Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s empty seat.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
This part of the State of the Union should fire some people up
Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we’d beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t there yet. NASA didn’t even exist. But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.
This is our generation’s Sputnik moment. Two years ago, I said that we needed to reach a level of research and development we haven’t seen since the height of the Space Race. In a few weeks, I will be sending a budget to Congress that helps us meet that goal. We’ll invest in biomedical research, information technology, and especially clean energy technology – an investment that will strengthen our security, protect our planet, and create countless new jobs for our people.
Sputnik!? What about the United States’ space mission!? He just must be a Commie!
State of the Union: Ken Salazar to serve as 'designated survivor' - won't attend
Here’s the full list of absent Cabinet secretaries since 1984:
January 27, 2010: Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan
February 24, 2009: Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
January 28, 2008: Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne
January 23, 2007: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
January 31, 2006: Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson
February 2, 2005: Commerce Secretary Donald Evans
January 20, 2004: Commerce Secretary Donald Evans
January 28, 2003: Attorney General John Ashcroft
January 29, 2002: Interior Secretary Gale Norton
February 27, 2001: Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi
January 27, 2000: Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson
January 19, 1999: HUD Secretary Andrew W. Cuomo
January 27, 1998: Commerce Secretary Bill Daley
February 4, 1997: Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman
January 30, 1996: HHS Secretary Donna Shalala
January 24, 1995: Transportation Secretary Federico Pena
January 25, 1994: Agriculture Secretary Mike Epsy
February 17, 1993: Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt
January 28, 1992: Agriculture Secretary Ed Madigan
January 29, 1991: Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan
January 31, 1990: Veterans Affairs Secretary Edward J. Derwinski
February 9, 1989: No absent cabinet member
January 25, 1988: Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel
January 27, 1987: Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng
February 4, 1986: Agriculture Secretary John Block
February 6, 1985: Commerce Secretary Malcolm Baldrige
January 25, 1984: HUD Secretary Samuel R. Pierce Jr.Source: Senate Historical Office
State of the Union: Ken Salazar to serve as 'designated survivor' - won't attend
C-SPAN REPORTING THAT OUR LEGISLATORS CAN LIVE-TWEET FROM THE FLOOR DURING THE SOTU
Seriously.. Cameras (CBS pool this year) can be on the floor during the State of the Union.. But also, according to C-Span’s coverage of the pre-SOTU, smart phones can be on the floor this year, too, which means our Senators and Congresspersons can tweet—if they of couse know what tweeting is, or how to use their phones.
BREAKING NEWS: OBAMA WILL DEFEND HIS HEALTH CARE BILL TONIGHT AGAINST REPUBLICAN REPEAL EFFORTS
WE’LL SEE IF THOSE SITTING TOGETHER WILL STAND AND APPLAUD TOGETHER
Forgive me for being confused, Coal Speaker, but if I'm not mistaken, earlier today you said you wished the senators and congressman would sit apart and be partisan, but now you're making fun of the "high school" nature of the SOTU? A paradox? a contradiction?
Thanks for the question, I appreciate it.
And yes, life itself is a contradiction. It’s a paradox. And as Bonnie Tyler once said, it’s a heartache. But while I cannot describe my “contradiction” in a positive light, I can tell you that I stand by my really EARLY post today (Permalink ∞) .. I think a simple letter would do. No fanfare, no big event.. But big events are in. And State of the Unions are big events. So I admit, I watch and have watched yearly, and I also admit I somewhat have a hidden love of division, when Democrats sit or stand and Republicans do the opposite. I also like the camera-catches of Senators who don’t know they’re on film.. And while I cannot say for sure that “you lie” was a good moment in our brief American history, it sure made a lot of people talk, didn’t it? We like fanfare. I guess we like spectacle. And the State of the Union is just that: Spectacle.
So keep reading. And please keep pointing our contradictions. I love it.
SOTU: It's like prom season all over again
Cantor invites Pelosi to sit together at SOTU
BUT.. Nancy Pelosi said no. Time for Eric Cantor to find another date
As if the annual State of the Union couldn’t get more ‘high school’..
Without going into personal details...
…my wife and I, expecting a child for months, are in the final stages of pregnancy. It’s almost here.. the baby is in place. The parents are ready to pace. The baby’s room will be the place.
Stay tuned… for that and for many other things, which you can find on a daily basis here on CoalSpeaker.com
Meet the woman who eats couch cushions
Maybe she’d enjoy some Taco Bell while she’s at it—at least there’d be more of a chance her couch cushions have meat than the Bell..
Meet the woman who eats couch cushions
Where's the beef? Apparently not Taco Bell
A lawsuit says beef at Taco Bell doesn’t constitute real meat. Cows were elated until they found out they’d still be ground up, but just mixed with water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agent and modified corn starch. Mooo.
Where's the beef? Apparently not Taco Bell
Divided we stand
Is it wrong to wish for Congresspersons and Senators to sit apart tonight? I know unity is in but was divided government ever that bad?
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