Tuesday evening, I live Twittered President Obama’s speech to Congress, which I’m now columnizing for your reading displeasure. Follow the DI Opinions page on Twitter at twitter.com/diopinions.
The following Tweets took place between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Obama said to be running six to eight minutes behind, which is how long it will take Ginsberg to finish shaking hands and get to the end of the aisle.
• Michelle looks elegant, classy, beautiful, but still a commanding presence. Vilsack is still a cheap sellout, and I’m ashamed of him.
• Obama taking forever to get to podium. Thinks he’s still working ropelines at campaign events.
• Half expect him to bust out a Sharpie and sign some woman’s breast. Heard in the background “We’re gonna have to get moving.”
• Something I always wondered during Bush, still wonder now: Why is a second intro needed? C’mon. Stop grandstanding for tradition’s sake.
• Obama’s body language seems comfortable, but I don’t like how high his chin was at the outset. Maybe reading into it, but it looked cocky.
• Is Pelosi wearing a tunic from the original Planet of the Apes films?
• Boehner needs to shift SprayTan shades from “Redneck Rouge” to “Maybe he vacationed in Palm Springs last week.”
• HD reveals a lot. McCain is either not using Kleenex with lotion or he just shaved. Red lip.
• Eh, I guess that’s cool. At least he’s human and not stony. Referring to Biden like that, I mean. Though Biden’s smile looked Sarkozy-ish.
• I don’t know that lending more credit just for lendings sake is a good philosophy, though the cons could agree simply attributing to laissez faire.
• Obama winning big on statements popular to both parties. Several clips that are news-friendly, display unity.
• Seems like he’s discussing concepts and not specific bills.
• Who is sitting next to Rahm?
• To get both sides of the aisle off their pampered asses with a comment setting three priorities in policy seems impossible from the last eight years.
• Loaded quote: “A nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it.” Detroit is partying like it’s 1999.
• Simply covering more individuals’ insurance is not equal to 10 years of health efforts.
• Setting a specific timeline four cure of cancer in a speech to Congress is straight out of the “West Wing.” Good episode, though Bartlet toys w/ the idea, he doesn’t use it.
• Banning dropping out of high school is going to be an interesting enforcement issue.
• First sour note of the night, boos from the right, at 53 min in.
• Obama: The check is in the mail.
• “Responsible exit strategy.”
• That young Marine will be in Time magazine now.
• Must … resist … temptation … to push reply on direct messages on Twitter.
• Jindal’s staff furiously cutting and pasting.
• Jindal, you aren’t selling Snuggies or hawking a Southern Bible chapel on TV at 2 a.m. Stop the shtick.
• Jindal trying strongly to separate Obama from Democratic Party. That way he can stand by praise of Obama but not Dems in four or eight years.
• Obama named three priorities, then ignored them in rest of speech.