Few will have the opportunity to watch Obama's speech, even if they wanted to. Here is why.

What a genuine goof this president is, even more so than I remember Carter being. With the beginning of August, Obama began to feel the pressure as to his failure to adequately plan for the current recession. So, he began to make claims about his "new" economic plan that we all knew were not true. How could that be?

And then, in his wee little political mind, he thought to himself, "I know what I will do. I will call for a joint session of congress, forcing the Republicans to attend and giving me national exposure, televised time to humiliate the GOP leadership and turn my falling numbers around. Better yet, I will schedule the event for the same evening of the GOP debate, in California. After all, I am the President of the United States. They have to accept my request."

Indeed, no president had ever been refused his requested time slot. But the House was not scheduled to come back from their August recess and begin work until Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm. It takes nearly 3 hours to "clear" the building for security concerns, giving Obama an evening time slot of around 9 pm, Eastern time . . . . midnight California time. Some suggest that this "clearing" business could have been done during the afternoon. The problem with that is found in the fact that the House (and the Senate) has to vote its acceptance of this respect. That could not happen until the House comes into session.

Anyway, I rather think this is how this idiocy first came to be.

Speaker Boehner really had no choice but to ask the Novice to wait. He did not demand this of Obama. His letter to Obama was highly respectful, not demanding in the slightest . . . . . . . and Obama agreed. So the speech was moved to Thursday night.

Problem. Thursday evening was the scheduled first game of the long awaited NFL 2011/2012 season. And the opening game is one of the best games of the entire season, at least, potentially. The past two Super Bowl champions, New Orleans and Green Bay, as the opening act of the new NFL season.

As a result, "prime time" was out.

In the meantime, it became clear to Obama that the nation and world were viewing this speech as one of the most important of his political career. How did that happen? I am certain that Obama wants to know.

He called for a joint session of congress. Only two joint sessions have been called over the past 11 years; Bush in 2001, addressing the nation concerning 9/11 and Obama, 2009, announcing his plan for a comprehensive health care reform bill. Since Reagan, there have been only 8 such sessions (not counting State of the Union addresses), all of which were of serious national concern, none of which were for purely political purposes, only one of which ( half of the September 9, 2009 speech) were used as opportunities to blast the opposing party.

Thursday night marks a huge shift in priorities when it comes to a joint session speech. For the first time in history, a joint session will be used to kick off a political campaign. For the first time in history, a joint session will not be delivered in prime time. And, today, we learn that the GOP will not offer a rebuttal of any kind to this speech. When he is done talking and talking and talking, the assembly will adjourn and everyone will get up and go home.

Pelosi is furious over this last eventuality. "No respect" is her criticism, as if she showed any respect at all for George W Bush. Heck, if it were left to her wishes, she would bring Bush up on war crimes charges. "No respect" indeed !!

Finally, understand that the Thursday speech will start at 7 pm. West Coast and Central times put this speech in the "rush hour" for the nation's work force. No one is going to watch because half of the nation will be in their cars, on their way home from work, and the other half, well, most them no longer care what the man has to say.

Time for talk is past. Time for action is here.