR2010012704953.html?hpid=topnews
HEALTHCARE: “All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality. But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government.”
they re back to THIS BS? I think the Dems response should be “you’re right. we have the best doctors and medical knowledge, but the greedy insurance scams are preventing all Americans from getting that treatment”
GOP message FAIL!!!
C’mon, MJ…..you’d be all over it if they had hired Ellen to do a her dance as they walked into the Hall of Delegates
The best I can say was that it was better than Jindal’s speech. It wasn’t terrible. It was fairly substance-less and I wonder how long they spent picking who would sit behind him. We have the African-American woman, the Asian man and the soldier. Make sure we look inclusive!
McDonnell looked amazingly life-like.
Really? I thought he looked like a Dan Quayle action head.