Amazing. Just amazing.

[BzaDem]

When people have been posting for months that Obama was going to propose cutting SS benefits during the state of the union, what actually ends up happening?

Not only does he not propose anything of the kind, but says that we must fix Social Security without benefit cuts for current retirees or retirees of future generations. He also calls for increased government spending, as a contrast to a 20% cut proposed by Republicans out of the gate.

And what happens? People are STILL claiming he gave a Republican speech.

Right now, 12% of liberal Democrats do not approve of Obama's job performance or do not answer (as opposed to 88% that do). There was a similarly small percentage of conservative Republicans for most of Bush's presidency who didn't approve of Bush. The reaction tonight to Obama's state of the union is more proof that there will always be these small percentages of both parties who will never be satisfied with anyone their party elects. Period.

They have the absolute right to their opinion and to express their opinion, and I am glad there is a forum for vigorous discussion about Obama's performance. But we shouldn't pretend there was something Obama (or any Democratic president actually elected by the people) could have said tonight that would have changed this reaction.

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. He didn' t mention the public option once. n/t

[eleny]

2. Tell me, did he omit this line from the transcript released earlier?

"further reducing health care costs, including programs like Medicare and Medicaid"

Tia.

[dkf]

7. No he didn't delete it.

That is where the increase is. It's not a matter of cutting but containing

[NYC Liberal]

3. The 12-percenters won't like anything Obama does. nt

[patrice]

11. A significant number of them are base-builders for so-called 3rd partiers of various stripes. I say,

anyone who proposes to build any kind of movement on the backs of those who are already disabled by what we have become, I don't care how Leftie or Liberal or Freedom loving they claim to be, I say they are just "Meet the 'new' boss, same as the old boss." If their own claims to whatever are not paralleled by those same rights for others, it doesn't matter what they call themselves,they aren't part of the solution, they're part of the problem.

[whatchamacallit]

4. He says and doesn't say many things, let's see what he does (nt)

[bushisanidiot]

5. Purists want a purist President.

It will never happen, not from either party.

no President can preside over our nation as an extremist. She or he would be kicked out of office.

[Safetykitten]

6. Now watch what he does.

[patrice]

8. He also said to keep Soc Sec off of Wall Street!

[juajen]

9. For the most part, I approve wholeheartedly of his speech and

am thrilled that SS will be left alone; but, I would love it if at least our lost cola's were reinstated. It's getting really difficult with increased grocery prices to even eat well in this economy. Cost of living has increased dramatically, yet statistics they go by say it's static. WTH?

[BzaDem]

10. The COL has gone up -- just not enough to outweigh the downard drop from 2008-2009.

The COLA will rise once CPI-W goes above its 2008 peak.

[tekisui]

12. I have no problem being in a minority. None at all.

[jberryhill]

13. I was right - he did not say he wouldn't kick my dog

[Arkana]

14. He's also yanking federal money from oil companies. Please point me

to the last Republican President that did that.

[SnoopDog]

15. I will argue it was the voice of the people that changed Obama's viewpoint on SS...

And all just recently... I firmly believe that if the American people and the progressive voice did not say anything about SS,
Obama would have called for it's demise...