SOTU - the aftermath

hmmm - where to begin - where to begin.....

He wants to end abortion by 2010 - ha! (made you think though - right?)

A year ago Bush promised the victims of Katrina would be taken care of - a year later nothing has changed and nothing was mentioned about them.

The funniest moment - NBA great Dikembe Mutumbo sitting next to the First Lady - then standing up - he had to be at least 5 feet taller than her.

Other First Lady guests included the Baby Einstein Creator, an Iraq War hero and the NY Subway hero. Some poor guest who was hoping to be on TV was blocked out when Dikembe stood up - maybe some 5 rows back.

We had some lip service paid to hunger, poverty and debt relief - but no solution offered.

We had Energy and some mention of renewable energy and of course the same old we depend on foreign oil too much. Really? What was the reason we went to Iraq again?

Health Care - wants to make it affordable and private - of course he failed to mention how his proposal will rob public hospitals to make this private health care available. - Cheney looked as if he wanted to throw up when Bush stated at all Americans should have health care - apparently this was not in the pre-approved Veep script.

Spending Reform - another funny moment - President Bush proposed to balance the Federal Budget in the next 5 years without raising taxes - har har har - still no mention of Iraq yet in the SOTU....

Education - wants to extend the failed NCLB plan - and a veiled mention of vouchers.

Immigration - apparently we are a melting pot - Cheney looked ill at this point.

Judges - more stuff about up or down votes. Congress apparently is unable to debate on this. Just give GWB what he wants.

Oh yeah - he did mention the old adage about crossing the partisan aisle when "work" is to be done. Translation - I will tell you what to do and you vote for it. Speaker Pelosi was looking ill at this point.

Economy is on the move. Apparently as many jobs have "moved" overseas.

Oh yeah - better IT for health care - that was good. A friend of mine who is a nurse lamented to me once that this is a huge setback for health care.

End the Junk Lawsuits - no more suing Sanford and Son

Best decisions on Health care made by Doctors and Patients - health care lobbyists heard choking around beltway.

One lame mention of the greatest moral question of our time "Climate Change" - but hey he said it without denying it. - not Global Warming though. Another first. - but then he went right into up or down votes for Judges - apparently higher on the all time moral question list for Bush.

Then 3200 words into the SOTU he starts on Iraq....

More troops - more killing - Al Quada is in Iraq after we kicked them out of Afghanistan- no mention of Osama on the run though - nor any mention of Al Quada not being in Iraq till we invaded - confused now? Something about Democracy in Mideast - yes - Mideast has a rich tradition of Democracies - the obligatory invocation of 911. Lots of framing the Iranians like the excuses to go into Iraq was framed - LOOK OUT - nukes - Axis of Evil....same rhetoric that the American people have rejected - yet he blunders on. - Here is the deal Mr. POTUS - you took us into war in reckless manner, your past plan is a failure and you current plan will lead to more failure. The solution to what has become an all out civil war is simply not a military one. It was not surprising that he did not mention the human cost of war either. No talk about the courage and sacrifice in our military hospitals. Time to man up Mr. POTUS.

We are going to form a Civilian corp to supplement the Military - not sure how that will work.
And increase the Military by 95,000 - not 92,000 as reported earlier - must be fuzzy math.

And hey - we got a small mention of Darfur.

Remember earlier today when we posted our laundry list of issues we had hoped for?
The results are in -

1. Recognize Global Warming is a threat. - Well sort of - but he did not deny it.

2. Pass the minimum wage bill - no help for the least among us. Sorry

3. Work on health care coverage for all Americans. - at the expense of public hospitals.

4. Work on a humane solution to the immigration problem. - yeah

5. A realistic solution and plan to end the violence in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring our troops home. - ummm - NO

6. An end to the partisan divide in DC. - well we did have the reaching across the aisle remark.

7. The Common Good. - not a mention - this was hoping too much on our part. Sorry

We got AIDS work continued and Malaria - all good - continue to build the capacity. GWB deserves credit here - but still a modest effort.

So over all - a very boring SOTU with very little applause and red meat.

Cheney - the Dark Lord was brooding over the House Chamber and at times looked as if he was plotting his next kill out on the hunting ranch as his evil eyes scanned the Democratic side.

Chris Matthews is blathering on and on what an act of Chivalry it was for Bush to call Speaker Pelosi - "Madam Speaker" - darn right!

and the talking heads will go on all night - blah blah blah blah

There is the perceived White House reality and then there is reality.

Good night!