President Obama's SOTU speech received mostly positive reviews from the mainstream press, but progressives were not happy with the President's "move to the center," and embracing of much of the Republican talking points on cutting spending and corporate taxes, or his championing of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which he is NOT ending as promised. Mostly, the democratic left was disappointed that Obama failed to take on Wall Street and the financial organizations that were responsible for the current economic crises, and that he did not speak out against outsourcing of U.S. jobs overseas. Like the last corporatist Democratic President, Bill Clinton, Obama is embracing the rhetoric and worldview of his opponents in the Republican Party on "free trade," and American "exceptionalism."
Obama did give a weak defense of Social Security, making it unclear if he would go along with the recommendations of his own deficit commission to cut SS benefits or raise the retirement age.
Obama's Corporate State of the Union
Was the President's Address Total Hogwash?
Obama Defends Social Security, But Aligns with Wall Street on Exporting American Jobs
The Obama/GOP Consensus
Obama Rehashes Dubious Claims About Wars
Obama Calls for Corporate Tax Cuts
The "Sputnik Moment" That Wasn't
But At least Barack Obama was not as bad as his GOP & Tea Party Opponents:
Paul Ryan's SOTU Rebuttal: The Best They Got?
Michele Bachmann's "Rogue" Tea Party Response
