Democratic Leadership and the State of the Union Address
Michelle Malsbury, BSBM, MM
January 29, 2008
Last evening President Bush gave his last State of the Union Address to congress and the rest of the world. While I must applaud his ability to speak this time, for the most part, without many mispronounced words his posture and demeanor left a lot to be desired. Media, supporters, and detractors will no doubt have varying accounts of how that performance went. This is my perception of that speech.
President Bush spoke for the first portion of this address about domestic affairs. He threatened congress with his veto power if they failed to reinstate his tax cuts to the top %5 of the rich people, if they failed to pass his new plan to salvage the failing economy, if they added anything he did not want into his newest budgets, if they did not reconsider his "Every Child Left Behind" program, if they did not let him add more free, but unfair trade agreements upon us, etc. Much of this was met with mixed emotions from those who were forced to be there in person. For instance, Nancy Pelosi stood and clapped more than she should have on a variety of his ridiculous topics while also trying to read the program for this last swan song. Vice-President Cheney alternated between scowls, grimaces, and grins behind the President´s back. Both, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, showed more resolve than Nancy did to the issues that are not near and dear to their hearts or those of the Democratic Party in that they held their hands together in their respective laps and frowned or furrowed their brows as President Bush continued to bully and push congress into his corner.
Clearly President Bush is alone in his thinking that our economy is still strong and viable. This last year America saw record numbers of jobs lost to corporations who are rewarded for taking their business outside of our borders in order that they may compete in the world markets. Record numbers of families are facing foreclosure as the housing market continues to plummet. Education is so expensive that many young people are opting to try their hands in the marketplace without educations because the prospects of paying for those educations may take the remainder of their adult lives. People without educations cannot afford to live on the wages we pay them and a goodly portion of America remains without healthcare as the costs continue to rise. Senior citizens are saddled with making difficult decisions between paying for the rising costs of necessary medications or heating their homes. More people are falling into poverty as Bush´s tax plans widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. President Bush´s economic stimulus plan is way too little way too late. Our borders, ports, railways, and air terminals stand wide open and President Bush has the gile to state that he will close them and protect America with his amnesty plans for illegal persons.
The second half of President Bush´s speech talked about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other countries that he felt strongly enough about to mention as aiding or abetting the terrorist organizations. President Bush continued to issue his not so thinly veiled threats for those who do not do as he wishes in his quest to spread "liberty". Was I the only one to notice that throughout the past several years the verbiage for Bush´s wars have taken on new meaning? Originally, the war was necessary because we had to stop Iraq from using their WMD´s, that never existed but were provided to Saddam by George H.W. Bush during his presidency. And later that reason was expanded to involve freeing the people of Iraq from a tyrannical leader, and then to spreading democracy, and then to occupation of a country that does not want us there, to now pressing liberty on the world. By the end of this term who knows what the new buzz word will be to continue with this illfated war in Iraq that is certain to bankrupt America.
From the tone of this speech it was clear to anyone watching that President Bush would love to create just one more war before leaving office, one with Iran or Pakistan, or Lebanon, or Korea. President Bush threatened to use his executive powers granted under executive privilege to move any of his personal agenda items forward despite what congress and the world thought about it. While dwelling on the scant and non-measurable merits of his sad and sadistic war with an innocent nation, Iraq, he had the audacity to propose brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. How I ask you does a warmonerging man like Bush believe that he can effectuate peace in the Middle East? America has lost all credibility and leverage around the world because of Bush´s continuous lies and deception.
President Bush´s positions were crystal clear, at least in his mind. He was like a spoiled little boy throwing a temper tantrum to get his way. What was less clear was why congress has not pursued their powers to impeach this dangerous man and why they paid lip service to his threats last evening with the rest of the world watching the circus. I say hey Nancy and Harry wake up! Get a backbone and push for impeachment before it is too late!
President Bush spoke for the first portion of this address about domestic affairs. He threatened congress with his veto power if they failed to reinstate his tax cuts to the top %5 of the rich people, if they failed to pass his new plan to salvage the failing economy, if they added anything he did not want into his newest budgets, if they did not reconsider his "Every Child Left Behind" program, if they did not let him add more free, but unfair trade agreements upon us, etc. Much of this was met with mixed emotions from those who were forced to be there in person. For instance, Nancy Pelosi stood and clapped more than she should have on a variety of his ridiculous topics while also trying to read the program for this last swan song. Vice-President Cheney alternated between scowls, grimaces, and grins behind the President´s back. Both, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, showed more resolve than Nancy did to the issues that are not near and dear to their hearts or those of the Democratic Party in that they held their hands together in their respective laps and frowned or furrowed their brows as President Bush continued to bully and push congress into his corner.
Clearly President Bush is alone in his thinking that our economy is still strong and viable. This last year America saw record numbers of jobs lost to corporations who are rewarded for taking their business outside of our borders in order that they may compete in the world markets. Record numbers of families are facing foreclosure as the housing market continues to plummet. Education is so expensive that many young people are opting to try their hands in the marketplace without educations because the prospects of paying for those educations may take the remainder of their adult lives. People without educations cannot afford to live on the wages we pay them and a goodly portion of America remains without healthcare as the costs continue to rise. Senior citizens are saddled with making difficult decisions between paying for the rising costs of necessary medications or heating their homes. More people are falling into poverty as Bush´s tax plans widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. President Bush´s economic stimulus plan is way too little way too late. Our borders, ports, railways, and air terminals stand wide open and President Bush has the gile to state that he will close them and protect America with his amnesty plans for illegal persons.
The second half of President Bush´s speech talked about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other countries that he felt strongly enough about to mention as aiding or abetting the terrorist organizations. President Bush continued to issue his not so thinly veiled threats for those who do not do as he wishes in his quest to spread "liberty". Was I the only one to notice that throughout the past several years the verbiage for Bush´s wars have taken on new meaning? Originally, the war was necessary because we had to stop Iraq from using their WMD´s, that never existed but were provided to Saddam by George H.W. Bush during his presidency. And later that reason was expanded to involve freeing the people of Iraq from a tyrannical leader, and then to spreading democracy, and then to occupation of a country that does not want us there, to now pressing liberty on the world. By the end of this term who knows what the new buzz word will be to continue with this illfated war in Iraq that is certain to bankrupt America.
From the tone of this speech it was clear to anyone watching that President Bush would love to create just one more war before leaving office, one with Iran or Pakistan, or Lebanon, or Korea. President Bush threatened to use his executive powers granted under executive privilege to move any of his personal agenda items forward despite what congress and the world thought about it. While dwelling on the scant and non-measurable merits of his sad and sadistic war with an innocent nation, Iraq, he had the audacity to propose brokering a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. How I ask you does a warmonerging man like Bush believe that he can effectuate peace in the Middle East? America has lost all credibility and leverage around the world because of Bush´s continuous lies and deception.
President Bush´s positions were crystal clear, at least in his mind. He was like a spoiled little boy throwing a temper tantrum to get his way. What was less clear was why congress has not pursued their powers to impeach this dangerous man and why they paid lip service to his threats last evening with the rest of the world watching the circus. I say hey Nancy and Harry wake up! Get a backbone and push for impeachment before it is too late!
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