GeekSugar

Briefing Book! Pelosi Got a Workout During Obama's Speech

CitizenSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:48:14 -0800

Rachel Maddow goes gaga over Nancy Pelosi's enthusiasm during Obama's speech. - Townhall
Secretary Geithner "deeply offended by the quality of judgments" coming from banks. - Huffington Post
Obama declares war on churches and conservative institutions? - RedState
Obama's approval rating for handling the economic crisis leapt 17 percent after the speech among those who watched. – The Raw Story
Have you been eating more soup to save money? - SavvySugar
Pat Buchanan's sister lays into fellow Republicans at CPAC for not standing up for conservative values. - Wonkette

Obama Spells Out the State of the Economy With Confidence

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:45:08 -0800

Tonight Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress and an even more important audience - the American people. Since it was technically not a "state of the union" address, I think it's safe to call the speech the "state of the economy" address.

Hoping to turn the page on tough economic times, the president read the country a litany of reasons for the crisis. Gutted regulations, irresponsible home purchases, predatory lending, tax cuts to the wealthy, and a lack of investment in America's future have brought us all to a day of reckoning, he said.

After laying the blame, Obama explained his plan. Making it hard to believe he's only been in office for a month, Obama touted the specifics of the aggressive stimulus package. The president played professor for a bit too, spelling out why it's important to keep credit flowing and help banks. "It's not about helping banks, it's about helping people," he said frankly.

Perhaps most crucially, Obama called out the "neighbor down the street who bought a house he could never hope to afford." Assuring skeptics, Obama said his housing plan won't bail out that irresponsible person, but it will help responsible Americans maintain the value of or refinance their homes.

Obama also took time to discuss his upcoming budget.

For the budget details, and for more photos, read more.

His priorities? Energy, health care, and education. His voice filled with emotion when he asserted that health care reform will not wait another year.

Touching on foreign policy, Obama broke sharply from the man who last spoke to a joint session of Congress. He reannounced the closing of Guantanamo Bay prison and proclaimed that "America does not torture."

While speaking of dire troubles, Obama exuded energy and optimism. Regardless of the merit of his policies, Obama performed like a true leader tonight. You can read the full text here.

View 10 Photos ›

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Who's Watching Obama's Address to Congress Tonight?

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:30:47 -0800

Tonight Barack Obama will outline what he's accomplished so far (it's only been a month!) and explain the administration's vision for the next four years. If you want to hear about Obama's healthcare, education, energy, and economic plans, with a dash of foreign policy then you should tune in tonight at 9 p.m. (EST). Watch a live stream of the address right here! Make sure to tell us what lines made you applaud, and which had you sitting on your hands. You can follow my reactions during the speech on Twitter or here in the comments!

To watch the live feed read more.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Front Page: Obama to Discuss State of the Union Tonight!

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 07:53:30 -0800

Although rookie presidents don't give an official state of the union address, President Obama will address a joint session of Congress tonight, laying out a sober, yet hopeful, assessment of the future. - CNN
Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of the New York Post, has apologized for the paper's chimp cartoon, which many saw as a racist depiction of President Obama. - Reuters
US stocks bounced back a bit this morning, after the Dow Industrial and S&P 500 indexes hit a 12-year low yesterday. - Business Week

AIG is in discussions to secure additional US taxpayer funds, although the insurance giant is already 80 percent owned by the federal government. The company is set to announce a $60 billion loss, the largest in US corporate history. - CNBC
Former NBA star Charles Barkley will serve five days of jail time for his DUI, after pleading guilty. - Detroit Free Press

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Geek Humor: Get Your Youtubes Tied!

GeekSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:46 -0700

One of Tracy Ullman's best impersonations (in my mind) on her new show State of the Union has to be blogger Arianna Huffington. It's pure genius and reminds me of all the times I've ad libbed tech terms into everyday conversation and gotten confused "huh?" responses from my audience. Don't you just hate it when people "force quit on you?" Hehe. . . Do you ever find yourself using fun tech talk like this when chatting with friends?

One Story, Three Ways: The State of the Union

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:00:21 -0800

Tons of you commented with us live last night during President Bush's last State of the Union. A two-term president's last SOTU is usually a little awkward given that everyone's attention is glued to finding his replacement, and the short period of time he has to execute any big changes. Last night was no exception. Here are three takes on the speech, the morning after.

Canada's National Post focused on Bush's optimistic message regarding progress in Iraq.

The Christian Science Monitor called out Bush's aggressive challenges that put Congress in the driver's seat.

And from the Los Angeles Times, a sly headline indicating perhaps what they may have liked to have heard last night?

A mixed bag of coverage to be sure. Many also pointed out Bush's "lame-duck" status and struggle for relevancy. Do you think even the positive headlines had an undertone of criticism? Did Bush overstate the positives last night?

Who's Watching the State of the Union Address With Us?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:40:39 -0800

It's President Bush's last State of the Union Address. We're watching the pre-game show on the fantastic C-SPAN, and playing our exclusive SOTU Scavenger Hunt. Turn on the tube and play along! We'll be here, let us know what he says that moves you. Are you standing and clapping with Pelosi, or Cheney?

State of the Union: The Scavenger Hunt

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:30:04 -0800

Liberty and I are counting down the minutes until the big State of the Union. Not content to just watch for the speech (though that's an added bonus) we're going on a little scavenger hunt. Here's the list of what we're looking for during President Bush's speech. First one to check off all of the items and leave a comment here, wins! Race ya!
Quotes:

"The State of the American people is strong"
"Wireless surveillance of suspected terrorists"
"Importance of opposing the forces of protectionism and isolationism"
"Swift bipartisan effort"

Topics:

Economic stimulus
Surge is a success
Energy independence
Interrogation techniques
Harboring terrorists
Iran
Protect America Act
FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act)
Triple Threat: Pakistan+Afghanistan+al-Qaeda

Sightings

Hometown Rep (for me it's Darlene Hooley, D-OR!)
Token celeb
Which cabinet member is missing?
International figure sitting next to Laura
Cute kid
Dem frowning/falling asleep/checking BlackBerry
Both Pelosi and Cheney standing and clapping - together.

If you want to add a layer of sauce to the scavenger hunt, those scamps at Wonkette have this State of the Union drinking game for you.

What do you think is the State of our Union?

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Rhode Island Governor Vetoes Same-Sex Funeral Rights

TresSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0800

Rhode Island's state legislature thought it would be a good idea to give same-sex partners the right to plan each other's funerals when one partner passes away. It's a right married couples have, of course. But Gov. Don Carcieri said: not so fast! The socially conservative leader vetoed the bill because it's part of a "disturbing trend" threatening heterosexual marriage. I'm confused. How does a gay person planning a loved one's funeral have anything to do with someone else's marriage?

Those who support the veto point out that Rhode Island recognizes neither gay marriage nor civil unions. Still, many people are shocked that the governor would intervene to deny same-sex partners some comfort during a hard time. The state's attorney general has called the veto "cruel and heartless," and lawmakers in the Democratically-controlled legislature said they would work to override the veto. Hopefully they will succeed!

Will You Be Watching Bush's State of the Union?

SavvySugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:01:07 -0800

President Bush will deliver his State of the Union address tonight, and it's expected that most of the 45-minute speech will focus on the economy. Will you be tuning in to see if he addresses your concerns?

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