Best Sound Bite of the Night: Congresswoman Betty Sutton on the State of the Union

Hands down the best quote from the State of the Union responses came from Congresswoman Betty Sutton (D-OH). In an interview with NPR about President Obama’s statements and Daniels’ rebuttal, particularly about taxes and support for the middle class and unemployed, Congresswoman Sutton succinctly dismissed the illogical GOP position that supporting citizens was “big spending” and “big, intrusive government.”

Congresswoman Sutton stated, “Nobody wants a government on their back but they do want a government on their side.”

That absolutely should be the lede across the board, the new Democratic mantra, and a t-shirt.

Amen, Congresswoman Sutton.

Only moments before her statement, I had tweeted this comment in response to some of Governor Mitch Daniels’ missed target rebuttal:

And that is why I have turned to the Democrats as my party: what they want to regulate protects me as a citizen and makes me safe. They work to ensure we have safe foods (Senator Gillibrand) and safe drinking water (President Obama), as just two examples. Also as per the State of the Union, President Obama pledges to ensure I have affordable and accessible care for my health, protections for fair banking, reliable infrastructure for my safety, stable and solid quality education for my children, environmental protections for my well-being, and equal pay. Just to name a few.

Those happen to be some of my top tier issues.

Those happen to be a government on my side.

Conversely, the GOP is a government on my back: they want to prevent protections for me to access protected and affordable health care, they define insanity that doing the same thing over and over nets different results (trickle down economics, a market that behaves ethically and regulates itself plus provides fair access), and decide how I use my body, not to mention the whole forcing me and my kids into religious situations. Among other issues.

That’s a government on my back, and all up in my business. Yes, by which I mean…my uterus. For one.

Where’s their commitment to actually downsizing and saving? That sounds big and expensive (it is) and doesn’t seem to offer me much at all that I need or want.

No thanks. I’ll stick to the Sutton Theory of Government: On My Side, Not On My Back.

Fun Facts for Your Consumption:

• Texas is one of the most unregulated states. Particularly on insurance.
• 30% of Texans do not have health insurance, creating a burden on the system and localities. That’s the second worst in the nation. (Source.)
• Less than half of employers offer health insurance, but only 5% of Texans have individual plans. (Source.) Again, worse than the national average.
• 29% of children, 19% of adults (19-64), and 17% of elderly live in poverty in Texas. (Source.)
• The Texas “power to choose” energy deregulation has resulted in Texans paying at least 17% more for power than the national average. It’s among the highest in the nation. Areas outside “competitive zones” (more than 50% of the state) can pay significantly higher than that. (Source.)
• Pollution in Texas…just google Texas+Superfund.

Fun Facts About Congresswoman Sutton:

• She serves the 13th District, which is Northeastern Ohio.
• In 1997, she fought tirelessly from her post on the Commerce and Labor Committee, against attacks on workers’ compensation benefits.
• She opposes “corporate welfare.”
• The Congresswoman sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. Betty is Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and is Vice-Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Labor Council, the Congressional Automotive Caucus, and the Populist Caucus.
• Rep. Sutton worked with her colleagues in the House to ensure that the Jobs for Main Street Act (which was signed into law in March 2010) and AQUA Act (which passed the House in July 2010), include “Buy America” language.
• She helped lead the effort on Congressional ethics reform so that Northeast Ohioans will see policies that benefit all Americans, not special interests and a privileged few.