***Live Updates*** Obama Delivers Final State of Union Address

Obama Seal Side View
Tony Lee

President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union speech tonight as Iran is holding 10 American sailors.

According to NBC News, “officials said the Americans were on a training mission around noon ET when their boat experienced mechanical difficulty and drifted into Iranian-claimed waters and were seized by Iranian Coast guard.” Secretary of State John Kerry has reportedly “been on the phone with Iranian officials in Tehran attempting to gain the release.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) told CNN that the Obama administration seems more intent on protecting Iran and the nuclear deal than getting America’s sailors back. Cotton said this is an example how much the nuclear deal has emboldened Iran while adding that this is likely an effort by Iran to humiliate America and Obama before his final State of the Union Speech and exert “maximize leverage with the emboldened hand President Obama gave them with the nuclear deal.”

Obama, according to White House Communications Director Jen Psaki, is not planning to address the incident.

So much for a more conciliatory Iran after the Obama administration’s widely criticized and deeply unpopular nuclear deal with Tehran. The deal, which will lift various economic sanctions on Iran and send the nation billions of dollars, is set to be implemented this month and perhaps as early as this week.

Though only 37% approve of Obama’s foreign policy agenda, according to December’s NBC News/Wall Street Journal monthly tracking poll, Obama will reportedly defend the Obama Doctrine in his speech. Obama, who, along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, enabled ISIS’s rise in the Middle East also underestimated its threat, infamously calling ISIS the “JV team.” And just 34% approve of Obama’s handling of ISIS and terrorism.

It will be interesting to see how much Obama touts his executive amnesty for illegal immigrants and his administration’s plans to resettle Syrian refugees after one of the Paris terrorists entered France under the guise of being a “Syrian refugee.” A Syrian refugee and a DREAMer who served in the U.S. military are among the guests in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box.

Though Obama has issued sweeping executive actions on illegal immigration and guns, he will say in his speech, without irony, that, “our founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and imperatives of security. But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens.”

Obama will certainly exploit the mass shootings that have occurred during his presidency to make one last push for his gun control agenda a week after issuing his executive actions. There will be an empty seat in the First Lady’s box to honor the victims of gun violence.

“Last week, the President took a series of commonsense steps to help reduce gun violence in America and make our communities safer,” the White House said in a statement. “We leave one seat empty in the First Lady’s State of the Union Guest Box for the victims of gun violence who no longer have a voice – because they need the rest of us to speak for them. To tell their stories. To honor their memory. To support the Americans whose lives have been forever changed by the terrible ripple effect of gun violence – survivors who’ve had to learn to live with a disability, or without the love of their life. To remind every single one of our representatives that it’s their responsibility to do something about this.”

Obama will also argue that his fundamental transformation of America will accelerate and is here to stay. According to excerpts the White House released, Obama will say that that “we live in a time of extraordinary change – change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world.”

“It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families. It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away. It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality,” he will say. “And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.”

The White House has said Obama’s speech will be non-conventional. The majority who disapprove of Obama and the 70% of Americans who think the country is on the “wrong track” may hope that Obama just submits a written State of the Union address instead of giving what may be yet another self-congratulatory another campaign speech.

This will be the first time new House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will sit behind Obama during the State of the Union address. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley will deliver the GOP response to the State of the Union address.

Obama and Haley may take veiled shots at GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. Obama will blast the GOP’s campaign rhetoric and say, “each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears.” Though many Americans are angry at Obama’s executive actions and how far he is trying to push the country to the left, Haley will rail against following the “siren call of the angriest voices.” Establishment Republicans like Ryan have championed Haley and, to nobody’s surprise, her warning against the following “angriest voices” will sound like Obama. The more things change in Washington, the more they stay the same.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for live updates throughout the evening.

The White House released the text of Obama’s State of the Union speech.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) responds to Obama’s State of the Union speech.

President Obama’s policy agenda on trade, crime, immigration, spending and debt all have one common feature: they make life harder for working Americans and put the country at needless risk.

With wages down, record numbers not working, and crime rising in cities across the U.S., the next person to occupy the oval office will have to chart a dramatically different course. That course must include:

• Immigration control and reduction

• A dedicated effort to reduce crime and prosecute armed career criminals and drug dealers

• Cancelling the sovereignty-eroding 2 million-word Trans-Pacific Partnership, and rebuilding our manufacturing core

• Welfare-to-work: celebrating the dignity of work, and helping our own people move from welfare to good-paying jobs

• Adoption and implementation of a balanced budget plan

• Repeal of Obamacare

• Creating a smaller, leaner and less costly bureaucracy

• Streamlining the tax code, making it easier to keep jobs and wealth in America

• Tapping into our vast energy resources

• Restoration of the constitutional rule of law.

Haley’s robotic response devoid of any emotion is why Americans hate politics. It is obvious the speech was written before Obama’s speech, as there were no specific rebuttals to anything Obama said. Nearly everybody knows that Iran has captured ten American sailors. Haley could have, at the very least, offered her thoughts and prayers to the sailors. But she did not in her unmemorable speech. Few have done the State of the Union response well. Jim Webb’s response to George W. Bush’s State of the Union is still probably the best response that has been given by either side.

Haley takes some veiled shots at Trump. She says that “some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.” She says that “there’s a tendency to falsely equate noise with results.” She warns against following the “siren call of the angriest voices.” And Haley, who denounced Trump’s temporary ban on Muslim immigration and, in so doing, endeared herself even more to the GOP establishment elite, says America must welcome “properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion.”

Nikki Haley’s GOP response to Obama’s State of the Union:

Good evening.

I’m Nikki Haley, Governor of the great state of South Carolina.

I’m speaking tonight from Columbia, our state’s capital city. Much like America as a whole, ours is a state with a rich and complicated history, one that proves the idea that each day can be better than the last.

In just a minute, I’m going to talk about a vision of a brighter American future. But first I want to say a few words about President Obama, who just gave his final State of the Union address.

Barack Obama’s election as president seven years ago broke historic barriers and inspired millions of Americans. As he did when he first ran for office, tonight President Obama spoke eloquently about grand things. He is at his best when he does that.

Unfortunately, the President’s record has often fallen far short of his soaring words.

As he enters his final year in office, many Americans are still feeling the squeeze of an economy too weak to raise income levels. We’re feeling a crushing national debt, a health care plan that has made insurance less affordable and doctors less available, and chaotic unrest in many of our cities.

Even worse, we are facing the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11th, and this president appears unwilling or unable to deal with it.

Soon, the Obama presidency will end, and America will have the chance to turn in a new direction. That direction is what I want to talk about tonight.

At the outset, I’ll say this: you’ve paid attention to what has been happening in Washington, and you’re not naive.

Neither am I. I see what you see. And many of your frustrations are my frustrations.

A frustration with a government that has grown day after day, year after year, yet doesn’t serve us any better. A frustration with the same, endless conversations we hear over and over again. A frustration with promises made and never kept.

We need to be honest with each other, and with ourselves: while Democrats in Washington bear much responsibility for the problems facing America today, they do not bear it alone. There is more than enough blame to go around.

We as Republicans need to own that truth. We need to recognize our contributions to the erosion of the public trust in America’s leadership. We need to accept that we’ve played a role in how and why our government is broken.

And then we need to fix it.

The foundation that has made America that last, best hope on earth hasn’t gone anywhere. It still exists. It’s up to us to return to it.

For me, that starts right where it always has: I am the proud daughter of Indian immigrants who reminded my brothers, my sister and me every day how blessed we were to live in this country.

Growing up in the rural south, my family didn’t look like our neighbors, and we didn’t have much. There were times that were tough, but we had each other, and we had the opportunity to do anything, to be anything, as long as we were willing to work for it.

My story is really not much different from millions of other Americans. Immigrants have been coming to our shores for generations to live the dream that is America. They wanted better for their children than for themselves. That remains the dream of all of us, and in this country we have seen time and again that that dream is achievable.

Today, we live in a time of threats like few others in recent memory. During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.

No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws, and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome in this country.

At the same time, that does not mean we just flat out open our borders. We can’t do that. We cannot continue to allow immigrants to come here illegally. And in this age of terrorism, we must not let in refugees whose intentions cannot be determined.

We must fix our broken immigration system. That means stopping illegal immigration. And it means welcoming properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion. Just like we have for centuries.

I have no doubt that if we act with proper focus, we can protect our borders, our sovereignty and our citizens, all while remaining true to America’s noblest legacies.

This past summer, South Carolina was dealt a tragic blow. On an otherwise ordinary Wednesday evening in June, at the historic Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, twelve faithful men and women, young and old, went to Bible study.

That night, someone new joined them. He didn’t look like them, didn’t act like them, didn’t sound like them. They didn’t throw him out. They didn’t call the police. Instead, they pulled up a chair and prayed with him. For an hour.

We lost nine incredible souls that night.

What happened after the tragedy is worth pausing to think about.

Our state was struck with shock, pain, and fear. But our people would not allow hate to win. We didn’t have violence, we had vigils. We didn’t have riots, we had hugs.

We didn’t turn against each other’s race or religion. We turned toward God, and to the values that have long made our country the freest and greatest in the world.

We removed a symbol that was being used to divide us, and we found a strength that united us against a domestic terrorist and the hate that filled him.

There’s an important lesson in this. In many parts of society today, whether in popular culture, academia, the media, or politics, there’s a tendency to falsely equate noise with results.

Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That is just not true. Often, the best thing we can do is turn down the volume. When the sound is quieter, you can actually hear what someone else is saying. And that can make a world of difference.

Of course that doesn’t mean we won’t have strong disagreements. We will. And as we usher in this new era, Republicans will stand up for our beliefs.

If we held the White House, taxes would be lower for working families, and we’d put the brakes on runaway spending and debt.

We would encourage American innovation and success instead of demonizing them, so our economy would truly soar and good jobs would be available across our country.

We would reform education so it worked best for students, parents, and teachers, not Washington bureaucrats and union bosses.

We would end a disastrous health care program, and replace it with reforms that lowered costs and actually let you keep your doctor.

We would respect differences in modern families, but we would also insist on respect for religious liberty as a cornerstone of our democracy.

We would recognize the importance of the separation of powers and honor the Constitution in its entirety. And yes, that includes the Second and Tenth Amendments.

We would make international agreements that were celebrated in Israel and protested in Iran, not the other way around.

And rather than just thanking our brave men and women in uniform, we would actually strengthen our military, so both our friends and our enemies would know that America seeks peace, but when we fight wars we win them.

We have big decisions to make. Our country is being tested.

But we’ve been tested in the past, and our people have always risen to the challenge. We have all the guidance we need to be safe and successful.

Our forefathers paved the way for us.

Let’s take their values, and their strengths, and rededicate ourselves to doing whatever it takes to keep America the greatest country in the history of man. And woman.

Thank you, good night, and God bless.

Joel Pollak: Fact Check: Top 10 Lies in Obama’s State of the Union

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) gives his response:

RNC’s response:

After seven years under President Obama, America has become less prosperous, less safe, and less free,” said RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. “Americans are reminded daily of this president’s failures and broken promises, whether it’s higher costs under ObamaCare, the continued decline of the middle class, or the increased threat posed by ISIS and radical Islamic terrorists. It’s no wonder the American people overwhelmingly say the country is on the wrong track and want to see their next president take a different direction. But rather than signal a much-needed course correction, the president took a lonely victory lap before a country that is ready to turn the page.

The one thing the president made clear tonight is that the next ten months will be all about ensuring he is succeeded by Hillary Clinton, who gives his failed presidency an ‘A’ grade and wants to take his divisive, left-wing agenda to the next level. More taxes, more spending, more leading from behind, more Washington overreach, and more scandal – that is what Democrats are offering in this election. It’s clearer than ever that only a Republican president can tackle the big issues facing our country and restore faith in our government.

President Obama was elected to the White House with voters demanding change, and fittingly, that is how he will leave.

Data from Facebook shows Iran was the top issue. Andy Stone of Facebook’s Policy Communications department released a statement showing that and many other facts from engagement around the country.

Top social moment
President Obama criticizes anti-Muslim sentiment.
Top issues
1. Iran
2. Islam and Muslims
3. ISIS
4. Terrorism
5. Food stamps
Top issues among women
1. Food stamps
2. Education
3. Wall Street

Top issues among men
1. Islam and Muslims
2. ISIS
3. Terrorism
Most engaged states
1. Maryland
2. Virginia
3. Georgia
4. New York
5. North Carolina

From Swoyer:

GOP presidential candidate Gov. Mike Huckabee live tweeted during the State of the Union on Tuesday night, blasting President Obama’s foreign policy and commenting on the length of Obama’s speech.

“Latest ‪@POTUS broken promise: that this speech was going to be “short.” ‪#SOTU,” Huckabee posted, referencing Obama’s 59 minute speech.

“What ‪@POTUS fails to mention about ‪#Libya we can probably glean from ‪@HillaryClinton’s classified emails,” he posted, adding, “@POTUS Quit apologizing for the evil forces of radical Islam and start protecting Americans! “‪

Huckabee also commented on Obama’s relations with Cuba and his desire to close GITMO, posting, “Once ‪@POTUS returns Gitmo to Cuba, the Castros will have more space for political prisoners.”

He also commented on Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s facial expressions during Obama’s speech.

“Looks like ‪@SpeakerRyan would rather chaperon a Six Flags field trip with El Chapo than listen to more of this speech,” Huckabee joked.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) responds:

President Barack Obama delivered the final State of the Union speech of his presidency on Tuesday night, hours after the Pentagon confirmed that Iran apprehended a U.S. Navy boat and is detaining 10 American sailors. Rep. Mark Meadows, a Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement:

What an unfortunate juxtaposition for the President: as he took to the podium to defend his Iran nuclear deal and other foreign policy initiatives, American sailors were being detained in Iran. Make no mistake, the signing of the Iran Deal has only been emboldened the Iranian regime and Tehran grows increasingly more hostile to the West by the day. Let us not forget that in addition to these sailors being held, four innocent Americans have remained imprisoned in Iran for years.

The world is becoming a more dangerous place because of the Obama Administration’s failed foreign policy that fundamentally misunderstands America’s enemies. At nearly every turn, the President has unilaterally made foreign policy decisions that baffle the American people. From failing to temporarily halt Syrian refugees from being admitted into the U.S. until we improve our vetting system, to bypassing Congress and unlawfully initiating the transfer of Guantanamo detainees, the American people are perplexed by the Obama foreign policy.

More than a year into the conflict with ISIS, the U.S. is engaging in anemic airstrikes with no clear strategy, creating a vacuum for Russian leadership in a conflict that demands American leadership. There’s no such thing as a lame duck President in times of war—and that is precisely what the United States is engaged in with ISIS. The President must fundamentally alter his foreign policy—and quickly—or there will be repercussions for decades to come.

After 7 years in office, it’s time President Obama try a new strategy: working with Congress to address these critical issues for the American people.

From Breitbart’s Swoyer:

GOP presidential candidate former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush posted on Twitter during President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

“Middle-class income has declined $2,000 under Obama’s failed policies. That’s not progress. That’s not giving everyone a fair shot. ‪#SOTU,” Bush first posted.

The rest of Bush’s posts focuses on Islamic terrorism and fighting the Islamic State (ISIS).

He added, “It appears Obama is still under the impression ISIS is the JV team. Next President must understand the enemy and the threat. ‪#SOTU”

“They’re not just “killers and fanatics.” They’re radical Islamic terrorists. Still can’t call them by name. ‪#SOTU,” Bush posted about Islamic terrorism, adding, “Safer? ISIS on the rise. North Korea testing nukes. Syria in chaos. Taliban on march. This president is living in a different world. ‪#SOTU”

Carly Fiorina’s response:

Tonight, President Obama once again proved that he is a politician, not a leader. Instead of talking about solutions, he talked politics.

Despite his rhetoric, Americans know that our economy is lagging, our leadership in the world is waning, and the very character of our nation is threatened.

This administration has continued to grow a bloated, corrupt government that serves only the powerful, the wealthy, and the well-connected. President Obama talked about wanting to end crony capitalism–but then proposed doubling down on the same policies that have enabled this corruption and ineptitude.

We cannot elect Hillary Clinton to the White House. She has promised throughout her campaign to extend and expand Barack Obama’s failed policies. And, like this President, she has always put politics ahead of problem-solving. She lacks a track record of leadership and accomplishment. She has lied. It is the Clinton way.

We need a nominee who can beat Hillary and who will finally hold her accountable. One thing is clear: Hillary Clinton will wipe the floor with Donald Trump.

I can beat Hillary Clinton and I will. I will force her to fight on her record—on her lies and lack of trustworthiness, whether that’s about emails and servers or Benghazi.

It is time to elect a leader who has been tested, who will see and speak and act on the truth. We need a President who will be a clear-eyed advocate for policies formed by principles, not by polls and politics.

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) responds:

The American people see the state of our union much differently than our President, and perhaps that is why this Administration continues to be a disappointment. The unfortunate reality is that for too many Americans, our country and the world is in a worse situation today than we were 7 years ago. The good news is that the sun is setting on the Obama Administration, and the country has an opportunity to set a new course. While the influence of this Administration is already notably waning, I will continue to vigorously hold the Administration accountable and oppose unilateral executive actions that weaken our democratic institutions. I will also continue putting forth conservative solutions to improve our economy, provide opportunity for all Americans, and protect our national security. However, it is important to note that the greatest policy decisions this year will be made by the American people this November.

Obama warns that “as frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.”

“We can’t afford to go down that path. It won’t deliver the economy we want, or the security we want, but most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world,” he continues.

Here’s the bookend to Obama’s 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention that put him on the national stage and on the fast track to the White House:

Our brand of democracy is hard. But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen — inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far. Voices that help us see ourselves not first and foremost as black or white or Asian or Latino, not as gay or straight, immigrant or native born; not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans first, bound by a common creed. Voices Dr. King believed would have the final word — voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love.

From Breitbart’s Swoyer:

GOP presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson live tweeted on Twitter throughout President Obama’s final State of the Union, blasting the president through a number of posts.

“I agree Mr. President, we must cut red tape. But the fact is that you have created thousands of regulations creating more red tape #SOTU.”

“President Obama says our biggest security threat is global warming — not Radical Islamic Terrorists who have sworn to attack the U.S. ‪#SOTU”

“While President Obama is complaining about global warming 10 of our American sailors are held in Iranian custody. ‪#SOTU”

“President Obama should be talking less about global warming and more about how we can defeat ‪#ISIS and protect the homeland. ‪#SOTU”

“Pres. Obama finally speaks about ‪#ISIS but still won’t admit that it’s a Radical Islamic Terrorist movement that seeks to destroy us. ‪#SOTU”

“Mr. President, you must call the enemy out by name. It is impossible to defeat ‪#ISIS if we do not call evil what it is & act against it.”

“Mr. President, let’s not be concerned if we offend our enemies, let’s pay a whole lot more attention to how do we protect our people. ‪#SOTU”

“To defeat ‪#ISIS, we must destroy their legitimacy, cut off their sources of revenue, & attack their command centers.”

“”Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government” & yet you Mr. President excessively issue Executive Orders. ‪#SOTU”

“We the People are not in the business of redefining the meaning of liberty — the ability to freely exercise our God-given rights. ‪#SOTU”

“”There’s no doubt a president w/ the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide.” We must ‪#HealInspireRevive the US.”

https://twitter.com/RealBenCarson/status/687107723478040576

 

Obama pushes for an end to gerrymandering and rails against money in politics.

We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around. We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families and hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections — and if our existing approach to campaign finance can’t pass muster in the courts, we need to work together to find a real solution. We’ve got to make voting easier, not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now. And over the course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms that do.

Obama, whom many have labeled the “divider-in-chief,” says that “one of the few regrets of my presidency ” is “that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.”

Without any sense of irony, Obama, who has enacted his amnesty and gun-control initiatives via executive action, says, “Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.” He also says that “Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree with us.”

There he goes again on race relations, etc. Obama also rails against mosques being vandalized:

That’s why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith. His Holiness, Pope Francis, told this body from the very spot I stand tonight that “to imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.” When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer. That’s not telling it like it is. It’s just wrong. It diminishes us in the eyes of the world. It makes it harder to achieve our goals. And it betrays who we are as a country.

Obama vows to “keep working to shut down the prison at Guantanamo: it’s expensive, it’s unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.”

Obama speaks about the Iran nuclear deal and does not mention anything about the captured sailors. It looks like he won’t mention the incident tonight:

That’s why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.

Obama seems defensive about the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Critics have said it will allow China a backdoor to set the agenda. No so, says Obama:

With TPP, China doesn’t set the rules in that region, we do. You want to show our strength in this century? Approve this agreement. Give us the tools to enforce it.

He also calls for the lifting of the Cuban embargo:

Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America. That’s why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people. You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere? Recognize that the Cold War is over. Lift the embargo.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) Tweets his interview with Breitbart:

As Joel points out, the Iranians don’t seem too threatened by Obama:

Breitbart’s Pollak points out that Obama lied about attending his daily intelligence briefings:

After saying it is up to America to help remake the international system, Obama says that “priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks. Both al Qaeda and now ISIL pose a direct threat to our people, because in today’s world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human life, including their own, can do a lot of damage. They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country; they undermine our allies.” But he says that “over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands” and ISIS terrorists ” do not threaten our national existence. That’s the story ISIL wants to tell; that’s the kind of propaganda they use to recruit. We don’t need to build them up to show that we’re serious” and “we sure don’t need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world’s largest religions.”

Does this sound reassuring? This is why Obama’s approval rating on foreign policy is dismal.

“We just need to call them what they are — killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed,” he says in a scholarly manner. “That’s exactly what we are doing. For more than a year, America has led a coalition of more than 60 countries to cut off ISIL’s financing, disrupt their plots, stop the flow of terrorist fighters, and stamp out their vicious ideology. With nearly 10,000 air strikes, we are taking out their leadership, their oil, their training camps, their weapons.”

He challenges Congress to “authorize the use of military force against ISIL. Take a vote. But the American people should know that with or without Congressional action, ISIL will learn the same lessons as terrorists before them. If you doubt America’s commitment — or mine — to see that justice is done, ask Osama bin Laden. Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell. When you come after Americans, we go after you. It may take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.

Obama takes a shot at Cruz’s vow to carpet bomb terrorists by saying, “the world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians. That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world stage.”

Though the science is far from settled, Obama says, “look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it. You’ll be pretty lonely.” He continues:

Seven years ago, we made the single biggest investment in clean energy in our history. Here are the results. In fields from Iowa to Texas, wind power is now cheaper than dirtier, conventional power. On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal — in jobs that pay better than average. We’re taking steps to give homeowners the freedom to generate and store their own energy — something by the way that environmentalists and Tea Partiers have teamed up to support. Meanwhile, we’ve cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly sixty percent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth. Gas under two bucks a gallon ain’t bad, either.

He says we have to accelerate the transition from “old, dirtier sources of energy” and does not mention the devastating impact that would have on coal communities.

Obama’s putting Vice President Joe Biden in charge of “mission control” to cure cancer:

Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer. Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they’ve had in over a decade. So tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control. For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.

Obama, whose administration has been known for its crony capitalism, especially in the green energy sector, speaks about “making sure the system’s not rigged in favor of the wealthiest and biggest corporations.”  He says “working families won’t get more opportunity or bigger paychecks by letting big banks or big oil or hedge funds make their own rules at the expense of everyone else; or by allowing attacks on collective bargaining to go unanswered. Food Stamp recipients didn’t cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did. Immigrants aren’t the reason wages haven’t gone up enough; those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns.”

Obama says “immigrants aren’t the reason wages haven’t gone up enough” and blames the “boardrooms” that agree wholeheartedly with the amnesty agenda Obama and his corporatist GOP allies keep pushing.

Obama wants to work with Ryan on tackling poverty:

I also know Speaker Ryan has talked about his interest in tackling poverty. America is about giving everybody willing to work a hand up, and I’d welcome a serious discussion about strategies we can all support, like expanding tax cuts for low-income workers without kids.

Obama takes a victory lap on Obamacare, but then concedes, “Now, I’m guessing we won’t agree on health care anytime soon.” If Obamacare is so successful like the White House claims, why is he admitting that Americans won’t “agree on healthcare?”

Breitbart Senior Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak notes that CNN’s Dana Bash channeled her inner Donald Trump when pointing out the “low-energy” State of the Union address:

Obama again pushes free community college for two years and universal Pre-K. He says he’ll “keep fighting” to get free community college for two years started this year.

Obama claims that “anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.” He continues, but sounds disconnected from American workers. It is also worth nothing that Obama’s immigration agenda would make it tougher for the workers he referenced to move put he economic ladder:

Today, technology doesn’t just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated. Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition. As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise. Companies have less loyalty to their communities. And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.

All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs; even when the economy is growing. It’s made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to. And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.

Obama’s four big questions for the future:

First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?

Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us — especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?

Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?

And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?

Obama touts the “progress” that has been made, including securing the “freedom in every state to marry the person we love”:

In fact, it’s that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible. It’s how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations. It’s how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector; how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.

Obama warns:

Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control. And each time, we overcame those fears. We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the ‘dogmas of the quiet past.’

Breitbart’s Alex Swoyer notes that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is live-streaming his “State of our Union” town hall from New Hampshire:

Obama vows to continue his push for comprehensive amnesty legislation and more gun control. He speaks about “fixing a broken immigration system” and “protecting our kids from gun violence.”

Obama praises Paul Ryan for his “constructive” approach on the budget. Ryan told reporters earlier that he will be more confrontational this year. Politics is indeed like professional wrestling. Obama:

I also understand that because it’s an election season, expectations for what we’ll achieve this year are low. Still, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach that  you and  other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families. So I hope we can work together this year on some bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse and heroin abuse. Who knows? We just might just surprise the cynics again.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) explains why he left his seat empty:

Obama is introduced. And as usual, camera hogs like Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) are there front and center to greet him.

First Lady Michelle Obama enters her box:

Obama arrives at the Capitol and is getting set to deliver his final State of the Union address.

Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, and Samuel Alito are not attending the address.

Obama did not answer a reporter who asked him about the Iran situation.

From Boyle:

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama left the White House for the short drive to the U.S. Capitol at 8:43 p.m. ET. The speech is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET.

Boyle reports that Jeh Johnson will be the cabinet member who will not attend this year’s speech and be kept in a secure location:

Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson is not at the Capitol on Tuesday evening for the State of the Union, and is in a secure location in the case of an emergency that needs the implementation of continuity of government. Every year, while the entire Supreme Court, most of Congress, the President, Vice President and most of the Cabinet are present in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, at least one Cabinet member is kept in a secure location in case of emergency. This year, it’s Johnson.

Spiering captures Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Liz Warren (D-MA) walking in together.

From Breitbart News Washington Editor Matt Boyle:

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), a conservative House member, released a video of the “Top 10 Pinochios” of President Obama’s administration’s biggest lies over the years ahead of the president’s final State of the Union.

Breitbart News White House reporter Charlie Spiering spots Kerry entering the Capitol building:

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.