State of the Union Address...your thoughts?

[miroslav]

So…who watched the Sate of the Union Address…and what did you think of it…the President's speech? Though I am sure many will find some things they didn't like… …and some will find many things they didn't like… …overall, I thought it was quite positive. We can argue how sincere the President is and how many of his proposals will actually come to fruition… …'til the cows come home. But I think he had good proposals for seeking alternative energy by replacing fossil fuel with hydrogen fuel, providing immediate and substantial AIDS help to Africa, and on issues dealing with health care reform and the economy. His comments about terrorists and the threat of rogue governments were met with very positive applause from almost all in attendance, this includes comments directed specifically at North Korea and Iraq…with very specific reference to Saddam, making it clear that the USA was not viewing the Iraqi people as the problem, but instead Saddam and his government. He also straightened out some misunderstanding about what the goals of inspectors were…pointing out that they were NOT to here to FIND weapons of mass destruction, but rather to see if Iraq was complying with the resolution that required them to destroy, AND PROVE they destroyed, all their WMD… …which they have not proven at all. I know the State of the Union Address is an overview of out nation's status, and not intended to disclose specific details of any proposals or future plans, which will come later on. So, from that perspective, I think GW brought it on home pretty damn good, and I have no reservations about letting him continue to steer the boat!!!

[Philip OKeefe]

Overall - :thu:

[knunchucksammy]

I think the man is doing his job... Overall I have no complaints about our recent presidents. I mean Clinton had his spills but I think he did very well in his 8 years of voluntary jail... Who would disagree that Clinton didn't deserve that blow job??? I wouldn't... Personally, I don't care for George W. Bush as much as recent presidents because he seems like such a political puppet and I question that most of the things he says and do are really his own thoughts and actions. But all in all I think he is doing what needs to be done. He needs to protect the most powerfull and diverse nation in the world... Matt

[Bob Keelan]

I thought he was lip-synching :rolleyes: :D bob

[rold]

This is the first State of the Union Address I've ever seen. That said, I was preoccupied for most of it. Being non-partisan, I'll reserve my comments until all of the party's suggestions and promises appear in writing and are all properly debated. I can't count how many times a politician hasn't lived up to his promises on my fingers and toes, so I take anything a politician says - on any side - with a grain of salt. ;)

[BNC]

I thought the speech was overall excellent. Like Philip said: :thu: I also think Bush seems to get things done better than many presidents (ie. actually doing something). The ideas on speeding up tax cuts (like eliminating the marriage penaly) and reforming the health care system in a more timely fashion is great. He is absolutly right in saying that eliminating said taxes now instead of later is better for everyone. His logic behind lower taxes = more spending money = more economic activity = more jobs = increased govt revenue to lower national debt is spot on. I am not sure about his plans on drug problems. I did not hear anything about this before, so I need some more info. One of the things I really admire about Bush is that he takes a stand and makes his ideas known. Most politicians are much more inclined to avoid making a decision.

[patrick_dont_fret]

[quote]Originally posted by BNC: [b]His logic behind lower taxes = more spending money = more economic activity = more jobs = increased govt revenue to lower national debt is spot on.[/b][/quote]No, say it ain't so... From what I heard whilst I was in my room trying to fix my amp, I heard him whining about the economy and how more aid should be sent places and all that other filler crap, seeming like he was never going to get onto what they [i]really want to know[/i] . Then he busts out with this romantic crap about how the inspectors aren't there for this or that reasons, and that Saddam isn't doing what he's supposed to be doing and all that bullcrap. So, just hearing his voice for that long, I give the speech a :freak: Too bad we can't turn this little guy's thumb the other way around.

[WFTurner]

:thu: :thu: :thu: :thu:

[BrianT]

I, for one, have ZERO problem with dropping the $$$ to help with the AIDS issue in Africa. To any other country, $15 billion is huge. The US can afford it. Bush said the drugs are now $300 a year. That's less than a $1 a day to save a life. Pretend it's your own mom, sister or daughter. How can we not? It's about the same $$$ to build 3 aircraft carriers over 5 years. Hey, we already have about 11 of them. If it saves or seriously extends millions of lives, it's an awesome idea, and we could do with a bunch more of that type of thinking. If it actually happens in spite of the political jive, Dubya gets major props from me for actually caring. BTW, did I hear him say that 60% of the food aid in the world comes from the USA? Is that right? Wow. I didn't know that. On a side note. The smartest thing the US could do is help to rebuild Afghanistan to a better place than it's been in a century. If the end result of US intervention is just more of the same grief these people have been through for decades, we're merely hypocrites, maneuvering them for our own benefit. OTOH, if we take the time and interest to set them up with farming, hospitals, schools along with a stable government *of their own*, and the best thing to happen to Afghanistan in a long time is the US showing up, it makes a more powerful statement than words ever will. Time will tell. Regards, Brian T

[rold]

"Time will tell." Indeed it will. :thu:

[offramp]

So far, I must be the odd man out. I can't stand to watch the man speak. There's a 'disconnect' behind his eyes, and his body language reeks (to me) of a frat boy who's been given an ungodly amount of power. He clearly enjoys status, and looks to me like he gets REALLY caught up in it.

[Chip McDonald]

"Blah blah blah.... and BLAH. Blah, blah blah"... If the U.S. is going to be the policeman and parent for the rest of world, it should act accordingly and be rewarded accordingly. What's going on now makes no sense at all, and promising the same tired bs to the citizens of the U.S. without any total plan gets older and older. "Tax cuts" "health care reform"... how many times have we heard that? It's not going to affect the majority of the people in the U.S., it's smoke and mirrors. I want a president (voted with a *clear* majority) who has a coherent PLAN, not a series of sound bites. That's not going to happen, it isn't happening now by far, and beyond that it really doesn't matter.

[Kaz]

That was like a junior high pep rally, apparently everthing from the economy, AIDS, health care, and the war on terrorism, well, it's all going to work out just swell. Yay! Now, back to reality... Maybe Mr. Powell will have something to say that will convince those of us who feel thus far that Bush and his administration are a little too gung ho, should wait for the inspectors, go through the proper U.N. channels, get the support of our allies. For those giving the thumbs up, what did you think of the democratic rebuttal? And what happened to Osama? Was he mentioned? Apparently, it was all Saddam's fault. :confused: P.S. I pray for peace until we can have a regime change of our own, using the voting process and not the use of the nuclear bombs the U.S. is considering using on Iraq (isn't that what we're trying to stamp out?). Just hope the election is fair and square this time.

[BrianT]

The US isn't going to use nukes on anybody who hasn't used them on the US first. The only exception would be a large scale biological or chemical attack on the US or it's troops that caused casualties similar to those of a nuclear attack. And in that case, the whole can of whoop-ass opens up. As it should. As insane as it all is, that sort of deterrence is exactly what succesfully kept the USA and USSR from ever starting WWIII. Lame as it is, it worked. Regards, Brian T

[Uh Clem]

Good speach writer - whoever wrote it. I thought he did a pretty good job delivering it. Nice ideas, but I've heard a lot of that before and it has not materialized. At least there is apparently some thought in those directions - maybe eventually...

[Curve Dominant]

I didn't watch it on the telly (too busy tweaking PT plugins), but I just read the transcript on the NYTimes website. Pretty solid. I'm impressed. And I've heard from folks who did watch that he presented himself quite well. I met W when he was campaigning for president here in Philly. Do not underestimate the guy. He's dumb like a fox: only on the surface. Underneath the "good 'ol boy" facade, there is a very canny and smart and focussed mind.

[Bunny Knutson]

I was anticipating and hoping that Bush would explain the connection between Iraq and 9/11, but he didn't. The Patriot Act, in response to 9/11, gives the President the right to wage war in defense against terrorism, but there has been no proven link between al Qaeda terrorists and Sadam Hussein. Without this link, the Patriot Act cannot give Bush power to wage war against Iraq. Additionally, there has been no Congressional declaration of war. I would have assumed that tonight's speech would have been an excellent opportunity for Bush to request Congress to declare war on Iraq. He did not. So, how is it that we are mobilizing troops in preparation for war?

[GZsound]

I think one important point is the fact he has submitted a lot of the programs he spoke about to congress already. And unlike our former president, he didn't promise something for everybody with a price tag we simply can't afford. Mr. Bush gave specific numbers for the costs and specific plans. The democrats seem to think they can keep bringing up the same tired old "tax cuts for the rich" and how they want to help the middle class but Mr. Bush certainly put a bug up the liberal butts with his warnings about frivilous lawsuits and malpractice and environmental lawsuits. The democratic sleep-in with the trial lawyers and unions will be their downfall. Eliminating the marriage penalty, not taxing stock dividends, etc. all benefit the "little people" and the liberal "tax the rich" folks are in deep political doo doo.

[Chip McDonald]

[quote]Originally posted by BrianT: [b]The US isn't going to use nukes on anybody who hasn't used them on the US first. [/b][/quote]The U.S. now has a new "first strike" policy, that doesn't exactly say that doesn't include the use of nuclear weapons. The way things are going now, "defensive" use could be the "threat" of "possible eventual" use of WMD by someone like NK. The Pentagon recently released a "nuclear posture review" that include nuclear strikes "against countries that possess or are developing weapons of mass destruction." Not countries that have *used* them. Additionally King George has said "all options are on the table" and won't "rule out any options" in defense of the country against those who *may be trying to develope WMD*. That's extremely wide open (not to mention recklessly inflamatory). Quite scary IMO.

[Jotown]

[quote]I think one important point is the fact he has submitted a lot of the programs he spoke about to congress already. And unlike our former president, he didn't promise something for everybody with a price tag we simply can't afford. Mr. Bush gave specific numbers for the costs and specific plans. [/quote]It never ceases to amaze me that a seemingly intelligent person like yourself could make such a comment. Our former president left office with a substanial surplus, cleaning up the financial mess that Reagan and Bush senior left behind. This is historical fact. Our current president on the other hand is running up deficit's that will be even bigger than the Reagan legacy. I am not attacking Bush, just pointing out your incorrect assertion. Amd specific plans are great, but specific actions are better. Bush has done nothing "specific" to fix the econonmy, and some "specific" things that have not worked at all. It seems that some people only hear what they want to hear, and than quote bizarre untruths as fact, because they would like to believe it is so.

[vintagevibe]

[quote]Originally posted by Jotown: It seems that some people only hear what they want to hear, and than quote bizarre untruths as fact, because they would like to believe it is so.[/quote]The very definition of a Republican. ;)

[Larry Brady]

The "State of the Union" was given about one breath and over in the first 60 seconds. He said: "The Union is strong". The next 59 minutes was pure political agenda. Politicians are the lowest form of life on the planet.

[PBBPaul]

[quote]Originally posted by dino321: [b] [quote]Originally posted by Jotown: It seems that some people only hear what they want to hear, and than quote bizarre untruths as fact, because they would like to believe it is so.[/quote]The very definition of a Republican. ;) [/b][/quote]Kinda like: "Our former president left office with a substanial surplus, cleaning up the financial mess that Reagan and Bush senior left behind." If my memory serves, the programs put into place in the late '80s bloomed in the early '90s creating the most prosperous period in history. Clinton did the smartest thing at the time: he kept his hands off and let Greenspan run the economy. Of course the lack of oversight led to the rampant abuse, the results of which we find ourselves dealing with now... One could also accurately say that the previous administration's penchant for partying and spending the economic boom money while failing to help effectively enforce UN 1441 in Iraq has led to the situation we now face there. At least GWB is doing something about it. And FWIW, I think the prez did an excellent job in delivering a high level overview. I like the part about funding hydrogen power r&d, and AIDS relief in Africa. If we're going to spend our taxes, let's do it where it will do some long-term good. I just hope that every one of those AIDS relief packages say "Made in USA" in huge letters so that those who despise us see that we are benevolent nonetheless.

[strat0124]

He sounds like a drunk trying to enunciate after being pulled over by the highway patrol. He's a pretty good thespian. I'd love to party with him, probably a blast. But do I want him with his finger on the big red button?????? By the way the BBC broadcast after PBS's coverage was excellent. The chick whose last name is Husain or something like that, hammered away with authority. Damn we need her on CNN.

[CP]

The big winner last night was not the Republicans, Democrats, or even George W. By far it was the pharmaceutical companies. Vaccinations for all these potential diseases under the "Bioshield" program. Medicine for AIDS in Africa. Man, the drug companies are going to make a mint, again.

[Botch.]

[quote]Originally posted by BKeelan: [b]I thought he was lip-synching :rolleyes: :D bob[/b][/quote]It [i]does[/i] amaze me how well he can speak a prepared speech, while conversely how inept he is at speaking off the cuff. :confused:

[The Bear Jew]

Um... he said, "Nukeyoolar" a couple times. That was funny.

[Wrave]

I, exactly like someone stated earlier, cannot stand to even hear this man's voice. And I cannot look at his face without seeing those little beady eyes and that sharp ferret-like nose. And so it surprizes me that I watched as much of his speech as I did. I am sorry that so many people have been hoodwinked by this man. I have a genuinely difficult time when I realize how many of my countrymen actually believe this man capable of telling the truth. That he can read a well prepared speech is apparent but his speeches are only so much political rhetoric. His actions speak so much louder than his words and his actions scare me. Of course, I say tongue-in-cheek, Clinton's administration was set up to defeat the deficit by the previous republican administrations or so conservatives would like us to believe. But, if that is so, why have they abandoned this program so heartily now that they are in power again and have the legislative backing to actually do something other than pass handouts to their wealthy fraternity friends? I don't believe King George is a Republican. He is a robber-baron fully capable of bringing this country to it's knees politically, morally and spiritually. He is abandoning every decent stance this country has ever taken in our outreach to the rest of the world. We are no longer seen as conscientious, caring and compassionate leaders in in this world. Our friends now fear us as they have always feared the tyrrany of the powerful. Without a doubt he spoke on some positive steps that ought to be taken. But once again, from all that I have seen of this man and his administration, these are only words. His constituents seem to be slowly seeing the light however and he needs to be very cautious now about which actions he takes and which path he follows. I will say that after last night I am somewhat convinced that the only way to approach Sadam Husien and the Iraq question is through forcing their full compliance with the UN resolutions. And I do think there may be some reason to "go it alone" if it proves to be absolutely necessary. But I doubt that King George's phylosophy of "carry a big stick and speak softly" serves only to discredit America's peace loving image. In other words, it's time to either shit or get off the pot. And, for the sake of this country, this man, who we've all been asked to trust, had better have some damned good intelligence. I hate war. I was brought up in the sixties and Viet Nam was a big part of my life. I served in the military in the late sixties (although never in combat status) and still wonder what that was all about. IF Iraq proves to be nothing but another Viet Nam, The Bushmaster and his party will spend a long, long time climbing back into the light of trust and truth and our country will need decades to repair the damage to our ideals and beliefs in the eyes of the rest of the world.

[Rick K.]

Overall I'll give him 3 thumbs up. :thu: :thu: :thu: I thought he outlined very specific plans to: A: help save our planet B: conserve natural resources C: bolster our economy with tax relief D: provide seniors with reduced perscription drug costs E: combat the spreading of AIDS F: protect us from bio terrorism G: help our children thru mentoring programs H: help achieve world peace thru disarmarment Sounds good to me. Now come the roadblocks, smoke screens and rhetoric. Rick

[Jode]

I got kind of miffed when he admonished Congress for spending so much and then proposed hundreds of billions in spending for his own ideas. On the other hand, I give him an A for explaining the situation in Iraq. The real job of the inspectors and the consequences of their findings had not been stated clearly enough before last night. I think Bush is simply playing a fully committed game of chicken with Hussein. "We're coming - disarm." "We're at your borders - disarm." "We're at the Baghdad city limits - disarm." "Have a nice trip to Zimbabwe while we disarm you."