On Tuesday, Republicans showed-up for the SOTU (State of the Union) address while Democrats presented more of a STFU (Selfishly Transgressive and Flauntingly Uninvolved) stance. Nevertheless, the address went on as planned, with President Donald Trump orating what we’ve accomplished and where our nation is headed.
It was quite a sight. A clearly bifurcated group of American politicians: Republicans applauding on one side while Democrats were slouching, sagging and sloth-mimicking on the other. Upon watching a blatant display of elected officials refusing to stand for their nation-state’s status report makes one wonder what the world thinks of us based on a few sore losers. In a presidential address lasting a tad more than one hour, so much and so little happened at the same time.
(Credit: Facebook/The Great American Movement)
Not that anyone didn’t see it coming. Dems forecast that they would be bringing illegal guests or, more specifically, guests who are in our country illegally. (Check out OpsLens Contributor Steve Pomper’s piece on this very exact subject matter). And to think that they’d find it appropriate to do so where federal agents and local cops would be highly visibly is tantamount to reckless behavior; arrogantly flaunting just to make the same prehistoric point. A point which has been argued ad nauseam. A point the principle of which is clearly spelled-out in our constitution. A point that needs to be extinct.
Admittedly, I waited to see or somehow hear reports of federal agents vetting “guests” at the door (Secret Service bread and butter responsibilities), arresting illegal immigrants while elected-official accompaniments drop their jaws to the floor. In context, such a catalyst can be viewed either as a co-conspirator or a citizen performing a civic duty. Indeed, the former is the acute telegraph certain liberals chose. Heck, they previewed this ugly intent for media folks. Another Look-at-what-I’m-doing-for-my-voters tactic, albeit illegal in every sense of the word.
Rep. Paul Gosar (R — AZ) called for such a feature days before the SOTU address, requesting US Capitol Police to arrest all Dreamers at the House chambers.
Per a report in The Hill, “Gosar said he asked the Capitol Police and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to consider checking the identifications of everyone attending the State of the Union and arrest any immigrants they find in the country illegally.” Vetting attendees is a given; although commendable, no need to ask for that task. Post 9/11 national security principles assure that exact routine while US Secret Service tenets require utmost screening anywhere the US president happens to be.
Mr. Gosar recognized dignity, decorum, and letter of the law.
My take is that Rep. Gosar was demonstrating how ludicrously knee-jerk the Left is and to bring rise to their low-level stoops. Mr. Gosar recognized dignity, decorum, and letter of the law. So why not at least preserve the sanctity of the House chambers by suggesting parking paddy wagons out back…or boldly in-view of the front doors? Proper purpose has nothing to hide. Principled policy ought to be noble.
Although I didn’t witness any such arrests, I did see a few elected officials brooding in the anti-Trump section. No matter where one stands, it is the Left side. Nancy Pelosi was either jumbling a few mini-Chiclets or her jaw was a runner-up vice grip engineered to compact gross…discomfort and petulance.
Our favorite immigration bullhorn, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D — IL) was seemingly seething as he sat forward, as if to lunge for the podium while trying to figure out why his eye-launched daggers were not making Pres. Trump call for a medic. Speaking of lunging, Rep. Gutierrez was the first one to pop like Jack-in-the-Box and dart for the door…while the President spoke and the chant “USA, USA” was wafting the House air.
When called-out for his abrupt departure, Mr. Gutierrez claimed he was scheduled to have an on-air interview with Univision. I relate to promptness and punctuality, but to place a hallway chat before the finale of a SOTU speech is highly suspect and audacious.
“He was trying to make it to Univision. He watched the last 90 seconds on TV. It was not a protest or anything. He was just trying to get ahead of the crowd.”
Mr. Gutierrez’s press secretary publicized the following statement: “He was trying to make it to Univision. He watched the last 90 seconds on TV. It was not a protest or anything. He was just trying to get ahead of the crowd.” It was the SOTU address whereby you sit amongst your colleagues representing your constituents who voted you to that particular seat. It was not the mad dash from a Saturday evening premier. But I am not surprised.
So…did he just abandon her (and the president and colleagues) on the House floor?
This morning, the Media Research Center published an article with the following opening blurb: “Well, that didn’t take long. Minutes before President Trump’s first State of the Union address on Tuesday, the major broadcast networks pulled out the long knives to attack the ’embattled’ and ‘deeply unpopular’ president leading a GOP that’s ‘paying the political price in recent special elections’ for a presidency whom people believe is working ‘against them’.”
Bitterly, The Nation‘s Joan Walsh went far out on the audacious limb, saying, “What the hell was that? I’ve lived through many moments of American political fakery, but Donald Trump’s first official State of the Union address made them look like genuine world-shifting events.”
Upon recognizing President Trump’s SOTU theme of “unity,” The Nation printed “Instead, we got nativism, jingoism, gibberish, heavy-breathing, and appeals to divisions of every imaginable sort. Near the end, Trump got the now-docile Republicans in his audience to jump to their feet chanting ‘USA, USA,’ like sports fans after too many beers.” That is quite an acerbic grenade, don’t you think? Sounds like others, not only President Trump, were bashed with that curt statement.
Refuting Ms. Walsh’s interpretations, assertions and tone, The Political Insider published, “The critics don’t lie: President Trump’s State of the Union speech was an unabashed success. Poll after poll shows Americans agreeing that it was a good speech, with few expressing disapproval.”
Analyzing scenes like a trained, curious cop would, the nuances among elected officials and honored guests of President Donald Trump were replete. To the left and right rear corners of the House chambers where the SOTU transpired are teleprompters. President Trump commenced alternating and reading from both, like an oscillating fan: panning left to right to left and so on. It didn’t take long before he realized the bipartisan “unity” for which he hoped was not gelling among the Left.
All you need to know about the Democrats summed up in one simple video. I said it last year but this proves it… Democrats would rather see America fail than for it to succeed under President @realdonaldtrump #sotu pic.twitter.com/tEepHUYyYL
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 2, 2018
So, what does a dignified leader with an accomplishable mission do in such a case? He largely concentrates his energies and momentum on those who support his objectives and embrace his blueprints to achieve success and prosperity. Whether intentional or subconscious, the human compass will point where it is most endeared. I’m not suggesting President Trump gave the Left the cold shoulder (although it may have appeared that way). He simply exercised what most parents know to do: ignore the tantrum-filled toddlers until they tire and/or realize their misguided behavior is ineffective.
Grace and humility will always prevail. Not that the president is persistently stellar in that set of virtues, but he projected well throughout the SOTU venue despite the suited snobbery.
Honorees
Young Preston Sharp was highlighted for his before-his-time empathy in ensuring 40,000 mini flags/flowers were posted at military gravesites which were lacking patriotic symbols. The Nation slandered the nation in that context too, saying, “There was even a direct appeal to drunk white sports fans: Trump took a moment to trash the black athletes who take a knee during the national anthem, by first praising a young white boy who makes practice of planting American flags on veterans’ graves.”
President Trump referenced young Preston’s selfless actions and nobility, and said that is “why we stand for the national anthem.” He never specified race; Mrs. Walsh did. In fact, she injected race twice by saying “drunk white sports fans” (all white fans at games are drunk?) and, again, when she said “praising a young white boy.” Why oh why bastardize a child’s heartfelt, poignant deed by brandishing a race card and defacing beauty with partisan angst?
Another honoree at the SOTU address was Albuquerque police Officer Ryan Holets. His story engenders a bittersweet situation in that he came upon a male/female duo who were syringing dope behind a fuel station. Ofcr. Holets made contact and, long story short, wound up adopting the baby after the pregnant drug-addicted mom opted to offer her offspring a better life.
Ofcr. Holets also was instrumental in engaging community support, announcing a scholarship for the drug-addicted couple to attend a drug treatment/rehabilitation facility with hope of starting anew, cleanly.
In a ceremony provided by the Albuquerque Police Department, Officer Holets is the first-ever recipient of the agency’s Outstanding Service to the Community award stemming from his actions to save the drug-injecting pregnant mom as well as adopt “Baby Hope.”
Albuquerque resident Cynde Powdrill lauded Officer Holets: “He’s gone way above the call of duty & we [Albuquerque] citizens love him.”
L. Jerry Tuttle colorized the encounter involving Officer Holets, saying, “Seeing the very best in a person in the very worst moments …great story! Above and beyond!”
Officer Holets’ on- and off-duty actions served as a precursor for President Trump’s commemorative words at the SOTU salutation when he said: “As long as we are proud of who we are and what we are fighting for, there is nothing we cannot achieve. As long as we have confidence in our values, faith in our citizens, and trust in our God, we will never fail. Together, we are building a safe, strong, and proud America.”
Endearing for those who materially showed-up without prejudiced shoulders, atrophied postures, and pouty puckers. As Tommy Lefever said, “Someone Forgot to Tell Democrats the State of the Union is Glorious“!
