Well, the time has almost arrived for Pres. Barack Obama to report from time to time to the Congress information of the state of the union.
What does he have to say? What will he say? What are your expectations? What will make you the most upset? The most satisfied? What will make you laugh? What will make you want to turn the TV off? Are you even going to watch?
Frankly, I’m glad the U.S. markets aren’t open.
The first Republican from Virginia we’ve heard from is Rep. Eric Cantor:
Cantor Remarks on the President’s Speech Tonight
WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) made the following remarks at the House Republican Leadership stakeout prior to President Obama’s speech to the nation tonight:
“Later tonight, we are going to have the opportunity to hear the President give his state of the nation address. I believe that House Republicans stand united in willingness to work with this President to try and tackle the very tough economic situation that is facing our families, to try and make some of the tough decisions together.
“But there are some principles by which we’re going to operate in proffering our ideas to the President and frankly to our Congressional colleagues on the other side of the aisle. One is that Washington shouldn’t be spending money that we don’t have. And two, we shouldn’t be raising taxes on businesses and families that can’t afford to pay them. What we have to do is to make sure that we are striving for restoring the financial security that people want and deserve, as well as the job security that they need.
“These are the principles, I believe, by which you will see the Republicans in the House come forward with a plan to try and address the economic woes facing families and try to right the ship of government as we continue to see the funding pretty much unlimited for just about everything that comes down the pike. We have got to change course. We have got to become smarter and simpler in terms of the type of solutions coming out of Washington. That’s what the American people want. That’s what they deserve.”
Newt Gingrich proposes a drinking game…
“The most important thing you can do tonight is to watch the speech and keep track of how many times President Obama calls for even more spending and even bigger government.
“Remember, start with recently added $3.6 trillion debt as your baseline, and then add from there.”
From Rep. Randy Forbes:
“Tonight was an historic night for our country, which should be celebrated by every American. But tomorrow we must rise as a nation with unity of purpose to protect our jobs, protect our homes, and provide health care for our families. Some place their hope for achieving this purpose in Washington; I will continue to place mine in the commonsense of the American people who realize we cannot borrow and spend our way to the American Dream – we must earn it.”
From Rep. Rob Wittman:
“I appreciated hearing the President’s frank assessment of the economy and other issues our nation faces. I strongly agree that we need to cut the budget deficit, and that is something we need to accomplish today, without waiting for future budgets,” said Wittman.
“I have the utmost faith that the American people, not government spending, will put our country back on the path to prosperity. We should all work in a bipartisan way to help small businesses and families keep their hard earned dollars, which will stimulate the economy from the ground level,” added Wittman.
“As we work to cut the deficit, it is imperative that our nation’s security not be compromised in the process. I remain committed to a strong national defense, and to our men and women in uniform,” said Wittman.