[ #SOTU delivered Jan. 27, 2010, as released by the White House ]

Madame Speaker, Vice President Biden, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For two hundred and twenty years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They have done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they have done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.

It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable – that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements; our hesitations and our fears; America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, and one people.

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I love charts. Anything that visualized data is like *shiny* to me. It also shows that at least someone in Congress or the Senate has been doing their homework. Particularly when pointing out there were more jobs created under the private sector under the Clinton administration than under Bush.

The knee-jerk reaction would be to say, "how partisan". Yet that data on those charts make it hard to debate. Sure, the numbers could be off, but it's the kind of work I am seeing more and more from Democrats in Congress than from Republicans on these video clips from the floor.

Seems the Blue Dogs wanted a spending freeze for the next month (how can that be in the middle of a budget?), but Acuri will take the fiscal bone Obama's throwing them with next year's budgetary apocalypse.

Watch it!

Watch Anthony explain in less than a dozen words why health care reform is not just good for the people but it's necessary for the economy because it is jobs.

Josh Skaller, community organizer and candidate for the 39th Council District, just articulated exactly what I have been thinking as I see more and more glossy Bloomberg mailers:

All that is certain in New York these days are death, taxes, and propaganda from Michael Bloomberg.

While the city's working families face the worst budget crisis since the Great Depression, their mailboxes are stuffed with mailings from the Mayor hyping his five-borough economic plan that claims it will create or save 400,000 jobs - and the airwaves are crammed with countless advertisements repeating the same claim.

City Council candidate Josh Skaller is tired of big talk. He wants results - jobs for New Yorkers and a clear plan to get the City out of its current crisis.  read more »