The GOP has attempted to draw in women voters, to close the gender gap that pushed President Obama to the 2008 win, but their recently reaffirmed views on women might make that gap grow even more.
The platform the GOP approved calls for a constitutional amendment called the “Human Life Amendment” that gives legal status to the unborn, with no-exception for rape in the abortion stance and a measure that opposed FDA approval of drugs like RU-486, which has been used in medical abortions.
Over spring break, Oklahoma had a very high profile visitor. President Barack Obama came to the state to address the Keystone XL Pipeline extension. The Pipeline would go through Cushing on its way from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
The pipeline has been a topic of contention for Congress and the White House since the beginning of the year. When payroll tax cuts made their way through Congress, and as a stipulation for renewal of the tax cuts, Republicans insisted that the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline be passed as well. The Obama administration announced in January that they would halt the project due to the “ rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans [that] prevented a full assessment of the pipeline’s impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment,” President Obama said in a statement.
On March 22, the president announced in Cushing that he was expediting the permit for TransCanada to build the southern portion of the pipeline. This turnabout in policy may have been prompted from the harsh criticism he faced from Congressional Republicans and governors, including Oklahoma’s own Gov. Mary Fallin.
Mayor Mick Cornett of OKC and Mayor Jack Fry of Midwest City were on hand to greet President Obama along with Tinker officials. Come that night, the question on many Oklahomans’ minds was, where was Gov. Fallin, or any other high-ranking Oklahoma official? There were no state officials there to greet Obama as he arrived at Tinker Air Force Base. Many did have reasons as to why they did not attend, some citing the lack of notice as to why they were unavailable, but such is the nature of presidential travel. Many saw this as an intentional snub by the governor, who they believed to be placing political ideology over respect for the Executive Office of the President. A statement released by the governor’s office later revealed she was in Puerto Rico for a family vacation.
State Representative Mike Shelton responded to Fallin’s comments on Obama’s decision to expedite the permit.
“For the governor and most major state officials to skip President Obama’s visit is insulting to the president and an embarrassment to the state… While the governor did not have time to meet or even greet the president, she did have time to issue press releases attacking him… Today, Oklahomans looked good on energy, but poor on leadership,” he said in a statement released March 22.
With a past of high tension between the two, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer shared an intense exchange in January on a Phoenix runway with the President when he visited her state. Even when they do not agree with their policies, it is seen as a duty of the governor to greet the president and other high -ranking federal officials when they come to the state.
The State of the Union is an annual address given by the President to Congress. It is an opportunity for the President to outline his agenda for the year, as well as give the condition of the country. The address is required of the President based upon Article II, Section 3 in the United States Constitution which states that “He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” The tradition of formally addressing the Congress was discontinued by Thomas Jefferson, who sent formal missives, but was reestablished by Woodrow Wilson.
President Obama delivered his third State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, January 24. He made many points throughout the speech, some with applause and some with loud boos from the audience. Obama touched on many of the issues facing our country in the past years, and those we will be facing in the future.
Special guests who were invited to sit in the First Lady’s box at the address included Steve Jobs widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, and Warren Buffett’s secretary, Debbie Bosanek. She was in attendance as a result of the tax debate and billionaire Buffet’s complaint that he pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. The guest list for the State of the Union has become a sort of ritual, with the list often reflecting the themes of the address.
One highlight of the speech came when Obama revealed that an EPA regulation from over 40 years ago, which regulated dairy farms at the same level as petroleum and forced dairy farmers to spend money to prove they were capable of containing a milk spill, that had been eliminated. “With a rule like that, I guess it was worth crying over spilled milk,” Obama said.
Obama called for the implementation of the “Buffett rule,” where if a person makes over $1 million annually, they should be taxed at a rate no less than 30 percent. Sen. Tom Coburn was referenced in this part of the speech on the opinion that Washington needs to stop subsidizing millionaires and offering them tax deductions.
Jobs were a big topic for this address. The President called for the country to help train Americans in skills that will lead directly to jobs. Obama wants to give community colleges the resources they need to be community career centers to teach skills that are in high demand.
One major announcement that Obama made was the creation of a Trade Enforcement Unit. The unit was formed to investigate unfair trade practices in countries around the world, with inspections of goods crossing the border in order for counterfeit and unsafe goods from entering the country.
Another unit was announced, this time being for the financial sector. The Financial Crimes Unit would serve to crack down on fraud, and implement penalties for a fraud count. This is to help protect people’s investments and the institutions following the laws.
A third unit in the works is for the protection of homeowners against abusive lending and packaging of mortgages. It would also help get assistance to homeowners, as well as a plan to help them save up to $3,000 a year on their mortgage.
In relation to schools around the country, Obama requested that the mandatory school age be upped to 18 or until graduation. He called for Congress to prevent the hike in student loan interest in July, when they are expected to double, as well as an extension of the tuition tax credit and an increase in the number of work-study jobs.
In the wake of the rejection of Keystone XL pipeline, Obama introduced the clean energy initiative announcing that the department of the Navy will make a large renewable energy purchase of one gigawatt and requesting the Department of the Interior to permit for 10 gigawatts of renewable projects by the end of the year, enough to power nearly three million homes.
The 2012 State of the Union was followed by The Republican Response, which was delivered by Indiana Governor, Mitch Daniels.
