Thomas Jefferson Street Blog
Wit and wisdom from all sides of the political spectrum.
It was a show. A charade, arguably. A public relations ploy that was all about trying to look bipartisan in the wake of the Tucson tragedy, without the true substance of cross-party cooperation behind it.
And I still loved it.
more »If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, what can be said of plagiarism? President Obama’s second State of the Union address contained enough recycled ideas and lines lifted from speeches of others to make historians wince. I suppose this is what one does when one not only has nothing new to say, but is required by custom and Constitution to come forth with a report of some kind by a certain time and day.
more »The insta-returns are in and the president knocked the State of the Union out of the ballpark.
more »Sputnik is back, baby. In one of the State of the Union sound bites leaked ahead of time, and one of the lines for which the speech will be remembered, President Obama said that this generation is encountering its “Sputnik moment”--a shocking turning point which spurs the country to step up its efforts to meet an unforeseen, startling challenge.
It’s a theme that the president has toyed with on and off for some time, and it’s one that other pols—including Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney--have used for several years as well.
more »As the president addresses the nation tonight and proposes domestic spending freezes among other centrist initiatives, he will also urge Congress to pass the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (the reconstructed and rebranded version of No Child Left Behind). Obama likely will note that there is a broad middle ground on education policy, and that we must reform our schools if we wish to maintain our global competitiveness.
more »More Opinion
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- Internet Use Boosts Involvement in Groups
- What Should Obama Focus On In His State of the Union?
- A Week in History: JFK's on TV, the Challenger, and 'Axis of Evil'
- Public Employee Union Benefits Are a Fiscal Disaster
- Should the House GOP’s $2.5 trillion in Proposed Cuts Become Law?
- Tunisia's Lessons for Repressive Regimes
- Should Obama Push Human Rights Harder With China?
- Why Sarah Palin Is Wrong About Michelle Obama's Weight Gain Fight
- Should GOP Top Priority Be Healthcare Repeal?
- Economy, 2010 Elections Were Most Covered Stories
- Violent Rhetoric Can Lead to Tragedies Like Arizona Shooting
- Political Tone Had No Role in Arizona Shootings
- Best and Brightest Teachers Key to Solving U.S. Education Crisis
- Best and Brightest Teachers Key to Solving U.S. Education Crisis
- A Week in History: Prohibition, Lenin Dies, and Roe v. Wade
- How Repressive Regimes Use the Internet to Keep Power