Last Tuesday, President Obama's State of the Union speech attracted 33.3 million viewers, a little more than 10 percent of our nation's population, and the fewest since 2000. On the other hand, the Super Bowl -- the nation's major sporting event of the year -- drew an average of 111.5 million viewers, making it the most watched television program in U.S. history. Was this a sad indicator of where our priorities as a nation actually lie, or could it be that we just needed a break from our grid-locked politics? We are battle-worn, disgusted and frankly, exhausted.
To those who did watch the SOTU, it was a less than inspiring event, even though the president offered a little something for everyone, even stating that he will invoke his executive powers to get some things done if Congress does not act. Of course, those powers are limited in scope, but even so his comment did not sit well with the GOP, who found little to cheer about during the speech and mostly sat in stony silence like a morticians' convention, looking as grim as Speaker Boehner did sitting beside Vice President Biden behind the president as he spoke. Boehner's indignation reached a high point when he said, "I have the honor to introduce the President of the United States" to the chamber and a national TV audience. Throughout the speech he either looked as if he was falling asleep or trying to keep from throwing up, as he disrespectfully rolled his eyes.
The president did not start his speech with the usual "The state of our union is strong," presumably because that would be a lie. Instead, he threw out issue after issue, without ever establishing an overarching narrative or providing details about how they would be resolved. To be fair, there was some mention of building ladders to opportunity for the middle class and those below, and of the new skills and training needed for the jobs coming from the global economy -- if President Obama is serious about this issue, then education must move to the forefront of his agenda for the next three years.
Some key issues addressed by the president in his speech - and the stark realities associated with many of them - included:
- His proposal -- under the banner "Give America A Raise" -- to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Indeed, this wage should be hinged to inflation going forward -- had the minimum wage kept up with inflation, it would now be around $17.00 per hour. The downside is that this increase will not kick in until new contracts are negotiated or old contracts renegotiated, which might not take place until 2015. The upside is that it could propel a raise of the minimum wage for the rest of the country. Even though such a raise would only move these workers to just above the poverty line, it still remains a must-do for this Congress, as 20 million would benefit along with the economy.
Some key points missing from the president's speech, and one big error in judgment on his part, included:
- The corrupt, secret money controlling our government and the disgraceful effect the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision has had on our country for the past four years. Its effect can be seen in the Farm Bill just passed that calls for a cut of $8 billion in SNAP (food stamps) for the most vulnerable over ten years, on top of a cut already made to this program this past November. If the president wants to see a functioning Congress that represents the best interests of the country, he should have talked about this. How does he expect anything to be different in 2014 and beyond otherwise?
Paul Krugman said on Sunday's Meet The Press that he considers President Obama to have been a lame duck since 2010. How much can he expect to get done under these conditions? Amending Citizens United must move to the front burner if we are ever to regain our democracy. There are over 150 coalition member organizations fighting to see this happen, and over 500 towns and municipalities have passed resolutions calling for an amendment. Sixteen states also support an amendment, with more expected this year, and about 140 members of Congress are also on board. This is the issue of our time.
Mercifully, the deficit did not have a stranglehold on this SOTU, as it has now been halved. And there was no mention of cutting "entitlements," otherwise known as our earned benefits. Will such cuts be looming in March, though, when the budget steps front and center on the national stage again? Watch for the sparks to fly on this one.
The SOTU ended with a great and memorable moment, when severely injured First Sergeant Ranger Cory Remsburg was introduced to the chamber and the nation by the president. He stood -- aided by his father -- proudly wearing his uniform. Injured on his tenth deployment in Afghanistan when a bomb exploded, he suffered a brain injury, the loss of vision in one eye and paralysis on his left side, affecting his speech, yet he endeavors tirelessly in his rehabilitation. He even managed to exchange a thumbs-up with the president. The applause was long and heartfelt for this warrior, who was able to bring the room to its feet in complete and utter bipartisanship for the first time. Sincere unity could be felt in that chamber and across the country through our shared gratitude for Cory's service and sacrifice. When will we see that again?
-with Jonathan Stone