President Obama's State of the Union Address - 2012

President Obama's State of the Union Address - January 24, 2012

Congresswoman Gabby Giffords attended the Address and was given well-deserved recognition for her survival as well as her bravery following her recovery efforts after being gunned down in 2011. Giffords will not run for re-election this year. Instead, she will concentrate her efforts on continuing her recovery. The President gave Giffords an extensively long embrace as he travelled down the isle to the podium.

Five Supreme Court Justices attended the address...

Senator Kirk's seat was kept empty after he suffered a stroke.

First Lady Michelle Obama looked dashing in her royal blue dress.

President opening his statement by saying that our military has made us safer and more respected around the world and that for the first time in 9 nears there are no Americans fighting in Iraq as well as for the first time in 2 decades Bin Laden is not a threat to this country.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we followed the example of our troops who work together as a team.

The President stated that his grandfather went to school on the G.I. Bill and that his grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line - that they understood they were part of something every American had a chance to share, and that their hard work could lead to the promise of prosperity for men and women as well as their children.

Talked about everyone playing by the same set of rules so that all could get a fair shot. (Ovation)

We must reclaim our American values...

Talked about how technology made jobs more efficient while at the same time making some jobs obsolete, banks making huge bets with other people's money, and innocent Americans left holding the bag after the financial collapse. Regulators either had no authority to stop the road to downfall or chose to look the other way.

Went on to say that more than 3 million jobs have been created in the last 2 and 1/2 years. That manufacturers are hiring again. New rules have been put in place to hold Wall Street accountable and to prevent another catastrophy... The state of the union is getting stronger and as long as he is President he will oppose any initiave that could lead us back to a downfall.

Talked about blueprint for the futrue beginning with the auto industry... Reminded us that when he wanted to help the auto industry some opposed him and yet today GM is back on top as the number 1 auto maker in the world and that Chrysler and Ford have added about 160 thousand jobs to the economy. The auto industry is back...What happened in Detroit can happen in other cities as well.

Master Locks has now brought jobs back to America and we have a huge opportunity to get other manufactures to do the same. Wants businesses to ask themselves what they can do to bring their jobs back to America. Said we should begin with the tax code... Currently companies get tax breaks for going overseas but pay taxes if they do not... Must stop providing taxes for companies going overseas and give breaks to at-home companies... Companies overseas should not be rewarded for hiring overseas but for hiring in America instead. American manufactures should get tax cuts for manufacturing in the US, including training, equipment, and other aspects of business neccessities.

[Camera on Congressman Eric Cantor during this part of the speech... He did not look happy with the President's suggestions/plans.]

The President said he will he would go anywhere in the world to open new markets and will not stand by while other nations do not play by the rules. For example, pirating American products. Announced a Trade Enforcement Unit to investigate nations such as China... Insists playing field must be level and stated America will always lead under those circumstances....

Talked about companies who have jobs but no qualified workers available to fulfill the positions... Said we could do something about this and gave an example of Jackie who had lost her mechanics job but then received training for new position and is now working again.

Community colleges need more resources that will enable them to train people. Change unemployment system to a re-employment system that puts people to work. Reforms will help hire people today but we must work toward hiring workers of tomorrow.

Talked about teachers changing children's lives and that we should offer schools a deal by giving them resources to keep good teachers, replace teachers who are not helping kids learn, and stop the teaching to the test. Said when students are not allowed to drop out they do better thus he is proposing that every state keep students in school until they graduate or turn eighteen.

When students do graduate they must pay college and the President wants this Congress to keep tuition from doubling this July, give more students chances to earn their way by doubling work study jobs, states should make education higher priorities in their budgets, and colleges must do better to keep costs down. Said colleges will lose funding if they fail to do better with college rates.

Said we should take on illegal immigration, and there are fewer illegal crossings than when he took office, also that we should be working on a comprehensive plan for illegal immigration right now.

Wants law that provides opportunity for illegals to earn their citizenship and said he will sign it right away.

Women should earn equal pay for equal work. We should support risk takers/entrepreuners because most new jobs are created in startups.

We should tear down regulations for small businesses and lessen tax burdens - put a bill on his desk this year.

Talked about clean energy...Congress has not acted on a clean energy bill so tonight the President is acting by directing his administration to develop enough energy on private lands to fuel 3 million homes.

In next few weeks he will sign an Executive bill for nation building...

$3,000 savings per year for responsible homeowner bill going to Congress...

Talked about the need for smart regulations to prevent financial fraud, toxic dumping, and such do not destroy the free market, but rather helps it. He has already announced more than 500 reforms to regulations that did not make sense. Told joke about milk spill...

Said he is confident farmers can clear milk spills without the government looking over their shoulders, however oil industry needs to be watched, as well as other industries who act unfairly toward the American people.

Big banks and financial institutions must write out living will about what they will do to pay their bills if they fail because taxpayers will not bail them out again. Americans now have watchdog Richard Cordray to look out for their interests.

Announced new Financial Crimes Unit for bringing to justice those who broke laws during housing crisis. Wants Congress to pass legislation that enforces penalties for fraud against the people.

Told Congress to pass the Payroll Taxcut right now, without delay, without side issues, without drama, let Americans keep their $40 per paycheck... Then talked about wealthiest Americans paying lower taxes than working men and women... Said we cannot get debt down if the wealthy continue to pay unfair allotments... He and all members of Congress should pay their fair share of taxes. Tax reform should follwo the Buffet rule... Washington should not subsidize millionaires... Those making under $250K should not pay higher taxes because they need relief...

Talked about Bush's temporary tax cut... Call it tax warfare if you want but when Warren Buffet pays less taxes than his secretary and it simply is not fair.

Talked about reforming the BIG 3 as long as seniors remain protected financially... I'll say right here that this sounded scary... Any so-called reforms to Social Security sounds scary! - especially with this Tea Party led Congress!!

President talked about difference between fairness and envy re making money... Shared sacrafice is what we need to make the country last...

Talked about broken Washington and said he bets Americans, regardless of party, probably did not think anything would get done in the next year or two or three because Washington is broken... Said corosiveness in politics was part of the problem and that he would sign an insider-trading bill if it is sent to him tomorrow.

Said Simple Majority no longer enough to get simple bills through the Senate and that both parties need to do something about it...

Both parties guilty of causing problem... Said executive branch outdate, remoted, and otherwise inefficient in some respects as well.

Believed what Lincoln believed that gov should do for people only what they cannot do by themselves and no more...

He will keep taking actions to help the economy grow with or without the help of the Congress... Prefers congress to act with him because the USA can accomplish much more when we work together.

Afghanistan - 10,000 troops have come home and 23,000 more will return this summer.

Talked about Ghaddafy being no more... one of the longest serving dictators with American blood on his hands.

America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and the President will take no options off the table to accomplish that goal... A peaceful resolution would better and Iran will be allowed to rejoin the community of nations.

America is back and anyone who says otherwise does not know what they are talking about... Leaders around the world, where opinions of America are higher than they have been in years, are eager to work with us and the President intends to keep things that way...

Talked about freedom - especially - as it relates to the men and women who defend us.... [Long standing ovation]. He stated that he increased annual V.A. spending every year that he has been President. With bipartisan support vets are getting jobs; and now he is proposing another plan, a veterans' jobs corp, that will allow vets to become cops and firefighters...

Said those sent to Washington to serve can learn from our troops... Went on to talk about looking out for one another in order to prevent mission failure... Race, ethenicity, sex, religion, nor party affiliation play roles when working for a mission. Talked about why mission to take out Bin Laden succeeded... Troops worked together...

This nation is great because we built it together... As long as we continue to move forward in common the state of our union will always be strong...

For the most part, I thought this was a terriffic speech!!! Will have more to say about it later...