Preview of what the President's State of the Union Address Should Look Like

The election of Republican Scott Brown to fill Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts Senate seat has given the Republicans 41 members in the Senate and the likely ability to filibuster any bill, most notably A Health Care bill coming out of committee reconciliation.

The Democrats are stunned, demoralized, confused and even though they still claim large majorities in both the House and the Senate, acting more like the minority.

In his first year in office, President Barack Obama has attempted to be bipartisan, collaborative, considerate, compassionate and introspective. All good qualities in most cases, but apparently not good as the driving forces behind a presidency. He is at the same time being labeled as too conservative and too liberal, too aggressive and too accommodating, too cerebral and too clueless, taking on too much and not doing enough.

What Barack Obama needs is...to watch this speech given by Michael Douglas in his portrayal as President Andrew Shepard in "The American President".

Just replace the word "Republicans" every time he refers to Senator Bob Rumson (Richard Dreyfuss) and think of the Crime Bill as the Health Care bill.



Now, doesn't that make you feel better?

Note on other actors in "The American President" and future TV government roles - Martin Sheen would go on to play the well-loved character President Jed Bartlett in "The West Wing", and Michael J. Fox would go on to play Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty in "Spin City"