Comments on: About Last Night

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 07:11:34 +0000

Oh, come on now, let’s not throw a hissy fit every time a member of the People’s Republic Party drops that syllable.

By: Doug Hughes

Doug Hughes — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:19:20 +0000

A friend of mine at work asked me what I thought of the speech this morning. (He knows I would watch it and have an opinion.)
My reply “Let’s be bipartisan; do it my way.”

The one point where Bush and the Democrats agree is legalizing12 million or so illegals. Bush is looking out for big business who wants a pool of cheap labor to keep wages down. The Democrats are salivating about all those poor exploited workers who can be registered Democrats.Neither Bush or the Democrats are looking out for the national interest.

By the time ‘08 rolls around, Iraq will be winding down. The Republicans who are up for reelection know where the polls are headed. Republicans may be smart enough to make Immigration THE issue of the ‘08 election if Democrats are stupid enough to pass legislation which is offensive to the Independents who were the swing vote in the last election.

By: mim

mim — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 02:13:25 +0000

I never listened to an opposition rebuttal to a SOTU address until this year, but I’m glad I did this time. Whoever picked Webb to give the speech (Nancy Pelosi?) is crazy like a fox. This is the same Webb who stood up to the White House bully when asked, “How’s your boy?”

Yes, I heard “the Democrat majority.” “Democrat” as an adjective has become so universal among Republicans (Republans?) that even Christie Whitman used it when she was on “Fresh Air.” I’ve also heard it in Australian newscasts, but I give foreigners the benefit of the doubt.

By: Kevin Hayden

Kevin Hayden — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:09:17 +0000

I don’t much care for the subtle meaning of ‘muscular’ liberalism. Yes, I like Webb’s attitude, delivery, etc, but it’s not about muscle or testosterone. It’s about heart.

And I know many people with smaller voices, shorter stature, less muscular physiques, who are every bit as smart, principled and filled with similar heart who stand for liberalism without retreat. They rarely get a chance at the pulpit and are oft overlooked by the media and pols, but they’re every bit the worth of Webb to progressivism and the advance of humane beings.

Webb’s a good role model for wishy-washy pols, but he’ll have some catching up to do with many longstanding liberals.

Beyond that one point, I think you got it all covered perfectly.

By: Preston

Preston — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 21:02:35 +0000

Senator Jim Webb was nothing less than presidential in his rebuttal of the President’s SOTU address. He was absolutely magnificent.

By: Swami

Swami — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 20:42:37 +0000

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16789806/site/newsweek/

Here’s an interesting article… From none other than the master who brought us…cut and run, freedoms on the march, axis of evil, when they stand up,we’ll stand down..and hundreds of other catchy little deceptions. I know we’re supposed to avoid cliches to achieve good writing, but he sounds like sour grapes.

By: Jonathan Versen

Jonathan Versen — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:23:42 +0000

I’m going to keep calling him Junior until he gets democratic right. That strikes me as more than fair.

By: maha

maha — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:09:41 +0000

About the health care”plan”, perhaps I have missed something but if bush is saying you will be able to deduct the cost of your insurance from your income tax at the end of the year I want to ask”what the hell is new?”

I don’t think Bush knows what he means. The plan as I understand it creates a standard deduction for everyone who gets employer-based health insurance. So if you pay less for your health insurance than the standard deducion you come out ahead, and if you pay more you lose. The idea is to “incentivize” people to get lower-cost health insurance.

By: moonbat

moonbat — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:03:45 +0000

It’s a very good sign that Webb was even chosen to give the rebuttal – our party is starting to hit some of the right notes. I wonder how many people stuck around to hear and see him. He’s terrific, the kind of authenticity and gravitas we need.

By: The Mahablog » Health Care and Poison Pills

The Mahablog » Health Care and Poison Pills — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 19:01:00 +0000

[...] I’m already seeing signs that the Right is going to use Bush’s utterly absurd health care proposals to claim that Democrats aren’t serious about health care reform. There are two columns in the Washington Post today that say Dems are poopyheads for not even listening to Bush’s “ideas.” One is by the already mentioned and cognitively challenged Ruth Marcus, whom Brad DeLong skewers a lot better than I did. The other is business columnist Steven Pearlstein: … the most surprising and encouraging development is that a president who for six years has only nibbled around the edges of health-care issues has weighed in with some bold ideas to expand coverage, rein in costs and bring some fairness to the tax code. And get this: It actually involves raising taxes on the rich and lavishly insured and giving the money to the working poor and the uninsured. [...]