What Did You Think of President Obama's Address?
Barack Obama
"We will rebuild, we will recover and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before," said President Barack Obama in his first address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
Appropriately, the newly elected commander in chief sounded a message of hope amidst serious discussion of weathering the country's economic crisis, what he called "our day of reckoning." The president's nearly hour-long speech featured special shout-outs for the development of alternative-energy sources, affordable healthcare and new job opportunities. He encouraged stricter regulatory oversight in the financial sector and promised to support the nation's troops, while reaffirming his desire to "end the war responsibly."
(And for anyone who's keeping track, there were approximately 24 standing ovations, including one each for mentions of Vice President Joe Biden, first lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Ted Kennedy.)
In the official Republican response, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal applauded Obama's message of hope, but took exception to elements of the stimulus plan that he finds lacking, including funding for a mass-transit rail line between Las Vegas and Disneyland and volcanic monitoring.
"Democrats place their hope in the federal government; we place our hope in you, the American people," he said.
What did you think of Obama and Jindal's address? Does it give you hope for the future?