Nevada lawmakers react to Obama’s feisty address

By Lisa Mascaro

Published Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010 | 9:52 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 | 8:31 a.m.

WASHINGTON — The White House promised a feisty first state of the union speech, and President Barack Obama delivered tonight as he gently scolded Congress, both parties and even the Supreme Court in a talk that Nevada’s Democrats said reasserted Obama’s dominance after a year of difficult setbacks.

Obama told Republicans that “just saying no … is not leadership,” and as they block every bill that Democrats try to pass “the responsibility to govern is now yours as well.”

To his own party, bruised by setbacks and nervous about the coming election, he reminded Democrats that they command majorities in both houses and encouraged them to stiffen their spines.

“People expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills,” Obama told his party.

In many ways, the speech echoed Obama’s inaugural address a year ago when he called for an end to “childish” ways.

The evening of partisan cheering fell to a hushed silence as Obama spoke of his administration’s own shortcomings and offered that “too many of our citizens have lost faith” in the institutions of business, government and the media.

“We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But a new year has come,” Obama said.

“We don’t quit,” Obama said. “I don’t quit.”

Democratic Rep. Dina Titus said “people like to hear that.”

“The American people aren’t quitters,” Titus said. “People identify with that. A lot of people in my district are fighting every day and don’t think they’re quitters.”

As promised, the speech was heavy on the need for jobs creation, as Obama reminded that because of the much-maligned $787 billion recovery act “there are about 2 million Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed.”

Another 1.5 million jobs are on track to be added by year’s end.

He commiserated over the unpopularity of the Wall Street bailout, calling it “as popular as a root canal.”

“We all hated the bank bailout. I hated it. You hated it,” he said.

Obama said that to propel the economy out the economic slide he has enacted 25 tax cuts since taking office. When hardly any Republicans rose to applaud, he offered a joke to break the tension.

“I thought I’d get a few of you with that,” he said, according to those on the floor who could hear the aside that diverted from the script.

But on the issue of the day, health care reform, Obama called on Congress to “take another look” at the health care bills on the table. “Do not walk away from reform. Not now.”

Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley was not won over by Obama’s push for renewed health care discussions, saying the president must keep his focus on jobs.

“We had a year to do this. Now I’ve got other pressing concerns at home,” Berkley said. “If my top three priorities are jobs, jobs, jobs, health care is No. 4.”

Titus said she was disappointed Obama did not spend more time on the housing crisis which is so dominant in Southern Nevada.

Obama said just one line about housing: “This year we will step up re-financing so that homeowners can move into more affordable mortgages.”

And neither Titus nor Berkley rose to applause when Obama called for “building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.”

Nevada Republicans Sen. John Ensign and Rep. Dean Heller rose to their feet, as did Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Berkely said she trusts that Obama is zeroing out Yucca Mountain, the long-planned nuclear waste repository north of Las Vegas but she remained opposed to more nuclear power.

“Until I know where that waste is going, I cannot embrace the county’s reliance on nuclear power,” Berkley said.

Perhaps the one institution that Obama called out the most often was the Senate, which he singled out nearly half a dozen times for failing to pass bills — including those on jobs, climate change, financial services and community colleges.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid did not seem offended as Obama lobbed criticism at the Senate over and over again.

The two men spoke briefly as Obama left the dais, and Reid walked with Obama as the president left the House chamber.

“President Obama engaged America in a conversation about what has worked, what needs improvement and how we can move forward together,” Reid said in a statement. “Senate Democrats view the challenge of cleaning up the mess we inherited as an opportunity to set our nation back on the path to progress and prosperity.”

Republicans, who have mostly stood unified against Obama's agenda, were unmoved by the president's approach.

In Nevada, Republican Danny Tarkanian, the former UNLV basketball star who is among those running in the Republican primary for the chance to challenge Reid in the November election, said, "We heard some good lines, but overall, what we heard from the president tonight is disappointing."

Likewise Republican Sue Lowden, the former Republican Party chairwoman in Nevada who is also running to unseat Reid, called Obama's plan for an across-the-board spending freeze -- which would hit all funds except those for national security, Medicare and Social Security -- lagging.

"It’s too late to simply freeze government spending – we must cut spending across the board," Lowden said.

The last time Obama addressed both chambers, his talk was punctuated by the “You lie!” outburst from Republican Rep. Joe Wilson.

Wilson was popular tonight as colleagues joined him and made a point to shake his hand. But the South Carolina congressman remained mostly quiet.

At one point, on the other side of the chamber, a man in a back row where the diplomatic corps traditionally sits shouted out, “Mr. President,” with a raised finger, as if to ask a question. But he did not proceed to interrupt and was not approached by security.