2014 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: A REVIEW

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

US President Barack Obama

Addressing a joint session of Congress and the nation Tuesday night, United States President Barack Obama called for America to move forward, while chastising Congress for their inactions of the past year(s).

The President said that, while he welcomes and hopes for Congressional action, he will do what he can independently to promote job and income growth for the average American citizen.
It should be noted that while his office does have some executive privileges, no one side of government structure (Congressional legislative, Courts' judicial, and Presidential executive) can do everything on its own.

But although not as immediately ambitious as the accomplishments he hoped to see completed during his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Obama did focus upon the key points that currently need to be faced, stating that there was a growing inequality between the social classes in this country that needed to be addressed.

*To raise the minimum wage to $10.10, at least for federal contractors upon
new hires and contract renewals; while hoping Congress will increase the overall minimum wage, which currently resides at $7.25 nationally.

*To continue working to improve the American health care system, while pointing out that Congress didn't need to waste time with more appeal attempts against the Affordable Health Care Act, aka "Obama Care".
*Immigration reform
*Better national and international security while hoping to move America off a "permanent war footing"; including a desire to try diplomacy whenever possible before enacting troop movement.
*Improving the education system and getting students to think again, instead of being just good test takers.
*Improving the infrastructure, and helping Americans keep their houses while starting to save for their future.

Meanwhile, the Republican RESPONSES, and yes, you read that right; because there were FOUR of them!
01. Washington State Congressional Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers presented a response that sounded more like a Sunday Sermon, reminding people of the "little things" in life while saying the Republican Party wanted Americans to better themselves through hard work and personal empowerment instead of government "intervention"; even to the point of closing her speech by offering everyone a prayer!
02. Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee gave a response on behalf of the Tea Party, comparing the original American Revolution to the current Tea Party, which allegedly has a lot of reform proposals that will eliminate the Obama Administration's "big government" and grant Americans the change to improve themselves individually, but without most of Rodgers' religious references.
03. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul presented his own via YouTube and Facebook; comparing the current situation to when former President Ronald Reagan first took office and presented his own ideas on how to solve the problems at hand, in light of the fact he might run for the Presidency in 2016.
04. There was also one solely in Spanish given by Florida House of Representative member Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

And why did Speaker of the House John Boehner look so overly tanned?

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.