Last night’s State of the Union revealed some troubling facts about nasty politics. “He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the state of the union and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” — Article 2, Constitution of the United States, 1787
Good, so that’s out of the way. Last night was Obama’s fifth State of the Union address.
It was truly a something-for-everyone speech, that is, if you’re a left-leaning American.
Vets? Gotta love ’em.
Women? Seriously, men, stop being dicks.
Kindergarten? Getting enough to eat, kid?
War? Huh. What is it good for?
There were some great moments from last night’s State of the Union, and here are some highlights.
Biggest Congressional Jackass
There are usually a few backbench jackasses trying to make a name for themselves or grab a headline or two. Remember Joe “You Lie” Wilson? Tonight, it came via Twitter and before Obama uttered a word or even stepped in the House Chamber. Congressman Randy Weber (R-Texas, of course) sent out this little gem:
“On floor of house waitin on ‘Kommandant-In-Chef’… the Socialistic dictator who’s been feeding US a line or is it ‘A-Lying?'”
Nicely done, Randy. There’s one at every State of the Union, and I guess you drew that straw this year.
Best “Did You Really Just Get All Up in That Reporter’s Face?” Moment
This went to Congressman Michael Grimm (R-New York), who, when asked about the recent scandal surrounding his campaign financing in an interview following Obama’s speech, physically threatened a reporter. Grimm told the reporter, “I will break you in half” and threatened to throw him over a balcony. Don’t worry, it was captured on camera:
Most Colorful Member
Rosa Delauro (D-Connecticut) decided to match her outfit to Speaker Boehner’s complexion. But her awesomeness came through when, at one point, she was this close to crowd surfing at the talk of equal pay for women.
Rosa, I want to have brunch with you. Find me on Facebook.
Best Guest
This one was going to the teenager who worked at the Punch Pizza. But let’s not kid ourselves; Obama’s tribute to Army Ranger Cory Remsburg was incredibly touching, and in a way, shaming to Congress. He said nothing as he stood. But standing he almost suggested that America deserves better than what we’ve been getting from our elective body.
Worst Guest
Once in the chamber, Obama took to the podium. John Boehner sat behind him in a leather chair that somehow perfectly matched his skin tone. Sitting in the House Gallery were some cast members of the A&E reality show “Duck Dynasty,” guests of Speaker Boehner. I don’t know their names and I refuse to google that show to find out. But the bearded hillbilly came with an American flag bandanna. What a stark contrast to Army Ranger Cory Remsburg.
Worst Response by a Pundit
This goes to Alex Castellanos on CNN. He sent out this little tweet: “A speech by Barack Obama is a lot like sex. The worst there ever was is still excellent. ” OK. Creepy.
Best Attempt to “Out-God” the President
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington, shops at Zales) quickly tried to out-America Obama with talk of county fairs, trailer parks and the almighty, who she mentioned four times in her speech. For a brief rebuttal, that’s a lot of God. I guess that’s what you rely on when your policies are nonexistent. But I did learn that she worked at a McDonald’s to put herself through college. I wonder if she’s for a minimum wage hike? Probably not.
The Congresswoman also told us not to listen to President Obama, “for the true state of the union lies in your heart.”
Oh God, indeed.
