Well, I think that we have to
remember what the state of the
Union address is really meant to be.
It's really to connect with the
American people as well as to lay
out an agenda to the Congress and to
establish and announce his priorities
in upcoming legislative package.
What he wanted to do and what every
president needs to do is to say, well,
what have they done over the last
year or two years that affects the
everyday lives of Americans because
a lot of the legislation that's
passed even on a bipartisan basis,
may not be readily apparent.
Because they don't take effect right away.
And so the President, I think,
clearly articulated the fact that,
for instance,
unemployment is now at the lowest since 1969.
That all these investments
are starting to take effect,
like lower drug prices for seniors
started January 1 of 2023.
And that the Congress,
on a bipartisan basis passed legislation,
massive investment in roads,
which means lots of construction jobs,
fixing our roads, our bridges expanding.
Transit,
providing high speed Internet to
every part of the of the country
as well as incentives to bring
back manufacturing to America's
advanced manufacturing,
manufacturing of high tech
items as well as solar panels.
So I think what he did was try to
inform the American people of the
things that will affect them on a
daily basis and he's taking credit for it,
but also acknowledging the work
of the Congress.
Well, I, I think he made it very clear
that just a few Members and unfortunately
some of them are in the leadership of
the Republican Congress want to sunset
or end Social Security and Medicare.
And then when he was heckled by some of
the Republicans saying you're a liar,
you're a liar, then he,
I thought he very adroitly turned it around,
was quick on his feet to say, oh good.
So that means we're not going to
have any legislation to decimate
or end or cut back Social Security.
And Medicare.
And so I think he turned that around
very beautifully, very adroitly.
And I think that showed a
lot of step in in him.
He was quick on his feet and I think he's
somewhat enjoyed that back and forth.
And so I think that was that came
across very well to the American
people that he was quick on his
feet and that he would almost
force the Republicans to say,
OK, we have an agreement,
there will be no cuts to
Social Security and Medicare.
Our pleasure. Well, first of all,
I applaud what the administration
did and how it handled.
But I mean, let me start all over.
I really applaud how the administration
handled the crisis with the balloon
coming over American sovereignty and and
American airspace over our territory.
I mean, as a former governor,
I would have been very concerned
had they tried to shoot down that
balloon over populated areas.
Because when you're talking about a,
a balloon that's 200 feet high
with equipment the size of three
school buses wearing thousands and
thousands and thousands of pounds,
you know, and not knowing exactly
where what's going to land.
When it did land,
it was a debris field of seven miles.
But though that very heavy equipment
could have landed on a on a home,
on a school or a business,
and could have injured or killed people.
And I actually thought it was brilliant
that they shot it down over shallow
water so that they could actually
retrieve it instead of shooting it
over land where it would fall and
break into millions of pieces and so.
Kudos to the administration for
how they handle it as a governor.
I think all the governors would have
been concerned had they tried to shoot
it down over any of their respective states.
But you know the the while the states
do have the primary responsibility for
law enforcement and local governments,
the federal government can set
minimum standards almost like quality
standards and and minimum procedures
that must be followed to protect
the rights of of everyday citizens.
And I I thought it was notable that
even the Republicans stood and applauded
his call for meaningful police reform.
Obviously, the President did a
great job in in acknowledging that.
Police officers, when they put on that badge,
are putting their lives on the line.
And the vast,
vast majority of police officers are
highly ethical and highly trained and
competent and want to do the right thing.
And so I I'm hoping that some
sort of police reform will pass.
It may not be the version that the
president wants and it it could
even be stuck on to another piece of
legislation that is about to pass.
And that's how a lot of the legislation
is conducted in DC the actual
original legislation isn't.
Ask but the guts,
the essence of the proposal
is attached to something else
that is about to be voted on.
I doubt it. You know, to in the US Senate,
except for rare occasions,
you need sixty votes to even
bring up something for debate,
to even consider it.
And there are not sixty votes,
especially with the split Senate.
And this is among Democrats and Republicans.
It's not a highly partisan issue
or strictly partisan issue.
Most of the Republicans,
of course, will. Oppose it.
But you have a few Democrats who
would also oppose the legislation,
and without sixty votes,
you're not going to get there.
And it, it really starts also with the
doctors not prescribing these opioids
and and these highly addictive drugs.
You know the drug companies are now
being held accountable a lot of IT
action by the Attorney general's
across the United States suing
these drug companies and you know
so many of them were aware of
what was happening but they put
profits ahead of people's lives.
So as as Rob indicated it is a very
wide-ranging very complex issue from.
Smuggling fentanyl and opioids,
fentanyl and opioids into the country
and and people making it here in the
United States to over prescription by
doctors of all kinds of painkillers.
And then of course we know that it's
really fueling a lot of the crime
and the homelessness in our society.
And that is just,
this is an incredible tragedy
that's going to require so many
different organizations and minds
and interest groups coming together.
To really tackle this,
there's no one
one-size-fits-all solution to this.
No, you know, I, I think, you know,
the president had to inform the
American people of the impact on their
daily lives of all the legislation
that he and the Congress have been
passing and have been working on.
Some of it on a bipartisan basis,
some of it administrative.
And that's the challenge because as
the New York Times poll indicates,
people aren't sure what he has done.
And that was his job today.
And I think he did a fairly good
job reminding the American people,
informing them.
That so much of what has passed and
has occurred in the last two years
is now starting to take effect.
And they're going to start seeing it.
Road construction, repairs of bridges,
expansion of transit systems.
The fact that the drug prices for
seniors will be going down and that the
Medicare will be able to negotiate with
the drug companies lower drug prices.
And that the seniors will not have
to pay more than $2000 a year of on
Medicare for their drugs as well as.
Reducing the price of insulin
that takes effect immediately.