Liveblogging The Speech
10:37: Now go enjoy Mardi Gras, Gov. Jindal.
10:35: Interesting, Jindal concedes that Republicans failed to live up to the promises that got them elected in 1994, and 2000. "Republicans lost your trust, and rightly so. ... Our party is determined to regain your trust."
10:33: Half of Louisiana under water, the other half indictment. Not anymore, Jindal says. A subtle dig at Democratic scandals right now?
10:32: Repeating again and again, America can do anything. "Yes we can"?
10:28: Given that Obama did not mention Katrina, noteworthy that it is a focus of the Republican response.
10:28: "The strength of America is not in our government."
10:27: "Where we disagree, Republicans have a responsibility to be candid."
10:25: Jindal starts with praise for Obama's personal story -- and relates it to his own.
10:14: Quick reax via Twitter from RNC spokesperson Alex Conant: "What didn't make Obama's speech: Iran, North Korea, trade, lobbyists, unions, Katrina, farmers... What else?"
10:09: As promised, just about 50 minutes. Now we wait for Gov. Jindal.
10:07: The big finish: "I know that we haven't agreed on every issue thus far, and there are surely times in the future when we will part ways. But I also know that every American who is sitting here tonight loves this country and wants it to succeed. That must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months, and where we return after those debates are done. That is the foundation on which the American people expect us to build common ground."
10:05: More hope: a story he has referred to so often. "And I think about Ty'Sheoma Bethea, the young girl from that school I visited in Dillon, South Carolina - a place where the ceilings leak, the paint peels off the walls, and they have to stop teaching six times a day because the train barrels by their classroom. ... We are not quitters."
10:02: HOPE! "But in my life, I have also learned that hope is found in unlikely places; that inspiration often comes not from those with the most power or celebrity, but from the dreams and aspirations of Americans who are anything but ordinary."
10:00: Defending Gitmo decision, and strong message to the world: "There is no force in the world more powerful than the example of America. ... [We] will seek swift and certain justice for captured terrorists, because living our values doesn't make us weaker, it makes us safer and it makes us stronger. And that is why I can stand here tonight and say without exception or equivocation that the United States of America does not torture."
9:57: Foreign policy: "And with our friends and allies, we will forge a new and comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and combat extremism. Because I will not allow terrorists to plot against the American people from safe havens half a world away." Long standing ovation after statement of support for the troops.
9:56: Putting the war in the budget: "For seven years, we have been a nation at war. No longer will we hide its price."
9:55: Trying to soften the blow: "I know you'll hear the same old claims that rolling back these tax breaks means a massive tax increase on the American people: if your family earns less than $250,000 a year, you will not see your taxes increased a single dime. I repeat: not one single dime."
9:52: So he won't veto this year's budget? "I'm proud that we passed the recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities."
9:51: A good partisan back and forth. Republicans cheer as Obama says: "There is, of course, another responsibility we have to our children. And that is the responsibility to ensure that we do not pass on to them a debt they cannot pay." He laughs, and adds: "With the deficit we inherited ..."
9:49: Fulfilling a campaign promise, and a shoutout to the Lion of the Senate: "I know that the price of tuition is higher than ever, which is why if you are willing to volunteer in your neighborhood or give back to your community or serve your country, we will make sure that you can afford a higher education. And to encourage a renewed spirit of national service for this and future generations, I ask this Congress to send me the bipartisan legislation that bears the name of Senator Orrin Hatch as well as an American who has never stopped asking what he can do for his country - Senator Edward Kennedy." Don't believe he is present.
9:48: Obama's era of personal responsibility: "Every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country - and this country needs and values the talents of every American."
9:45: "So let there be no doubt: health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
9:44: Surely some don't see it this way. RE: Universal healthcare -- "It's a commitment that's paid for in part by efficiencies in our system that are long overdue. And it's a step we must take if we hope to bring down our deficit in the years to come."
9:44: That's quite a statement on his recovery plan. "It will launch a new effort to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American by seeking a cure for cancer in our time."
9:41: Here's to you, Mr. Dingell: "We are committed to the goal of a re-tooled, re-imagined auto industry that can compete and win. Millions of jobs depend on it. Scores of communities depend on it. And I believe the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it."
9:39: She's not president, but at least Hillary Clinton scored an upgrade in her seat from last year.
9:37: Not health care. "The budget I submit will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education. It begins with energy."
9:35: Budget=vision. "So often, we have come to view these documents as simply numbers on a page or laundry lists of programs. I see this document differently. I see it as a vision for America - as a blueprint for our future."
9:34: First new policy prescription: "To ensure that a crisis of this magnitude never happens again, I ask Congress to move quickly on legislation that will finally reform our outdated regulatory system."
9:31: Measuring the drapes? "This time, CEOs won't be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes or disappear on a private jet. Those days are over."
9:25: "Nobody messes with Joe!" A hearty laugh from the VP.
9:24: A former colleague from the campaign trail, Alex Marquardt, tells me that he ran into Joe The Plumber watching the start of the speech at Tesoro restaurant in the Van Ness neighborhood of Washington (Joe left as it really got underway). He's in town for CPAC.
9:23: No Republicans voted for it in the House. And few, if any stand when the president says: "I am grateful that this Congress delivered, and pleased to say that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is now law."
9:21: Applause from Democratic side as Obama says, "A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future."
9:18: First applause line: "We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before."
9:16: It's not often the First Lady gets a special mention in the intro, after the VP and Speaker. A standing ovation for Michelle Obama.
9:16: First time glitch -- After taking the rostrum, President Obama forgets that Speaker Pelosi has to formally introduce him. "Madame Speaker," he begins, before getting interrupted.