The State of the Union

[RightinNYC]

Full text is available here.

This is a pretty big deal - Bush is coming out with a lot of stuff in this one, including some proposals that managed to avoid being leaked to the media beforehand. He's getting a much better reception from the audience than I thought he would, (lonnnng extended applause, whistles, etc) and he's not even to the touchy-feely stuff yet.

Here's some excerpts:

Job Growth

A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy – and that is what we have. We are now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth – in a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs ... so far. Unemployment is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move – and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government but with more enterprise.

The Budget

First, we must balance the federal budget. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need to do is impose spending discipline in Washington, D.C. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 – and met that goal three years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the federal deficit within the next five years. I ask you to make the same commitment. Together, we can restrain the spending appetite of the federal government, and balance the federal budget.

Earmarks

Next, there is the matter of earmarks. These special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour – when not even C-SPAN is watching. In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of earmarks never make it to the floor of the House and Senate – they are dropped into Committee reports that are not even part of the bill that arrives on my desk. You did not vote them into law. I did not sign them into law. Yet they are treated as if they have the force of law. The time has come to end this practice. So let us work together to reform the budget process ... expose every earmark to the light of day and to a vote in Congress … and cut the number and cost of earmarks at least in half by the end of this session.

Health Care

Tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Families with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. With this reform, more than 100 million men, women, and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills.

At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job. For Americans who now purchase health insurance on their own, my proposal would mean a substantial tax savings – $4,500 for a family of four making $60,000 a year. And for the millions of other Americans who have no health insurance at all, this deduction would help put a basic private health insurance plan within their reach. Changing the tax code is a vital and necessary step to making healthcare affordable for more Americans.

My second proposal is to help the states that are coming up with innovative ways to cover the uninsured. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. I have asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with Congress to take existing federal funds and use them to create “Affordable Choices” grants. These grants would give our Nation’s governors more money and more flexibility to get private health insurance to those most in need.

There are many other ways that Congress can help. We need to expand Health Savings Accounts ... help small businesses through Association Health Plans ... reduce costs and medical errors with better information technology ... encourage price transparency ... and protect good doctors from junk lawsuits by passing medical liability reform. And in all we do, we must remember that the best healthcare decisions are made not by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors.

Immigration

Yet even with all these steps, we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border – and that requires a temporary worker program. We should establish a legal and orderly path for foreign workers to enter our country to work on a temporary basis. As a result, they won’t have to try to sneak in – and that will leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers, and criminals, and terrorists. We will enforce our immigration laws at the worksite, and give employers the tools to verify the legal status of their workers – so there is no excuse left for violating the law. We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot that welcomes and assimilates new arrivals. And we need to resolve the status of the illegal immigrants who are already in our country – without animosity and without amnesty.

Energy Security

It is in our vital interest to diversify America’s energy supply – and the way forward is through technology. We must continue changing the way America generates electric power – by even greater use of clean coal technology ... solar and wind energy ... and clean, safe nuclear power. We need to press on with battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles, and expand the use of clean diesel vehicles and biodiesel fuel. We must continue investing in new methods of producing ethanol – using everything from wood chips, to grasses, to agricultural wastes.

We have made a lot of progress, thanks to good policies in Washington and the strong response of the market. Now even more dramatic advances are within reach. Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. Let us build on the work we have done and reduce gasoline usage in the United States by 20 percent in the next ten years – thereby cutting our total imports by the equivalent of three-quarters of all the oil we now import from the Middle East.

To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory Fuels Standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017 – this is nearly five times the current target. At the same time, we need to reform and modernize fuel economy standards for cars the way we did for light trucks – and conserve up to eight and a half billion more gallons of gasoline by 2017.

Achieving these ambitious goals will dramatically reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but will not eliminate it. So as we continue to diversify our fuel supply, we must also step up domestic oil production in environmentally sensitive ways. And to further protect America against severe disruptions to our oil supply, I ask Congress to double the current capacity of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Terrorism

Our success in this war is often measured by the things that did not happen. We cannot know the full extent of the attacks that we and our allies have prevented – but here is some of what we do know: We stopped an al Qaeda plot to fly a hijacked airplane into the tallest building on the West Coast. We broke up a Southeast Asian terrorist cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States. We uncovered an al Qaeda cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America. And just last August, British authorities uncovered a plot to blow up passenger planes bound for America over the Atlantic Ocean. For each life saved, we owe a debt of gratitude to the brave public servants who devote their lives to finding the terrorists and stopping them.

The Middle East

In the last two years, we have seen the desire for liberty in the broader Middle East – and we have been sobered by the enemy’s fierce reaction. In 2005, the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon raised the banner of the Cedar Revolution ... drove out the Syrian occupiers ... and chose new leaders in free elections. In 2005, the people of Afghanistan defied the terrorists and elected a democratic legislature. And in 2005, the Iraqi people held three national elections – choosing a transitional government ... adopting the most progressive, democratic constitution in the Arab world … and then electing a government under that constitution. Despite endless threats from the killers in their midst, nearly 12 million Iraqi citizens came out to vote in a show of hope and solidarity we should never forget.

A thinking enemy watched all of these scenes, adjusted their tactics, and in 2006 they struck back. In Lebanon, assassins took the life of Pierre Gemayel, a prominent participant in the Cedar Revolution. And Hezbollah terrorists, with support from Syria and Iran, sowed conflict in the region and are seeking to undermine Lebanon’s legitimately elected government. In Afghanistan, Taliban and al Qaeda fighters tried to regain power by regrouping and engaging Afghan and NATO forces. In Iraq, al Qaeda and other Sunni extremists blew up one of the most sacred places in Shia Islam – the Golden Mosque of Samarra. This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shia – and it succeeded. Radical Shia elements, some of whom receive support from Iran, formed death squads. The result was a tragic escalation of sectarian rage and reprisal that continues to this day.

This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in. Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. So let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.

Civilian Reserve Corps

Tonight I ask the Congress to authorize an increase in the size of our active Army and Marine Corps by 92,000 in the next five years. A second task we can take on together is to design and establish a volunteer Civilian Reserve Corps. Such a corps would function much like our military reserve. It would ease the burden on the Armed Forces by allowing us to hire civilians with critical skills to serve on missions abroad when America needs them. And it would give people across America who do not wear the uniform a chance to serve in the defining struggle of our time.

Foreign Aid

American foreign policy is more than a matter of war and diplomacy. Our work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required. We hear the call to take on the challenges of hunger, poverty, and disease – and that is precisely what America is doing. We must continue to fight HIV/AIDS, especially on the continent of Africa – and because you funded our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the number of people receiving life-saving drugs has grown from 50,000 to more than 800,000 in three short years. I ask you to continue funding our efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. I ask you to provide $1.2 billion over five years so we can combat malaria in 15 African countries. I ask that you fund the Millennium Challenge Account, so that American aid reaches the people who need it, in nations where democracy is on the rise and corruption is in retreat. And let us continue to support the expanded trade and debt relief that are the best hope for lifting lives and eliminating poverty.

 

[RightinNYC]

And, the closing

In such courage and compassion, ladies and gentlemen, we see the spirit and character of America – and these qualities are not in short supply. This is a decent and honorable country – and resilient, too. We have been through a lot together. We have met challenges and faced dangers, and we know that more lie ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence – because the State of our Union is strong ... our cause in the world is right ... and tonight that cause goes on.

 

[Iriemon]

Full text is available here.

The Budget

Quote:
First, we must balance the federal budget. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need to do is impose spending discipline in Washington, D.C. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 – and met that goal three years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the federal deficit within the next five years. I ask you to make the same commitment. Together, we can restrain the spending appetite of the federal government, and balance the federal budget

The deficit was not cut in half, that is a lie, but putting that aside, now that the Republicans are out of power, now all of a suddent he wants to talk about to slash spending. Why do you suppose he didn't do that why his party was in power?

 

[RightinNYC]

Full text is available here.



The deficit was not cut in half, that is a lie, but putting that aside, now that the Republicans are out of power, now all of a suddent he wants to talk about to slash spending. Why do you suppose he didn't do that why his party was in power?

I was going to quote this section in specific for you:

Each of us is guided by our own convictions – and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we are all held to the same standards, and called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this Nation’s prosperity ... to spend the people’s money wisely ... to solve problems, not leave them to future generations

Thought you'd have a few choice words about that bit.:lol:

 

[Billo_Really]

I have to admit, I liked some of the domestic stuff he said. Like taking "the pressure" off the borders by offering alternatives to work in this country. I was actually starting to warm to the guy. But then he started in on his foreign policy, and it was just downhill from there.

 

[Iriemon]

I was going to quote this section in specific for you:

Thought you'd have a few choice words about that bit.:lol:

LOL! I don't even need to say anything, do I?

 

[Billo_Really]

When do we hear from Webb?

 

[RightinNYC]

LOL! I don't even need to say anything, do I?

My jaw sort of dropped when I heard that bit. I guess he went down that road to tie it to his budget proposal, but I don't know how he plans on backing that up.

Of course, if it isnt gone in 5 years, he's not the one who has the responsibility, right?:lol:

 

[RightinNYC]

I have to admit, I liked some of the domestic stuff he said. Like taking "the pressure" off the borders by offering alternatives to work in this country. I was actually starting to warm to the guy. But then he started in on his foreign policy, and it was just downhill from there.

I'm interested to hear what those who don't really like him think about this speech. I can understand your opposition to some of the foreign policy stuff, but I thought you might like the domestic stuff.

I thought this was a fantastic speech, and probably the best SOTU I've ever watched. I think it will be received well by moderates and even some liberals.

Webb goes on in about 3 minutes, but I think this is going to be a disaster. Looking at Webb's prepared speech, it's awfully shrill and accusatory, which I don't think will play well considering how "feel good" the president's speech just was.

 

[RightinNYC]

Wesley Autrey (The guy who saved the guy in the subway in NYC) got some serious love from the audience. That guy is the man.

 

[Billo_Really]

Originally Posted by RightatNYU
I'm interested to hear what those who don't really like him think about this speech. I can understand your opposition to some of the foreign policy stuff, but I thought you might like the domestic stuff.

I thought this was a fantastic speech, and probably the best SOTU I've ever watched. I think it will be received well by moderates and even some liberals.

Webb goes on in about 3 minutes, but I think this is going to be a disaster. Looking at Webb's prepared speech, it's awfully shrill and accusatory, which I don't think will play well considering how "feel good" the president's speech just was.

I did like the domestic stuff. It had a cooperative tome to it. I admire the President for that. On the foreign stuff, we all know my position...

I'm listening to Webb now, I respect the kind of person he is, so far so good, but it's not over yet.

 

[RightinNYC]

This is great, C-Span has opened it up to callers and the first two so far have both been insane and been cut off.:lol:

 

[PrimBabUB]

It doesn't matter what the President says. He know's it, his staff knows it, the media knows it.....etc.

Right now the little Bush hating crowd's minds are spinning like tops. They are going over the material like a bunch of rabid dogs. Tomorrow they will rip him and everything he said to shreds. Tomorrow, if not sooner, everyone accross the globe that hates us will receive reassurance that "the greater majority of Americans" hate Bush, hate America and are ready to accept ........

 

[Mothership Earth]

Wesley Autrey (The guy who saved the guy in the subway in NYC) got some serious love from the audience. That guy is the man.

Not only Wesley, but the man from Congo, and the soldier from Kentucky. God bless them all.

Personally I thought over all the sotu was pretty good you could tell even many hard core dems had to applause. It doesn't matter who is president, it is a tough job and one that I wouldn't want. But I believe the person we elect for president should have a thorough knowledge of world history including religion.

 

[talloulou]

Wesley Autrey (The guy who saved the guy in the subway in NYC) got some serious love from the audience. That guy is the man.

Yeah bringing Wesley out was genius! Hot hero guy. Who won't love that?

I wasn't as impressed with the baby einstein lady. What the hell was she doing there?

I was genuinely moved by Bush's intro highlighting the night as Pelosi's first time.:mrgreen:

When Bush listed terrrorist attacks that have been thwarted that was powerful. Which building is the tallest on the west coast? :shock:

I'm still not sure I like the "guest worker program" or the idea that the borders just can't be secured but most of the other domestic stuff sounded good.

I also watched Webb's rebuttal and didn't like it or him. I just found him boring and he seemed to claim that most of the military doesn't support Bush which I'd need proof to believe. Due to the fact that his father, him, and his son have all served I did try to pay attention to him and what he was saying but blah I still didn't like him.

I saw Hilary's comments and surprisingly she came off well tonight in her interview on MSNBC. Seemed comfortable and refrained from shrieking or sounding bitter. Actually seemed pleasant by God.

Did anyone else notice the awful close up of Condi during the speech? I think I was watching Fox but it may have been MSNBC. Anyway the camera hated her. But I also noticed a moment where the camera went on Obama and he was staring into his lap almost as if he wasn't paying attention. I also caught Obama's comments afterwards and he comes off okay but for all the hype he gets I thought Hilary came off better with her comments. I just don't get the "rock star" label with Obama. He certainly didn't seem all rock star to me. Kinda boring and reserved. Definitely didn't move me or make me want to touch him like all the freaks that supposedly run up to him on the streets.

All in all Bush's speech was good. The tone was great. A+. As far as substance I'll give it a B- but considering the D he's getting in Iraq tonight's grades arent too bad. One thing about Bush is that he always comes accross very genuine to me.

 

[PoliticalActivist]

As most of you already know I can't stand that Alfred.E Neuman looking clown, and his speech stinks like his lying a** do. Here this Bozo is lying again between his long captain hook nose, and NO item in his speech was interesting to me. As a matter of fact my dog started acting up, wanting to go outside to piss on his favorite bush. This is what happens whenever he sees Bush on TV. Should I say more?

 

[niftydrifty]

I'm interested to hear what those who don't really like him think about this speech. I can understand your opposition to some of the foreign policy stuff, but I thought you might like the domestic stuff.

The entire Bush Presidency has been one big entire bait-and-switch operation, right from the start. It's a speech. Mere words. Let's see what the domestic policies are like in reality. Not just as described in the speech. These are words. Like "uniter not a divider" ... "no nation building" ... etc.

I wonder if the right wing think tank people or Bill Kristol wrote part or all of this.

 

[RightinNYC]

As most of you already know I can't stand that Alfred.E Neuman looking clown, and his speech stinks like his lying a** do. Here this Bozo is lying again between his long captain hook nose, and NO item in his speech was interesting to me. As a matter of fact my dog started acting up, wanting to go outside to piss on his favorite bush. This is what happens whenever he sees Bush on TV. Should I say more?

I think you've stated your position rather succinctly.

 

[Gibberish]

When Bush listed terrrorist attacks that have been thwarted that was powerful. Which building is the tallest on the west coast? :shock:

The bank building in downtown L.A., the one they blew up in the movie Independence day.

 

[jfuh]

I can't say I was all that impressed with the speech itself more than I was with Bush turning the page all together now.
His domestic policies I very much liked. What I wish however is that please let this be a real policy change and not just lip service as was with last years State of the Union and "addiction to oil".

 

[Dezaad]

I can't say I was all that impressed with the speech itself more than I was with Bush turning the page all together now.
His domestic policies I very much liked. What I wish however is that please let this be a real policy change and not just lip service as was with last years State of the Union and "addiction to oil".

This sums up my impression with the following exceptions:

Last year he had a Republican Congress to deal with which actually probably didn't support those things (and likely wouldn't support the things mentioned this evening if they were still in power). I think he will get alot of bipartisan support for these proposals this evening. I think most of them sounded very centrist. Maybe he will finally fulfill his 2000 campaign promise of being a uniter. If he does, I will be so relieved I might actually forgive... well, that is going a bit far. But, I will be happy. I actually find myself fearing that the Dems will play politics and not get many of the things done.

The other exception I have is this: It is going to be really interesting to see how that budget will be balanced. What he is proposing with regard to health insurance is fantastic at first glance, but it is essentially a tax cut (if I understand correctly) and we still have a deficit. I want that budget balanced (as I said when criticizing Edward's proposals), so I will be giving Bush's equal criticism. I am sorry, Politicians talk about balanced budgets, but they seldom deliver.

 

[CurrentAffairs]

I agree with him on Iraq, with this exception. I wish he would fully use the might of our military to solve the problem once and for all. This could all be over by springtime.

His failure to mention New Orleans, even once, is awful. We are losing an American city right before our eyes. To not include the long range plan in his speech was very troubling.

I agree that he gave a good speech. He is a genuinly nice guy. Happy to see him acknowledge Pelosi for the history she has made. Disappointed to see her lack of respect for the office he holds and the way she orchestrated the other dems in the room to follow her lead, exactly, while responding to the speech.

Bush, in the true meaning of the word, is a lame duck. I don't mean that in a demeaning way, but in the true sense. I am glad to see him put a positive face forward in a very difficult time.

 

[niftydrifty]

Ditto. For all the talk of Bush's domestic policy agenda, why didn't he even so much as mention New Orleans? It just seems crazy.

It's exactly like how, for all the talk of terror throughout the election year of 2004, bin Laden was rarely, if ever, mentioned at all.

Generalizations, platitudes, but key, I say, key, specifics are omitted.

 

[talloulou]

What I wish however is that please let this be a real policy change and not just lip service as was with last years State of the Union and "addiction to oil".

To be fair "addiction to oil" is not a problem that can be overnight. And there's alot individuals can do on their own without being ordered by the President.

 

[talloulou]

This sums up my impression with the following exceptions:

Last year he had a Republican Congress to deal with which actually probably didn't support those things (and likely wouldn't support the things mentioned this evening if they were still in power). I think he will get alot of bipartisan support for these proposals this evening. I think most of them sounded very centrist. Maybe he will finally fulfill his 2000 campaign promise of being a uniter. If he does, I will be so relieved I might actually forgive... well, that is going a bit far. But, I will be happy. I actually find myself fearing that the Democrats will play politics and not get many of the things done.

The other exception I have is this: It is going to be really interesting to see how that budget will be balanced. What he is proposing with regard to health insurance is fantastic at first glance, but it is essentially a tax cut (if I understand correctly) and we still have a deficit. I want that budget balanced (as I said when criticizing Edward's proposals), so I will be giving Bush's equal criticism. I am sorry, Politicians talk about balanced budgets, but they seldom deliver.

Well he did talk about trying to get rid of those rididculous earmarks that get tossed on the end of a piece of legislation for no good god damn reason and that would save tons of money. I hate those things anyway. One of the most ridiculous things our government currently does.