If I were to Write Obama's SOTU Address

(pardon any puncuation errors; I was a math major)

Right out of the box...

I apologize. I tried it their way. I was wrong. Just as they were wrong for the 8 years of George W Bush, just as they were wrong for their policies such as the deregulation of the banks, and free trade under Bill Clinton, just as they were wrong for the institution of Ronald Reagan's voodoo economic policies, otherwise known as supply side economics, they are wrong today

I asked for republican help on stimulating the economy. After all their input, after all the amendments they proposed being attached to our stimulus bill, they voted en masse against it. They wanted a bill consisting entirely of tax cuts. Tax cuts don't help people who have no jobs and no paychecks.

I asked for their help on health care. I ignored how they made a hero out of the woman from their presidential ticket, who fabricated a total lie about "Death Panels." I ignored how a leading Senator from the state of Iowa fabricated a total lie about how our plan would force people to "pull the plug on Grandma." The same Senator, by the way, who sat on a panel to hammer out a compromise, which again, contained every amendment his party proposed.

I offered a compromise. It's called "The Public Option." The people who elected me want a universal single payer system. They, the opposition, the Republicans, want the status quo. With the additions of MORE deregulation so that insurance companies can cross state lines and duplicate the same situation we have with banking: Institutions that are too big to fail. AND... they want to take away your day in court when you are mistreated or left untreated by these same institutions. They call that "Tort Reform." Or as another of their Senators put it, "My Waterloo."

I allowed health cre reform to become my obsession, to the point where I allowed a senator who endorosed my Presidential opponent, who spoke at his party's convention, to remain in my party's caucus, and I gave in to his demands and stripped out major components that would have benefited you. All to get his support. And he was not the only one who gained such concessions.

I lost sight of the goal, of the purpose for which I was elected: To change the course of this country. To undo, or at least begin to undo, the eight plus years worth of damage done by the opposition party. I was not elected to do what the opposition allowed me to do, I was elected to lead. I was elected to lead us out of the mess in which the opposition has placed us. Instead...

I have tried my best to include them in the process of government, to which they continue to respond with obstructionism through filibustering at a record pace. I have tried to govern from the center, only to be told that the center is the far left and that the true center is the far right.

America... I honestly believed there existed on the other side of the aisles of Congress, people who would want to work with me; people who would embrace policies that would benefit their constituents. I am sorry to have to admit that I was deluded.

America... You elected me on the promise of Change... Change we can believe in. The change you wanted: New and different policies, is not the change you got: Compromise.

There is a movement in this country, I'm sure you've noticed... They want their country back. There was an election recently in the state of Massachusetts... I'm sure you've heard... Congratulations, by the way, Senator Brown. Before that, there was an election in rural New York state... you may not have heard. I have heard from all three.

There is a portion of scripture that says, "...be ye hot or cold, if you are lukewarm, I will spew you out of my mouth..." We have tried the far right's way; that way was rejected in November 2008. I have tried the Centrist way of compromise; that way has also been, and continues to be rejected.

America, I'm back. The president you thought you voted into office, is the president you will get from here on out. Whether that goes beyond 2012, will be totally up to you. That is if the corporations against which we fight do not get their way as now allowed by the five supreme court judges appointed by the far right opposition.

Here's what we must do

I know... it's just a dream but hey,
in our dreams we're free.

h/t to a Mr Eric B. per the fine folks at C&L