Bush sounded more like a Democrat campaigning for office than the lame duck president who tells everyone what should be done but had 7 years so far to do some of it and has done none of the things he is proposing that matter to the average American. The 'a-k' Republicans applauded like the sheep they have been. Cheney sat back looking totally bored and applauded when others did. Sam Bodman, whoever he is, looked as though he had an acute case of indigestion.
Bush rattled off all the things that should be done, few of which he achieved. Congress never followed through with funding on Scientific Research last year so he is asking them to do it this year. How could they fund anything? All the money was going to fund the Iraq war and pork. He sees potential in research, now 7 years after he slowed down American research, that won't destroy human life.
He calls for people to understand that the constitution should be followed. At this point I began to feel nauseated and restrained my hand from shutting him out of sight. He asks for the country to extend charitable choice to Faith based charitable funding. People, tired of sitting, as usual at these talks, got up to clap every time they had the urge to stretch. Nancy Pelosi looked like a Jane Austen heroine, not a bit of emotion showing on her face at any time as he spoke.
If he had only done some of the things he told us we should do, he might go down in history in a more favorable light. He talked of delivering justice to our enemies. He never bothered to define who they were, before he wiped out most of our resources, especially our military and financial ones. We're spreading the hope of freedom, says he. Oh really, where are we doing that? Certainly not in the USA or any country with which we have interaction.
Amusingly, with the sound off, it looked like an audience after a Symphony. The applause starts, people look around, one person stand up clapping, then most of the rest follow suit, embarrassed to be caught sitting down when everyone else is standing. It would be like not kneeling in a Catholic church when everyone else is, or not making the sign of the cross in an Orthodox church. The camera was pretty good about not showing the side that was not clapping but sometimes, as it panned, it could be seen.
There, standing in a white suit that stood out like a spotlight, was Condoleeza Rice in front of the podium. "W' gave the troops his solemn promise that they would get everything they need to protect us. I wonder where he thinks it will come from? he never mentioned any of that. He did mention it is in the vital interest of the US that we succeed...of course, success is never defined.
He promises WE will not rest until this enemy is defeated. I didn't want to break into his reverie and hope that someone will tell him he will not be in the White House to do any of all his sweet talking.
As though he was breaking news (instead of wind) he announced that the time has come for a Democratic Israel to live in peace next to a Democratic Palestine. Again, the audience looked like the 'wave' at a baseball game as they undulated slowly out of their chairs. Naturally there was no information on how this would come to pass. Once again, very clearly, half the house sat while the other half roared when he demanded that Congress now do everything they failed to do in the past. He mentioned lots of responsibilities to military families and the wounded (on which he defaulted), though that part was not mentioned. He demanded the Congress to extend the bill to allow wire tapping and grant immunity to the companies that are doing it. He is great with 'honoring' publicly but disappointing when it comes to following through on implied promises.
Keith Olbermann called it "'The Best of' album of Unfinished Symphonies." That description was most affirming and well put. Chris Matthews pointed out that he never made a call for the American people to do anything, and has not done so in any of his speeches. It sounded more like New Year's resolutions that were never achieved, said he.
In all, it was 53 more minutes of our lives wasted, listening to a man who has spent no time in his listening to the people .
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