Okay, so yeah, I’m sober. That’s going to be make the speech much less interesting. Alas.
Anyway, after the jump, I’ll post my latest thoughts in reverse chronological order. I.e., the newest stuff will be at the top.
Colin Pedicini is also liveblogging. So is Wonkette, of course.
Glenn Reynolds links to other liveblogs, and it looks like he’s liveblogging, too.
11:14: Okay, not quite done, because I gotta quote
Heh.
10:32: Okay, I’m done. G’nite all.
10:31: Somebody really needs to take the clips of President Bush quoting al-Zarqawi and bin Laden, strip out all the context, and post them on YouTube as if they represent Bush’s sentiment. The quotes: “We will sacrifice our blood and bodies to put an end to your dreams, and what is coming is even worse.â€? And: “Death is better than living on this Earth with the unbelievers among us.” Heh.
10:25: Blah, blah, blah. Fox News is praising Webb’s speech. Sorta.
10:22: “The President took us into this war recklessly. He disregarded warnings from the national security adviser during the first Gulf War, the chief of staff of the army, two former commanding generals of the Central Command, whose jurisdiction includes Iraq, the director of operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many, many others with great integrity and long experience in national security affairs. We are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable – and predicted – disarray that has followed. … We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq’s cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.”
10:18: He mentioned Virginia’s 400th anniversary. This speech would be much better if he had started it by breaking into song: In 1607, we sailed the open sea / For glory, God and gold and the Virginia Company…
10:16: Wants “a proper conclusion” to the war in Iraq. Is that the same thing as “victory”?
10:15: “Good evening, I’m Senator Jim Webb, and I’m sitting here because George Allen is an idiot and called some guy ‘macaca.’”
10:14: Meanwhile, Drudge is sounding the drums of war:
10:06: He’s signing autographs. Heh.
10:04: He’s leaving now, shaking hands with various people. Don’t kiss Lieberman… for the love of God, DON’T KISS LIEBERMAN!
10:02: YES!!! He ended with it! And it wasn’t an applause line!
10:02: I feel a “state of the union is strong” coming on.
10:01: Almost 45 minutes without guests, and then four in four minutes… it’s almost like he knows nobody likes him, so he wants to end his speech talking about other people.
10:00: ANOTHER guest!! This is ridiculous!! He’s overdosing on guests!!
9:59: ANOTHER guest!! And his kids are asleep on national TV…. LOL!!
9:58: Another guest!
9:58: But seriously… Dikembe Mutombo?!
9:57: It’s Dikembe Mutombo!! Isn’t he like 100 years old or something?
9:56: Oh! He’s finally going to introduce a guest!!
9:55: “continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur”? Is it possible to “continue to awaken” something?
9:53: Notre Dame loses. Now 0-3 on the road.
9:52: Iran! Nukular!
9:51: I think I like this: “The war on terror we fight today is a generational struggle that will continue long after you and I have turned our duties over to others. That is why it is important to work together so our Nation can see this great effort through. Both parties and both branches should work in close consultation. And this is why I propose to establish a special advisory council on the war on terror, made up of leaders in Congress from both political parties. We will share ideas for how to position America to meet every challenge that confronts us. And we will show our enemies abroad that we are united in the goal of victory.”
9:50: “Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq – and I ask you to give it a chance to work. And I ask you to support our troops in the field – and those on their way.” Okay, that was kind of unnecessary. And sneaky. And wrong. Who is he “asking” to support the troops? Who is he implying doesn’t support the troops? Lame. (It got Pelosi standing, though.)
9:49: The lessons of September the Eleventh! Don’t forget the lessons of September the Eleventh!
The Democrats aren’t clapping! Pelosi isn’t standing! They’ve forgotten the lessons of September the Eleventh! ;)
9:48: “We can expect an epic battle.” Ooh, will Gandalf be there?
9:48: “I chose this course of action because I’m the decider, baby!” Okay, he may not have said that. He did say this, though: “Many in this chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq.” Many? Heh. That’s a shot across some bows right there.
9:47: “We did not drive al Qaeda out of their safe haven in Afghanistan only to let them set up a new safe haven in a free Iraq. The people of Iraq want to live in peace, and now is the time for their government to act. Iraq’s leaders know that our commitment is not open ended. They have promised to deploy more of their own troops to secure Baghdad – and they must do so. They have pledged that they will confront violent radicals of any faction or political party. They need to follow through, and lift needless restrictions on Iraqi and Coalition forces, so these troops can achieve their mission of bringing security to all of the people of Baghdad.”
9:44: “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.” (Hat tip: the full text.)
9:43: A full half-hour, and he hasn’t pointed out any guests in the audience, nor has he said anything about whether the State of the Union is strong. Weird!
9:41: Okay, back. Wives are very demanding sometimes. :) Umm, something about building free societies and helping Hugh Manatee. Yes! Help Hugh Manatee!
9:37: Becky is demanding a hug. Pause liveblogigng.
9:35: “To win the war on terror, we must take the fight to the enemy. That is why I have ordered the Department of Homeland Security to arrest all Democrats in this chamber tonight…”
9:35: Debate = good.
9:34: Finally! Terrorists! 9/11!
9:33: “Confirm my nominees, bitches!” (Not necessarily a direct quote.) Cheney standing and clapping. Pelosi not.
9:33: GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE!!!!!!!!
9:33: Double the capacity of the strategic petroleum reserve. Pelosi not clapping.
9:32: Lots of goals by 2017. Who will be president then? Jeb?
9:31: Wait… did he say REDUCE GASOLINE USAGE??? Is Dick Cheney standing?? YES! Yes, he is! Oh, the Hugh Manatee!!
9:30: Ethanol! Woodchips!
9:30: “Nukular”! “Vee-hick-les”!
9:30: Oil = bad.
9:29: No amnesty.
9:28: “We need to uphold the great tradition of the melting pot.” Hey, isn’t that what Kyle McAlarney was trying to do?
9:27: Immigration: “laws that are fair and borders that are secure.” And adjectives that are used as objects.
9:26: No applause from Pelosi for medical malpractice liability reform. Hooray for “junk lawsuits”!
9:25: You know, I just realized, he hasn’t said anything about whether the State of the Union is strong!!
9:24: “First, I propose a standerjaxeduction.” (It was supposed to be “standard tax deduction.”)
This is boring. WHEN DO WE START TALKING ABOUT KICKING IRAN’S ASS??? ;)
9:23: Pelosi claps for renewing No Child Left Behind!
And now a standing ovation for health care.
9:22: What’s wrong with backsliding and calling it reform? That sounds easier than actually reforming. I vote for that. ;)
9:21: He just said the words “cuts in benefits.” His approval rating among senior citizens just dropped by 10%. (Though at this point, that’s sort of like getting a “half the distance to the goalline” penalty from the 1-inch line.)
9:20: No more earmarks! Earmarks suck! Oink, oink.
9:19: Bush says he will balance the federal budget within the next five years. How? My guess: fuzzy math.
A C-SPAN joke!!! He made a C-SPAN joke!!! Ha ha ha!!!
9:18: Pelosi claps for not raising taxes!
9:17: “Not with more government, but with more enterprise”: the first real partisan ovation of the evening. Apparently the Democrats hate enterprise. And babies. And America. ;)
9:16: It would have been better if Bush had said “snaps for Nancy Pelosi” and then had put the text of his speech in the snap cup.
9:15: “I congratulate the Democrat Majority.” Like hell you do. Heh.
9:15: Wow, that’s a lot of standing ovations in not a lot of minutes. If I was playing the drinking game, I’d be getting drunk by now.
Was that Harriet Miers?
9:14: Boo! John Kerry! John Kerry sucks!
9:13: And Bush plays the Pelosi gender card. Awww! They all love each other!
9:12: Oh, Pelosi gets to (re-)introduce him! I forgot that! Sweet.
9:10: Pelosi is officially golf-clapping.
9:09: “Madam Speaker… the Lame Duck President of the United States! The Least Popular President Since Nixon! Let’s all give him a hand! w00t!”
9:05: I’m watching on C-SPAN, incidentally, so no b.s. commentary.
9:04: Man, Pelosi and Cheney look awkward standing next to each other.
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Categories: Elections & Politics (U.S.)
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January 23rd, 2007 at 9:18:34 pm
I’m not sober!!! WOOOO!!!
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:27:32 pm
The state of the union is spinning! Yeh!!!!!
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:30:45 pm
Bullshi* lies about energy research.
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:32:18 pm
reducing gas usage by 20%!??!?!?!
HAHAHAHAHHA Bush is doing stand up
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:33:51 pm
What is the deal with Dick Cheney’s goofy grin whenever the president delivers a Democratic line?
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:48:44 pm
Does this speech have a 2 drink minimum?
This is a stand up routine.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:02:47 pm
Wesley Autrey just chucked a deuce to America! I love the State of the Union.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:04:28 pm
Oh man, I wish I could do the shit where I had a shrapneled-up soldier sitting in on my presentations.
“Don’t like my conclusions? Well, Johnny McPancake from Christballs, TX, took shrapnel in his nutsack to fight for them! Are you against Johnny McPancake, the only true American?”
Oh, man. If only.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:06:01 pm
Casey…
Funniest comment I think I have ever read.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:06:42 pm
I had a *wonderful* candlelight dinner and I didn’t listen to SOTUS. I believe that enjoying life without having to drive anywhere qualifies as saving 20% of my oil usage…
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:07:34 pm
Check out the pluggd state of the union smackdown in about an hour. you’ll be able to search within the audio of both the SOTU and the Democratic response for the stuff that interests you:
http://www.pluggd.com/state-of-the-union
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:12:10 pm
Your “snaps for Nancy Pelosi” comment made my night :-)
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:20:07 pm
I like the speach so shoot me….
I like President Bush so Boo me
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:20:54 pm
Antonia……speach?
hmmmm
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:22:07 pm
SPEECH
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:25:06 pm
The NY Times has a cool graphic where you can search all of Bush’s SOTUS for a specific word:
www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/20070123_STATEOFUNION.html
A search of “Hugh Manatee” reveals that he hasn’t use it. So I think “Hugh Manatee” should be translated into Bushese as “I”. So he said that, which means you should get a plane ticket to Colorado to save the most wonderful grey animal.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:30:42 pm
I liked David’s earlier comment that Bush needed sharks with frikkin lazers on them - Bush reminds me more and more of Dr. Evil with each passing speech.
How so? Dr. Evil was funny for getting unbelievably serious to make statements unbelievably ridiculous (think “1…million…dollars”).
This could have been the drinking game! Whenever Bush says something trivial, with a seriousness not commensurate with the thing being said, you have to take a drink.
My personal favorite (I paraphrase): “And we will deal with the very serious problem of malaria by dedicating $1.2 Billion over five years to the issue”.
Really? Awesome, dude. Some people think, once you bring democracy to the Middle East, the failing states in Africa will be the next haven for terrorists. But $1.2 billion over five years - sweet.
Wait a second. Doesn’t the Gates Foundation have $60 billion in assets? Aren’t they obliged to donate 2% per year by law? 2% of $60 billion is…oh, that’s right - $1.2 billion per year.
So Bush’s super-serious statement in attacking the decay in increasingly-dangerous Africa - is - 1/5th the impact of two dudes, Gates and Buffett.
Sweet. Sweet. We’re gonna WIN this war, guys.
If the Rockefellers and Carnegies and others like them want us to…
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:36:58 pm
He used the word “the” more this year than in any previous year. :)
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:39:42 pm
Soo, did he ever say “The State of our Union is Strong?”
I hope not. Everyone says it, and that cheapens the meaning. Just stop saying it. Talk about your agenda, but don’t make the glib statement.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:43:27 pm
Yeah, he said it in the last paragraph of the speech.
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:45:27 pm
P.S. The only time I can recall when the “State of the Union is strong” actually meant something — meant so much, in fact, that it gave me goosebumps, and sometimes still does when I listen to it — wasn’t even in a State of the Union address. It was in Bush’s September 20, 2001 address to Congress:
January 23rd, 2007 at 10:46:26 pm
Very obvious that Bushese for THE is “HUGH MANATEE” just look at the graphic! It’s a blob of a manatee…
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:05:48 pm
In one sense, you have to almost feel sorry for the Bushophiles, those of you that placed so much reliance on the personal qualities of W to save our nation, especially in the face of withering criticism from the left.
Sad, man. Oh, the humanity. The gallery of heroes. With Dikembe Mutombo (aside - Who didn’t think of an SNL-era Will Ferrell as Candidate Dubya saying “Benny Agbayani” at that moment?) and that military dude. Flanking Laura Bush and…
…Harriet Miers. All dressed in white with caked on whiteface - the good witch of the East.
Oh. the. humanity.
Someday, maybe all of us will have the priviledge of steering a presidency over the rapids, perhaps taking a nation screaming with us, and perhaps we will be fortunate (like Dubya) to have as a souvenir the broken rudder that sent us toward the rapids, perhaps we will be able to display that same rudder proudly, bragging to our terrified passengers about how we are oh-so-proud of what we have done…
January 23rd, 2007 at 11:17:28 pm
Okay Jazz, if you were the Gates’ Foundation what would you fund? [I think your comments are very insightful.]
January 24th, 2007 at 7:01:11 am
Nadine,
Someone would know much better than me (does the Gates Foundation have a promotional website?), but as I understand it, the primary focus of that foundation is the eradication of poverty and disease in the developing world, particularly Africa.
They do other things too (computers in school), but I think its safe to say that Dubya’s “drop in the bucket” (i.e. $240 Million/year) is much less in dealing with disease in Africa than what the Gates Foundation does and will give.
January 24th, 2007 at 7:33:56 am
Actually, it occurs to me that this might be the best argument to convince liberals of the foolishness of progressive taxation of the wealthy.
To recap:
1) GWOT is a generational war (check)
2) When the middle east (finally!) joins the modern world, Africa becomes the next front in this war (check)
3) The danger of terrorism is made worse by poor public health and poverty (check)
4) The danger of terrorism is lessened by improved public health, freedom, and prosperity (check)
Against that backdrop, why in the world would you want to take money out of the pockets of the Buffetts and Gateses of the world and put that money in the pocket of George W. Bush?
Don’t you want to win this war?
January 24th, 2007 at 8:18:07 am
Funny how Bush failed to even mention Katrina. Anybody else catch that? At the very least you would think he would say SOMETHING about progress being made in the reconstruction or the spirit of New Orleans being personified in the Saints or some bullshit.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:59:36 am
Is it just me, or did Cheney and Pelosi have an ugly face competition at one point?
Gotta love his praise for NCLB. Centralizing education at the federal level is freedom at the local level. Waiting years for the federal government’s permission to change schools is choice in schools. And expecting less and less of our children is raising standards.
January 24th, 2007 at 4:43:17 pm
[…] iven a day to stir over the President’s State of the Union remarks–rather than live-blogging like others, what’s interesting to me is how much Pres […]
January 24th, 2007 at 9:06:39 pm
Didn’t watch it. Don’t have the patience anymore to judge aesthetics, style, and politicking. Based on reading the content, overall I found the SOTU address to be pretty decent. Aside from the fact that nothing he proposed will get enacted by a Dem Congress — why the eff didn’t he propose those healthcare tax breaks four years ago?!? — the only part that bugged me was the blatant statism of increasing fuel economy mandates. The whole speech he lauds the private sector, markets, and choice, and then he states a one-size-fits-all fuel economy mandate is the way to decrease gas consumption. Idiotic. Enough with the subsidies and the mandates — if you want to encourage less consumption and alternative fuels, quadruple the tax on oil and make it revenue-neutral by cutting corporate taxes to stimulate economic growth, productivity, capital investment, and higher wages.
January 24th, 2007 at 9:08:04 pm
Also, I’m with Sean — NCLB is the completely wrong approach. What I find amusing is that NCLB was essentially written by Ted Kennedy, and yet liberals are the biggest complainers about NCLB. I think the GOP will be more than happy to let NCLB die on the vine to save all that wasted money.