Personally, I thought Boehner delivered a better speech. Too bad that key points were outright lies

[OmahaBlueDog]

Boehner's speech was clear and agressive in it's tone. Rather than advocate for compromise, the Speaker painted a picture of a President out of control that he and his fellow House members would bring to heel. It would havee been a great speech except for two key points (and you may have noticed others)

"A healthcare plan nobody asked for": Mr. Speaker, you have to be crack-smoking stupid if you think that no one elected Barack Obama to help get health insurance for all Americans. Ask any family who has declared bankruptcy due to the expenses associated with long term illness. Ask any family who has had to watch loved ones suffer or die because they did not have the cash or credit necessary to obtain necessary care.

"The House passed a bi-partisan plan": Mr. Speaker, you mentioned that the President threatened to veto cut, cap, and balance. While this is technically true, you failed to mention that the House's brilliant little plan passed along party lines with a tiny handful of Democratic support. You also conveniently left out that the House plan got nowhere in the Senate. In fact, Mr. Speaker, your counterpart in the Senate, Sen. McConnell, has recommended a plan that has garnered more bi-partisan support; three Republicans and three Democrats in the Senate recommended a plan that makes far deeper cuts than those approved in the House; and Republican Tom Coburn recommended a plan that I personally dislike, but that would have a better chance of passing than your plan simply because it's 9 trillion in cuts were offset by a trillion in increased revenue.

You stood there and spit invective at HCR and the stimulus, and yet never were man enough to admit the truth: the Republicans controlled the White House, Senate, and House from 2001-2006, and never saw fit to pass a balanced budget amendment. The Republicans controlled the White House, Senate, and House from 2001-2006, and never balanced a budget -- choosing instead to make reckless tax cuts because they were more interested in getting re-elected than in solving America's problems. Of course, what should we have expected from a President and a party who thought the way to make America safer in the wake of 9-11 was to invade Iraq -- a nation that had nothing to do with the terror attacks on our soil, and a nation that had none of the WMDs you led us to believe we'd find.

[Sheepshank]

1. really? I didn't think it was anything but petty, political, and petulant. n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. I thought the President sounded too conciliatory

Boehner sounded resolute. That said, there is a fine line between resolute and stubborn. Even the Senate Republicans have come up with more workable plans than we've gotten from the House.

[joshcryer]

2. I swear, DU has been the twilight zone. Boehner gets so much praise here.

[tallahasseedem]

3. Fucking bullshit.

Unrecommended.

[MichiganVote]

4. Boner is nothing more than a paper tiger and his colleagues know it.

[KoKo]

18. You can't deny he gave the better speech, though...that's what's wrong.

[shellgame26]

27. do you honestly believe that?

Why am I not surprised. Obama Derangement Syndrome has eaten away your intellect.

[KoKo]

30. I should clarify... His delivery of his Lies was far better than Obama's Apologia...

[MichiganVote]

28. I think I can deny he gave a better speech. He gave the same speech that any hick at

a small town coffee shop or rube type of bar has made a million times over. I can get that for free and not even on TV. I prefer information and knowledge. He had neither.

He didn't cry tho' so maybe he is improving

[C_U_L8R]

5. he came off like a punk

full of cheap shots, gimmicks and outright lies...
not to mention that cancerous orange glow

[Joe the Revelator]

6. You weren't listening.

[spanone]

7. well if you like lying about facts and acting like a complete ass...yeah boehner did better

[robinlynne]

17. I don't think anyone is saying "did better". He attacked, in a way Democrats should be attacking Rep

Repugs. Every word Boner said was a lie. But he said it like he meant it. He was saying they will fight for what they believe in. but what they believe in is a total destruction of our democracy.

[OmahaBlueDog]

24. The Pres should have just said the House can't pass an acceptable plan, and then introduced Geithner

...to have him explain what happens on August 2nd if the House keeps this up.

[RagAss]

9. -1

[liberal N proud]

10. Ha!

[Earth_First]

11. Pure.Fucking.Drivel.

Nothing less.

[lunatica]

12. I thought it was one the most cynically manipulative speeches I've heard

Usually Republicans throw in a smattering of facts, but not this time. It was 100% unadulterated lies, well practices as he hardly stumbled or slurred.

If you think that's a better speech I wonder what kind of speech you wish Democrats would make. Bigger lies, more manipulative cynicism?

I don't know why some people want the Democrats, especially the Democratic President to be like the Republicans. Mean, evil hearted, nasty and uncaring to the extreme about anybody but themselves and their wealth.

[lpbk2713]

13. It was a prepared speech.

He didn't respond to anything the President said.
And I thought they were the ones that didn't like teleprompters. :rofl:

[Skip_In_Boulder]

14. Hmm, that's the same thing they are saying over at FR

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2753847/posts

[SoutherDem]

15. Personally, I think Boehner is a lying jerk.

And, he thinks I am a "no body" because yes I wanted the health reform, my only disappointment is it didn't go far enough. His definition of bi-partisan is if just one (although I think it was 6) Democrats will follow his crazy ideals. Boehner reminds me of Nero who stood and fiddled while rome burned. I can't wait till he pulls his fiddle out.

[KoKo]

16. It was LIES from LYING REPUG...but it was the better of the two speeches...and that's the SHAME...

:-( :grr:

[OmahaBlueDog]

20. Seriously, that's all I was trying to convey. The content was crap, but it was delivered well

[Samantha]

19. I rediscovered the MUTE button when Boehner's lips began moving

It was a truly wonderful moment. I watched in silence for a few moments, savoring the silence, watching Boehner's lips move but no sound erupting, and then I started thinking, "I need to do this more often. It is a good thing for my mental political health."

Sam

[book_worm]

21. Don't agree. Boener sounded like the lying phony he is. Though I do wonder why

Obama doesn't like to give a speech from the oval office. I think that might have been more effective.

[OmahaBlueDog]

26. I wondered the exact same thing

[Bluerthanblue]

22. well, I guess you can see how the republicans get thier support-

:shrug:

if the way you grade a speech is on how aggressive the speaker is being...

I understand you heard the lies and misrepresentations that Boehner spoke, but how you can say that his was a 'better' speech is beyond me.

I had my fill and then some of aggressive, arrogant speeches under GW Bush.

[OmahaBlueDog]

25. He sounded like he believed what he was saying, and had a clear, simple vision

No matter how stupid that vision is, simple and clear generally makes the better speech.

I'm saying the delivery was good, not the content.

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. The only thing positive about this speech was the fact that the national embarrassment wasn't

stumbling drunk this time.

[TheWraith]

29. Seriously? Did you sleep through Obama's speech?

Obama was clear, concise, and treated people like adults. Boner was petulant, angry, and posturing.

[OmahaBlueDog]

36. I watched the President. He was OK, and he did not lie. Boehner did.

My problem was this. We've heard variations of the "two plans" story before. Tonigh was either a night in which he should have presented a plan, or brought on Geithner and had him explain in excrutiating detail the bad things that will happen if the T-baggers don't come to the table with the same garbage they've come with so far.

[dkf]

31. Don't know about you but that wasn't the healthcare plan I was asking for.

[OmahaBlueDog]

33. But we would agree we were asking for a healthplan, yes?

It's a little like asking your folks for a Mustang and getting a Chevy Cavalier -- it is still a car.


....just not the one we hoped for and dreamed of.

[dkf]

35. I still say anything less than single payer is a waste of time.

Look...we are still arguing about Medicare because Obama's plan is so half assed.

[OmahaBlueDog]

38. Boehner makes it sound like we were all happy holding pancake breakfasts to pay doctors

...and Barack Obama decided we all wanted a healthcare plan.

[dkf]

40. Well with the way our finances are running I laugh at the left's assumption that

Medicare will keep functioning as is 10 years down the road. The payroll tax won't cut it and the general fund is seriously overburdened.

I'm beginning to think Washington is lala land.

[dionysus]

32. cool story bro

[Urban Prairie]

34. Can't give an unbiased assessment of the SOTH's speech b/c I loathe Boehner

with every fiber of my being, so I couldn't really tell if his was better or not. Besides, my wife and I were too often loudly cursing at his image on our TV, and didn't hear "all" of it.

[OmahaBlueDog]

37. I get that. I have the same problem with Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

39. Boner's "Bi-Partisan Plan"

Yeah. That "bi-partisan support" you kept trumpeting over and over and over consisted of all the Republicans and FIVE Democrats. Oooooohhhhhh!!! What wide and varied bi-partisan support!!!

Why is it that every time I see Boner speak, all I can think is that he'd be perfect to play the A-hole Principal in a bad, cliched high school movie. Maybe he could play Dean Wormer in the remake of "Animal House."

[Chan790]

41. See I think Boehner came off as petty and inflexible.

That, I think, is how it will play tomorrow too. I have yet to find many people who aren't a little displeased that Boehner gave a partisan speech after the call of "The Great Compromiser" to work together.

[dkf]

42. Personally I thought Obama's argument was pretty weak.

I still don't know what plan Obama is asking us to support so I have no idea what Boehner is being inflexible about.