State of the Union: What did President Obama really say?

Last night was the State of the Union address by President Obama and I must say I was very pleased! The way he called out members of Congress (both sides) and the top 2%. The way he told everyone to get along and play nice for the sake of the American public.

So what did the POTUS say?

-- "the basic American promise" that hard work can allow one to own a home and support a family are at risk if the government doesn't do more to balance the scale between the nation's rich and poor. We work hard, very hard and get very little for our efforts. We work and work and work...we need to see positive results in ur wallets and in our country.

-- "The defining issue of our time is how to keep that promise alive. No challenge is more urgent. No debate is more important. We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by. Or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same set of rules.  What's at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values.  We have to reclaim them." AMEN!

-- an "economy built to last, where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded." We work HARD, let us play HARD!

-- "In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly four million jobs.  And we lost another four million before our policies were in full effect." Just a reminder...

-- "As long as I'm president, I will work with anyone in this chamber to build on this momentum. But I intend to fight obstruction with action, and I will oppose any effort to return to the very same policies that brought on this economic crisis in the first place." Play nice or no recess for you, Congress!

-- "blueprint for an economy that's built to last" based on four main themes: American manufacturing, American energy, skills for American workers and "a renewal of American values." Isn't that what our country was built on? Why did we ever leave those values behind?

-- a rollback for tax breaks for American companies that outsource jobs overseas and proposed new tax cuts for manufacturers that build their products stateside. Keep American jobs American.

-- proposing new tax incentives to help homeowners save $3,000 a year on their mortgages. Much needed help for homeowners.

-- He also announced the creation of a federal task force to monitor banks, mortgage lenders and credit card companies for fraud. See what a lack of monitoring will get you?

-- "Millions of Americans who work hard and play by the rules every day deserve a government and a financial system that do the same. It's time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody." The bailouts didn't trickle down as intended. Sharing is caring!

-- He also called on Congress to enact measures to ensure student aid--but he also warned higher education institutions to crack down on skyrocketing education costs. Thank you!

-- "If you can't stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can't be a luxury--it's an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford." More education leads to more innovation...

-- "We don't begrudge financial success in this country. We admire it. When Americans talk about folks like me paying my fair share of taxes, it's not because they envy the rich. It's because they understand that when I get tax breaks I don't need and the country can't afford, it either adds to the deficit, or somebody else has to make up the difference." Sharing is caring!

-- "With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help the economy grow." BOOM!

Remember to VOTE and let's keep this progress going!