I have to admit that I enjoyed the way he hammered the failings of the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress by pointing out the massive Deficit that he inherited from the supposedly fiscally conservative right.
The freeze on Government spending he declared for 2011 really worries me, though, as does the fact that in spite of what the President said tonight, the Democrats seem to be backing off Health Care reform once again out of fear for their jobs.
I have been gravely disappointed over this past year with this administration's lack of action on any of the campaign promises the President made to LGBT Americans. Tonight, he once again brought up ending the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy so that LGBT Americans can serve openly in the armed services.
It was a brief line in the speech, but I for one will be paying close attention to see if this time he will live up to what he promises:
"This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are."
No mention was made about his other campaign promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.
The other moment in President Obama's speech that really pleased me was when he addressed the heinous decision made last week by the Supreme Court which will allow corporations or anyone else to spend as much as they like on political campaigns, sounding a death knell for any chance at real Campaign Finance Reform in this country.
I've never seen a President take on a Supreme Court decision during the State of the Union before, but it certainly needed to be addressed. Watching Justice Alito sourly shake his head and grumble under his breath while those around him stood to cheer was icing on top of the cake.
The end of the President's speech was certainly stirring, but then so were the campaign speeches. The first year hasn't been very promising, but there is still time for this Administration to turn itself around. I'd like nothing more than to see President Obama become a great leader and really bring about change for the better.
The other moment in President Obama's speech that really pleased me was when he addressed the heinous decision made last week by the Supreme Court which will allow corporations or anyone else to spend as much as they like on political campaigns, sounding a death knell for any chance at real Campaign Finance Reform in this country.
"Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections. Well, I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people, and that's why I'm urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong."
I've never seen a President take on a Supreme Court decision during the State of the Union before, but it certainly needed to be addressed. Watching Justice Alito sourly shake his head and grumble under his breath while those around him stood to cheer was icing on top of the cake.
The end of the President's speech was certainly stirring, but then so were the campaign speeches. The first year hasn't been very promising, but there is still time for this Administration to turn itself around. I'd like nothing more than to see President Obama become a great leader and really bring about change for the better.
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