No Speaker, nor Majority Leader has ever denied a President the opportunity to address a Joint Session.
If Speaker Boehner were to deny the President on this occasion, he would be acting even more petty and classless than the President in requesting the Wednesday date opposite the Repulican debate.
We don't need that.
I disagree. Congress does not come back from the August recess until 6:30 PM. Obama wants to speak at 8 PM. There is no logistical time for security and procedural reasons to comply with the President’s request.
This should have been hashed out in private. Obama gets what he deserves. Now he is truly backed in a corner.
The President’s speech, the Republican debate and the kick-off of the NFL season are interest driven events. People interested in the same ‘ole satan sandwhich, served-up by the President aren’t going to benefit our cause in any case. I’ll be watching the debate!
I wonder if any president has ever had this many joint session speeches. I can only remember Bush doing his just after 9/11. Maybe my hatred for Obama and his narcissism has fogged my memory...