Giffords’ adieu at Obama’s SOTU 2012

It was a year ago when an assassin put a bullet through Gabrielle Giffords’ head at a public meeting with her constituency in the 8th Congressional District of the State of Arizona. Known as a “Blue Dog Democrat” who identifies herself as a “former Republican,” Giffords was a target of Republican ire. She was serving her third term in office that she retained in the last election even with a Sarah Palin PAC backing her opponent’s challenge.

On that fateful day a year ago, one of the casualties was a vet’s wife who came to the meeting to protest Giffords voting record characterized by the media as “liberal.” The widowed protester’s anger has not abated; he recently said that Gabrielle should not be in Congress.

The congresswoman commemorated the first anniversary of her near fatal incident by vacating her seat in Congress, officially to take effect this week. Her miraculous medical recovery nevertheless shows a considerable diminution of her alertness and ability, and she saw fairness to her constituency in relinquishing what heretofore might very well be known as “Giffords’ seat.” Congress, in her honor, will fast track a bill she sponsored before she leaves Congress.

Emerging icon Gabrielle Dee “Gabby” Giffords, who shared a tight hug with Barack, was seated with colleagues for the last time to hear the President’s third SOTU while husband, a former astronaut and flight commander of the space shuttles Discovery and Endeavor, was seated with first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s entourage.

In the current intense GOP tussle between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich, with the national GOP still hoping for a third candidate to emerge (of those still in the running, Ron Paul is too libertarian and Rick Santurom is preaching to the choir on homophobia and anti-abortion), Obama remains unopposed in the Democratic ticket.

Obama has maintained a centrist position bailing out corporate Wall Street America while dogging al-Qaida operatives, winding down the war in Iraq and Afghanistan but flexing muscles in a containment policy on China, guarding the global oil spigot while retaining preeminent monetary exchange status of the U$ currency.

Obama’s theme held no sudden surprises. The President called for a fair shot at economic success for everyone at a time when 1 percent of the U.S. population has a total higher asset than the remaining 99 percent. This embarrassing inequality in distributive justice stands in contrast with a nation that prides itself of a broad middle class as its economic, political, and cultural strength.

Obama’s invitatory vision is of “America that leads the world in educating its people, that attracts high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs, that has a future where we’re in control of our own energy, and our security and prosperity aren’t so tied to unstable parts of the world, an economy built to last, where hard work pays off, and responsibility is rewarded.”

To boost debt-ridden economy tops Obama’s priority with a perspective on strengthening the middle class. Obama’s familiar four beats focus on domestic manufacturing, green energy, competent workers and pragmatic values.

With cheap manufacturing elsewhere, the first beat follows Japan’s protection of its domestic consumer product makers. Japanese tourists buy toothpaste and detergent on Saipan that Nippon’s costly protected sector is manufacturing.

The 3 percent of the U.S. population involved in manufacturing needs upgrading of competence and high tech sophistication to be globally competitive. The classic story of Apple wanting an iPhone cover that is scratch-resistant tells of outsourcing elsewhere as the engineers and workers needed were not readily available or affordable in country, but were instantly assembled at less cost in China!

The obvious task of educating the workers to meet technology upgrade and competitive finances is obvious. Obama reiterated his call at the Honolulu APEC for all the nations to “play by the rules” (directed at China), and now is leveling the playing field at home so equity is comprehensively spread out.

Obama preached. Americans work hard and play by the rules, he intoned, so the government and the financial system must do likewise. “It’s time to apply the same rules from top to bottom: No bailouts, no handouts, and no copouts. An America built to last insists on responsibility from everybody.”

This will not come easy. The global economy does not respect national priorities. Tech support for my U.S. laptop is in India, and a colleague changed a U.S. airline booking date talking to a voice in Baguio, the Philippines.

Responsibility from everybody echoes Reagan’s satirical comment that there is no such thing as free lunch! That tone cuts deep in the CNMI where we excel in entitlement but are short on the sense of responsibility. Shared responsibility does not require a national passport; it only requires fairness and is universal.

Giffords paid dearly for walking her talk. There are those who think Obama walks his talk too fast and aim to silence his voice; some want him to quit dallying and hurry. SUTO 2012 indicates an Obama second term, where like Republican Abe Lincoln, government will not do what citizens themselves can do for themselves. Let’s hope the trigger-happies, like the one who already made Giffords’ acquaintance, will stay away, or be kept at bay!