Barack Obama

and kind of found as sad and fruitless in light of how the Repubs are treating this President and how they are taking our country down.

- and they wrote them into the founding documents that still guide America today, including the simple truth that all men, and women, are created equal.

Really? That's what is written in our founding documents - but do the Repubs really believe that - given the treatment that the Repubs are giving the President, women, immigrants, gays and the poor.

- And across the Atlantic, we embraced a shared vision of Europe, a vision based on representative democracy, individual rights, and a belief that nations can meet the interests of their citizens through trade and open markets, a social safety net, respect for those of different faiths and backgrounds.


Really? .....through trade and open markets, a social safety net, and respect for those of different faiths and backgrounds.

Banksters and open markets - sure!!!! A social safety net - isn't it the Repubs that want to do away with Social Security and Medicare, food stamps, unemployment insurance and affordable health care?


- we believe in democracy, with elections that are free and fair, and independent judiciaries and opposition parties, civil society and uncensored information so that individuals can make their own choices. Yes, we believe in open economies based on free markets and innovation and individual initiative and entrepreneurship and trade and investment that creates a broader prosperity.

Really? ....elections that are free and fair. How about the voter suppression that's going on in this country? How about the buying of elections by the corporations and the rich (Kochs maybe). .....independent judiciaries. How about the stacking of the courts? How about the Repubs not passing on the President's recommendations for the judiciary? Why did the Senate have to modify the filibuster rule for the judiciary? ....opposition parties. You mean the TeaParty? ....civil society. I look to the irrational gun and stand your ground laws and lobbies. You call that civil? ...uncensored information so that individuals can make their own choices. Really? How about the lack of journalistic integrity? What about Fox? What about right wing radio? Rush, Hannity, Drudge? .....we believe in open economies based on free markets. Really - as long as they are manipulated by Wall Street, the rich and the corporations (that incidentally - are people). .....individual initiative, entrepreneurship, trade and investment that creates a broader prosperity. Sure - but only for the wealthy. The middle class is dwindling and losing ground to the point that individual initiative and entrepreneurship is getting harder and harder to accomplish.

-In the end, the success of our ideals comes down to us, including the example of our own lives, our own societies. We know that there will always be intolerance, but instead of fearing the immigrant, we can welcome him. We can insist on policies that benefit the many, not just the few, that an age of globalization and dizzying change opens the door of opportunity to the marginalized, and not just a privileged few.

Really? ...instead of fearing the immigrant, we can welcome him. Yeah - to fences, border patrol, and lack of any real and working immigration legislation. .... we can insist on policies that benefit the many, not just the few. Really? when the policies we insist on that could benefit the many - the Repubs sandbag and stonewall - just TO benefit the few. ....that an age of globalization and dizzying change opens the door of opportunity to the marginalized, and not just a privileged few. Really? seems to me that the door is closing on the marginalized to benefit only the privileged few.

- Instead of targeting our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, we can use our laws to protect their rights. Instead of defining ourselves in opposition to others, we can affirm the aspirations that we hold in common. That’s what will make America strong.


Really? ....instead of targeting our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, we can use our laws to protect their rights. Well - yes we are making some strides here - but any chance the Repubs get to throw roadblocks in the way - they jump at the chance. We should be well beyond this and have equal protection of gay and lesbian rights - but the Repubs won't have it. I don't think that makes America strong IMHO.

- And yes, we believe in human dignity, that every person is created equal -- no matter who you are or what you look like or who you love or where you come from. That is what we believe. That’s what makes us strong.

Really? Sure - that is what a lot of us believe and that could really make us strong - but again - given the treatment that this first Black President is getting - what was he called recently by a former BushCo insider - what's that - an ape? And they are referring to the President - imagine what they think of the rank and file American that doesn't look like them? It's kind of like as long as you are rich, white and come from the privileged class - that's the human dignity that the Repubs believe in.

Honestly - I genuinely believe that the President's speech today was brilliant. One of his best in a whole line of best speeches. But I had to cull out those passages above and point out just how much work we need to do in this country to live up to those lines in this speech.

It just drives home to me how important this midterm election is that is coming up in Nov 2014. We need to take back full control over this country. We need to maintain and grow our majority in the Senate and we need to win the House. We need to motivate the Dem base and push the turnout to historic proportions and send a message to the Repubs that - we want to live up to the ideals that were presented in this speech and those tenets of what this country is founded on.