Post by Ranger John on Nov 22, 2014 12:13:59 GMT -5
Was it an attempt to lay out a plan to address a problem? Or 15 minutes of the most incoherent gibberish ever uttered by someone pretending to run a major country? I think it's the latter.
For those who didn't watch, there's a transcript here: Washington Post
Some interesting highlights:
Yep. The border is a real mess, and the system is broken, but...
...the system is broken, but it's working better now than at any time in the last 40 years...
...better now than at any time in the last 40 years, which is why I need to act right now. And I'm going to take the same kinds of actions taken by others before me, even though the problem was much worse when those others were President (and took these same kinds of actions) and it didn't get better until I was elected and didn't do anything for 6 years. And I have the legal authority to do this, in spite of being on video 20 odd times already insisting that I do NOT have the legal authority to do any of this, and if I tried to do so, I'd have become a dictator. Don't forget, I'm a Constitutional scholar after all. So I know I have the Constitutional authority to do this. Even though when I said I couldn't do this before, I reminded everyone that I was a Constitutional scholar, and that's why I knew I didn't have the Constitutional authority to do this.
In the past, it's been VERY hard to find millions of illegal immigrants, so I've decided that I have the legal authority (even though it doesn't appear in any law that Congress wrote) to set up a 'registration' for illegal aliens. This way, it will make it much easier for my successor to round you up and deport you, because he'll know where you are based on your tax return. And because this register isn't actually based in any law at all, it won't afford you any legal protection at all. Zero. Suckers. See, that's what happens when a President issues an executive order. Whomever comes behind him can simply undo it. Which is why it's so important that I do this by myself rather than getting a law through Congress.
These are the sorts of actions taken by all my predecessors when the problem was much worse. And they're necessary because my predecessors didn't do what I'm doing. Even though what I'm doing is what they did.
I want to work with both parties so bad, I'm announcing this right after an election that I lost badly. It is so important for me to work with Congress that I'm announcing this, before the new Congress is even seated and has had an opportunity to even think about that bi-partisan bill that failed in the previous congress, or propose any measures of its own. In fact, it's so important that I work with Congress on this, that I'm going to do this all by myself, without any input from Congress at all.
Even though this talk is about immigration, I need to bring up a government shut down. Why? Because I plan to shut the government down and blame the Republicans as soon as I get half an opportunity. Probably even during this lame duck session when my own party is still running the Senate. Because Americans are tired of gridlock, cynicism and extreme partisanship, which again, is why I'm on TV right before the Latin Emmys to propose an illegal executive power-grab of a plan that will make the other party's blood boil before they've even had a chance to get sworn in.
We need more than politics as usual, which is why the timing of this speech, and the introduction of this plan is so ragingly hyper-cynical and partisan. And we want to welcome all of you illegal immigrants, which is why my plan will provide whomever succeeds me the ability to check the register I'm going to set up so they can easily find you and split up your family.
It's sort of a pity that Joe Biden is as dumb as a box of rocks. This speech is Biden's opportunity to make the case that Obama is medically unfit to hold office and become President himself. Everything Biden needs to become president is right there. And he doesn't even need an impeachment. It's a good thing Cheney isn't still VP, because if Bush ever uttered so much gobbledygook in a prepared speech, Darth Cheney would have done it.
I'm not sure if Obama wrote this steaming pile of incoherence himself, or if his speech-writer had a stroke (or graduated from Harvard). Maybe the reason the national networks declined to show this was because they're sill in the bag for the President and desperately wanted to minimize his exposure after letting him make a fool of himself in front of the whole world.
For those who didn't watch, there's a transcript here: Washington Post
Some interesting highlights:
....But today, our immigration system is broken, and everybody knows it. Families who enter our country the right way and play by the rules watch others flout the rules. Business owners who offer their wages good wages benefits see the competition exploit undocumented immigrants by paying them far less. All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America. And undocumented immigrants who desperately want to embrace those responsibilities see little option but to remain in the shadows, or risk their families being torn apart.
It’s been this way for decades. And for decades we haven’t done much about it. When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. ...
It’s been this way for decades. And for decades we haven’t done much about it. When I took office, I committed to fixing this broken immigration system. And I began by doing what I could to secure our borders. ...
Yep. The border is a real mess, and the system is broken, but...
...Today we have more agents and technology deployed to secure our southern border than at any time in our history. And over the past six years illegal border crossings have been cut by more than half.
Although this summer there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years.
Overall the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts. ...
Although this summer there was a brief spike in unaccompanied children being apprehended at our border, the number of such children is actually lower than it’s been in nearly two years.
Overall the number of people trying to cross our border illegally is at its lowest level since the 1970s. Those are the facts. ...
...the system is broken, but it's working better now than at any time in the last 40 years...
...Now I continue to believe that the best way to solve this problem is by working together to pass that kind of common sense law. But until that happens, there are actions I have the legal authority to take as president, the same kinds of actions taken by Democratic and Republican presidents before me, that will help make our immigration system more fair and more just.
Tonight I’m announcing those actions. ...
Tonight I’m announcing those actions. ...
...better now than at any time in the last 40 years, which is why I need to act right now. And I'm going to take the same kinds of actions taken by others before me, even though the problem was much worse when those others were President (and took these same kinds of actions) and it didn't get better until I was elected and didn't do anything for 6 years. And I have the legal authority to do this, in spite of being on video 20 odd times already insisting that I do NOT have the legal authority to do any of this, and if I tried to do so, I'd have become a dictator. Don't forget, I'm a Constitutional scholar after all. So I know I have the Constitutional authority to do this. Even though when I said I couldn't do this before, I reminded everyone that I was a Constitutional scholar, and that's why I knew I didn't have the Constitutional authority to do this.
...And let’s be honest, tracking down, rounding up and deporting millions of people isn’t realistic. Anyone who suggests otherwise isn’t being straight with you. It’s also not who we are as Americans. ...
Now here is the thing. We expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve with been in America more than five years. If you have children who are American citizens or illegal residents. If you register, pass a criminal background check and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes, you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is. ...
Now here is the thing. We expect people who live in this country to play by the rules. We expect those who cut the line will not be unfairly rewarded. So we’re going to offer the following deal: If you’ve with been in America more than five years. If you have children who are American citizens or illegal residents. If you register, pass a criminal background check and you’re willing to pay your fair share of taxes, you’ll be able to apply to stay in this country temporarily without fear of deportation. You can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. That’s what this deal is. ...
In the past, it's been VERY hard to find millions of illegal immigrants, so I've decided that I have the legal authority (even though it doesn't appear in any law that Congress wrote) to set up a 'registration' for illegal aliens. This way, it will make it much easier for my successor to round you up and deport you, because he'll know where you are based on your tax return. And because this register isn't actually based in any law at all, it won't afford you any legal protection at all. Zero. Suckers. See, that's what happens when a President issues an executive order. Whomever comes behind him can simply undo it. Which is why it's so important that I do this by myself rather than getting a law through Congress.
...The actions I’m taken are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every single Democratic president for the past half century.
And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.
And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.
These are the sorts of actions taken by all my predecessors when the problem was much worse. And they're necessary because my predecessors didn't do what I'm doing. Even though what I'm doing is what they did.
I want to work with both parties so bad, I'm announcing this right after an election that I lost badly. It is so important for me to work with Congress that I'm announcing this, before the new Congress is even seated and has had an opportunity to even think about that bi-partisan bill that failed in the previous congress, or propose any measures of its own. In fact, it's so important that I work with Congress on this, that I'm going to do this all by myself, without any input from Congress at all.
...OBAMA: Meanwhile, don’t let a disagreement over a single issue be a deal breaker on every issue. That’s not how our Democracy works, and Congress shouldn’t shut down our government again just because we disagree on this.
Americans are tired of gridlock. What our country needs right now is a common purpose, a higher purpose. Most Americans support the types of reforms I’ve talked about tonight, but I understand with the disagreements held by many of you at home....
Americans are tired of gridlock. What our country needs right now is a common purpose, a higher purpose. Most Americans support the types of reforms I’ve talked about tonight, but I understand with the disagreements held by many of you at home....
Even though this talk is about immigration, I need to bring up a government shut down. Why? Because I plan to shut the government down and blame the Republicans as soon as I get half an opportunity. Probably even during this lame duck session when my own party is still running the Senate. Because Americans are tired of gridlock, cynicism and extreme partisanship, which again, is why I'm on TV right before the Latin Emmys to propose an illegal executive power-grab of a plan that will make the other party's blood boil before they've even had a chance to get sworn in.
...We need more than politics as usual when it comes to immigration. We need reasoned, thoughtful, compassionate debate that focuses on our hopes, not our fears. I know the politics of this issue are tough, but let me tell you why I have come to feel so strongly about it. Over the past years I’ve seen the determination of immigrant fathers who worked two or three jobs without taking a dime from the government, and at risk any moment of losing it all just to build a better life for their kids. I’ve seen the heartbreak and anxiety of children whose mothers might be taken away from them just because they didn’t have the right papers. I’ve seen the courage of students who except for the circumstances of their birth are as American as Malia or Sasha, students who bravely come out as undocumented in hopes they could make a difference in the country they love. ...
We need more than politics as usual, which is why the timing of this speech, and the introduction of this plan is so ragingly hyper-cynical and partisan. And we want to welcome all of you illegal immigrants, which is why my plan will provide whomever succeeds me the ability to check the register I'm going to set up so they can easily find you and split up your family.
It's sort of a pity that Joe Biden is as dumb as a box of rocks. This speech is Biden's opportunity to make the case that Obama is medically unfit to hold office and become President himself. Everything Biden needs to become president is right there. And he doesn't even need an impeachment. It's a good thing Cheney isn't still VP, because if Bush ever uttered so much gobbledygook in a prepared speech, Darth Cheney would have done it.
I'm not sure if Obama wrote this steaming pile of incoherence himself, or if his speech-writer had a stroke (or graduated from Harvard). Maybe the reason the national networks declined to show this was because they're sill in the bag for the President and desperately wanted to minimize his exposure after letting him make a fool of himself in front of the whole world.
.
