John McCain and the Sounds of State of the Union Silence
EmailABC News’ Rick Klein reports: That State of the Union ritual, where members of Congress jump to their feet umpteen times, in rolling rounds of politically motivated applause that eat further and further into Americans’ prime-time TV viewing? None of it would have happened under a President McCain. “I would have called up both Republican and Democrat leaders and say, ‘could everyone please sit quietly, let me deliver my very important message not only to them but to the American people? And then after it’s over stand and applaud and cheer or boo or leave or whatever you want,’ ” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told ABC News after last night’s State of the Union address. “I think that the American people don’t really enjoy these pauses of seeing members of Congress jump up and down like juveniles,” he said. “It’s just — these are very difficult times. Seems to me we ought to maybe restrain ourselves.” Watch for a piece of the McCain interview on ABC’s “Top Line” live at noon ET, streaming at ABCNews.com.
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So now Barack Obama is a bad president because he refused to force the Secret Service to enforce a no-applause rule last might? McCain is an idiot on this. Did he ever say this when George Bush was giving these?
Posted by: matt | January 28, 2010, 11:44 am 11:44 am
no obama is the idiot get ready in november its over im from mass and was so proud to vote for scott brown this moron president doesnt get it but he will and i voted for the dope not next time.
Posted by: natale from mass. | January 28, 2010, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
Well, he’s not President — he lost the election. Which makes me wonder why this is even given space on the ABC News blog. Why is anyone listening to this bitter man?
Posted by: T Swan | January 28, 2010, 12:22 pm 12:22 pm
tswan id rather listen to him then are moronic president who just doesnt get it
Posted by: natale from mass. | January 28, 2010, 12:27 pm 12:27 pm
Barry lives for the applause. It is his
raison d’ etre. Without it, he is an
incomplete, wandering soul.
Posted by: Sir Toby Belch | January 28, 2010, 12:29 pm 12:29 pm
If John McCain is concerned about how often the Democrats stood up during the State of The Union Address, No wonder he lost the election. I think our country has other issues that matter, eg. unemployment, foreclosures, and banks that took money from the taxpayers and are not paying it back. Remember, George W. Bush was the first to give out money September 2008. I believe it is our governments responsibility to mandate that when loans or bailouts are handed out, the receivers are required to pay back before any bonuses are paid to anyone. Imagine, loaning money to your children to help them out during tough times, and then hear of them taking a vacation in Hawaii.
Posted by: carol | January 28, 2010, 12:41 pm 12:41 pm
i agree with mccain…it’s just so disappointing and predictable and extends the laborious pontificating.
Posted by: wow | January 28, 2010, 12:43 pm 12:43 pm
Left, Center, Left, Left, Left, will the man ever understand the country is to the right of center. We need not government in every facet of our lives; that is except for the totally dependent segment of society that Barry is dependent on.
Posted by: Bill Carlyle--Jubail, KSA | January 28, 2010, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
He is on crack if that’s all he came away with…Pathetic
Posted by: Kay | January 28, 2010, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
There is a sad bit of truth to what Mccain said.”Seeing members of Congress jump up and down like juveniles”
From my perspective they have all been acting like kids by the way they are working.
Posted by: david | January 28, 2010, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
Actually, I was thinking that they all looked like yo-yos, at the time. LOL.
People can be so laughable.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | January 28, 2010, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
McCain is actually right. The applauds are useless. However, what he thinks is irrelevant.
BTW, I do not buy the idea that the country is center-right. Left, center, right are not really terms that most of people buy into. My thoughts on a subject cannot be boiled down to a number on the left-right scale. People want things that make sense.
Posted by: ryan t | January 28, 2010, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
John McCain sitting on his hands tells me he could care less about me or this country; Refusing to show support for working together to get this country moving forward again. He would rather do nothing and get reelected than do what is right. So much for the “Maverick” He is acting like a spoiled brat, who refuses to play if he can’t be the leader! It is so disappointing. You know if it was a Republican standing up there and uttering the exact same words as Presidnet Obama, John McCain and his sad colleagues would be on their feet cheering. It is riduculous. He needs to retire and let someone go to work for the good of the American People.
Posted by: Mary | January 28, 2010, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
Obama did a pretty good job of quelling applause himself. Even Democrats are getting tired of the same old lies.
It’s pretty sad really. Obama had so much potential but he let his own hype and ego get in the way.
Posted by: Alan | January 28, 2010, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm