SOTU Drinking Game

When President Obama's fourth State of the Union address was taking place across all the major networks, some were following along playing the State of the Union drinking game.

The instructions are too numerous to list in their entirety, but here are some highlights:

Drink once every time you hear "progress," "let me be clear" or "make no mistake"
If you hear "debt," borrow a shot from a friend, promise you'll really pay it back this time
If you hear "deficit," finish your drink; borrow the drink of the person next to you and drink it too
Drink twice when the President calls a tax increase "asking someone to pay more"
When he adds a color qualifier to jobs ("green" jobs, "blue collar" jobs), drink one drink of the same color
When they show the First Lady, drink once. When they show the First Lady's arms, drink once, delivered by bicep curl
Drink once when they show Speaker Boehner. Drink again if he's crying.
Drink once if they show any of your Congressional representatives, then pat yourself on the back for being able to identify your Congressional representatives.

Should have made for a more entertaining SOTU, and if you fully comprehend the "actual" State of the Union, might go easier if you had a "buzz" on.

Doug Lamborn, GOP Congressman From Colorado, Will Boycott Obama's State Of The Union Address

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) announced plans Monday to boycott President Obama's State of the Union address.

In a statement, Lamborn said he won't be in attendance Tuesday when Obama addresses a joint session of Congress, in protest of his belief that the president will use the high-profile event for political gain. He says he'll watch on television instead and isn't attempting to get his colleagues to follow suit.

Lamborn, who made it clear that it would be the first State of the Union he has skipped, said he "believes the President is in full campaign mode" and will take the opportunity to launch attacks on his "political opponents." He also expressed his disapproval over the administration's rejection of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, as well as Obama's recent decision to recess appoint his nominees to head both the National Labor Relations Board and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Lamborn, who was named the "most conservative" member of Congress by National Journal in 2010, became embroiled in controversy last year when he referred to Obama as a "tar baby." He later apologized in a personal letter to the president.

While Lamborn claims that, as far as he knows, he is the only Republican passing on attending the address, Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) -- who last year tweeted during the address that Obama believed in "socialism" -- claimed that he watched the State of the Union every year from his office.

Not sure how I feel about this. I think I understand his reasons, but not sure if this is the way for him to go to show his concern. I would imagine that every President, in similar circumstances, was accused of the same thing. A politician is always campaigning, that's what they do. Personally, I have never heard of him, until now. Maybe it takes radical measures to be heard .........

Date Night ...... in Washington

The State of the Union address is a solemn affair. The president lays out his goals and accomplishments before a gathering of the powerful from across the government: Supreme Court justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, of course, Congress.


It's serious business. But this year it's earned a new nickname from pundits and lawmakers alike: Date Night!

To show their commitment to bipartisanship, some senators and representatives have pledged to sit with a member of the other party while listening to the president's speech.

It may sound trivial, but to people who watch Congress like a sport, this will be riveting. It's like the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins hanging out for a post-game beer. Coke and Pepsi talking bottle tops. Mozart and Salieri comparing compositions.

Crossing the Aisle

    The seating chart for the president's upcoming State of the Union address may look a little different this time around.
    Traditionally, Democrats and Republicans sit on opposite sides of the House Chamber for the speech, but this past week, Colorado's Sen. Mark Udall suggested the parties integrate the seating.
    It's not a rule that parties have separate seating arrangements, Udall tells Weekend Edition's Liane Hansen, it's just a custom.
    "It's a custom that's in some ways understandable," he says. But given the tragedy in Tucson and the elevated rhetoric of the last couple years, Udall thinks it's time for lawmakers to come together — at least symbolically.
    "One way to present a symbolic front to the country," he says, "would be to sit together and change that custom."
    "There's no hard-and-fast rule that we can't sit together," Colorado senator Mark Udall says.
    Sitting on opposite sides of the chamber goes back decades, but Udall notes there have been exceptions, like the Committee on Homeland Security led by senators Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins. Members of that committee sit in an "intermixed fashion," he says, "so there's no hard-and-fast rule that we can't sit together."but I'll take a right," he says.
    Some of the best seats for the State of the Union address are the ones on the aisle — it's a better chance to shake hands with the president. To avoid a lunchroom scramble where senators save seats for each other, Udall recommends an orderly procession.
    "Each one of us could walk over with a fellow senator from the other party," he says. Each pair of senators could then alternate heading left and right to reach their seats. "It could happen just organically."
    Udall says he's received support for the idea from both parties, with both Democratic and Republican senators saying they'll participate in a new seating arrangement. Whether they do or not, Udall is committed.
    "Normally, my custom would be to take a left and go sit on the Democratic side of the House Chamber,     "I predict there will be a lot of senators who will join me."