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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The president opened by celebrating Black History Month. Lady Democrats wore white.

Donald Trump delivered the most finely crafted speech of his political life Tuesday night in what will go down as one of the best speeches delivered to a joint session of Congress in the past two decades.

He hit stirring emotional high notes. And he laid out his vision for his presidency.

Mr. Trump stole the issue of affordable health care from Democrats. He unabashedly owned the fight against illegal immigration.

Obamacare is collapsing and we must act decisively to protect all Americans, he said. Action is not a choice it is a necessity.

In other words, Democrats led by President Obama swindled poor Americans into this disastrous program with their usual host of lies and false promises and now these good people are stranded. But Mr. Trump and Republicans are not going to leave these innocent Americans to dig themselves out of the mess Democrats put them in.

So I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans in the Congress to work with us to save Americans from this imploding Obamacare disaster.

When the camera panned to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi who, inexplicably, is still the Democratic leader in the House she looked like she had been sucking on the bitterest of lemons.

Strategically, it was brilliant. It completely cuts Democrats out of the debate.

And then the presidents salute to Megan Crowley, who is alive today because of the Herculean efforts by her father to find a drug to combat Pompe Disease, sealed the deal.

Mr. Trump then laid out the broad brush parameters of a health-care law he would like to see Republicans hammer out to replace Obamacare.

On illegal immigration, Mr. Trump held firm.

To any in Congress who do not believe we should enforce our laws, I would ask you this question: What would you say to the American family that loses their jobs, their income, or a loved one, because America refused to uphold its laws and defend its borders.

Another question he might have asked those in Congress who do not believe in enforcing immigration laws: If you dont like the immigration laws, why dont you change them? You are the only branch of government that can.

Mr. Trump also deplored the hellfire violence in Chicago and called education the civil rights issue of our time.

The senator from Illinois and other Democrats offered only the most paltry, perfunctory applause.

The entire speech was supremely presidential. But it wasnt without humor. After excoriating both Democrats and Republicans for spending $6 trillion in the Middle East, he said, we could have rebuilt our country twice.

He waited two beats. And maybe even three times if we had people who had the ability to negotiate, Mr. Trump said, dropping into his finest Apprentice tone of voice.

The camera panned to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who was exchanging perplexed glances with an equally befuddled senator. They didnt get the line. Apparently, Ms. Warren never achieved her merit badge for reading smoke signals.

In the end, Donald Trump so dominated the entire night that Democrats were left nothing but sullen protests.

The ladies wore white, but nobody was exactly sure why.

In a shocking development, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did not doze off during the hour long address. At least not on national television. She did not show up.

And in another development that absolutely nobody cared about, Rep. Eliot Engel, New York Democrat, announced he would not shake Mr. Trumps hand. It was not clear at press time if Mr. Trump even knows who Eliot Engel is.

There were so many protests on the Democratic side of the aisle, it was hard to keep track. Even the Democrats seemed confused about what they were protesting.

Rep. Joseph Crowley, New York Democrat, wore an giant pin protesting, well, not sure exactly what. It simply featured a large question mark.

In all honesty, that pin could be the partys entire platform in the next election.

Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes.com; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.

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Trump speech leaves Democrats befuddled, in ruins, with ...

New York Times

Health Care Is Front and Center in Democrats' Response to Trump Address New York Times In responding to President Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday, Democrats had to navigate between the expectations of their angry base in America's cities and the need to appeal to a broader array of voters in parts of the country where the ... Here's How Democrats Responded to President Trump's Congress AddressTIME Democrats say Trump already breaking promise to working classUSA TODAY Democrat giving response to Trump speech calls himself a RepublicanNew York Post The Federalist -AOL News -Yahoo Finance all 205 news articles »

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Health Care Is Front and Center in Democrats' Response to Trump Address - New York Times

WASHINGTON Democrats left PresidentDonaldTrumpsfirst address toCongressfeeling less like theyd watched a presidential speech and more like theyd wandered into an alternate universe.

Yes, they are still disappointed 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was not standing before the assembled lawmakers. But theyve moved beyond the November loss and now find themselves wrestling with a reality that, to put it bluntly, they find bizarre, and even threatening.

It was a surreal experience, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) told The Huffington Post moments after Trumps address. We have a reality show host in the White House masquerading as the president of the United States of America and half the country is still in complete shock.

For freshman Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a constitutional law professor who won election in November, it was unlike anything hes ever heard.

To me, it actually felt a little bit like The Hunger Games at points. There was something kind of dystopian, science fiction about the experience, he said. I looked up and I saw [former House Speaker] Newt Gingrich and suddenly I felt that I was transported to a different world.

Raskin added that Trumps remarks were toned down compared to the blood and gore and American carnage in the presidents inaugural address.

But the basic Steve Bannon program was still there, he said, referring to Trumps controversial chief strategist.

Pressed on if there was anything they liked in Trumps speech, several Democrats said his call for paid family leavebut nothing else. And the lack of specifics didnt surprise or sadden them.

Depressing? It wasnt. It was almost surreal, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said. This is someone who came from the reality show environment. Thats his platform.

Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.), the House Democratic Caucus Chair, also felt the entire day was surreal.

This president gives me a raison dtre to wake up every morning and say, What has he said today and how can I go after him? Crowley said. Ive got news for him this is not reality TV, this is the real deal.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) went into the chamber Tuesday night with little hope that Trump would strike a unifying tone.

One of the things weve learned in the last 15 months dont be surprised by what Donald Trump does, Hoyer told HuffPost. He almost always does what you dont expect, and does what you dont think he ought to be doing.

If anything, Democrats appeared energized. The address Trump gave Tuesday wont quell the unrest that has sprouted up in their states across the country.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) emailed a one-word statement after the speech: Resist.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) admitted there were rough days after election, but he appeared eager for the fights that are ahead of Democrats under Trumps presidency.

When Hillary first lost, I was shocked. And I taught my daughters they were shocked too, one of them was working for Hillary and I taught them the old Shirelles song, Mama said thered be days like this, thered be days like this my mama said, Schumer said.

But then he said he had an epiphany-like moment during the first week of Trumps presidency that had Clinton won the election, theyd have fun and get more good things done. But with Trump as president and with me as minority leader, my job was much more important because we were the backstop, just about the only one to Donald Trump, he added. And that steeled me.

Pointing to the debate raging over Trumps plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act as one example, Schumer said, Democrats are succeeding. Were on offense and my prediction is that odds are greater than half that we keep ACA, he said.

We need to be strong in the Senate, and they need to be strong in the streets, Schumer said, and if together, were working together, we can stop this guy and turn America back to where it should be going.

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Democrats On Donald Trump's Address To Congress: It Was 'Surreal' - Huffington Post

Congressional Democrats heard President Donald Trump dangle olive branches in their direction on Tuesday night but most departed his much-anticipated speech still deeply skeptical of Trumps interest in bipartisanship.

Trump threaded two ideas that retain Democratic appeal into his otherwise GOP-friendly remarks: an infrastructure plan that includes public investment and criticism of high prescription drug prices. He even earned some Democratic praise on the divisive topic of Obamacare for proposing that governors get the resources and flexibility they need to avoid cutting Medicaid coverage.

Story Continued Below

Yet the Democratic goodwill Trump earned with those priorities paled next to the disappointment among the minority, whose votes he will need to push many of his key priorities through the Senate. Most Democrats left Trumps speech predicting that his newly softened tone would not translate into different strategy or policy. And many panned a controversial new immigration proposal from the president.

Yeah, this wasnt one of his crazier speeches, but at some point hes actually got to follow through and do the things hes talking about, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in an interview.

Murphy added that I stood and applauded when I think he clearly, specifically, chose to pitch an infrastructure plan that involves public and private money, a potential break from Republican leaders leery of any new federal spending. But once again, were five weeks in and we dont even have a whiff of an infrastructure plan from the president.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), facing re-election next year in a state Trump carried by 19 percentage points, shrugged off Trumps rhetoric as unsupported by action.

There was a lot of talk in the speech, but we still havent seen a plan for any of it, McCaskill said in an interview. Not for any of it. If we knew it was so simple, all we could do is lower the price of health care and everyone gets it, we would have done that a long time ago.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) was more pointed.

It was more conciliatory, but it wasnt very substantive, the Illinois Democrat said in an interview. Trumps tone appeared calmer, Durbin later added, but well wait for the early morning tweets. Lets see how they look.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) graded Trump on a curve, saying that there were improvements in substance as well as tone given that Trump didnt lash out at the media or government employees behind recent leaks that have plagued his administration.

It was less concerning to our allies and less alarming to the average American than many of the speeches hes given in the last month, Coons offered.

Democratic members of congress wear aw U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on February 28, 2017 in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. | Getty

Other Democrats were kinder to Trumps invocations of infrastructure and prescription drugs. Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats, said that I shot out of my chair to applaud the talk of lowering drug prices, which Trump is expected to discuss at a meeting with a pair of Democrats next week.

Even Rep. Keith Ellison, the Democratic National Committees new deputy chair, allowed that "if he puts forth a meaningful infrastructure program, well look at it and well see."

"But that is an incredibly large leap," Ellison added. Given Trump's bitterly partisan and contentious first month in office, the Minnesota Democrat said, "he cant just say something to me and make me think, oh, awesome! No, no, no, no, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and Im not tasting nothing so far."

Other House Democrats condemned Trump's proposal for a new Department of Homeland Security office aimed at spotlighting victims of crimes perpetrated by immigrants. The proposed program vilifies an entire sector of our country, the immigrant community," House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) said in an interview.

Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), a potential challenger to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) next year, said that Trump's "tone was softer, not as bombastic," praising the president's talk of an infrastructure deal and action on expanding paid family leave.

"But his words, in many ways, were still very divisive," Castro added, slamming the DHS immigrant-crime-victims program as a bid to "use the abhorrent behavior of a few to generalize towards all. And thats unfair and its dangerous."

Delaware Sen. Tom Carper echoed several fellow Democrats in jokingly proposing that Trump keep using whichever speechwriter crafted his palpably warmer remarks Tuesday night. Still, Carper said, "with this fellow, you just dont know" whether a change in words would lead to a change in behavior.

"Lets see what he does," Carper said. "Well start getting a glimpse of that when we get a budget."

Burgess Everett and Heather Caygle contributed to this report.

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Democrats: Trump wasn't crazy, but let's see if he keeps it up - Politico

Now that President Trump has delivered his State of the Union-style address, my fellow Democrats are settling in for a long fight. Our new DNC Chairman Tom Perez is leading the charge, promising to be a nightmare for the president and his fellow Republicans.

The reason is clear: Mr. Perez tastes political blood in the water. Trumps approval rating is at historic lows, hammered by allegations of Russian collusion, a contentious immigration ban, and emotional Twitter outbursts.

Yet smart Democrats know that our position with the American people is just as weak. We hold the fewest number of state legislatures, governorships, and federal offices than at any point since the 1920s. And its a trend that started well before the 2016 election.

In short, America isnt buying what Democrats are selling.

The reasons for this are numerous, and they include efforts by Republicans to suppress voters in North Carolina and gerrymander Congressional districts in Wisconsin.

But finger pointing at GOP operatives hides a much more painful truth.

Six weeks ago, the U.S. Senate considered an amendment that would have allowed Americans to import cheap prescription drugs from Canada. This common sense solution would have saved families thousands of dollars and lives. Not surprisingly, 72 percent of voters supported the proposal.

Yet the amendment failed, with 14 Democratic Senators rejecting it.

What could explain their vote? Cynics highlight the fact that many of these officials collect large sums of campaign cash from pharmaceutical giants. Top collectors of drug money include Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), all of whom voted against the bill.

Fair or not, this leaves voters with a very clear impression: Democrats are more interested in securing their reelection than helping sick Americans.

Regrettably, this wouldnt be the first time weve been accused of abandoning principles for profit.

Starting in the mid 1990s, President Clinton and other Democrats embraced free trade deals first NAFTA and then with China despite clear warnings about the damage both would cause manufacturing America.

As it turns out, the alarms were well placed: studies have shown that these trade deals have left many communities throughout the U.S. in poverty and deeply mired in unemployment.

Why then were we surprised when these voters turned down Secretary Clinton considering her support for not only the trade deals but also the bankers who benefitted from them?

All told, many Americans have come to view us as hypocrites. And I dont blame them. We are Perezs nightmare.

Which leaves us with a critical question: how can Democrats win back these angry voters?

Contrary to Perezs recent statements, its not about communicating our affirmative message. Its about an apologizing for what weve done or chosen not to do.

Lets start with trade. For 20 years, my fellow Democrats have advanced global deals that left too many behind, particularly in rural and blue collar America. We discardeded our roots as champions of the working class in exchange for campaign contributions.

For that, America, we are sorry. We failed you.

While were at it, lets be honest about how weve tackled environmental issues. For 20 years, our important and virtuous commitment to a healthy planet wasnt properly balanced with the needs of workers in places like Appalachia and the Pacific Northwest. In other words, we shut down the coal and timber industries without a plan to safeguard the communities left behind.

For that, we are sorry. Democrats let you down.

Finally, we have failed the country in the realm of national security. For the past 20 years, our repeated mistakes in Iraq, Libya, and Syria have left American families with more death and less stability. These botched conflicts have also pushed refugees and terrorists on a chaotic march around the globe.

For that, we are sorry. We have blood on our hands.

Yet apologies ring hollow without a remedy. We have to repair the harm that weve caused in order to inspire a new beginning. Elected leaders like Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg are offering intriguing paths forward while Democrats like me are outlining initiatives like Our American Oath. This effort to be launched in the coming months promises a new covenant with the American people.

Without question, this approach of apologies and making amends is horrifying for hyper-partisan Democrats. In some cases, they (correctly) believe Republicans share equal blame. In other cases, its simply because they hate apologizing. I fully expect this to be their response.

And so does science.

In a book wonderfully titled, Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me), the authors reveal that our brains are hardwired to make us believe we are always right, even if faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Unfortunately, no one escapes this basic element of human psychology.

But believing were perfect takes a toll. In our personal lives, righteousness causes us to abandon or be abandoned by the people we cherish the most family, friends, and partners.

Its no different in our political lives. Just ask the voters in rural America and the Rust Belt who stayed home or voted for Trump in 2016. Or ask the voters who have punished us by reducing our power to the lowest levels since the 1920s.

All of which leaves the Democratic Party with an important choice. We can apologize and make amends, or we can walk down Perezs path of nightmares.

If we follow Perez, rest assured that we will continue to lose. Why? The humble majority of this country will grow ever more exhausted, first by Trumps fiery antics and then by our knee-jerk partisanship.

Alternatively, we can choose to be men and women who inspire integrity and humility. With an apology and better path forward, we can do something unique in American history: we will show that not only can we win an election but that we deserve to.

We will give America something to vote for, not against.

Bryan Dean Wright is a former CIA ops officer and member of the Democratic Party. He contributes on issues of politics, national security, and the economy. Follow him on Twitter @BryanDeanWright.

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I'm a Democrat and it's time for our party to apologize to America - Fox News