[post-liveblog update, exclusive to Max Zawicky readers: the more astute of you will recognize in this liveblog a general tone of cheekiness mixed into the actual “coverage”; others of you, however, will pretend—as Max has—that my political leanings really do have me desirious of seeing Cindy Sheehan chained to a radiator and forced to lick pork-mottled Vandekamps out of a tin saucer]
TV Fox – Hume, Kristol, Barnes, Kondracke, Easton, etc. (prelim) Sheehan removed from gallery. Charge? Who cares? Tried to unroll a banner. Being detained. My advice? Cuff her to a space heater and give her a plate of beans.
Alito, wearing robe, enters the hall. Instinctively, Amanda Marcotte clenches her vaginal muscles to protect her uterus.
President introduced.
Laura in pink, like a birthday cake. Pelosi in Cardinal red power suit. Like Jezebel. Or the devil. Or a really old red thing.
Games begin: Hastert, portly; Cheney, virile; Bush, in pale blue tie and dark suit, notes the passing of Coretta Scott King.
Bush: State of the Union Strong.
The US must lead. Misguided idealism? HA! Our future depends on our willingness to spread democracy—replace resentment with hope. We will act boldly in freedom’s cause.
[Cut to: McCain, whose face says, “You’re standing at my podium, BITCH!”]
Democracy now in half the world.
Radical Islam—and ideology of terror and death. We must take the declared intentions of bin Laden, et al, seriously. Which, pace Murtha, Kerry, Pelosi, Dean, etc., does not mean pretending to take them seriously, then getting back to the business of smoking bans and gas taxes.
[Cut to Pelosi: Beelzebub in heels, her face stretched like an Ed Gein lampshade: applauds politely. Charlie Rangel? Trying to get the man on his right to vote to institute the draft]
We remain on the offensive against terror networks as democracies are being built.
On Iraq: the insurgency will be marginalized as corruption is fought, infrastructure is rebuilt, coalitions built. Iraqis are brave; and we are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom.
Enemy is ruthless, but we are winning. [Half gallery stands; most Dems sit. Harry Reid waves a white hankerchief before the man on his left pulls it away and slaps him on the wrist].
We have benefitted from the counsel of Congress—both parties. But hindsight alone is not wisdom, and second-guessing is not a strategy. We have changed our tactics when necessary, and progress is steady and sure.
[Cut to Kerry, playing with his hair. No, seriously. He was patting the sprayed and coiffed thing like it was some graying lapdog that he found, quite mysteriously, perched atop his dome. But hey—let nobody say he’s cold of heart]
A shoutout to the troops! Special tribute to Staff Sgt Daniel Clay.
Ultimately, the only way to defeat the terrorists is political freedom. US supports democratic reform. Voting important, but just a beginning. Democracies run on the rule of law, and last longer than a single vote.
Hamas must recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism. [Applause, though Carl Levin looked like he may have eaten a bad blintz].
M.E. democracies will not look like our own—they will reflect the traditions of the region. But they will neverless bring liberty, which brings an end to violent conflict.
On Iran: The nations of the world MUST NOT LET THE IRANIANS GAIN NUCLEAR WEAPONS [Cheney / Hastert stand; Mohammed El Baradei takes two Alka Selzer and slides into a nice, soft, terry cloth robe]
Bush speaks directly to the people of Iran and pledges to help.
****
On to human rights:
Regions overrun with despair are susceptible to human trafficking, crime, drug trade, disease.
The US must help.
At home, we must remember that the enemy STILL WISHES TO ATTACK. Professionals are looking out for us. Renew the PATRIOT Act.
On NSA—Bush claims constitutional authority to approve wiretaps; other presidents have used the constitutional authority; courts have approved that authority; key Congressman briefed.
We will not sit back and wait to be hit again.
[Cut to: Hillary Clinton, shaking her head, bemused. If I had to guess, I’d say she was thinking this: “God, what an asshole this guy is!” Glenn Greenwald, et al, are no doubt having similar thoughts]
Economy: healthy, vigorous, growing faster than other major industrialized nations (more new jobs than Japan and EU combined).
We cannot afford to be complacent in a dynamic world economy. This gives rise to old fears and their concomitant actions: protectionism; centralized, controlling government.
But such fears lead to a stagnant economy. The correct course is to compete and grow. 4 years of uninterrupted economic growth since tax relief; we should make it permanent. America needs more than temporary tax relief.
[Half gallery stands; Dems sit and dream of funding the arts]
More that 140 programs to be cut. Deficit still on the path to cut in half by 2009. Earmark reform? McCain clapped like a seal with a fresh mackerel in his maw. The way to do that: Line Item Veto.
Bush jokes about how GHW Bush is a fan of both W and President Clinton. [Cut to Hillary, who, if I had to guess by the look on her face, is thinking “God, how I HATE this fucker.”]
Bush notes social security reform failed: Dems finally stand. YAY, OBSTRUCTIONISM! YAY, POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM!
But the problem is not going away, says Bush. Dems back on their hands.
Immigration: keeping American competitive requires immigrants; but we also need stronger border enforcement. Guest worker program—but one that rejects amnesty.
Affordable healthcare: we must confront rising cost of care; health information technology, health savings accounts with advantages for small businesses, portability of coverage, and a call for medical liability reform.
America is addicted to oil: Already, 10 billion spent. 22% increase Dept of Energy initiative to wean us off oil: clean coal, wind, and nuclear energy.
Research into batteries for electric / hybrid cars. Ethanol from woodchips, switch grass. Practical and competitive within six years.
By 2025, dependence on M.E. oil a thing of the past. [Cut to: Glenn Reynolds, whose army of nanobots build him a cornbeef sandwich and a side of cheese fries]
American Competitiveness Initiative (math and science, nanotechnology, alternative energy—more research in both public and private sectors—the hope being that the US continues to lead in innovation).
The Humanities? Fuck ‘em. Who needs another generation of Ward Churchills (paraphrasing)
Our greatness as a nation measured by who we are, and how we treat one another. Violent crime rates at lowest level since 70s. Drug use down 19% in last decade. Welfare down. Fewer abortions; fewer teens giving birth. The reason? A return to the ethos of personal responsibility.
The message of America, as always, is optimism.
Courts: Roberts and Alito cited. [Cut to: Alito, smiling, proud, humble; cut to Ted Kennedy, sipping absinthe and sugar water out of Diane Feinstein’s shoe]. Activists courts: bad. And that means Kelo and Raich—not just on issues of right to life.
A call for a pledge to ban human cloning, human-animal hybrid, selling of human life.
Ethics: Uh, for them.
Louisiana—the rebuilding of NO—as a metaphor for the hope of all America.
End waiting list for AIDS medicines in America (Renew Ryan White Act); working with faith-based groups to administer testing. [Cut to John Kerry, who looks to be thinking of a nice piece of roughy and asparagus in a cream sauce]
Before history is written in books, it is written in courage. We will finish well. And move forward. Optimistic. Faithful of its cause. And confident of the victories to come.
PRAISE JESUS
*****
Hume notes: 51 minutes; 60-some odd interruptions for applause
Kondracke: energy initiative a sea-change; Easton: leaves himself open to charge that he is cribbing Dem ideas on energy (though please—renewed commitment to nuclear energy, that is a big deal, potentially).
Kristol: conservatives won’t be happy; commitment to Iran not strong enough (though that could be just the venue)
Barnes: Foreign policy strong; pitch to Iranian people good.
Kondracke: Sees a rhetorical set up: those who choose not to follow can be tagged as “defeatists,” “isolationists,” “protectionists.”
Was there an overall theme? Kristol thinks the tone was too conciliatory; Kondracke brings up an interesting point, though: The White House believes the Dems will implode on their own and make the GOP look more serious.
Dick Morris is not likely to applaud the approach.
*****
Dem Response: VA Gov Tim Kaine. Seems like a nice enough fella, though the eyebrow thing? Creepy.
The message: There’s a better way. (Hey? Michael Ritchie movie, The Candidate? Remind me to look that up, but I think Redford’s slogan was similar. c. 1972. Around the same time the philosophy of the current Dem leadership was forged, is my guess).
But I digress.
That better way? Service and management from government. Government is your fire fighter, your teacher, your law enforcement officer, your bill payer, your mommy, your daddy, your lover, and your friend.
MASSIVE DEFICITS means tax cuts shouldn’t be made permanent. There is a better way. TAX INCREASES! A kinder, gentler, more helpful government who—let’s remember, is your pal. Your poker buddy.
Throwing a party? Who better to bring the chips and beer than government? Who better to choose the music? Who better to have a smoke with?
(We kid on that last bit. But see? Government has a sense of humor!)
There’s a better way.
A better way.
Better.
Way.
And it all involves more government. Bigger government. Friendlier, more active government. Don’t think of it as intrusion. Think of it as a giant government hug—or, if you prefer, a nice big government spoon at the end of the party, after all the beer is gone and you find yourself in bed, nude, bruised, feeling cheap and used.
Oh. And Dems are MUCH stronger on the war on terror. Just so you know. Body armor and such. Which explains why soldiers vote overwhelming for Democrats. And if not, they SHOULD.
There’s a better way: focus on service. Government. Mommy. Your nanny. Your babysitter. If America is to work at all, we need to turn everything over to government. Simple as that. Because—well, THAT’S THE BETTER WAY.
****
Your thoughts?
Michelle Malkin has a round-up of other live blogging of the event here. See also, IP, The Corner, GayPatriot, Hugh Hewitt, David Corn, and Captain Ed
ha! i was wondering where mccain must be. maybe they caught him at an odd angle. but i like your description better.
Damn. When he said that the “state of the union is strong” that was supposed to be the cue to have Pinch Schulzberger marched into the hall in irons, put into stocks, and pelted with rotten vegetables.
Holla back, CinC!
Nancy Pelosi seemed suprised by some of the things the President had to say.
Oh wait…she always looks surprised.
…face stretched like an Ed Gein lampshade…?
God, you’re evil.
Funny as hell, but eeee-vil…
Has anybody seen Ted Kennedy?
I’m tending a sick child tonight, so I hope it’s a good speech.
Turing = wall, as in “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” kind of a good speech.
But just think: if we had an upper-class Dem instead of a moron cowboy for President, we could have SOTU speeches sprinkled with words like “yclept”, “litotes”, and “rebarbative”.
Turing = far, as in Wouldn’t that be far out?
Closest he’s ever gotten to even approaching a Reaganesque moment.
Best line of the speech…
By “conservatives”, Billy Kristol means McCainiacs like himself.
Ed Gein lampshade. You had me at Ed Gein lampshade.
interesting, in the “hopeful” part of his speech on new industry, he mentions nanotech, alternative energy research, but no mention of biotech. Can we really afford NOT to lead the world in biotech research? If he does succeed, scientists will leave this country in droves.
i think he won’t be able ban those things he describes, couched in his silly, bombastic culture-of-life rhetoric. we can’t afford to be left behind.
and obviously he hasn’t a clue about what nanotech is all about. we use RNA assemblers to stack molecules to build things. protein machines, RNA and DNA–the stuff of life. there is a huge bleed over between biotech and nanotech. With nanotech we’ll be able to re-engineer defective fetuses in the womb. we’ll be able to improve them. We’ll be able to live nearly forever. But nanotech is good and biotech is bad?
Dolt, they’re the same thing!!
They’re both Science.
Best wrapup on the web, LOL!
I thought Hillary was thinking “thank Jesus I don’t have to run against this guy.”
Is there a guy that has to pull a string on Gov Kaines back every five seconds so that he can talk?
Choopy…
oh…everything else he said was good.
The the ‘two of my dad’s favorite people’ line, I thought Hillary was thinking, “You all love Bill so much? You marry him.”
But on Bush’s line about the future having Presidents from both parties, she seemed to perk up a little bit.
My heart hurt a little for Kaine in his rebuttal. He was so sweetly nervous, I might have to vote for him sometime.
NICE! An Ed Gein reference. I do agree with Barnes and Kristol on the Iran thing. I would have preferred a bolder line in the sand. Like, “As long as I’m president, you biotches will NEVER get a nucular weapon, even if I have to make your little shithole look like Bikini Atoll in 1946.”
Purple lips. Kaine has purple lips.
It is not my TV.
He has drunk from the cup.
Best quote: “Two years ago, Virginia fixed EVERYTHING!”
Yeah—with the a BIG tax increase, which, with all their calculated “the sky is falling” yielded a huge surplus in its first year. The LibDems can’t spend it fast enough now.
God.
Doesn’t anything qualify as sedition?
Jeff:
I hope you don’t go all minimal on us. It’s tough to know which criticism is warranted. I sent sample chapters of my novel to a big literary agent, and she liked the characters, dialog, and plot, but I wrote too much like the music journalist I once was.
The story was too “chunked” was what she said, which initially made me worry that she thought my work was like the diced carrots that for some reason are always present in vomit, but she meant that it didn’t flow. Like vomit. Also, my narrative voice was too self-conscious.
After that, I couldn’t write for two weeks. Because I was too self-conscious.
But I eventually rewrote the bastard, and I’m going to try selling it again, starting tomorrow.
So don’t get self-conscious, okay? Reading you is good for my brain, the way long-distance running is good for my lungs. It takes discipline and patience, but in the end I’m rewarded by appreciable improvement.
Kaine might have reminded you of a TV weather guy, cause like the TV weather guy has about as much idea what the next snowstorm is going to do 48 hours out, Tim Kaine has no real clue what this ‘Better Way’ really is.
Unless a focus group and some polls hit him over the head, and his advisors slip him some talking points, that is.
But alas, Virginia voted for him – which I hope every frickin pothole in every mismanaged roadway in this state remind them of, here in the ‘best managed state in the country’.
Nope, nope, CraigC – that’d be a timetable for withdrawal, and our enemies would just wait us out. Better to leave alive the fear that he’ll declare himself President-For-Life by not discussing it publicly. So say I.
Anybody else note the change in tone in the chamber when Bush moved from foreign policy to domestic? Suddenly they were all a bunch of buddies, chortling at their occasional spats. Nothing seemed serious from there on out from the seats. It was fun to watch the Democratic side surreptitiously looking around at one another to see if anybody was clapping or standing – and frickin’ hilarious when they all stood up to celebrate their complete inertia and lack of ideas on Social Security. The Republican side had the easier time, of course, since they knew to applaud all the time and the only question was whether to stand up or not, but you’d think the Dems would’ve assigned some dressage symbols or something.
“There’s a better way, but I’m not going to tell you what it is – you have to elect us first!”
Notice it’s the LEFT eyebrow.
I didn’t realize Marcotte ever unclenched.
Pushing freedom and scientific achievement, excellent. When he specfically mentioned nano and AI and said “we’re on the adge of amazing breakthroughs” I thought he might have read Kurzweil’s book this year.
I was surprised by the mention of the line-item veto. I thought that was long dead. Is it comeing back? Couldn’t hurt the budget any.
Overall much better than I expected.
Was it an eyebrow? I thought somebody glued a live caterpillar on his face.
California Congresswoman Lynn Woosley was the ass-hat who invited Cindy Sheehan to tonight’s State of the Union Address. Her sole reason was to disrespect our Commander in Chief. Let her know how you feel:
http://woolsey.house.gov/contactemailform.asp
You missed the part about Mrs. Alito bitch-slapping Ted Kennedy. But, that was later and off camera.
Probably an idle question: HOW THE HELL DID SHEEHAN GET A BANNER INTO THE FREAKING CAPITOL GALLERY?!? What pissant Dem congressdrone or faceless staffer helped out with that?
NO BLOOD FOR SLOGANS!!!
Jeff, you are the absolute best!!! I can’t stop laughing, and you’ve got the funniest commenters too. Thank you!
Sheehan didn’t have a banner, it was her t-shirt. She refused to cover it up.
Alito was cute sitting there in the front row! I liked his ironic sense of humor, with his blood-splattered robes and the hanger stuck up in his hair.
Loved Martha’s new razor cut and edgy glasses too.
Also loved the Dems enthusiasm at their full on failure to even address Social Security. Didn’t P say “if you got a better idea, layout”?
lay “it” out.
Being a blogger in Virginia:
Here
We are sorry about Kaine. The eyebrow is how he hypnotizes you.. to… vote… for …him…must sleep
Notice Lynn Woosley’s district covers Sonoma and MARIN
:::cough::: Johnny Walker Lindh ::::cough::::
Husband and I watched it, not the “response”. Very impressed with GW who, when he’s really on, is not the mumbling chimp the Left wishes he was. Husband then went to check the headlines …
… and I heard him screaming about AP’s “reporting”. Every other sentence is sprinkle with “Bush really sucks” stuff.
Thought there for a moment that we might have to buy a new computer cuz he almost chucked it out the 2nd story window.
Maggie
Cindy will whore anywhere to see her name in the media one more time. Bet you that if they had ignored her, she would have taken OFF that t-shirt
and blinded everyone in the room
pssst, I have a secret:
THERE’S A BETTER WAY…
Sounds like a car dealership slogan
Pushing freedom and scientific achievement, excellent. When he specfically mentioned nano and AI and said “we’re on the adge of amazing breakthroughs†I thought he might have read Kurzweil’s book this year.
hardly, talldave.
didn’t you read my comment?
Is it really good form for the leader of the free world to publically declare himself a bio-luddite?
Again? (i’m referring to his intemperate remarks on ID).
i’m pretty sick of these pols pimping nanotech like it’s gonna solve all our economic woes, when they haven’t a clue about what it is.
Cindy’s T-Shirt
A bit better than her underpants.
The Democrats took another little piece of my heart when they took a standing ovation for themselves for completely destroying Social Security reform. As I keep telling my doctor, the best way to fight a degenerative disease is to completely ignore it.
.
And once again, I watched “P. T. 109” Kerry and was totally amazed that ANY sentient being could possibly vote for this asshole who keeps a poodle on top of his head. But then again, Mass. also has Kennedy as their other Senator. Must have something to do with the Quasapaug Reservoir.
ACK! Wesley Clark is on my TV, and I have to go change the channel before I throw up. This moron was in charge of Kosovo? Please tell me I’m wrong…
Wesley Clark’s, Eason Jordan MOMENT
Is now repeating soldiers are “beating down doors and roughing up the women” and hopes we are past that??????Hannity calls him out on the carpet on it .
Alan Colmes chatting with Wesley Clark.
Colmes: Tora Bora, lost military opportunity. Cringes at the papercut he got this morning
Wesley Clark used ‘platitudiness.’ meh
Clark: sectarian war in Iraq, “I hope we’ve gotten over kicking in doors in Iraq.” Can’t win military victory. Read my book. meh
Hannity: Thanks for coming Wesley Dean.
Fuck ‘em, End ‘em (F.E.T.E.)
LostDog
ACK is right!
Hannity called him out on the carpet and said “if you don’t have proof of that it is really irresponsible for you to say that” a couple of times….
Wesley tried to weasel by saying some soldiers have told him that and just repeated a soldier has told him that.
Hannity reiterated, absent proof of that sort of thing, you really should say that sort of thing.
The roughing up –hint hint –the R wordl.
What a dick.
errr, Fuck ‘Em, The End (F.E.T.E.)
sorry, for typos…going to fast.
Should = SHOULDN’T
Also, GW is setting himself up for a worse crushing than Miers. Frist and Specter reportedly have a veto-proof majority for the ESCR funding bill.
Remember, Frist changed his mind?
heyah, why would GW say that nonsense anyways? why would his speech writers include it? unless….he is just pandering to the extremist right base?
like the dems play to their fringe?
Here is a little secret about Clark. If he says he is talking to soldiers, that is a change, because unless you had 2 stars or more on your uniform, he NEVER wanted to hear or see you when he was COMMANDER, NATO. Now he wants to act like he is just one of the guys. UGH!
And, talldave, would you say the odious “bioethics” council is a sterling example of “pushing freedom and scientific achievement”?
hardly.
Although I have rarely bestowed this honor on others, Wesley F’ing Clark gets the “most likely to pick the stall without a door in the men’s room” award for this week.
OK. A serious question. Does anybody know why (I think it was) the Joint Chiefs dissed Clark but wouldn’t say why? Why was he canned?
I’ve always been intrigued by what I heard, but never heard any specifics.
speaker, you really, really, really need to cool it a bit and spend some time checking into the concerns some people have. (This is not to say that they have valid concerns, but they vote.) You might also take some note of the FMA and the caracoling thereabouts. Andrew Sullivan is a smart guy, but he is not a good role model.
Regards,
Ric
Clark wasn’t canned, but it was made VERY cleard he would net get a Joints Chiefs job, so now was the time to retire.
Ever see him speak? He started his political career while still on active duty, if you know what I mean.. A no-no
I can’t believe I’m first.
Kaine’s Eyebrow. Bolton’s moustache. Pistols at 20 paces.
P.S. Software: You know me. I’ve been here before. You have saved my personal information. Why must I type the word? It is a fucking collectivist word. It annoys me. It is to the amber fluid as Cindy Sheehan is to the Capitol police. Please, get a life, software.
P.P.S. In case you didn(where IS THE FUCKING APOSTROPHE?! oh, here it is)’t know, John Madden always starts his spiel with the same phrase with which he ends his spiel. This is the secret of a good and valid John Madden impersonation.
But, but, but he outranks Kerry and Bush!!! Meh.
Political career? You mean the one where he had to ask his publicist what he thought about Iraq?
Now there’s a REAL leader…
Yeah, worked well for him in the primaries, didn’t it
speaker to animals
I’m no “bio-luddite” but the idea of human-animal hybrids and getting a patent on an embryo is pretty damned creepy.
Just cuz you CAN do something doesn’t mean you should.
Just how ethical is it to patent a slightly less than human creature and market it as a house slave?
Two thoughts: Bill Kristol is a sourpuss, and it is disgraceful that Wes Clark is on network television saying that people have “told him” that our soldiers are “roughing up women” in Iraq.
He should have learned in ‘04 that being a half-baked imitation of John Kerry is no way to go through life.
Well, what do you expect from someone that gets rebuffed by one party (Christo-Taliban, ReThuglican denomination) and immediately liplock the other party as a candidate.
Keep in mind this is not an hour at the ballet booth, but running a campaign for the party.
Talk about an independent.
just to repeat, Clark was saying that soldiers in Iraq were “beating down the doors and roughing up the women” –Hannity interrupted and told he shouldn’t say that sort of thing if he has no proof and Clark said he would not take it back that he had heard that from soldiers.
Maybe I am making a big deal, but I think that is a pretty outrageous thing to say particularly since are troops are still deployed in the Middle East
(Eason – Vietnam Kerry combo)
And you know the NYtimes, Wash Post, et al will give him a pass. No one will call him out on it
“Vercingetorix,” I was going to say that you’re an asshat, but that I respect someone who can make an obscure Frankish reference, but now I realize that you probably just saw the movie.
Or maybe read Caesar’s commentaries…but whatever.
Care to elaborate on my asshat’dness?
If that’s true, then I apologize. And on re-reading your comments, I see that you were being sarcastic. Mea culpa.
Clark was the epitome of the Modern Political General, adept at ass-kissing his superiors and spitting on his inferiors. Clinton loved him. Hence NATO. JCS hated him. Hence “retirement”.
A great little organizer, no doubt, a la McClellan, but he’d be the last guy you’d want in a combat command. Especially if you were under him. Frag City fer shure, dude.
“Just how ethical is it to patent a slightly less than human creature and market it as a house slave?”
Bring on the Suboids!
Money shot:
Hillary after Bush mentions his dad’s favorite baby boomers are his son Dubya……..and President Clinton.
Well, Craig, maybe it was the movie, but
I guess we’ll never know…
No offense taken
I’ve just returned from Ix. Many new machines on Ix.
Someone in the Horsehead Nebula farted in A.D. 472, so DirecTV went BSOD and I missed the speech tonight.
So thank you, comedy recap, and escpecially you, ancient space-burrito-filled spaceman, and God bless America.
Clark probably talked to Sergeant Massey…
What’s IX?
Machine world in the Dune universe
Watch the first scene of the old movie (the first SciFi movie was unwatchable…WTF is up with the fucking HATS!!! SciFi?!?! and why are the Bene Gesserit a bunch of whiny bitches?)
Hmmm.
Did you see Duncan Idaho while you were on IX?
Hmmmm.
As long as it doesn’t involve anything anal.
sw: “straight”. As in; I am.
I used to be a voracious reader of sci-fi. I’ve read all the classics, and hundreds of short stories, but I never got into “Dune.” I found it impenetrable. Maybe I’m a Philistine.
No.
The Kzin don’t placate.
No TV coverage here in Japan since Fox was outlawed and that after raising the sat-link fees twice, so you guys/gals are my vicarious link to the real and political world. Thanks! I’m still laughin’ my ass off about the Ed Gein remark…and I don’t even know who he is, but the image of …..WHAT….. is so ‘kin’ funny! I’m so glad y’all’er on my side!
Was it just me or did my President just go Limp or is it Lame… as in duck.
Mr.. Jeff Goldstein, I call on you to give serious consideration to a complete and total rebuke of the Presidents SoTU address. Reasons why are as follows:
pan-liberalism: Bush’s calls for actively promoting democracy, specifically citing the mideast while completely ignoring China, is fundamentally falud. Recent test cases of the new “Hamasatan” and the Shiite lead Shari influenced Iraq not withstanding, the President is forgetting the fundamentals of a “Magna Carta” moment and how it contributes to forming a stable and peaceful democratic society. Islamic reformation should go hand and glove with any serious discussion about democratizing the middle east , ignoring recent developments and current trends is simply reckless and should be treated as such.
isolationism straw-man: Americans are asking for fair trade not isolationism, as the President has stated. American companies contribute to our system in many ways prior to producing one single widget. American employers currently are paying into Social Security, Unemployment, Health Insurance, Worker Comp., Insurance ect. without any promise that some profit will remain at the end of the line. International Corporations currently have several advantages to their American counter parts in these critical areas. Is it really isolationism to ask them to accept levels of responsibility appropriate with off setting the loses accrued when they take these high paying highly skilled employment opportunities from Americans? Asked differently, are we to accept that the Government be expected to cover the difference in losses in these areas for every single American?
deficit-spending: The president mentioned several new programs both domestic and international without even talking about any real or significant ways to pay for all these programs.
oil-addiction: Energy independence is desperately needed, but this is a case of blatant victimization .This type of rhetoric should be rejected on site. The President gave us a time-line that ended in 20 (twenty ) years. 2025. With all the advancements in our society over the last 250 (two hundred fifty) years in combination with the current useage of ethanol (E85) by several governmental agencies this seems like an uninspired time table. We should talk about this in terms of leading the world not as if we are some battered house wife on an episode of Springer. Imagine Kennedy telling America it was Addicted to Gravity in his speech promoting the race to space.
During parts of the SoTU I got the distinct impression that I was watching a foreign country. Republicans need a” Miers Play” here. Rebuke this rubbish and demand better or face the sure lose of all the hard earned gains of a conservative movement. You can tell George that we are addicted to conservatism and we are going to be ready to vote again in 2025.
Word has it that when he was a cadet at West Point, he got as many pics of himself with VIPs as he could, and made no secret of the fact that he was personally aiming to chair the Joint Chiefs.
A somewhat different emphasis than “my men, then my mission, and only then myself”. Pfeh.
Ooops, sorry, that last comment was about Clark.
Zarathustra, gotta say that on nearly all your points I’m with Bush. Time for your group to think about actually leading and creating change, not just sitting back and playing dog in the manger. The world’s in a precarious situation right now and any policies we make will entail difficult tradeoffs.
Over an hour’s worth of (actual!) live blogging, and not one mention of your nipples. . . . You sure you’re feeling alright dude?
Translation please?
Quassapaug is a lake in Connecticut. You’re thinking of the Quabbin.
Here’s a short little precis on why we keep electing K&K hereabouts: In a nutshell, it’s machine politics. Those two control the Democrat party around here, and Mass will never, in the forseeable future, send a Republican to Washington. Basically, those two guys are our senators-for-life, whether we actually want them or not.
I think you misunderstand my position, let me clarify.
As relating to Iraq:We don’t support withdrawal nor stats-quo, but rather a third option of escalation.We are firm believers that if you go to war, you play to win (period) waging war in this political correct fashion show that at his core Bush is a liberal, albeit right wing.
As relating to Communist China’s economic aggression: You acknowledge it, confront it , beat it. This is in opposition to the current policy of resignation.
As relating to Illegal Immigration: You close the border NOW. Enhance legal migration as needed ,but throwing your hands up and making claims that “our economy cant survive without it” is absurd.Incase you missed it , President Bush said just that in the SoTU address.
As relates to Energy Independence: If you think calling for a faster turn around on this issue is “sitting back” well I guess you are entitled to your opinion, even if it’s wrong.
Change is exactly what we are advocating here, I apologize that I am unable to realize that for you better or more clearly.
Vercingetorix was a Celtic chieftain who led the valiant but doomed resistance to Rome at Alesia. The conquest of Gaul by Ceasar prepared the way for his rise to power and the end of the Republic. The Franks were a Germanic tribe that invaded Gaul a few hundered years later.
speaker,
The only part of biotech Bush came out against was the part where we create human-animal hybrids or experiment with cloned humans.
I think the biotech industry will survive nicely without the Island of Dr. Moreau.
This was a bit obscure.I apologize .
The supposition here is that America excepts the responsibility of financing some levels of Social Entitlements, ie. SSI, Welfare, Medicaid et al.
If you can acknowledge that as fact , you have to find a way to pay for it. fundamentally my question is this:
Do you look at Import taxation or increasing the burden on your citizenry as the primary revenue stream to off-set the revenue lose occurring from the diminished tax base.
It’s excepted that the tax base will diminish with the retirement of the approximate 100million “boomers”, setting aside the argument that trade deficits and the migration of high paid jobs abroad only compound this issue, where do you get the funds to maintain solvency?
My position is to look at Import Taxation if for no other reason than that there is a real imbalance with respect to competitive strains. I reject that favoring Import taxation is on its face isolationist.
President Bush would disagree. I hope that helps.
Zara,
You’re missing the point re democracy. Democracy is a human right, not a state of being that societies evolve to in the fullness of time, subject to various preconditions. Also, even if we accepted your theory of necessary preconditions, there is no evidence those preconditions are more likely to be under a nodemocratic regime than under a democratic one, and plenty of evidence to the opposite. Look at how illiberal America was in 1776: only men could vote, slavery was legal, political speech often got you thrown in prison, etc. Democracy is a process, a liberalizing process, not a magical one-time event that fixes everything with the wave of a wand.
The Hamas election proves the need for greater democratic reform, not less. For Palestine to be free, Iran and Syria need democratic reforms, so their unlelected unaccountable leaders stop poisoning the Palestinians with hate propaganda and supporting illiberal armed factions that crush real Palestinian reform/conciliation movements.
[t/w] loss, it is a word I am confusing with lose. Moron me.
I thought the president did a great job. He appeared confident and said some very frank things which needed to be said. I came away from it with the feeling that the Reps are going to spank the Dems again, thankfully, come this November.
How the Dems looked and acted during the speech is why. I think they are either too arrogant or too stupid to figure out what it will take to win back the middle by November.
You are argueeing which comes first, chicken or the egg. My position realizes the complexity of the situation and calls for an augmentation, specifically citing calls for an Islamic Reformation.
While I agree giving democracy run is noble , results clearly indicate that it needs to be augmented with serious discussions of Islamic Reformation.
If your position is democracy at all cost ignoring the issues of reformation , I submit you are only postponing the inevitable at the potential cost of additional war and loss of life. If this isn’t worth talking about I don’t what would be, our President doesn’t even acknowledge the extent to which Islamo-fascism is seen as a relevant and reputable philosophy in the muslim world.
[t/w] one : “One man. One vote. One time”
Zarathustra,
I suppose the question is whether or not having an established democracy with at least the legal trappings of democracy can act as a reforming process or if the reform must take place before one can effectively implement democratic tools. Based on observations of Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, it seems that the implementation of democratic processes acts as a reforming process that tends to start yielding substantial reform about 10-15 years out. Conversely, Venezuela has been a classic example of the tin-horn one vote, one time sham democracy.
I think the broader point that we have to help these countries to develop their civil society is valid – however, I disagree with the proposition that a functioning civil society is a necessary precursor to the eventual establishment of a liberal democratic state.
BRD
Talldave, you didn’t hear what he said obviously.
1. You don’t implant embryos, you implant blastulae. Bush and the “bioethics” council still don’t know the difference between a blastula and and embryo.
2. This ban would mean no SCNT, no ESCR, not even to replace the 11 blessed ESC lines that are degenerating now. Essentially, that means we won’t do that research in this country.
3. These are not Bush’s words–the “bioethics” council has got their hand up his but making his jaw move. A bunch of non-scientists that are unswervingly devoted to preventing all advances in biotech. Tanj! They are against cosmetic surgery even!!
4. We make human animal hybrids now. We grow human liver cells in sheep, for example. Bush’s ban would close another avenue of research there.
5. You can’t draw that line between biotech and nanotech. I can make a chimera (human-animal hybrid) with nanotech just as easily as i can with biotech.
6. Aren’t you a Singlitarian, talldave? I am. We are going to have to deal with biotechnology, and stop sticking our heads in the sand. The Bush admin is behaving like a bunch of idiot villagers with torches and pitchforks. They bettah quit, ot ameerican will be the servant class for the rest of world. We won’t have to worry about owning suboids–we’ll be them.
I’m sorry for all the typos, but i’m pretty upset.
I like Bush, but this is idiocy.
It’s scientific suicide for our country.
We’ll be second class citizens in the world of science.
I don’t care about Bush’s Creator reference. But Bush’s Creator can’t influence research policy.
Where’s Indecent Bill?
Any possible way we can take “There’s a better way” and “I have a plan” and shove them in Al Gore’s “lockbox”?
Seems a repetitive theme to proclaim on high about one’s thesis of change and implementation without EVER giving details of how it’s to be done.
Just a couple of points:
First: Madam Sheehan did not have a banner; it was a logo T-shirt; prohibited by the rules of the event.
Second: The wife of a Republican Congressman, also wearing a T-shirt [albiet a long sleeve, high neck one] sporting the logo ‘Support Our Troops’ was also escort6ed from the premises.
Guess the Moonbats have been defused on the “They can’t do that to Mother Sheehan!” meme.
Jeff, i know you read Ramez Naam’s book, More than Human–don’t you see what i’m saying?
Clark was cashiered for “reasons of character.”
Both Hugh Shelton and Norm Schwartzkopf said it.