Republican Writes "The American Jobs Act"

Last Saturday, we noted the President's bad case of premature espeechulation:

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Makes the Most Irrelevant Speech in the History of the Republic ,

where he repeatedly asked Congress to pass a bill that hadn't been written yet. It appears that all of the Democrats, a few fries short of a Happy Meal, failed to file the bill which Obama specifically called in his speech "The American Jobs Act".

But, since there wasn't actually a bill by that name that had been filed, a Republican lawmaker has stepped into the breach!

President Obama repeatedly asked members of Congress to pass the American Jobs Act last week. But when no Democrat filed Obama’s bill after he presented it to Congress, a conservative congressman swiped the name for his own legislation.

The American Jobs Act introduced in the House of Representatives looks quite different from the version President Obama outlined in his speech to Congress. Instead of hiking taxes on working Americans to pay for another stimulus, Rep. Louie Gohmert’s (R-TX) legislation offers a tax cut.

UPDATE: Gohmert’s bill now has a number. It’s HR 2911.

Brilliant! Simply brilliant! Maybe next time, Obama will actually have a bill for Congress to pass when he repeats ad nauseum, "Pass this bill"?

H/T Memeorandum

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Makes the Most Irrelevant Speech in the History of the Republic

Dana Milbank of the Washington Post is trying to steal my thunder:

The Irrelevancy of the Obama Presidency

This speech will go down in history. Unfortunately, not in a good way. Traditionally, the President will speak to a joint session of Congress for an annual State of The Union address, or some pressing policy matter or something of relatively great importance. Now, I'm not saying unemployment is unimportant,but the President's speech was.

First of all, he didn't even believe it himself:

Tonight we meet at an urgent time for our country. We continue to face an economic crisis that has left millions of our neighbors jobless, and a political crisis that’s made things worse.

Urgent? Crisis?? His speech was what? 45 minutes? Are you telling me that he couldn't have delayed his ten day Martha's Vineyard vacation 45 minutes to make a speech he considered both urgent and a "crisis"?

To make matters worse, he said nothing of substance. A lot of vague platitudes about how American needed jobs and Congress needed to pass the jobs bill.

Drumroll please! ..................What "jobs bill"? He didn't submit one. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. There's a funny video going around, a montage of Obama saying nothing but all his variations on "Pass the bill". I counted 14 times in that video, Levin said he counted 17 or 18 times in the speech.

But, Obama hadn't delivered a jobs bill to Congress yet. He was selling a "pig in a poke", as it were, channeling the Home Shopping Network or Billy Mays. I half expected the video to have a countdown clock of how many minutes were left to get this great deal!

So why does the President of the United States call to address a joint session of Congress for a nothingburger speech about a vaporware bill that possibly hasn't even been written yet?

I speculated earlier that he might need a captive studio audience to pop up with standing ovations and provide applause to punctuate the most mundane policy projections. It was worse than I thought. Not only was his "jobs bill" short on specifics, there was nothing at all except Obama's snake oil spiel about what those specifics might be.

Wouldn't it made more sense to bring a substantive and specific bill and sell the positive aspects of that?

I am sending this Congress a plan that you should pass right away. It’s called the American Jobs Act. There should be nothing controversial about this piece of legislation. Everything in here is the kind of proposal that’s been supported by both Democrats and Republicans — including many who sit here tonight. And everything in this bill will be paid for. Everything.
...Every proposal I’ve laid out tonight is the kind that’s been supported by Democrats and Republicans in the past.

Again. Obama doesn't believe it either. I mean, think about it. If this jobs bill were nothing controversial, with bipartisan support, that wasn't going to break the bank adding to the deficit, why would anyone possibly oppose it? Why the hard sell infomercial in front of a joint session of Congress to sell something that, according to Obama (stop laughing!) didn't need selling?

Now for the "class envy" part of the program:

I’m also well aware that there are many Republicans who don’t believe we should raise taxes on those who are most fortunate and can best afford it. But here is what every American knows: While most people in this country struggle to make ends meet, a few of the most affluent citizens and most profitable corporations enjoy tax breaks and loopholes that nobody else gets.

Tax breaks and loopholes and profits, oh, my! You want to see the irony in this (and why he probably doesn't believe this either), look at what he proposes in other parts of the speech:

it will provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers,

Really? I though tax breaks were only for the "most fortunate" who can "best afford to pay taxes"?

small businesses will get a tax cut if they hire new workers or if they raise workers’ wages.

Um, don't you usually call those "loopholes", Mr. President? Some loopholes are more equal than others, I guess! I guess they're tax breaks if you like them and "loopholes" if you don't!

Another hypocrisy moment:

I know that some of you have sworn oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you live. Now is not the time to carve out an exception and raise middle-class taxes, which is why you should pass this bill right away.

This is the guy who tried his damnedest to end the Bush era, across the board tax cuts just last December.

I’ll also offer ideas to reform a corporate tax code that stands as a monument to special interest influence in Washington. By eliminating pages of loopholes and deductions, we can lower one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. Our tax code should not give an advantage to companies that can afford the best-connected lobbyists. It should give an advantage to companies that invest and create jobs right here in the United States of America

Too funny! Jeffrey Immelt of GE, Obama's top business adviser, who recently moved a hundred year old division of GE Health to Red China (while GE paid no domestic corporate taxes in the US), was sitting in the audience next to the president's wife. The word "cozy" comes to mind.

And speaking of "best-connected lobbyists" would that include solar panel companies, run and owned by political cronies who frequently visit the White House, and contribute generously to Democrat campaign coffers in return for half a billion dollars in loan guarantees for a business that had never shown a profit and was unlikely to in the future? The kind of access to the White House that Solyndra had, would you characterize that, Mr. Obama as something "few of the most affluent citizens enjoy"? (We'll save "most profitable" for the stand up portion of the program.)

And Warren Buffett, whom the president mentioned is also quite a bit in arrears on his taxes. That qualifies him for a cabinet position, doesn't it Mr. Obama? Or at least a Czarship!

Another irony alert: Mr. Obama, just who do you think is responsible for creating all those "tax breaks and loopholes" for "the most affluent citizens and most profitable corporations"? Congress, primarily composed of Democrats for more years than not in the last half century created all those exemptions, all those breaks, all those so called "loopholes", often in exchange for campaign contributions.

So, you create those "loopholes" for your friends and the wealthy and those who contribute to your campaign or increase your power, and then you make a big show of being "shocked, Shocked!" that they would actually take advantage of what you created for them. Yeah. Right.

And now for the really big lie. I'm sorry, there's no polite way to say it. Obama is lying through his teeth!

This is the American Jobs Act. It will lead to new jobs for construction workers, for teachers, for veterans, for first responders, young people and the long-term unemployed. It will provide tax credits to companies that hire new workers, tax relief to small business owners, and tax cuts for the middle class. And here’s the other thing I want the American people to know: The American Jobs Act will not add to the deficit. It will be paid for. And here’s how.

The agreement we passed in July will cut government spending by about $1 trillion over the next 10 years. It also charges this Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 trillion in savings by Christmas. Tonight, I am asking you to increase that amount so that it covers the full cost of the American Jobs Act

It would be one thing if Obama said his cuts would slow the rate of government spending beyond what they might have been, but to claim that new programs are going to be "paid for" by reducing the amount of deficit spending, is not telling the truth. It is not "paid for" if we still have to borrow money to do it. The "agreement" which Obama claims to save a "trillion dollars over ten years will not be binding on Congress for even the next two years, and does not reduce government spending, even if it did. The truth is, the size of government spending under Obama's "agreement" continues to rise every year for the next ten years.

Obama is implying that the cuts would produce tangible funds that could be used to pay for his program. In truth, he's just playing a shell game with the debt.

It also charges this Congress to come up with an additional $1.5 trillion in savings by Christmas

Which, even if it happens (and don't hold your breath or we'll all look like Smurfs!), won't begin to cut into the nation's debt. And personally, I don't think it will happen, which will trigger this gutless administration's plan to gut the military, at a time when we have boots on the ground in multiple wars and conflicts around the world.

I am asking you to increase that amount so that it covers the full cost of the American Jobs Act

Sweeping back the sea with a broom might not be a hard task for the Lightbringer, who makes the sea levels lower at his word, but Congress needs to run for re-election every two to six years, and might be beholden to special interests and pork laden projects designed to keep them in office. Obama glibly says, "We'll just cut a few more programs between now and Christmas!"

Here's the extra credit portion of the program: Can you think of even one program (outside the military) that Obama has personally suggested that the country might be able to do without?

Remember when Candidate Obama said if he were president, he would go through the budget line by line to eliminate waste? In the last three years (even accounting for the budget the Democrats failed to pass last year), how many of those lines items do you think he sent to Nancy Pelosi while she was Speaker of the House, to eliminate. How many times did he sit down with Harry Reid, (and only use the Negro dialect when he wanted to) to urge the Senate to take his line by line evaluation of the budget to heart? Beuller? Beuller??

So, Congress is unlikely or unable (or both) to find enough cuts to keep the country from going further and further into debt, but that's okay, so long as it's more of the good debt (the kind that already lowered America's credit rating once and probably will again before we inaugurate our next president).

And when nothing gets done, Obama will parade his laundry list of platitudes and good intentions on the stump and blame Republicans for not passing the American Jobs Bill.

...Whatever that is!


More at Memeorandum

Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Can Fix Social Security, No Sweat!

And, he's got a bridge he can sell you!

“Social Security is not in crisis. We’re going to have to make some modest adjustments in order to strengthen it.”

-Barack Obama



Isn't that just amazing? Who knew? This must have just happened recently. Otherwise, why didn't he implement these "modest adjustments" during the first two years of his term, while his party held both the House and Senate? But, assuming that this "Road to Damascus" revelation came to him in the last six or seven months, why hasn't he called Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi in to his office to reveal to them the "modest adjustments" they need to introduce so that Obama can sign them into law and save Social Security?



Why not? Because, truth be told, the "modest adjustments" are not that modest. There is no way to reform a massive entitlement like Social Security without causing someone or a lot of someones, major pain. And those someones vote.



If there truly were just minor adjustments that would save the solvency of Social Security against the large number of Boomers about to retire in the next ten years, why not implement them as soon as possible? And why the lack of specifics? If Obama has a plan, he should spell it out! He's the leader of our country, he should lead!



It's funny. I recently heard a lib compare conservatives to "snake oil salesmen". Obama's vague, "Trust me, I'll fix it" smacks more of snake oil than statesmanship.



If he really has a plan, he should spell it out, or will he "hold Social Security hostage" until after the election. (I'm just channeling my inner liberal here!)



Cross posted at LCR.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Is Also the Most Hypocritical (video)

"I cannot guarantee that those checks ("Social Security, Veteran's checks, folks on disability...70 million checks")go out on August third if we haven't resolved this issue."

Compare that to his remarks before House Republicans in 2010...

From a You Tube video of Obama's Q & A with Republicans (about one hour, twenty three minutes in). Transcript here.

...there is a political vulnerability to doing anything that tinkers with Medicare. And that's probably the biggest savings that are obtained through Paul's plan.

And I raise that not because we shouldn't have a serious discussion about it. I raise that because we're not going to be able to do anything about any of these entitlements if what we do is characterize whatever proposals are put out there as, "Well, you know, that's -- the other party's being irresponsible. The other party is trying to hurt our senior citizens. That the other party is doing X, Y, Z."

Get it? We can't solve the nation's problems if some demagogue is claiming the other party will hurt our senior citizens...unless those mean spirited Republicans don't do what I want, then they are personally jeopardizing 70 million senior citizens, veterans and the disabled from getting their checks on time.

I think it is instructive, that of the billions of dollars the federal government spends in millions of places, the first and apparently only places Barack Obama can think to cut, to pay for all his other pork projects, is Social Security checks, veterans' and disability benefits.

The federal government needs to stop the insane spending levels. The endless borrowing has got to stop. For Barry to try to scare seniors and others on a fixed income by threatening to stop their checks is despicable.

And make no mistake. The money is there not to default on any loan payments or Social Security checks. If any senior or veteran who is denied a benefit check on August 3rd. it will be because Barack Obama makes a conscious decision to callously play politics with these people's lives.


Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Holds a Press Conference

Sometimes you hear hypocrisy so thick you can cut it with a knife. Think Bill Clinton telling us he did not have sex with Monica Lewinsky, John Kerry throwing someone else's medals over the White House fence (his are hanging on his senate office wall), think Joe Biden plagiarizing Neil Kinnock's campaign speech, or John Edwards... saying anything at all! This president may have set the new gold standard in hypocrisy today.

THE PRESIDENT: I think people should think of — look, I’m the President of the United States* and I want to make sure that I am not engaging in scare tactics. And I’ve tried to be responsible and somewhat restrained so that folks don’t get spooked.

August 2nd is a very important date. And there’s no reason why we can’t get this done now. We know what the options are out there. This is not a technical problem any longer. This is a matter of Congress going ahead and biting the bullet and making some tough decisions. Because we know what the decisions are. We’ve identified what spending cuts are possible. We’ve identified what defense cuts are possible. We’ve identified what health care cuts are possible. We’ve identified what loopholes in the tax code can be closed that would also raise revenue. We’ve identified what the options are. And the question now is are we going to step up and get this done.

So far, so good. It's the smarmy, condescending hypocrisy of the next few sentences that make Barry stand out from other Democrats:

And, you know, Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time. Malia is 13** , Sasha is 10.

Q Impressive.

THE PRESIDENT: It is impressive. They don’t wait until the night before. They’re not pulling all-nighters. (Laughter.) They’re 13 and 10. Congress can do the same thing. If you know you’ve got to do something, just do it.

"Congress can do the same thing. If you know you’ve got to do something, just do it." Where was President Smarmy Condescending Obama last year, when Democrats controlled the Senate and Democrats controlled the House and Democrats controlled the White House, and they needed and were Constitutionally required to submit a federal budget and didn't? Why wasn't President Smarmy Condescending telling Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and the rest of Congress last year, that his daughters "Malia and Sasha generally finish their homework a day ahead of time. Malia is 11 , Sasha is 9"? Were Malia and Sasha pulling "all-nighters" in 2010? Couldn't he get a teleprompter on the golf course long enough to tell Congress that "if you know you’ve got to do something, just do it" ?

And I’ve got to say, I’m very amused when I start hearing comments about, well, the President needs to show more leadership on this. Let me tell you something. Right after we finished dealing with the government shutdown, averting a government shutdown***, I called the leaders here together. I said we’ve got to get done — get this done. I put Vice President Biden in charge of a process**** — that, by the way, has made real progress — but these guys have met, worked through all of these issues. I met with every single caucus for an hour to an hour and a half each *****— Republican senators, Democratic senators; Republican House, Democratic House. I’ve met with the leaders multiple times. At a certain point, they need to do their job.

Anyone want to do a tally on just how many times Barry says "they need to do their job" or "it’s got to be done"? I count seven got to be done's, and get it done's, at least one "do something" and two "they need to do their job's".

Tell you what, Barry. Just say that something needs to be done and say it over and over and over. And over. And over. In fact, say it once for every round of golf you'd played since becoming Present, er, President, (73 and counting) and I'm sure it will be exactly the same as if you'd exercised actual leadership!

And so, this thing, which is just not on the level, where we have meetings and discussions, and we’re working through process, and when they decide they’re not happy with the fact that at some point you’ve got to make a choice, they just all step back and say, well, you know, the President needs to get this done — they need to do their job.

Now is the time to go ahead and make the tough choices. That’s why they’re called leaders. And I’ve already shown that I’m willing to make some decisions that are very tough and will give my base of voters further reason to give me a hard time. But it’s got to be done.

And so there’s no point in procrastinating. There’s no point in putting it off. We’ve got to get this done. And if by the end of this week, we have not seen substantial progress, then I think members of Congress need to understand we are going to start having to cancel things and stay here until we get it done.

President Full of Himself sprains an arm patting himself on the back here:

They’re in one week, they’re out one week. And then they’re saying, Obama has got to step in. You need to be here. I’ve been here. I’ve been doing Afghanistan and bin Laden and the Greek crisis. You stay here. Let’s get it done.

"I've been doing Afghanistan" Other than not listening to his generals, what exactly has he done while he was "doing Afghanistan"? And "I've been doing the Greek crisis". Really? Has he actually done to mitigate the crisis? Or just vote "present"?

Add to that the gratuitous mention of bin Laden, as if he lead the raid himself. How much you want to bet he bought one of those Obama Seal Team Six action figures for himself? And don't get me started on whatever role playing he and Michelle are doing behind closed doors! How long is he going to try to milk the "I was busy getting bin Laden and that's why the economy went to Hell"?


*Captain Obvious moment

**"Malia is 13". Malia is 12. She hasn't had her thirteenth birthday yet. So much for Barry's "steel trap mind".

***Averting a government shutdown. By finally backing down on his and his party's insistence on ending the Bush tax cuts...in a recession, in effect, raising everyone's taxes.

****Joe Biden in charge of anything. There's a recipe for taking charge!

***** "I met with every single caucus for an hour to an hour and a half each" Anyone want to make book on how this compares to golf time, not to mention the myriad of vacations? And if his meeting with them was key to getting anything done, why didn't he meet with them last year and get a budget done before the Constitutional deadline? (Maybe they should have pulled an "all-nighter"?)

Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Talks to Autoworkers (video)

Obama explains why the economy, exemplified by the Jeep behind him,
is up on blocks and stripped.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ demonstrates his tin ear once again, towards the concerns of working men and women.

President Obama didn't mention Friday's weak jobs report in his speech at a Chrysler plant in Ohio, instead choosing to talk about the recovery of the auto industry.
Josh Earnest, a White House spokesman, told reporters on the flight to Toledo that Obama "will talk about the jobs numbers."

But one of the only allusions Obama made to the bleak report was when he said that "we're going to pass through some rough terrain that even a Wrangler would have a hard time with." (The Chrysler workers, who make the Wrangler at that plant, responded by booing and heckling him.)

"A Wrangler can go over anything, huh?" Obama retorted.

Is this guy for real? A lame analogy, pandering to his audience (I'm sure his speech writer* thought that would have been a clever applause line!) goes over like a lead balloon and Obama doubles down on "cutesie".

Perhaps the Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ should learn a little humility, take a little personal responsibility for the decisions made by his administration in the last two years, and not take such a lighthearted approach to the heart wrenching problems of unemployment and a stagnant economy.

For future reference, Mr. President? You might want to avoid the words "Let them eat cake" as well.

Update:

"There's going to be some head winds on the getting hit by a truck, bump in the road here!"

*With the mish mash of mixed metaphors, Obama may have written this speech himself. I mean...how hard could it be for the "smartest guy in the room"?


H/T John Lott

Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ Speaks at AIPAC, Again

Israel can sleep safely tonight! Barry has imposed sanctions on Iran!

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ addressed an AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington today. (Candidate Obama addressed them in 2008.) A couple of things jumped out at me.

We also know how difficult that search for security can be, especially for a small nation like Israel in a tough neighborhood.

A "tough neighborhood"??? Excuse me, Mr. President, but Israel is a nation under siege from its enemies. Chicago has rough neighborhoods, Israel is in a war zone.

"You also see our commitment to our shared security in our determination to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Here in the U.S., we’ve imposed the toughest sanctions ever on the Iranian regime."

Tough sanctions against Iran? How'd that work out for us against Saddam Hussein in Iraq?
Did tough sanctions bring down his regime or bring about peace in the region or extinguish his desire to rebuild his WMD capabilities? Israel can sleep safely tonight! Barry has imposed sanctions! /sarcasm

"...a new generation of Arabs is reshaping the region."

Oh, you mean like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, after you were instrumental in the removal of Mubarak, who are avowedly hostile to Israel? And whatever factions are rebelling in Libya, about whose ideologies and intentions towards Israel you haven't a clue?

So, let me see...we have turmoil in Egypt, Syria, and Libya, where you just started a military action. We have shooting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and you sent a military mission into Pakistan, without the knowledge or permission of their government, and now you want to impose your will on our lone democratic ally in the Middle East, because...you needed to draw attention away from your golf outings??

"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps"

Here's where you plan goes off the rails, Mr. President. Take the city of Jerusalem, the city of David, the capitol of Israel. Your proposal not only has it jutting like a peninsula into what would then be another country, but the old lines transect Jerusalem. Which part of Jerusalem do you envision either side would "mutually agree" to give up? On what would you base that belief? Certainly not on the last 44 years of history! And you have publicly stated that Jerusalem "must remain undivided". Who mutually agreed to that swap, Mr. President?

In the end, you have a pretty speech, which is only as dependable as the man who gives it. Too often in the past, Obama's promises have come with an expiration date. Why should we believe these are any different? And why should the nation of Israel risk its security and existence based on your words, Mr. Obama?

Full Text Of Obama's Speech To AIPAC

Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.

SNL on The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™

I guess SNL was not impressed with Obama's El Paso speech, either.

Cross posted at Say Anything

The Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™ on Illegal Immigration

I sometimes refer to Barry as "the Least Serious President in the History of the Republic™". While Obama's shameful speech on immigration reform is still fresh in our minds, let's see how many "Pinocchios"* he'd be awarded for this speech.

They wanted a fence. Well, that fence is now basically complete.

According to John Lott,

Just 36.3 miles of the promised 700-mile double-layered fence along the 1951-mile southwest border has been completed. Remember that there were a lot of people concerned that the fence was only going to be 700 miles long to begin with.

So, roughly five percent of the promised fence, which some argued was unreasonably small to begin with. But, it gets worse (for the President's credibility):

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress's investigative arm, reported in early 2009 that only 32 miles of double-layer fencing had been built. That means under President Obama, only 4.3 miles of double layer fencing has been built. This is woefully inadequate.

Obama is famous for taking credit for things he had little to no participation in. Obama votes "present" here as well. He takes credit for a "basically completed" fence, when in truth, the Barack Obama memorial fence is only 4.3 miles long.

So, we have gone above and beyond what was requested by the very Republicans who said they supported broader reform as long as we got serious about enforcement. But even though we’ve answered these concerns, I suspect there will be those who will try to move the goal posts one more time. They’ll say we need to triple the border patrol. Or quadruple the border patrol. They’ll say we need a higher fence to support reform.

Let's see what your own GAO (Government Accountability Office) has to say about your "above and beyond what was requested".

Border Patrol reported achieving varying levels of operational control for 873 of the nearly 2,000 southwest border miles at the end of fiscal year 2010

"Varying levels of operational control" for "873 of the nearly 2,000 southwest border miles". What does that mean? For starters, they're talking about "operational control" for only about 43% of our southern border. (The Barack Obama memorial fence is less than half a percent of that, and two tenths of one percent of the border. Sleep well tonight, America!)

And, by the GAO's definition, what does "operational control" mean?

Border Patrol reported that its levels of operational control for most border miles reflected its ability to respond to illegal activity after entry into the United States and not at the immediate border. Operational control encompassed two of the five levels used to classify the security level of each border mile. The two levels of control differed in the extent that Border Patrol resources were available to either deter or detect and apprehend illegal entries at the immediate border (controlled) versus a multi-tiered deployment of Border Patrol resources to deter, detect, and apprehend illegal entries after entry into the United States; sometimes 100 miles or more away (managed). GAO's preliminary analysis of the 873 border miles under operational control in 2010 showed that about 129 miles (15 percent) were classified as "controlled" and the remaining 85 percent were classified as "managed."

So, 15% of the 43% is controlled, the rest is "managed". That 15% works out to around 6.45% of the total. Hear that, America? A little over 6% of your southern border is controlled and Obama considers that "going above and beyond" what was requested to secure our borders. Obama should buy some lottery tickets. The lottery has been referred to as a tax on the math impaired!

Six percent of the border is "controlled" and Obama mocks his critics as wanting to build a "higher fence", (technically, any fence at all is higher than "no fence") to build a moat and fill it with alligators? And just how effective is that control, according to the GAO?

Border Patrol stated that operational control does not require its agents to be able to detect and apprehend all illegal entries.

So, long story short, 43% of the proposed fence on the southern border has a fence of any kind, much less the kind of fence that was promised, and Barack the Bold contributed 4.3 miles to that fence. Less than six and a half percent of the border is considered "controlled" by Border Patrol and the GAO, and even the six percent under "control" does not stop ALL activity.

"Porous borders" anyone? "Above and beyond"? Is it "moving the goal posts" to suggest that the entire border needs to be at least "controlled"? Is an additional two tenths of one percent of fencing sufficient for Obama to crow "Mission Accomplished" at the border and turn his attention back to his golf game?

Obama lied about the fence, and by implication, he lied about his participation in its "completion". He lied about moving the goal posts, and with his mocking, less than serious tone, he lied about the need to further secure our southern border.

I'd give the speech four out of five Pinocchios, even though, his lips were moving during the entire speech.

* Pinocchio: Famous for his nose growing whenever he lied.

And because I've thrown a lot of numbers at you, please note: A 36.3 mile fence works out to 1.8% of a 2,000 mile southern border.

Cross posted at LCR, Say Anything.