Presidents SOTU: Reform is code for cutting when it comes to programs

by: Dusty

Wed Jan 25, 2012 at 13:34:06 PM EST

Bernie Sanders gave the best synopsis of the SOTU(Text) last night and he didn’t leave me feeling warm and fuzzy in spite of President Obamas gift of speechifying.

As most figured, Obama’s SOTU was a ‘blueprint’ for his campaign and  he did not disappoint in that regard. Yes, he laid out grand plans, the  vast majority of which, can not be done without a congress that cooperates,  and he at least mentioned that inalienable fact on several occasions.  So, he didn’t give us a completely bullshit-laden 60 minutes of  speechifying, because he will not get anything he spoke about, unless he  again, gives into the GOP and the rightwing assholes ensconced there  now, or as his is usual… listens to the idiots in his inner circle who  all seem to be right of the center on everything.

 Obama was smart to bring up the phrase Class Warfare, because  as you damn well know, the GOP will be trotting that fucking phrase out  from here until eternity when it comes to any and all things needed to  straighten out the economy that doesn’t include their choices of killing  Medicare, Social Security, unemployment insurance and a host of  other programs….or..gasp… raising taxes and fixing the friggin tax code  in order to pay for any of Obama’s grand plans on their folks..the top  1% aka, the rich.

One  of The Presidents grand plans is a new group/department to go after the  mortgage crisis fuckers that caused it. WTF? Isn’t there already a  group in the DOJ for that? Sam Stein has a few words on that:

During his State of the Union address tonight, President  Obama will announce the creation of a special unit to investigate  misconduct and illegalities that contributed to both the financial  collapse and the mortgage crisis.

The office, part of a new Unit on Mortgage Origination and  Securitization Abuses, will be chaired by Eric Schneiderman, the New  York attorney general, according to a White House official.

Schneiderman is an increasingly beloved figure among progressives for  his criticism of a proposed settlement between the 50 state attorneys  general and the five largest banks. His presence atop this new special  unit could give it immediate legitimacy among those who have criticized  the president for being too hesitant in going after the banks and  resolving the mortgage crisis. He will be in attendance at Tuesday  night’s State of the Union address.

“The goal of this joint investigation will be threefold: to hold  accountable any institutions that violated the law; to compensate  victims and help provide relief for homeowners struggling from the  collapse of the housing market, caused in part by this wrongdoing; and  to help us finally turn the page on this destructive period in our  nation’s history,” reads a White House document outlining the  objectives.

“This is a big achievement and something the entire progressive  advocacy community wanted [with respect to] housing policy,” added the  White House official.

The unit will not supersede the efforts already underway by the  Department of Justice. Instead, it will operate as part of the  president’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. In addition to  Schneiderman, the unit will be co-chaired by Lanny Breuer, assistant  attorney general at the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice,  Robert Khuzami, director of enforcement at the SEC; John Walsh, a U.S.  attorney in Colorado, and Tony West, assistant attorney general in the  Civil Division at DOJ.

Any bets on how far that group will get? Anyone? I believe Obama is  heading to Nevada this week or next, so this idea fits well within  his campaigning plans. Nevada and FL are two of the hardest hit states  when it comes to the mortgage foreclosure crisis btw. Since Sam was  ahead of the crowd on this part of the SOTU, he got a remark out of Schneiderman’s office on it:

I would like to thank President Obama for his leadership  in the creation of a coordinated investigation that marshals state and  federal resources to bring justice for the victims of the misconduct  that caused the mortgage crisis.

In coordination with our federal partners, our office will continue  its steadfast commitment to holding those responsible for the economic  crisis accountable, providing meaningful relief for homeowners  commensurate with the scale of the misconduct, and getting our economy  moving again.

Thanks dude..its a great platitude for Obama but really doesn’t tell  us shit. I will give him his due however, as being part of the  left-of-center crowd, like Cali’s AG Kamali, that thinks Obama hasn’t  done squat to help those fucked-over by the crap pulled on them by the  banks regarding the mortgage meltdown and those that caused it by  playing fast and loose with the reg’s that were in place at the time.  Both he and Kamali have said hell no to any of the ‘plans’ put forth by  this administration regarding mortgage foreclosures.

The yahoo currently parking his ass in Indiana’s governor’s mansion, Mitch “Kill the Unions” Daniels gave the GOP rebuttal(text)  and it was short on plans and long on attacks against Obama’s SOTU..I  know, big surprise there. Rachel Maddow almost got into it with Tweety  last night who was fawning all over that fuckwad from Indiana, but sadly  MSNBC had to pay the bills and go into a commercial break:

 Give me an effin’ break dude. Seriously? That is why I rarely, if ever,  watch you Tweety. Daniels gave us the GOP standards..we are all going to  hell NOW and it’s all Obama’s fault. I was waiting for the hellfire and  brimstone shit to start with Daniels and listened for ‘the rapture' to  be memtioned..but alas..it was not. RawStory has a good read up  about Maddows opinion and a bushel of facts about Mitch Daniels and why  that asshat was a horrible choice for the GOP if they were trying to  woo voters into their court. Her thoughts on him below:

 As usual, the GOP is out of step with what American’s in general believe and want. I know..like that’s news…