I am currently watching the State of the Union. Our king is now speaking and I already feel disgusted listening to his black and white, good vs. evil rhetoric. I can't believe this man thinks we're actually safer and the "world is changing for the better." I must admit his listing of the various countries to point out that the Iraq war is internationalized will probably be effective on the minds of many people. I just can't help that most of our "partners" joined the "coalition of the willing" not so much because they believed Bush's perspective, but more so to strengthen their ties with America and/or to avoid disfavor from us. That's hardly a group of countries wearing their heart on their sleeves. Hee, I don't think Ted Kennedy looks too happy. Did Bush just say "progro"? Huh?
did you see charles rangel of new york sleeping. that was pretty funny. it was also kind of ridiculous how rick santorum leapt out of his seat when bush mentioned the marriage sanctity amendment. it is disturbing. that whole speech was based upon instilling fear in the citizens of the US, just like how he frightened everyone into thinking there was a recession back when he was running.
i loved this part "the patriot act expires next year" scattered democratic applause shattering Bush's rhythm Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! "we cannot allow this to happen"
hehe yeah that was awesome when people applauded when he said it was going to expire. he had kind of a shocked look on his face when that happened.
That was a beautiful moment. Alas, it was only a minority of our lily-livered Democrat "representatives". It was a little chilling when, after the next phrase, the rest of Washington retaliated for the heresy with a tumultuous cheer for endless terrorism.
Did our king just say "caudify"? LOL. He says everyone can hold different beliefs when it comes to marriage, but he wants to codify HIS belief into law. How the hell is anyone standing for this?
A post I made somewhere else: (For the record, when he mentioned the Patriot Act expiring and all the Democrats started cheering, he smiled, because, just after that he said that terrorism will not expire. That is when the Republicans cheered. I laughed so hard at the stupid Democrats. That was a card well played) President Bush made a great speech tonight with his State of the Union address. You can read a summary here. You can read a transcript later in this post. It lasted just over 50 minutes. During the State of the Union address, Congress is assembled. It is customary for all people to clap hands on points shared by both parties, and you may stand if you feel it is significant. One of the cool games Fox News like to do is focus in on Senators when specific points are mentioned. It is always good to see who agrees, disagrees, or openly refuses to clap hands based on what the president said. In summary: - Saying the U.S. economy is getting stronger every day, Bush pointed out that, under his watch, taxes have been lowered, the child-tax credit has doubled, the marriage penalty has been reduced, the death tax is being phased out and taxes on capital gains and stock dividends have been reduced, among other things. - Home construction is up, as are home ownership rates, productivity and manufacturing, while inflation and interest rates are low. - "The pace of economic growth in the third quarter of 2003 was the fastest in nearly 20 years," Bush said. - "This nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics," Bush said. "I refuse to give up on any child and the No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America's children." - In the budget, Bush also proposed a grassroots campaign to inform families of the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and to double funding for abstinence programs. - Touching on a hot potato as of late -- gay marriage and domestic partner benefits -- Bush said, "A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization." Bush noted that Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and prohibits one state from defining marriage for another state. He said "activist judges" continue to try to alter the law by court order and are "forcing their arbitrary will upon the people." Is a Constitutional Amendment on the way? I hope so. - President Bush also referred to God several times, which I'm sure will infuriate some Democrats. Some passages from the speech (you can skip to the end if you want to read the whole speech, which I recommend): - "As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope to the oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making America more secure." - Americans are proving once again to be the hardest working people in the world. The American economy is growing stronger. The tax relief you passed is working. Agreed. Over 7% growth rate last quarter! - "Last August 11th brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who was a key player in the attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 people. We are tracking Al Qaeda around the world and nearly two-thirds of their known leaders have now been captured or killed. Thousands of very skilled and determined military personnel are on a manhunt, going after the remaining killers who hide in cities and caves and, one by one, we will bring the terrorists to justice." - "Since we last met in this chamber, combat forces of the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Poland, and other countries enforced the demands of the United Nations, ended the rule of Saddam Hussein and the people of Iraq are free. Having broken the Baathist regime, we face a remnant of violent Saddam supporters. Men who ran away from our troops in battle are now dispersed and attack from the shadows. " - "Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all of his regime's weapons of mass destruction programs, including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons." - "But let us be candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power. We are seeking all the facts already the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment that Iraq concealed from the United Nations." - "Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized. This particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, El Salvador, and the 17 other countries that have committed troops to Iraq. As we debate at home, we must never ignore the vital contributions of our international partners, or dismiss their sacrifices." - "America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire." - "You have doubled the child tax credit from 500 to a thousand dollars, reduced the marriage penalty, begun to phase out the death tax, reduced taxes on capital gains and stock dividends, cut taxes on small businesses, and you have lowered taxes for every American who pays income taxes." - "This nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from grade to grade without them learning the basics. I refuse to give up on any child, and the No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to all of America's children." - "This will require that Congress focus on priorities, cut wasteful spending, and be wise with the people's money. By doing so, we can cut the deficit in half over the next five years." (Read: cut welfare and social spending. Yes!) - "A government-run health care system is the wrong prescription. By keeping costs under control, expanding access, and helping more Americans afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private medicine that makes America's health care the best in the world." - "To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront the dangers young people face, even when they are difficult to talk about. Each year, about three million teenagers contract sexually transmitted diseases that can harm them, or kill them, or prevent them from ever becoming parents. In my budget, I propose a grassroots campaign to help inform families about these medical risks. We will double federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases." And further, the mentioning of God, sure to infuriate liberals: "The outcome of this debate is important, and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight." And finally, if you're not reading anything else, this is worth a read:
Its funny. People criticize him for making emotional and importand speaches and, now that he gives a subdued one that pays attention to the economy and the like, he is criticized for that too. Man, from the way some people STILL talk about the event you would think he was talking like Dean. I guess they didn't watch it or read the transcripts.
This part I particularly disagree with. This legislation was the single worst idea a legislation has ever had concerning education. The new plan requires that all students score in the 80th percentile... The ythink this will make educators work harder to educate those scoring below the 60th... this is simply ont the case. The classes will simply lower the bar of what is the 80th percentile so that all classes will be taught to the bottom third of the learning curve. The average and gifted students will be forced into a lower potential and will only learn as much as the dumbest kid. I've already seen this happening in Missouri with the MAP tests. Classes are no longer taught to teach a subject, but simply to improve scores on the statewide MAP tests to keep the schools in business. I have personally seen the product of education once we give up on teaching and focus on scores. I fear for our children.
Every educator I've talked with, or read the comments of, hates what No Child Left Behind is becoming.
That is a long post to reply to. Ugh. I respectfully disagree with you and state that I think Bush's speech created an illusion to our current problems, particularly on the topic of Iraq and on the topic of terrorism. I for one certainly do not feel any safer. Yes Saddam is captured, yes we have more safeguards in place, and yes we are continuing further preparations with terrorism looming over our shoulders everyday. However, there are many of us who feel that the war on Iraq has been an indirect fight against terrorism, while the diminishing of Al Queda capabilities has not captured the thrust of our resources. Furthermore, our military answer to the war on terrorism may (and I hope not) fail in the face of growing tensions between the various factions involved in this struggle to end terrorism. I doubt the ranks of terrorists and those who support them are diminishing. The Bush administration needs to respond to this growing threat with more than militarism and intelligence gathering. A healthy dose of political manuevering could have built a true (see my earlier post) international coalition to remove Saddam instead of our rash attitute of a last minute preemptive attack that has depleted world sympathy for the 9/11 attacks, diverted our resources away from a direct fight on terror, and eroded our relationship with not just our allies, but also the Arab world. I say last minute preemptive attack for one reason . . . if it has been our policy to remove Saddam as early as the Clinton administration, and the UN has previously seen Iraq as a threat thus creating sanctions and UN resolutions regarding Iraq, why on god's green earth have two U.S. administrations gone by (with all the resources of this great nations of ours) without the ability to build a case to remove Saddam from power in a multi-lateral fashion?
also, that speech didnt focus on hard facts. it relied heavily on emotion. he always tries to instill fear. he mustve said the word terrorist 600 times. as far as the economy improving, that is a load of crap. maybe it is improving for those running corporate america, but the average joe isnt affected at all. they are still getting screwed with joblessness and there 100 bucks of tax relief.
I was a little astounded that there was a return to threat rhetoric in the context of Iraq, that something horrible was going to happen to us if not for the invasion. But then when I heard war whooping fill the chamber, it was obvious that some lies are still comforting and even a tonic. Still, I expected the neocon strategists to consider the war polarization fixed, and that they would tread lightly and focus on the War on Terrorism. Somehow, this man can stand in front of the nation's best and brightest, and draw little visible flak for openly persisting in a now flimsy deception that the invasion and occupation of Iraq are effective counterterrorism. When the President was walking in, I was struck by an impression, watching the smiles and greetings- affection and pity for my great country. It was the pageant of an overgrown self-assured little town drifting out of touch with the world. I don't think the cheering majority in that room have much pondered the implications of writing hefty moral, geopolitical, and economic checks that woefully exceed ours an our children's ability to pay.
Say what you will about the speech, but I for one found it amazingly inspirational! In fact this very night, not even a full hour after having heard it I was driven to take action! I just went online and requested some voter registration forms, so that I can do my part to kick this maniac out of office! What was your favorite part of the speech? Was it when he patted himself on the back for the awful condition of our nations schools, and claimed that his entirely unfunded “no child left behind” initiative was a roaring success? Remember, the key to educational success is more standardized tests (the bulk of No Child Left Behind)! I’m sorry, but if you grade education solely by a test, all you’re going to end up teaching students is how to pass a test. Anyone who’s graduated from a high-school recently remembers it I’m sure, Your instructors would prepare you a week in advance for some critical standardized test upon which school funding is reliant, they’d tell you when in doubt pick “C” it’s the right answer most frequently. And of course we get teachers simply teaching to the test, and focusing only on that. Maybe you liked how he talked up the economy! Sure, we all enjoyed that! You know, unless you actually rely on a job to earn a living, this supposed economic “recovery” has been entirely jobless, so what’s that mean, exactly? Some fat-cat executives are turning an even fucking bigger profit, well good for them, I think that’s a huge load off of the nations shoulders, we were really worried about the nation’s ultra-rich there for a while. Maybe they could use another tax cut! Meanwhile, as more and more jobs head on over seas, Bush wants to allow a guest worker program to take what few manufacturing jobs remain, alright, go Bush! That’s a huge score for free market economics. Of course we know that the Republican party isn’t REALLY the party of the free market, only when it suits the ultra-rich, if it gets them cheap labor, then YES, if it means that American steel isn’t doing so hot, then NOO, if it means that poor ol’ American drug companies are loosing money because of very comparative rates on prescription drugs in Canada and Mexico, well then fuck it, trade restrictions all around, after all, it’s America who really benefits! Who gives a crap if our nations people can’t afford their drugs, there are too many damn poor people anyway, maybe if they can’t get their meds they’ll die quicker and quit belly aching. Anything is preferable to listening to those bleeding heart liberals cry their crocodile tears about drug prices literally killing people. Did you catch the part about WMDs? Old fat head Ted didn’t seem to like it much, the poor drunkard was grimacing in pain as Bush backpedaled and gave us a sleazy sheister grin and told us that Saddam Husein had programs to develop WMDs. Wait a minuet, just programs? Weren’t you standing right there last year and telling us that he HAD WMDs, that you knew it as a fact, that he was building even bigger ones, nukes, and was probably poised to use the ones he already had against us? What happened? Now it was just “programs”? That’s ok, we don’t blame you for leading us to war on utterly fabricated pretenses, after all someone needed to clear the way to build that Oil Pipeline through Iraq and Afghanistan after Clinton got pissed and launched some missiles, and the Afghanis got pissed at your big oil friends all those years ago (which reminds me that Clinton’s military sure did do a superb job in Afghanistan and Iraq). Well, whatever your favorite part was, I sure as heck know what mine was Have you ever heard stories about some of the really great presidents in our history? The ones they all say were men of the people, FDR, JFK, and all that. You know how sometimes your parents and grand parents will glaze over and tell you that when they heard them speak it was as if they were talking directly to them. Well I’ve gotta’ say that that’s exactly how I felt when I heard Bush say this. He was issuing a direct threat to me, and so many people who I know and love, he was saying to me that he’s not MY president, and that he’ll gladly sell out my civil rights to pander to the viciously homophobic conservative right wing religious zealots. With this statement he’s issuing a clear threat: If them homosexuals get too uppity and start winning the rights which should be guaranteed to them in this nation, equal protection under the law, then I will support an amendment to the constitution to limit those rights! Amend the constitution to limit rights? What kind of maniac have we put in the white-house? The only time that the Constitution has been amended to limit freedom was prohibition of alcohol, and we all know how well that worked out, it’s crossed out for a reason, that’s just not what that document is there to do. Well Mr. Bush, I won’t talk big and try to pander to people’s fears and hatred, and I won't go around making threats against you. But when the time comes I know I’ll do exactly what my mind and conscious both tell me so clearly needs to be done, I’m glad that my first vote in a presidential election will be one more toward booting you out of the White-House, and toward restoring the dignity of this great nation.
bush talks about the judges as making law arbitrarily. the are during theirr job, to interpret the law. he views there interpretations as making new law because those vary from his. he is just to narrowsighteed to see that. if he wants to complain about people not doing their job properly, he should consider himself. it is the legislatures job to create law not his. he thinks he is a king and he attempts to rule arbitrarily. he spoke of saddam hussein making law at his whim, well that is exactly what he is trying to do.
no doubt i wonder if new house construction was up so much because all the billionaires and millionaires are building new summer and winter getaways with their "tax relief" money
That, and the whole nation is going out on a very long credit limb. I would like to know who the President's speaking coaches are- The President really has come an impressively long way in pace and diction over the past 3 years.
