Republicans and Democrats alike seemed surprised to be met with a chuckling, comedic President Obama inside the House chamber tonight during his first official State of the Union address.
TPMDC had a perch in the press gallery directly above the Speaker’s well, so I had the opposite view of the American people watching on television. While everyone else saw Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Vice President Joe Biden and the reaction shots chosen by camera crews, I had a view of the entire gathering of the House, Senate and members of the Obama administration for the duration of the speech.
The big question was whether Rep. Joe Wilson of “You lie!” fame or other House Republicans might display anti-Obama antics, but beyond grumbling that was sort of standard for a State of the Union, that didn’t happen.
But what did catch the attention of some in the back of the Democratic side of the House was an unexpected shout of “Mister President!” from someone standing to the side of the chamber seats. It came as Obama talked about helping countries abroad.
Reporters leaned over as far as they could see when the shout drifted up to the gallery. Photographers snapped away. A photographer who saw the man who shouted told TPMDC that after the outburst he was surrounded by people who were presumably chamber staff. He did not shout anything else and he was not escorted out, the photographer said. A reporter closer to that section of the chamber told me that he said “Mister President don’t forget Haiti,” and applauded when Obama mentioned the earthquake devastated nation. House gallery staff said they believe the man is from the diplomatic corps.
The shout drew the attention of Obama’s Cabinet members, who had a full view of the man. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack craned his neck to see what was happening.
It might have seemed like three moderate Republicans were popping up to cheer for Democratic ideas, but that was actually three Democrats infiltrating the minority party’s side of the chamber. Some were baffled when Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Harry Teague (D-NM) and John Adler (D-NJ) stood from a sea of Republicans sitting on their hands to applaud the stimulus plan.
When members first streamed into the chamber before the speech began, Wilson and Sen. John McCain chatted at length, smiling and gesturing.
Several members were scanning BlackBerries from the floor, with Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) vigorously typing. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) spent much of the speech writing on a stack of paper.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) embraced as they took their seats, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) sat with her arms crossed most of the evening.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a former Democratic senator from Colorado, spent more time than his counterparts speaking with Senate Republicans. He hugged Sens. Tom Coburn and John Ensign and spent time laughing with Sens. Jim DeMint and David Vitter, and kissed Sen. Susan Collins.
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican Congressman from Illinois, also spent time chatting up Republicans. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis mingled with her former Democratic colleagues in the House.
Obama pointedly gave embattled Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner a big hug as he walked into the chamber.
When Obama said a jobs bill should be “the first order of business this year” for the Senate, someone on the Democratic side shouted “Do something!”
The closest any Republicans got to openly heckling was when Obama talked about climate change and cited “overwhelming scientific evidence.” “Even if you doubt the evidence …” he said, earning laughs and a Republican shouting, “Yes!”
MSNBC’s Ed Schultz was among the guests in Pelosi’s gallery section, along with Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty. Schultz, considering a Senate bid in North Dakota, has openly criticized Obama and did not applaud as frequently as the Democrats in the chamber below him.
Obama’s joking routine “I thought I’d get some applause at that” and “By now it should be fairly obvious that I didn’t take on health care because it was good politics,” earned more laughs from members than I’ve heard in at least six years in Washington.
Nelson, whose support for the reform bill has been on-again-off-again for months, laughed heartily at the health care line.
When Obama talked about “what we did for eight years” that lead to record deficits, Democrats cheered loudly and one person from that side of the chamber could be heard saying, “Oh, snap!”
As Obama proposed all earmark requests be posted online, Appropriations Chairman Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI) and Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) were deep in conversation, and did not applaud.
Republican Senators smirked when Obama talked about sixty votes being needed in the Senate, and Coburn (R-OK) did not flinch when Obama singled out a “few individual senators” who hold up legislation, a description which he matches since he places holds on many bills and nominations.
Late Update: Connolly’s office tells us he arrived a little late into the chamber.
