House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said he was honored to preside over his first State of the Union speech, but panned President Obama’s final congressional address.
“I can’t say I was disappointed by the president’s speech, but that’s because I wasn’t expecting much,” Ryan said. “As usual, the president tried to manage people’s perceptions instead of confronting reality: His policies aren’t working.
“If everything were as great as he said it was, two-thirds of the American people wouldn’t say the country is on the wrong track,” Ryan said, citing the latest polls. “Success doesn’t need hype; it speaks for itself. I just wish the president had leveled with the people — or at least with himself.”
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, by contrast, was “optimistic” with her Republican rebuttal, Ryan said.
“The vision she outlined for our country was inclusive and optimistic, and perhaps most important, it was grounded in reality,” he said.
