I'm worried about what I might say ;)
http://thedailylight.com/articles/2010/01/29/opinion/doc4b63400d59fa7829076028.txtLetter: Barton statement on State of the Union address
Published: Friday, January 29, 2010 2:16 PM CST
Congressman Joe Barton (R-Ennis/ Arlington) released the following statement after President Obama’s State of the Union speech on Wednesday:
“I have now heard five Presidents deliver the State of the Union address. They are always optimistic and offer a vision for the future - President Obama was no different.
“But much of what he said wasn’t based in reality, it was just window dressing.
“He spoke about his desire to reach across the aisle and work in a bipartisan fashion and I ask, ‘Where have you been the past year?’ After promises of inclusion, my phone has not rung. Instead Democrats, including the President, have consistently locked Republicans and the media out of negotiations and opted to craft legislation using backroom deals.
“The health care bill proposed by the President is a bridge too far. It will basically destroy the health care system as we know it, putting a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor. I hope he will be open to Republican ideas, which will reduce the deficit and reduce premiums by up to 10 percent.
“He also overreached with his climate change bill. In the midst of the worst recession in a decade, you can’t pass a tax-raising, job-killing bill – especially one that that won’t make any noticeable difference environmentally.
“Republicans have an all of the above energy plan that protects the environment and improves the economy.
“I do applaud the President’s plan to freeze discretionary spending, but once again his actions don’t meet his words. It was just six weeks ago that he signed a massive spending bill, one that increased spending across the board an average of 12 percent. And let’s not forget the Democrat controlled Congress is raising the debt ceiling to an astounding $14 trillion.
“We can’t borrow, spend and tax our way back to a growing economy.
“We can’t just freeze spending – we need to cut it. This debt is unsustainable and threatens to bury future generations.
“I hope tonight’s speech was more than rhetoric. If the President and his party reach out, I stand ready to work with them to solve the issues facing this great nation.”
Rep. Joe Barton,
Texas Sixth Congressional District