But What About Kratovil?

Dems: Thumbs up to Obama speech
But Bartlett cites ‘hypocrisy' in calls to work together

Predictably, Maryland's Democratic-dominated congressional caucus praised President Barack Obama's first State of the Union speech, while the lone Republican was less than impressed.

U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington called Obama's speech a "clear plan" to creating jobs.

"As he said tonight, our economy is in better shape than it was this time last year, but there is more we must do to create long-term economic growth and broadly shared prosperity," Van Hollen said.

He added that Obama seemed to capture the mood of the country well. "We've come through a difficult economic period and getting back on our feet and optimistic about pulling ourselves out of the ditch," Van Hollen said.

U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington said Obama hit every issue she wanted him to cover in his 70-minute speech.

"He really focused on jobs and small businesses that create jobs, and that's what we need," Edwards said.

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