TCTI: Too Crazy Too Ignore
 Dave Ross

The curse of the pre-sponse

BY Dave Ross  on February 13, 2013 @ 6:08 am (Updated: 6:21 am - 2/13/13 )

There is a danger in having to write a response to the State of the Union address before you've heard the speech you're responding to.

Senator Marco Rubio discovered that last night.

His speech was not really a RE-sponse. It's a PRE-sponse. You could tell, because he said stuff like, "Instead of playing politics with Medicare, when is the president going to offer his detailed plan to save it? Tonight would have been a good time to do it."

But wait - the President just finished agreeing with you!

"On Medicare, I'm prepared to enact reforms that will achieve the same amount of healthcare savings by the beginning of the next decade, as the reforms proposed by the bipartisan Simpson Bowles commision," Obama said during the State of the Union.

The Simpson Bowles report is the budget deal considered the holy grail by many Republicans including Lindsey Graham.

And then Obama said, "We'll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for medicare because our medical bills shouldn't be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital. It should be based on the quality of care our seniors receive."

For a guy who has no plan, that sounds like a pretty serious plan.

So - may I offer a suggestion?

If you have to write your response before the speech you're responding to, you should also be allowed to deliver it before the speech you're responding to. Like during those tedious 15 minutes when everybody is meandering around - and the anchors are yammering about Michelle's arms - I would much rather have watched Senator Rubio's pre-sponse.

Then, when it turned out the President actually agreed with many of his points, the Senator could have said see? I changed his mind.

Dave Ross, KIRO Radio Talk Show Host
Dave Ross is co-host of The Ross & Burbank Show on KIRO Radio (weekdays 9-Noon) and never too far from the spotlight.
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Comments (100)


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  • DesertRez wrote...
    Real status of the economy
    February 13, 2013 6:55 am
    I don't know if you guys don't pay attention (not many outlets reported this anyways), but GDP actually declined last quarter. So 4 years of the Fed printing money and buying junk bonds and our economy is still in the chitter. Yes the stock market is soaring, but it is all fake because the banks are getting money for almost no interest. The USD has decreased compared to gold by 50% since 2008 (enjoying high gas prices)? Worst of all this is creating another bubble much worse than the tech bubble or housing bubble. I really think we are screwed folks.
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  • William Lawn wrote...
    @DesertRez
    February 13, 2013 7:30 am
    I hope you do realize that the major cause of the GDP drop was a major cut in government spending. Which we all want. I believe it was like 50 billion.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    $50B is a "major cut"???
    February 13, 2013 9:21 am
    Spending under Obama has increased by more than $1 TRILLION per year. Please explain how in Hades is $50B a "major cut"???
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Howdy wrote...
    "Major Cut"
    February 13, 2013 1:43 pm
    current definition is a perceived reduction proposed future spending
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • William Armstrong wrote...
    Rubio
    February 13, 2013 6:56 am
    I don't want THAT guy taking that 3am phone call.

    Hey Ron, why couldn't that guy just 'read the teleprompter' like the Wizard of Oz? I haven't seen the Wizard of Oz do this…

    http://cdn.theatlanticwire.com/img/upload/2013/02/12/rubio/large.jpg

    Obama looks like one smart, cool customer who is in control of the situation compared to these Republican frauds. Keep it up Republicans. I haven't laughed so hard in months. This isn't open mic nite at the Comedy Underground. Give us some credible alternative.

    (Here's a suggestion… Get some people who actually BELIEVE what they are saying. Don't just roll out marketing campaign after marketing campaign using the same bad actors. It isn't going to work, but keep trying.)

    I'll be laughing to myself for the rest of the day at how epically the delusional Republicans are failing. If you're not embarrassed, you SHOULD be.

    Ok, now you can get back to your Obama Death Panel BS and make yourselves feel better. It won't work. Keep trying, though.

    Hey Kersey, I thought your cabin burned down yesterday. Kind of disappointed that you're still with us.

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  • Zagnut wrote...
    William Armstrong, take a chill pill dude.
    February 13, 2013 7:27 am
    I'm afraid a straight jacket and rubber room may be in your near future.
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  • William Armstrong wrote...
    Up Yerz Zagnut
    February 13, 2013 7:55 am
    I don't need no straight jacket. I'm simply gloating over how completely clueless the Republican Party has become. Poise under pressure is something a President needs to have. You can't learn this. Your current guy doesn't have it as was demonstrated last night.

    And I love it. You guys are so, so funny.

    Don't get too personal now. It's not your fault.

    (Psst… you have some crust or something in the corners of your mouth….) Bwahahahaha!

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  • Zagnut wrote...
    I rest my case.
    February 13, 2013 8:01 am
    .
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  • William Armstrong wrote...
    As do I.
    February 13, 2013 8:57 am
     
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Hey Armstrong
    February 13, 2013 8:27 am
    Read this and get back to us .....www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyLmru6no4U
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HikerACE wrote...
    maplefish
    February 13, 2013 3:37 pm
    You better not hold your breath waiting for a reply from him. Don't presume he has minimal comprehension skills.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awbitf wrote...
    Rubio's words didn't matter at all.
    February 13, 2013 6:57 am
    He could have been reading from the dictionary, it didn't matter. The only reason he was giving a pre-sponse/response is because he's of Latino descent, and the Repubs wanted to showcase him solely because of his ethnicity.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    True - but the democrats would never do anything like that
    February 13, 2013 7:29 am
    Like with, say, an American of African descent. Say at their 2004 national convention. ....... And I can't count the number of times the democrats 'didn't showcase' Blacks and Latinos at their 2012 convention.

    Of course, the democrats could never conceive that when republicans 'showcase' Latinos, they actually have something to say.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rich White and Orange wrote...
    They're not listening to your Ron
    February 13, 2013 7:46 am
    As you so deftly point out, the only thing that matters is how well you read a teleprompter. When will your leaders start listening to you and get someone who can simply do that? And be the right color...
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  • WiIliam Lawn wrote...
    Every is listening to Ron
    February 13, 2013 8:02 am
    be the right color? you racist pig. go back to you CH handle phony willy.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Awbitf
    February 13, 2013 8:30 am
    You may want to pay attention to Rubio. He's been around a while and has more intelligence and life experience than on Obama will ever dream of....in fact, read Obama's book about his dreams....the guy is a friggin FRAUD...and an idiot
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Poser Sgt.
    February 13, 2013 7:11 am
    What do you think that Rubio was doing? Pointing out just how this was the very same Liberal rhetoric, LIES, that we have heard during the first 4 years of Immaculation.

    If it weren't for people like you and the rest of you Parrots, we would not have to be putting with eight years of this Liberal insanity. Parrots like you just just hang on the pant legs of your Dear Leader with awe in your eyes!

    "Deserves a vote"? We Americans get to vote your Dear Leader loses!

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  • fartforce1 wrote...
    What I took away from Rubio - is a return of Rovian Fear.
    February 13, 2013 7:13 am
    Guess thats how Republicans are led, with fear as a trumpet.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    "Never let a good crisis go to waste"
    February 13, 2013 9:24 am
    Right, fartforce?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Zoeller wrote...
    Obama with his same old -
    February 13, 2013 7:17 am
    Hype, Blame & Lies.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • WiIliam Lawn wrote...
    His speech was not really a RE-sponse. It's a PRE-sponse
    February 13, 2013 7:19 am
    They always are Dave, get a clue. I know how hard that will be for you.. Obamacare will be an epic failure for families. The Internal Revenue Service stated that under Obamacare the cheapest health insurance plan available in 2016 for a family will cost $20,000 for the year. Of course Obama knows this, he's counting on this. More families then not will choose to not buy this product, and take IRS penalty which will be much cheaper initially. The end results, the private side of this industry will crash because too many wont be buying it. People will be crying for nationalized healthcare. I guess they figure government healthcare, death panels, a government crony deciding who lives, who dies, is better then nothing. There you have it, socialism at work. Where you at John Galt? Don't keep us waiting...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Did not take much of a PRE sponce to say to your Dear Leader,
    February 13, 2013 7:22 am
    YOU LIE!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    The billboard reads When you cast your vote remember September 11, 2001.
    February 13, 2013 7:31 am
    The debate on who might have put up the billboard (she hasn't been able to uncover who comprises the Concerned Citizens group yet) and the intent behind it is interesting. Most are making the assumption it is Republican in nature by using Rovian fear tactics. However, this billboard came up after our caucuses so it didn't affect that critical vote. It's a long while to November. Is it some first step of a campaign leading to November? Not sure what to make of it so far - will keep you posted. When I participated in the Washington State Democratic Caucus recently, I was surprised that I met two folks who wanted to vote Democrat, but were very nervous from the Iraq War standpoint to do so. So there is some fear out there that a Democratic President will not keep us safe and that if we withdraw from Iraq, that a Democratic President will be doing it out of a social ideology rather than a political one. So though most folks seemed to be espousing they didn't think this billboard would affect a vote, perhaps that isn't such a sure thing.
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    HAHA's curious remark: "Deserves a vote"? We Americans get to vote your Dear Leader loses!"
    February 13, 2013 8:37 am
    OK, now I'm really confused. I thought we Americans voted last November and the fellow that HAHA derisively dismisses as "Dear Leader" won (by a few percentage points or so).

    Maybe he's suggesting we go for a do-over, and this time only the folks that *he* personally considers "real Americans" would get to vote?

    Seems confusing.

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