I'm opposed to this Speech before a Joint Session of Congress

[WyoHiker]

Spending the speech now leaves it unavailable for the next major battle: cap-and-trade in the energy bill, arguably a larger problem.

I think we, the liberals, coulda (might still) handle health care without the bully pulpit.


C'est La Vie.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. He needs to give this speech.

And he needs to give it now.

There will certainly be a different one for the cap-and-trade problem, don't you think?

And I strongly feel that he should have used the bully pulpit long ago!

[WyoHiker]

3. Media has talked about the rarity of such addresses

noting that the last time was Bush after 9-11
and before that Early Clinton promoting health care.

I would like to see a second Joint Session speech on Global Warming, the energy bill, and cap-and-trade when that time comes, but I count it unlikely since these things seem so infrequent.

I think a (second) prime-time address, not a press conference, to the Nation from the oval office, might have been a better play here, but we'll see.

[opihimoimoi]

4. + 1....me too

[Suich]

2. What???

:shrug:

[NYC_SKP]

5. "Spend" it? He's got an unlimited number of them to spend as he sees fit.

cuz he's the fucking president of the united states!

:woohoo:

[WyoHiker]

6. So, If he wanted to do these things, say, twice a week

then he could haul in the entire congress and all the justices of the supreme court, pulling them away from whatever work they were doing?

How bout daily -- like morning announcements before class?


"Joint session of congress requires a concurrent resolution from both House and Senate to meet. Joint sessions include the counting of electoral votes following a presidential election and the State of the Union, as well as other addresses by the President."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_session_of_the_United_States_Congress

The president does not decree that he will address the congress, The congress declares that the president will be honored to speak.



I understand that this is all semantics, that it's very unlikely that congress would deny the president the opportunity to talk, but even if the constitution allowed for unlimited presidential joint session speeches, there would be practical limits to how often such a right would be exercised. For example, past practice.

( http://clerk.house.gov/art_history/house_history/Joint_Meetings/jointAll.html )

Not counting State of the Union Address or inaugurations, the number of Joint Session Addresses for each president is:

Reagan: 4
- Geneva Summit
- Central America
- Economic Recovery
- Economic Recovery (Inflation)

Bush I: 2
- Invasion of Kuwait
- Conclusion of the Gulf War

Clinton: 2
- Economy
- Health Care

Bush II: 2
- Budget Message
- War on Terror


That's only 10, going back 30 years, nearly half of which were given in the early 80's by that camera hog, Reagan. Precedent says to use these things sparingly.


And what about the current effectiveness of President Obama's Addresses? His last press conference, on health care, went really flat. There's a burn-out factor in play here. The nation is becoming fatigued with Obama-Rhetoric, fabulous though it is. The more he talks now, the less inspiration, energy, motivation, he delivers.


Which brings me to what I was saying in the first place: Using an address before a joint session of congress, now, for health care, when the base of the party is all up-in-arms and pushing hard -- with success -- to get it done, and when there are some really serious GLOBAL issues to be dealt with just down the road, is a waste.

But since he has decided to use this venue, I hope he uses its volume to thoroughly chastise our opponents -- I mean really rip 'em a new one -- for being so damned ignorant, and obstructionist, and disrespectful of the office, paranoid... I hope he makes it utterly plain exactly how destructive, how rude, and how UnAmerican they are behaving. I hope he puts them in their place so that there won't be a need for a second speech.

On the whole, I can't wait to hear what he has to say on Wednesday.

[rucky]

7. Who knew that "Work hard. Stay in school." could be sooooo controversial?

:puke: