The Dis-Union at the State of the Union!

BY DEV B. VISWANATH

Pr e s i d e n t O b a m a gave his f i r s t address to a Joint Congressional Session this past February 24, 2009. It was the equivalent of a Presidential State of the Union with some ancillary differences. President Obama took as much time, if not more time, discussing what initiatives our country was implementing and/or hoped to implement, as he did discussing the problems that our country was facing. President Obama outlined the plight of our economic situation, specifically addressing the trillions of dollars in debt that his administration and this Congress has inherited, the failure of automobile industry and the collapse of bank lending because of bad lending practices. He illustrated how our government, under this administration, has implemented the Economic Recovery Act (i.e. stimulus package) and is in the process of proposing other economic initiatives.

President Obama

The President also discussed the relevance of stimulus money to banks/financial institutions and the automobile industry. He said that although, it was not our goal to reward bad behavior and unscrupulous activity, he wanted to help revive these important industries so that banks would start lending again and people would not lose more jobs. Mr. Obama went further on to say that although there were areas where taxes were going to be increased for some businesses and people making over $250,000; the vast majority of people, roughly 95% of people would see tax cuts under the President’s proposed tax plan. Overall, the sense of connection on these issues between the president and his audience in the legislative chamber was upbeat, if not supportive. President Obama also discussed his plans for the future of America, with respect to military operations. He said that he was committed to ending the war in Iraq as was his campaign promise and bringing the troops home in a responsible way. He also discussed the billions of dollars, which would be saved by ending the Iraq war. President Obama went on to say that the United States was committed to working on the military operations in Afghanistan with the consideration of militancy in Pakistan, for which he said, also needed to be addressed. Furthermore, the President made a commitment to the American people and the military members serving in armed operations, that the administration would work on providing for raises to military service people and expanded health coverage for veterans. For this the President received, almost an entire house-full standing ovation.

The President also re-confirmed his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. He followed this announcement by saying this closing was a symbol to the world that the United States does not condone torture and will not be a party to or practice torture. For this also the audience presented strong enthusiasm with shouts of joy and loud applause. Republican Senator John McCain, of Arizona, a former Prisoner of War (POW) and victim of torture, stood up and applauded the President’s commitment to re-affirming our stance against tortuous practices. In the last quarter of the President’s remarks, he discussed initiatives, which would be the focus of this administration to better our country. He discussed these initiatives falling within Energy, Health Care, and Education. In terms of energy, he was clear that moving forward our goals would be to seek out alternative sources of “green” energy that will drive our country towards energy independence and to re-claim our dominance as pioneers in the area. For health care, the president commended Congress and his administration for already passing legislation, which will provide mandatory healthcare to 11 million children who parents work full-time. He also discussed investment in electronic records and new technology to help make health care in the United States more efficient. The president called for Comprehensive Health Care Reform to provide quality affordable health care to every American. Lastly, the President, in his statement of commitment to bettering education in America at all levels, mandated better financing and quality and standards at all public schools across America. He also discussed provisions in the economic recovery plan, which would financially help 7 million more college bound students in need. Interestingly, President Obama’s speech, an example of oratory of the highest caliber, was directed not only at those members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans (whom President Obama acknowledged he had the utmost respect for and willingness to work with), but also to the American people, who are wondering what direction our country is headed. Although he may not have discussed specifics and intricate details, this speech was not meant to do such a thing. The President’s speech was meant to address concerns, discuss initiatives, and encourage optimism about our country’s future. In that respect, it seems,President Obama did accomplish what he set out to do. Generally speaking his immediate audience in the room, whether they were Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, all seemed supportive of his promises and his willingness to work in a bipartisan manner for the betterment of America. However, the Republican Party, as is tradition, as the leading opposition party, had its response ready to go as soon as the President finished speaking. Evidently, not everything mentioned by the President or being pushed by the Democratic-Majority Congress is finding consensus with their Republican colleagues.

Republican Governor Piyush “Bobby” Jindal of Louisiana was picked to give the Republican response to the President’s address, which he did from Louisiana. Mr. Jindal is the son of Indian immigrants who obtained his degrees at Brown University and then at Oxford University in England. Mr. Jindal went on to become only the second Indian-American to become a member of the House of Representatives and then was elected to become the first Indian- American Governor and youngest current Governor of a state at the age of 36. Now, at 37, Mr. Jindal is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party and has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. Governor Jindal was both kind and appreciative in his references to the historic nature of President Obama’s speech, but he was equally defiant and combative about some of the administrations initiatives and the Democratic agenda. However, ultimately, Governor Jindal discussed the Republican Parties willingness to work with President Obama but in a way consistent with Republican ideology. Governor Jindal began his speech by discussing the historic nature of President Obama being the first African American President and making a speech in the same legislative room where Congress voted to abolish slavery. He congratulated the President. And then, Governor Jindal began, succinctly, if not politely, attacking the administration’s agenda and more specifically Democratic ideas for how to better America. Governor Jindal talked of the stimulus package and discussed the concerns held by the Republican Party that the plan itself focused much too much on government spending rather than tax cuts. As the Governor described it, the Economic Recovery Act as it stands puts too much power in the federal government and bureaucracy and not enough ability for freedom in the hands of the American people. As and example, he made assertions, wrongly, that the recovery effort in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was largely due to the private efforts of the

(Republican Governor Piyush “Bobby” Jindal of Louisiana was picked to give the Republican response to the President’s address.)

people as opposed to the financial efforts and support of the Federal government. Although Governor Jindal’s statement is false, the message that the Governor was trying to convey was that America was better off if the people were left more to decide their fate rather than the government stepping in and spending money that it doesn’t have. He called the principles espoused by the Democratic Party, and by extension, the administration, “irresponsible.” Governor Jindal also discussed the values of the Republican Party: limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility. He said that the party had moved away from those values over the past few years, giving into earmarks and big government spending in Washington. His commitment to the American people was that the Republican Party was going back to its core values and was interested in restoring America’s trust that the party would stand for the principles that it had canvassed on historically.

Finally, Governor Jindal discussed the Republican Party’s willingness to work with the president but in a way that characterized Republican ideas at how to solve problems. Mr. Jindal re-affirmed that on many issues there may be differences of opinion on how to solve the problem, but that the Republican Party would be happy to discuss their opinions with the President in hoping to move initiatives forward. He concluded by saying that the Republicans were looking forward to working with the President. In the end, there was one thing that has become abundantly clear after recent events, including the Presidential address and GOP response; the President is going to have his hands full in moving forward with Bipartisan initiatives, if the Republican Party acts on their commitment to core principles without room for compromise.

The Night of the Presidential Address was broken down into two components: 1) The Presidential address which included substantial talk of a post-partisan agenda and working towards bettering America and helping the entire country; and 2) The GOP response which seemed focused on illustrating the Republican point of view and future stance on issues presented during the tenure of this administration. This stance, it seems, will be that the Republicans will be ready for battle on every issue that is in disagreement with Republican values. The President’s Address night showed the American people a glimpse into the dis-union within our union and draws concern to this author that the hope of a unified bipartisan America may not be reached anytime soon. 

Dev B. Viswanath is a practicing attorney who is currently hosting a weekly political show called Desis & Politics which airs on Saturdays at 8:30 am and repeated on Sundays at 3:30 pm on ITV/ITVGOLD in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut on Time Warner Cable (Channel 77 or 563) and Cablevision (Channel 544). You can also watch previously aired programs at www.itvonweb.com . Please feel free to email Dev with your comments or suggestions at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .