5 Favorite Lines from the State of the Union 2012

#5 "I will not back down from protecting our kids from mercury poisoning..."

What an obstructionist!  He talks about bipartisanship all the time, but then he says things like this.  You know, Mr. Obama, if you would back down just a little bit on poisoning our kids with mercury, Washington D.C. would be a lot more efficient.  Okay, if you're not willing to compromise on this issue, how about helping Republicans achieve their goals of dirty water and unhealthy food?  Any wiggle room here?  Your refusal to compromise on matters where  legitimate arguments exist on both sides is a sign of your rigid ideology.  You should go back and read your inauguration speech. 

#4 "We also know that when students don’t walk away from their education, more of them walk the stage to get their diploma. When students are not allowed to drop out, they do better."

I'd like to see some hard numbers on this.  Can we get a fact-checker on this right away?  Is it possible to walk away from one's education and still walk the stage to get a diploma?  You might suggest that a GED is an option, but they actually just send those in the mail...you don't get to walk the stage.  I happen to know that from experience.  That's right...I am Garrett Hall, J.D., B.A., GED.

#3 "It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom. No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts"

You heard him, right?  From top to bottom.  No handouts!  President Obama is in favor of entitlement reform!  It's about time, because we cannot keep up with this entitlement society.  And no copouts?  I'm sure he is including himself in this.  No more blaming Bush, ATMs, Republicans, earthquakes, bloggers, etc.  And since we are including you in this picture, I certainly hope the American people don't bail you out this November!

#2 "We got rid of one rule from 40 years ago that could have forced some dairy farmers to spend $10,000 a year proving that they could contain a spill — because milk was somehow classified as an oil. With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk. (Laughter and applause.)"

My main issue here is the "Laughter and applause" caption.  I didn't hear laughter or applause.  I heard some uncomfortable moaning, restless stirring and uneasy laughter by the President.  "Laughter and applause" is incredibly generous and just downright untrue.  The President should stick with Nancy Reagan and Special Olympics jokes...he pulls them off much better.

#1 "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 a tax break 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 — like a senior on a fixed income, or a student trying to get through school, or a family trying to make ends meet."

A tax break the country can't afford?  Is the Country writing checks for tax breaks?  I wasn't aware that all income went through the US Gov't and then they graciously gave us our percentage back.  I didn't know it was their property that they are kindly gifting to us.

This is an example of the backward way Obama and his minions think about income.  They think they are entitled to it and it belongs to them.  They also think they should decide how the majority of it is used.  Besides, students trying to get through school or families trying to make ends meet don't lose anything when someone gets a tax break.  That money never belonged to them and the Gov't never saw it.  Now, overspending and waste in the Gov't may burden Americans, because the Gov't isn't really producing.  It doesn't retain capital to invest...it simply spends it on something else.  So, let's view untaxed income for what it is...personal property.

So, yeah, great speech.  I like what you've done with it...it was much better the third time.