Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was none too pleased. “The Mayor was livid when he read that the Ricketts were going to launch a $10 million campaign against President Obama — with the type of racially motivated ads that are insulting to the president and the presidential campaign,” an Emanuel aide said. “He is also livid with their blatant hypocrisy.” It is not clear if this will jeopardize the Wrigley makeover, but Chicago taxpayers should nonetheless take notice and let their voices be heard. Let the Ricketts family pay for renovations on their own.

By proposing a spending freeze over the next five years, the president is sure to upset Democrats and not please many Republicans that would rather see huge cuts in federal spending. His middle-of-the-road position makes him appear to be serious about tackling problems while others nitpick in a partisan fashion. He noted that if Republicans are serious about cutting the deficit, then they should support letting tax cuts for the wealthy expire and getting rid of subsidies to oil companies.

The president proposed getting 80% of the country’s energy from clean sources by 2030. Investments will have to be made and prioritized. Not only is it a matter of smart economics, it is a national security issue as well. This should be our Sputnik moment, where the country rallies behind a cause like we did during the Space Race over 50 years ago. President Obama made the case that we need a similar race towards energy innovation.

The president laid out an optimistic, yet realistic, plan for the future tonight. Smart investment in clean energy, reforming our education system and continuing the recovery in our economy through infrastructure upgrades and exports. It’s something that all Americans can stand behind.

10:13 p.m.: “The state of our Union is strong.”

10:12 p.m.: America was founded on being a nation of big dreams. “We do big things.”

10:06 p.m.: “Starting this year no American will be forbidden from serving the country they love because of who they love.” Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was passed during last year’s Congress.

10:03 p.m.: The people in South Sudan voted for independence with American assistance. The United States “supports the democratic aspirations of all people.”

10:02 p.m.: President will visit South America in March to build new alliances.

10:01 p.m.: The New START Treaty reduces nuclear arms between the United States and Russia. It also re-instates inspections.

10:00 p.m.: “American Muslims are a part of our American family.”

9:58 p.m.: “Nearly 100,000 brave young men and women” have left Iraq “with their heads held high.” Combat missions have ended, violence is down and a new government has formed. “America’s commitment has been kept. The Iraq War is coming to an end.”

9:57 p.m.: Promises to veto any bill with earmarks in it. That’s a pretty small and symbolic promise, Mr. President.

9:55 p.m.: “We need to think bigger.” Small, symbolic budget cuts will not solve any problems.

9:54 p.m.: “We shouldn’t just give our people a government that is more affordable, we should give them a government that is more competent.”

9:53 p.m.: Proposes simplified tax code.

9:51 p.m.: To tackle the deficit “we simply cannot afford a permanent expansion” of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

9:48 p.m.: President proposes freezing government spending for next five years. Already froze federal worker pay.

9:43 p.m.: President mentions passing health care with Democrats in the chamber standing up. Vows to protect the bill from Republican attempts at repeal, but is willing to work with Republicans to improve the bill. “Instead of fighting the battles of the last two years, let’s fix what needs fixing and move forward.”

9:39 p.m.: President proposes investments in transportation and infrastructure. Goal is to have high-speed rail accessible to 80% of Americans. Projects are already under-way in California, Florida and the Midwest. High-speed rail is cheaper, better for the environment, and in some cases faster than flying on a plane.

9:36 p.m.: Children of undocumented parents go to our colleges, but “go back home and compete against us”. President argues that it is time to address the issue of immigration. “Let’s stop expelling talented young people… who could be further enriching this nation.”

9:34 p.m.: “Higher education must be within the reach of every American.”

9:32 p.m.: President argues it is time to treat teachers with respect. Reward good teachers and punish bad ones.

9:30 p.m.: “We need to teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl that needs to be celebrated, but the winner of the Science Fair.”

9:28 p.m.: “By 2035, 80% of America’s energy will come from renewable sources”

9:27 p.m.: “Instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, let’s invest in tomorrow’s.” Proposes paying for new technology by eliminating tax cuts to big oil.

9:26 p.m.: “We can be the first nation to have a million electric vehicles by 2015.”

9:24 p.m.: Obama argues that Clean energy should be the next Space Race.

9:23 p.m.: President references Sputnik and how the U.S. surpassed the Soviet Union in the Space Race.

9:22 p.m.: “We need to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world.”

9:21 p.m.: “The future is ours to win. But to get there we can’t stand still”.

9:19 p.m.: Technology and automation has led to fewer jobs needed.

9:16 p.m.: Corporate profits and the stock market are up, but we measure progress by average citizen.

9:14 p.m.: “What comes of this moment” depends on not whether we “sit together tonight, but whether we work together tomorrow.”

9:12 p.m.: The President notes an empty chair in the Chamber reserved for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

9:11 p.m.: President Obama begins to speak with Vice President Joe Biden and new Speaker of the House John Boehner sitting behind him.

Tonight I will be liveblogging the State of the Union address by President Obama. Refresh frequently for live updates.

The bill extends insurance to 32 million Americans that previously did not have health insurance, reduces the deficit by over $1 trillion over the next two decades, bans the insurance industry practice of denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions, and bans insurance companies from dropping coverage due to health. While Republicans have complained about a lack of bipartisanship, the bill includes over 200 Republican amendments.

It’s a serious charge, though, that I think we write off too quickly. While I would like to think that most Americans are reasonable enough to admit the simple reality that President Obama won the election in a landslide fashion and is indeed an American citizen, large numbers of Republicans come to different conclusions. Only 42 percent of Republicans polled by Research 2000 were found to believe that President Obama was a citizen of the United States. A majority were either convinced that he was not or were unsure.

So what motivates people to believe these fallacies? I believe that there are several causes, not the least of which is race. No one questioned a white president’s citizenship. The second is simply economics. There is a great deal of unease in our country today, largely derived from the economic anxieties that we live in, and rightfully so. But in these uncertain times people often come to conclusions that are, at best, flawed. They need someone to blame for all of their woes. President Obama is an easy target for them. He confirms their suspicions about a black man in the White House (emphasis on white).

I would rather not spend an entire post digressing about people’s (false) suspicions and conspiracy theories. I was invited to participate in a discussion about socialism in America on fire! Radio, an Internet radio program. You can listen to the full episode at this link or just click play on the player below. If you just want to hear what I have to say, you can skip to around 39:00 minutes, but the entire program is interesting:

What exactly is socialism, anyway? The standard dictionary definition of socialism is “a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.” If one wants to have an honest debate about government theory, properly defining terms is an important first step.

President Obama has never advocated for anything remotely close to a “command-and-control” system of government that socialism implies. Indeed, he has said throughout his political career and as president that he is a believer in the free market. At the same time, he has advocated for stronger protections of consumers through reforms of the financial system and health care system. One should not confuse government regulation with government control.

The second point that I would make is that the kinds of programs that have been derided as examples of “socialism”, such as the so-called public option, are already in existence for large portions of the population. Seniors benefit from “socialized medicine” in the form of Medicare. Veterans benefit from Veteran’s Affairs hospitals. The poor benefit from Medicaid. This is not a new concept in American politics. Protecting those that are vulnerable in society has been a priority among Democrats for decades.

Many of the complaints from some that have called President Obama a socialist were actually policies enacted during the Bush administration. TARP, otherwise known as the “bailout” for Wall Street, was a policy pushed by President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson in September 2008. It was Secretary Paulson that asked Congress for near limitless control over hundreds of billions of dollars with no oversight to speak of. The “auto bailout” began under President Bush as well. $17.4 billion was given to GM and Chrysler during the last month of the Bush administration (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16740.html).

The bottom line is that the country is not moving towards socialism. We live in a democracy where elections have consequences. Those upset with President Obama’s policies vocally opposed him before he was elected and they lost. We have a long tradition in this country of enacting programs that protect the poor and those in need, as well as regulate industries that abuse their power. Those policies will undoubtedly continue to be advanced by President Obama and Democrats in Congress, as well as future Democratic politicians.

Research 2000 also polled President Obama. Barack Obama was the first Democrat to win Indiana since Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 landslide victory. Despite a dip in support, the president is doing surprisingly well in this traditionally Republican state. His approval rating stands at 46%, only a few points below the national average of 50%, with 49% disapproving. While there is certainly room for improvement, he has a good chance of winning Indiana again in 2012 as the economy improves (and his approval rating with it).

In the race to challenge incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer, Republicans have three candidates to choose from. Among them are Campbell, who switched from the governor’s race to the Senate race. It appears that was a good move as he currently leads his two rivals, former HP CEO Carly Fiorina and Teabag candidate Chuck DeVore. PPIC finds that Campbell has 27%, 16% for Fiorina, and a distant third for DeVore at 8%. Fiorina has positioned herself as a moderate alternative to the ultra-conservative DeVore, but has not gained much traction. While Fiorina was the early favorite, particularly of the establishment, that is clearly no longer the case.

The general election is shaping up to be a Democratic win, though, as President Obama enjoys a 61% approval rating in the state (34% disapproval). That’s considerably higher than much of the rest of the country and indicates that the party’s coalition is holding up – at least in the Golden State. Compare that to Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger whose approval rating is in George W. Bush territory – only 30% approve and 60% disapprove. Barbara Boxer has an approval rating just below 50% at 49% with 44% saying that they disapprove.

The other major poll out is of the Illinois primary for Senate, which will be held tomorrow. Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, the State Treasurer, leads the pack with 31% support, compared to 23% for Hoffman, and 23% for Jackson. The Republican Party is set to nominate the moderate Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, a Chicago suburbanite that voted for President Obama’s cap-and-trade bill but now says that he opposes it. While his support for those policies helped him in his Democratic-leaning Chicago suburb district, it is not popular at all with Republicans. That said, Kirk manages to poll better than both Hoffman and Jackson in this heavily Democratic state. Either of them winning the primary puts this seat once held by President Obama in serious jeopardy. The general election polls are below:

42% Giannoulias, 34% Kirk
37% Kirk, 36% Hoffman
38% Kirk, 36% Jackson

While Giannoulias leads Kirk by a healthy 8%, his two competitors are in extremely tight races with Kirk. Also decided on Tuesday will be the candidates to replace Mark Kirk in his suburban Chicago district, as well as competitive primaries for governor in both parties.

The Chicago Tribune polled the race, which is set for February 2, 2010. Governor Quinn leads with 44% support, while Dan Hynes trails by only 4 points at 40% support. There are a large number of voters that are still undecided, leaving the race wide open. If Dan Hynes sounds like a familiar name, it is because he ran against Barack Obama in the Democratic Senate primary in 2004.

The Republicans are also going to the polls on February 2 to determine their candidate for governor. Andy McKenna, the former Republican Party Chairman in Illinois, has a tentative lead of 19% over Jim Ryan, who is staking 18% of the vote. Kirk Dillard, a former judge and current member of the Illinois State Senate, trails with 14% of the vote. Dillard is notable for having supported President Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign, being featured in an ad in Iowa.

With the Blagojevich scandal and budget cuts, one would think that the Republicans would have a decent shot at winning the Governor’s Mansion in Illinois. However, the GOP has an extremely weak bench in the state with zero statewide elected officials and dwindling members in the House. Democrats are looking to pick up Republican Mark Kirk’s House seat, a suburban Chicago district that went for Barack Obama, as he runs for the Senate in 2010. Either Quinn or Hynes would undoubtedly be favorites in the fall against a weak field of Republicans.

President Barack Obama won the election by 10 million votes. Not only did he win traditional swing states like Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, he also carried states that traditionally leaned Republican such as Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina and Nevada. For an organization with very limited resources, Republicans seem to think that ACORN has the ability to steal elections even in states with Republican governors (such as Indiana, Florida and Nevada) running the show.

A poll taken in September found that “42 percent of Republicans believe that President Obama was not born in the United States, while 22 percent still remain uncertain of his birthplace origin.” Finally, a third poll showing just how crazy the Republican Party has become asks respondents whether the president should be impeached. While only 20 percent of Americans support such action, 35 percent of Republicans believe that President Obama should be impeached.

The only grounds for impeachment, according to the Constitution are for “high crimes and misdemeanors”, something that arguably could be used against say – President Bush for ordering the use of torture and misleading the nation into a war. What exactly President Obama has done that constitutes a high crime – other than enact policies that the country voted for – I’m not quite sure.

These types of beliefs don’t mesh well with mainstream America. Believing that our president is not only illegitimate, but a secret Muslim born in another country is considered loony – even in most conservative circles. The Tea Party movement is clear in what they want to do. “Our goal is to take over the Republican Party,” Matt Kibbe said on Hardball. If the Republican Party does not get their crazy elements under control, a year in which they could make inroads, 2010 may end up seeing more Democrats getting elected to Congress.

Chicago is already recognized as a world class city. From its sprawling skyline, terrific museums, miles of sparkling beaches, vast diversity in ethnicities, cultures, foods and languages, Chicago is not only a microcosm of the United States, but of the world. Just pay a visit to Chinatown, Boystown or La Villita. Holding the Olympics would only add to its reputation of greatness.

A tremendous amount of time, money and planning has been put into Chicago’s bid to hold the 2016 Olympic Games. Everyone from Mayor Daley to average citizens have played their part. Now is time for President Obama to make his voice heard. Not because the city requires his star power, but instead to make the case that the United States wants to once again be a leader in the world.

President Obama is a product of many cultures, races and nationalities. He was born in Hawaii, spent a few years in Indonesia and graduated from Harvard. It’s fitting that President Obama made Chicago his home during his adult life. He represents the city well and would do the same in Europe if he were to make the trip to Copenhagen. Given the support the voters of Illinois have shown for him, it’s really the least he can do.