LIVE BLOGGING: Obama’s address to Congress

Welcome to MississippiPerspective.org and the live blogging of President Obama’s first address to Congress.

My television is tuned to MSNBC, and I’m watching Keith Olbermann take us in.

Back in a moment with more…

ETA: Here’s the text of the President’s speech.

8:03 PM: As has been said before, this is not a State of the Union address. Newly elected presidents often give a similar address around this time to outline their agenda. They are treated much like a State of the Union.

8:04 p.m.: Here comes the First Lady. She looks striking. I think she has the potential to be a formidable First Lady.

8:05 p.m.: The Cabinet is coming in, looking all cheery. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. I’m looking forward to her term as our lead ambassador to the rest of the world. It makes me wonder what her future will be in eight years.

8:07 p.m.: What should we expect tonight? MSNBC says:

President Barack Obama will bluntly tell Americans in a prime-time address Tuesday night that the “day of reckoning has arrived” after a spree of extravagant buying, gutted regulations and little or no long-term financial planning.

In excerpts of his speech to Congress, which was scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, Obama was offering a sober assessment of the past decade, declaring that the time to take charge of the future was now.

I also wonder what will be said about the news that the President will extend the Iraqi pullout by 3 months?

8:10 p.m.: Here’s the President. He looks confident and in command. Speaking of such, here’s a great article about him in an earlier meeting today. Shows his humor and command all in one.

8:13 p.m.: Chris Matthews: Obama will not be judged by his race as president. He’s already transcended that. Do you agree? I think so.

8:14 p.m.: A kiss from Clinton and a deep embrace with Justice Ginsburg.

8:15 p.m.: President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. What a nice change of scenery from a year ago.

8:16 p.m.: So Obama is a bit anxious… Rookie mistake speaking to Congress before being introduced.

8:17 p.m.: He wastes no time. Brief hellos, and he’s straight into the economy. “You don’t need to hear another list of statistics to know that our economy is in crisis.”

8:19 p.m.: “We will rebuild. We will recover. And the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.” This is similar to a refrain he used on the campaign trail and during the transition.

8:20 p.m.: MSNBC needs to get rid of the Audience Reaction tracker. It’s not working and is very distracting.

8:21 p.m.: A big question going into this speech was how Obama would handle reminding the public that he inherited the economic crisis and did not cause it without sounding like he’s throwing off blame.

He handled it very well. Talked about out-of-control spending of the past years (i.e. Bush presidency and Republican-controlled Congress) while not handling the real problems facing our economy.

8:22 p.m.: “My plan begins with jobs.” And that’s what the problem is with Republicans. Obama’s stimulus plan targets the middle class and lower income brackets. Republicans prefer “trickle down” approaches, despite always failing with this approach. (i.e. late 80’s and early 90’s.)

8:23 p.m.: Real-world example of stimulus plan: Minneapolis police not laid off from work because of budget constraints.

Another example: Extended unemployment benefits. Of course, Haley had rather Mississippians not receive this.

8:24 p.m.: McCain looks like a crazy old man. I once had great respect for him, but I lost it all during the campaign.

8:26 p.m.: Want to know what the government is doing with the stimulus money? Go to www.recovery.gov.

And if you want to track the projects funded by the stimulus plan, you can visit www.stimuluswatch.org. Here’s an MSP.org post about Mississippi recovery projects.

8:29 p.m.: Government getting involved with loans and home mortgages. Everyone agrees that we need to:

- Get the lending markets back to strength
- Fix the housing market

Republicans won’t like the government doing it, but the private institutions have proven they can’t be fully trusted right now. I say a new approach is deemed necessary.

8:30 p.m.: Future bank bailouts will come with more strings. Should help prevent this type of behavior.

8:31 p.m.: Obama also committing to not allow a national deficit to exist for too many years. He’s looking for quick fixes to jump start the economy and then long-term approaches to rebuilding economy and cutting a deficit.

8:32 p.m. Obama explaining the need to give banks more assistance: “It’s not about helping banks, it’s about helping people.” People can borrow money to buy a new home, creating jobs, creating more wealth, etc.

8:33 p.m.: Change is coming to Wall Street. Obama will ask Congress to overhaul the oversight structures of banking and other economic institutions.

8:34 p.m. Every time MSNBC shows a Republican, the poor guy looks pained. Must be the recent poll numbers…

8:38 p.m.: Obama’s budget will focus on three key areas: energy, health care and education.

It begins with energy. We must lead in being energy efficiency. However, China, Germany, Korea and other nations are the world leader in this area. “It’s time for America to lead again.”

8:39 p.m.: Great live twittering by NPR.

8:40 p.m.: Obama says we must make renewable energy a profitable industry.

Obama proposes investing $15 billion to develop alternative energy.

8:41 p.m.: We must save the auto industry. “And I believe that the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.”

8:42 p.m.: “We must also address the crushing cost of health care.” I couldn’t keep up with the statistics, but they are startling. I’ll get them and post them later.

8:43 p.m.: “We can no longer afford to put health care reform on hold… It’s time.”

Pelosi gave an overly enthusiastic standing ovation for the CHIPs program.

8:44 p.m.: My wife: Are those Republicans who are not standing up and applauding? That’s rude. Why are the Republicans being butt holes? Do they not have health insurance problems?

8:45 p.m.: “Let there be no doubt. Health care reform can not wait, it should not wait, and it will not wait another year.”

I’m fairly certain that Obama just threw down the gauntlet on health care reform.

In that light, he needs to hurry up and get a Secretary of Health and Human Services.

8:46 p.m.: “We know the countries who out-teach us today will out-perform us tomorrow.”

He’s moved on to education. I’m interested to hear some of his plans for education. It’s not gotten a lot of attention from the media because of the economy.

8:47 p.m.: He is proposing incentives for performance. This is a much better approach than performance-based salaries. Providing extra money for performance is fair and encourages ingenuity. It also does not punish a good teacher because of student failure. Because folks, students can fail for many, many reasons outside the control of a teacher.

8:49 p.m.: Speaking to young people, which he can uniquely do: Dropping out of high school is not an option. It not only hurts you, but it hurts America.

That’s awesome. He needs to directly engage young people.

8:50 p.m.: Obama gives a nod to Sens. Hatch and Kennedy for their work on the Kennedy-Hatch Serve America Act.

8:52 p.m.: “With the deficit we inherited…” And the Democrats. Go. WILD!!!

In case Republicans try to rewrite history during the midterm elections, Obama will continue to remind folks that it was they who screwed the nation’s economy.

8:53 p.m.: “We have already identified $2 trillion in savings over the next decade.”

End education programs that don’t work. End payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. End no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq. (I think that last one might include Halliburton.)

8:54 p.m.: Obama pledges to end tax breaks to corporations who send jobs overseas. I want to see the actual plan for this. It’s a great idea, but it’s going to be a complicated approach.

8:55 p.m.: You know, I’ve heard — more than once — a couple of Republicans (I assume) make snide remarks when Obama says something they don’t like. That’s just real damned classy…

8:56 p.m.: Here’s the long-term approach. Medicare and Social Security.

He wants universal savings accounts for all Americans. That’s a good idea, but it’s a bone to the Republicans. They won’t accept it. But then again, it might not matter what they think.

8:57 p.m.: Iraq war. Will soon announce plans for Iraq and Afghanistan. No mention of the 19 months vs. 16 months for Iraqi withdrawal.

8:58 p.m.: My wife on Iraq: Seven years of waste. Unfortunately, it’s true. What we’re going to be left with there will likely be far worse than what existed before we invaded.

8:59 p.m.: Obama vowing expanded health care benefits for soldiers. You might note that Republicans have blocked these benefits for two years.

9:00 p.m.: “That’s why I can stand here tonight … and say, ‘We do not torture.’”

Obama: We cannot meet the demands of the world alone, nor can the world meet them without America.

One thing this nation has lacked in the last six years is the faith of the world’s nations in our honesty, our righteousness and our strength as a super power.

It’s as if Superman went rogue for six years, and now we’re reaching out our hand ready to lead again.

9:04 p.m.: Obama on finding inspiration and hope in a variety of places: Bank executive who took a $60 million bonus and gave it out to 399 people who worked for him and another 72 who used to work for him.

Folks, that was classy for that bank executive.

9:05 p.m.: He’s telling the story of a young student who sent a letter to the principal and the Congressman talking about the poor condition of the school.

“We are not quitters,” the student wrote, explaining that they were trying to become lawyers, doctors, teachers and congressmen too.

The student is sitting next to Michelle Obama. The look on the student’s face was priceless. She’ll never forget that one moment in time.

9:07 p.m.: Obama now reaching back across the aisle to Republicans. I’m proud of him for doing so. He doesn’t have to do it.

He’s got the poll numbers, he’s got the numbers in Congress and he’s got the momentum. He could tell Republicans to shove it and do pretty much what he likes. (OK, it would get tricky in the Senate, but it could be done.).

Instead, Obama is trying to put country above politics. Too bad the Republicans are not doing the same.

9:09 p.m.: That was a great speech. It was classic Obama. He laid out his plans clearly, did not shy away from specifics while not losing people with minutia. And, when it was called for, he was quite forceful. (I’m thinking about health care, folks.)

9:11 p.m.: Hmmm… So MSNBC’s Audience Reaction meter was not broken. Both Democrats and Republicans kept their reactions at almost 100 percent positive. That should tell you something.

9:12 p.m.: Matthews: Obama made it clear that he would cut deals but that he is going to govern left of center.

That’s right folks, Obama is not ashamed of being publicly progressive. And neither should any of us, even in Mississippi. Because if Bush and Barbour represent conservative fiscal policy, then I want nothing of it.

Bush: Largest deficit in nation’s history.

Barbour: Cut off health care for the old and the poor.

That’s what we’ve seen in recent years from two of the “great” conservative leaders.

9:14 p.m.: Point made by Rachel Maddow: Obama speech was left of center, but he still made the point that he was above partisanship. He wants to govern with Republicans, not in spite of them.

Obama has proved that, reaching out to Republicans at every turn.

Now, let’s see what Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says on behalf of the Republicans.

9:17 p.m.: Chris Matthews: Obama is going after the rich with new taxes to offset tax cuts for middle class. Calls it gutsy to announce it in this speech.

I don’t think it’s gutsy. I think it’s a warning shot. Get ready, because greed has destroyed this nation’s economy.

And should anyone forget it, this nation was founded on the backs of the middle class. The original proponent of the middle class: Benjamin Franklin.

9:20 p.m.: Maddow just made a good point. The tax cut passed in Obama’s stimulus package, the tax cut opposed by Republicans, is the largest tax cut in the nation’s history. I forgot that.

9:21 p.m.: Gov. Jindal is speaking. And let me say: He’s horrible.

9:22 p.m.: Seriously, folks. It’s like watching Howdy Doody.

“I remember going to the grocery store with my dad.”

“Americans can do anything.”

Seriously, it’s like listening to a spoof.

9:23 p.m.: As MSNBC cut to Jinda’s response, a live mic caught who I believe was Olbermann saying, “Oh God…”

9:27 p.m.: Jindal on government saving people: “For those of us who survived Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts.”

Ironically, Jindal’s story about bureaucrats blocking aid in Louisiana sounds just like what Barbour did to a sheriff in South Mississippi. Wonder what ol’ Bobby thinks of that?

9:29 p.m.: Jindal going with tired GOP rhetoric: Tax increases are not the answer. Government spending is wasteful.

Now he’s knocking volcano monitoring. Yeah, we really shouldn’t be watching out for natural disasters…

9:30 p.m.: By biz partner has a question: Is Bobby Jindal talking to a 3rd grade classroom?

9:31 p.m.: NEWSFLASH: A Republican governor considering a run for president in 2012 is talking about tax cuts.

9:32 p.m.: Jindal says no one should lose their health care. Then he should tell Haley that. ‘Cause Haley has cost thousands of Mississippians their health care benefits.

9:32 p.m.: Obama’s chant: Yes We Can.

Jindal seems to be testing: We Can Do Anything. (It works well with the story about his dad taking him to the grocery store. He just needs to learn how to deliver it better. Stop talking “down” to the American people.)

9:34 p.m.: Jindal now taking on Republicans who voted for big spending. Now he’s promising that current Republican leadership is going to win back trust of America.

How, you might ask? By blocking stimulus plans that will help us.

9:35 p.m.: Wow. Jindal just evoked slavery, civil rights, 9/11, Soviet Union and Civil War. Whoever wrote that line should be fired as a speechwriter. It was elementary.

9:37 p.m.: Maddow: The Republican response to Barack Obama’s first address to Congress was to invoke the Republican response to Katrina as a model of how they can lead in the future.

Ha ha…

9:38 p.m.: I’ve always heard good things about Jindal, and I knew of his strong run four years ago for governor in Louisiana and his eventual win in 2007. But I’ve never heard him speak, never seen him in action.

I have to say, I was not impressed. This is not a partisan response (which I know many won’t believe), but I’m more than willing to give credit where credit is due.

Credit is not due to Jindal for his response.

The Republicans blew it. They absolutely wasted their chance to respond. (Or, perhaps no other Republican wanted to touch this response…)

9:41 p.m.: And that’s it folks. I’m out. Time to watch last night’s Medium with the wife.

Tagged as: barack obama, Congress