Here’s the latest from Democrat 2nd Dist. Congressman Bobby Bright on President Obama’s address:

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Congressman Bobby Bright: An Update from Washington- Responding to the State of the Union 

As you are aware, President Obama delivered his first official State of the Union address last Tuesday night.  Regardless of your feelings about the President, it is truly remarkable to witness one of the few Constitutionally-mandated duties that the President must perform.  Nearly every Congressman and Senator, along with Cabinet officials, the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, the Supreme Court, White House officials, and honored guests were in attendance for the speech.  It was a show of unity and strength of our country.  

In his speech, the President made points with which I agree, and many that I didn’t.  Specifically, he cited the need to return to fiscal responsibility in our government, an issue too often forgotten by many in Washington.  His proposal for a three-year discretionary spending freeze is a good start, but we must go further in reducing federal spending.  I am also glad that he reiterated his support for a fiscal commission and statutory Pay-as-you-go budgeting rules, plans long supported by my Blue Dog colleagues.  

Additionally, I was pleased to see the President support investment in small businesses as a means to create jobs and get the economy back on track.  He proposed extending the tax breaks small businesses use when they purchase new equipment- legislation which I sponsored and was eventually signed into law in 2009.  These tax breaks are essential for allowing businesses to expand and create jobs even during a recession.  He also said capital gains taxes for small businesses should be eliminated, a good step to relieve the financial burdens that our job producers often face. 

However, President Obama did not go as far as I would have liked in extending tax relief for Americans.  Before he delivered his State of the Union and subsequently submitted his budget to Congress, I called for an extension of the tax cuts passed in 2001 and 2003 under President Bush.  Without action, these tax cuts will expire this year, forcing millions to pay higher taxes in the midst of economic turmoil.  Unfortunately, the President proposed only a partial extension of this much-needed tax relief. 

He also restated his commitment to passing health care reform legislation this year.  After recent developments, I hoped the President would redirect his attention from health care to focus on jobs and fiscal responsibility.  Though the President took a humbled tone when he spoke about health care, I remain concerned that he will continue to support and push a plan to which a majority of Americans are opposed. 

While the President offered a brief outline about his plans to get our economy back on track, we will learn about them in greater detail in the weeks ahead as his budget is debated.  Without question, reining in government spending and creating jobs are the two issues about which all Members of Congress and the President must get serious.  Focusing our attention on anything else other than national security is merely seen as a distraction to many Americans. 

 In closing, it is important to note that few presidents have had as many serious problems to address in their first year in office as President Obama has.  As with most presidents, there have been ups and downs.  The President acknowledged as much last Tuesday night.  However, he needs a laser-like focus on the issues where he has a clear mandate:  getting Americans back to work and reducing the budget deficit.  In the coming months, I hope he listens to the will of the American people and works across party lines to create jobs while not breaking the bank.

Here is GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bradley Byrne’s take on Mr. Obama’s State of the Union Address:

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Bradley Byrne:

“America cannot afford the spending path charted by President Obama and his Democrats in Congress. The focus must be on creating jobs, not creating larger debt.  A good government fosters private sector growth by paving the way, not getting in the way, and only then are jobs created.

“Alabama cannot wait on Washington.  We will not emerge from this recession by waiting for our taxes to be redistributed in the form of bigger government and more federal intrusion.  The challenges facing our home state are great, but our resolve is greater.  We will provide the right support for business and industry, we will train the best workers in America, and we, in Alabama, will create an environment that is second to none for attracting capital investment and allowing our small businesses to thrive, and jobs will be created.”

Republican Tim James reflects on President Obama’s State of the Union Address.  Here’s his release:

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Barack Obama and the Democrats talk ad nauseum about George Bush and the Republicans as somehow to blame for the missteps and bad news happening now. It may play with the liberal base, but that’s a small choir they’re preaching to these days. The rest of us know better.

Voters will remember the candidates in 2010 with concrete proposals for putting people back to work.

As you know, I recently proposed a multi-point plan for creating jobs and economic opportunity. The people of Alabama are looking for leadership, common sense leadership.

We will rebuild Alabama’s economy on a foundation of conservative common sense principles. Bail-outs and blaming others for our misfortunes doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in this world.

As far as leadership, I have a plan that is time-tested, one that will work to put Alabamians back to work.

The first of many responses to the President’s State of the Union…this one from GOP candidate Robert Bentley:

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A Year of Unfulfilled Promises 

MONTGOMERY – Dr. Robert J. Bentley, Republican candidate for Governor, made the following comments after watching President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union Address to Congress”  

“For our nation, it has been a difficult year.  Our leaders have let us down, our economy has been struggling to recover, and our national debt continues to spiral out of control.  For Alabama, it has been especially difficult to deal with budget shortfalls, rising unemployment, and unfunded federal mandates.  But for our Commander-in-Chief, it has been a year of unfulfilled promises.” 

“Every incoming executive, whether in the private sector or in government, assumes office facing problems not of their own making.  This was true of Presidents Nixon, Reagan, and George W. Bush.  History judges them not by the excuses they make, but by the solutions they engineer.  President Obama’s first priority should have been crafting a bill that creates an environment where businesses can thrive and Americans can go back to work, not to sign “The Freedom of Choice Act,” as he repeatedly stated on the campaign trail.”

“For example, to get our economy moving, Congress and the Obama Administration already could have:

One: cut the capital gains rates to zero for two years, which would immediately increase investment into the corporate, job-creating sector of our economy.

“I’m glad that Scott Brown’s come-from-behind victory in Massachusetts has caused President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to re-evaluate their approach to reforming our nation’s health care system.  I remain opposed to federal intrusion on state sovereignty over issues such as regulating health insurance.  I remain concerned that any Obama-Pelosi health reform plan will violate our 10^th Amendment rights under the Constitution.” 

“President Obama’s decision to freeze non-defense discretionary spending is a good first step, but this spending freeze will result in only $250 billion less spending over the next 10 years. This is a drop in the bucket when, based on current trends, federal spending will exceed $10 trillion over that same time period.  This amount does not even include the off-budget spending Congress fails to plan for every year to address natural disasters.  Given that there is a natural disaster or other emergency every year, it is irresponsible not to budget for emergencies.” 

“While I support the concept of establishing a bi-partisan debt reduction commission, I have strong reservations.  My first concern is that these commissions are intentionally designed for elected officials to shirk their responsibilities.  If Speaker Pelosi would simply invite House Republican Leader Boehner into her office for serious negotiations, we wouldn’t need a commission.  My second concern is that with the exception of BRAC these types of commissions have a poor track record of producing results that Congress will act on.  The Bi-Partisan Medicare Commission created in the 1990s never produced the supermajority vote it needed to forward its recommendations to Congress and force and up or down vote.  Congress and both the Bush and Obama Administrations even ignored many recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that Congress created to examine the failures that lead to the terrorist attacks of that terrible day.”

“I was pleased to learn of President Obama’s support for making American energy independent. I hope that he will work hard to persuade his liberal allies in Congress that America needs to increase domestic oil and gas exploration and drilling, as well as build more refineries in addition to pursing innovations in green technology.  Additionally, I was happy to note that President Obama was careful not to mention his cap-and-tax program while promoting green jobs and energy independence.  This is a step in the right direction.  There were many components of the Pelosi-Waxman American Clean Energy and Security Act which may result in increased jobs in the green sector, but cap-and-tax is not one of them.  In fact, cap-and-tax is a job killer for Alabama and every other Southern state.”

“It is no secret that the Republican Party lost its way in the last decade and the American people punished us for it. However, we are once again finding our voice and returning to our core principles, as demonstrated by the recent victories of Senator Brown.”

“As a Party, we are winning the battle against the onslaught of liberal mandates: socialized medicine, cap-and-tax, amnesty for illegal aliens, and abortion on demand. But as conservatives, we should be relentless in the return to our core principles: following the pursuit of liberty, exerting fiscal discipline, increasing transparency, limiting the size and scope of government, protecting the lives of the unborn, and defending the traditional values we hold dear.  We must also continue to build on our recent success and not count on Democrats to embrace these common sense ideas.”

“To my fellow Alabamians, I know things are tough right now. If we work hard and elect leaders who understand how to cure our economic ailments, prosperity will return more quickly than we ever thought possible.”

“I believe better days are ahead.” 

“Thank you. Good night. And may God bless Alabama and the United States of America.”

His campaign sweeps through Birmingham today, first at Cooper Construction Company, next at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.

Bryne says  “more than 225,000 of our fellow citizens (in Alabama) are without work. Families are hurting. We can’t wait on Washington, or depend on any other outside force to turn this situation around. It’s up to us to set our own stage for recovery.”

“Good evening folks! Everybody got their popcorn popped for the State of the Union? My tweets are about to begin…K”

Republicans  in Montgomery, trying to piece together a workable budget with Democrats in the midst of declining revenue, may find a “saving grace” in Washington with another stimulus. Many believe the governor’s somewhat “rosy” proposal for the General Fund and Special Education Trust Fund relies heavily on a new stimulus plan.

So again, awkward position for Republicans?

“Not at all,” Rep. Paul DeMarco (R-Homewood) says, “they (voters) are tired of the same ol’ spend, spend, spend and we need to show that (fiscal responsibility) both at the state level and the national level.”

Rep. Merika Coleman (D-Midfield) says “the American people also want services” and that’s why she urges Republicans in the statehouse to urge Washington Republicans to back the jobs plan touted by the president last night.

Rep. DeMarco wants to know “where all the money is coming from?”

“What I heard from the president last night was spending, spending, spending,” DeMarco says.

Watch the full interview from FOX6 News Good Day Alabama here.