State of the Union Address LIVE THREAD 9:01pm EST.

White House .gov ^

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

President Bush will deliver the annual State of the Union this evening at 9:01pm (Eastern Time). The speech will be webcast live on the White House web site. The President will discuss the extraordinary challenges our country has faced and the historic achievements we have made. Yet he will also stress that there.s much more for our country to do: "America this evening is a Nation called to great responsibilities. And we are rising to meet them…" "We have not come all this way – through tragedy, and trial, and war – only to falter and leave our work unfinished. Americans are rising to the tasks of history, and they expect the same of us." He will also remind the American people that we are a Nation still at war, and our government is meeting its responsibility to protect the American people: "Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people. Twenty-eight months have passed since September 11, 2001 – over two years without an attack on American soil – and it is tempting to believe that the danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting – and false." "...America is on the offensive against the terrorists..." "As part of the offensive against terror, we are also confronting the regimes that harbor and support terrorists, and could supply them with nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons…" "...Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the better…" He will discuss the progress we’re making in Afghanistan and Iraq, and renew our commitment to ensuring those countries are free and peaceful: "The men and women of Afghanistan are building a nation that is free, and proud, and fighting terror…" "The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And America has always been willing to do what it takes for what is right." On priorities here at home, the President will discuss why he’s optimistic about our growing economy, and call on Congress to take action that will help turn our economic recovery into a lasting recovery. He will call on them to help train Americans for the jobs of the 21st Century: "America’s growing economy is also a changing economy. As technology transforms the way almost every job is done, America becomes more productive, and workers need new skills… We must respond by helping more Americans gain the skills to find good jobs in our new economy." President Bush will also discuss the importance of health care and the major cause for why Americans lack health insurance: the rising costs of health care. "On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure that Americans can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their individual needs. To make insurance more affordable, Congress must act to address rapidly rising health care costs." Finally, the President will argue that in a time of great change in our country and world, the things that make our country strong should never change: "We are living in a time of great change… Yet some things endure – courage and compassion, reverence and integrity, respect for differences of faith and race. The values we try to live by never change. And they are instilled in us by fundamental institutions, such as families, and schools, and religious congregations. These institutions – the unseen pillars of civilization – must remain strong in America…" "All of us – parents, schools, government – must work together to counter the negative influence of the culture, and to send the right messages to our children."

"The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Article II, Sec. 3, U.S. Constitution • History • State of the Union History Quiz • State of the Union - 2003 • State of the Union - 2002 Q1. What President delivered the first State of the Union Address?  George Washington  John Adams  Thomas Jefferson  James Madison  Franco Harris

January 20, 2004
Communications Director Dan Bartlett discussed this year's State of the Union.

January 19, 2004
Author/Historian Richard Norton Smith discussed the history of the State of the Union address.

[LandofLincoln]

Yeah, I sure did. Tax cuts, increased spending, deficit cut in half. ?????????????? I know he was a c- student, it must have been his math scores that dragged his average down.

[#3Fan]

Yeah, the status quo certainly isn't acceptable.

[txradioguy]

I agree with you on CFR. I fully expected him to Veto it. I think maybe he placed too much faith in the courts "doing the right thing" and overturning it thus allowing him to look like he had nothing to do with it's repeal. And that may still happen. I hope. But if you think the Buah bah\shing is bad now, can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth taht would be going on if the Pres had NOT offered his somewhat misguided proposals on Immigration Reform and Prescription Drugs? Now he's taken the scare issuse to all the retiress in Florida right out of the hands of the DIMS and is trying to bolster his appeal to the Hispanic community. He's learned that on the national stage speaking spanish at rallies and news conferences won't cut it like it did back in Austin.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Yes they should.

If they make the choice to use their time to preach hatred then they should not.

That should hold constant for Islamic extremists as well as for Christian Identity extremists.

If for example Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani is leading the faith-based initiative, then there's nothing wrong.

[Ophiucus]

I picked that up from a PA friend of mine. He could have been giving me a hint... ;0)

Could have. Those of us in medicine tend to notice things like that. I'd be interested in his neurological state. That shaking of his head didn't look right.

[risk]

An unraveling sound was heard...

[Luis Gonzalez]

"What another country does to try to undermine America is one thing. But diverting my own tax dollars for it is quite another."

If another country is investing time and money to undermine America on our soil, then we must in turn invest time and energy to counter their efforts.

"But here again, I think we need to carefully examine our commitment to these "balanced" ministries. I object on the grounds that Islam is not a religion of peace."

Meaning what exactly?

That the practice of Islam should be somehow banned in America?

Because if that's your contention, then I say why stop there?

We could also ban Christian Identity groups, Santeria worship, the General Assembly Church of the First Born because they refuse to allow medical treatment for sick kids...

Where do we stop?

[Luis Gonzalez]

Meaning?

[PigRigger]

"I disagree with the President..."

Out of the candidates out there, Bush will probably get my vote.

However with that being said, I am very disappointed in some of the domestic policies he has put forward. I too disagree with the "amnesty" plan he has suggested we adopt. I am also very concerned with the out of control spending that is occurring. The Repub's have made a mockery out of fiscally conservative ideals. Do conservatives even exist any more?

I am a strong supporter of his foreign initiatives. Unfortunately, there seems to be little difference between the Dem's and Repubs when it comes to domestic issues. Oh I know there are differences, but spend, spend, spend, seems to be all they can do (on both sides of the aisle).

Thus, you are not alone.

[snopercod]

Out here in las afueras [the countryside], none of my neighbors listened to the SOTU speech that I know of. I guess you could attribute that to the same instinct that warns us country folks not to walk barefoot through a pasture.

I didn't really care to hear it either, but my perverse sense of masochism momentarily overwhelmed my good sense. I turned on Univision and listened to part of it in Spanish. I always need to practice (for the jobs of the 21st century?), and I figured it was more directed at the Latinos than "us", anyway.

Watching congress act like trained monkeys jumping up and down every time some new giveway program was mentioned was an embarrassment, frankly. I was trying to find the prompter who was giving them the "stand-up/sit down" signals, but I guess he/she/it was off-screen.

Before commenting here, I read the full text of the speech to make sure I didn't miss anything important. I didn't. There was no "there" there.

The impression left by his speech was that Bush's vision of the United States is of a benevolent (but well-armed, just in case) social welfare agency.

I mean really, is steroid use by athletics one of the pressing issues of our time? ...or mentoring the children of prisoners? Does the "vital work of the Country" consist of "feeding the hungry, taking the hand of the lonely"?

I had to turn it off at that point.

The federal government shouldn't be in the education business, the mentoring business, or the lonely-hearts business. It has no authority to do so (not that Bush gives a hoot about the Constitution or his sworn oath to uphold it).

You are correct that our economic substance has been "eaten out". America has become a nation of government social workers, con-men, paper-pushers and assorted symbol-manipulators all fighting over the scraps of the once glorious technical achievements designed and built in the last century.

It's going to be a hard lesson when America realizes that those pieces of paper that we thought were wealth were just pieces of paper after all. In reality, all true wealth is ultimately based upon the products or methods created by the mind of man - from the discovery of agriculture eons ago, to the construction of space vehicles.

Very soon now we are going to wake up to an announcement: "Account Overdrawn".

In twenty short years, we have gone from "It's Morning in America" to "Here, let me help you...".

[eleni121]

You must have been sleeping when Reagan began the greatest expansion of the economy in history. How? By cutting taxes. Lower taxes = expanding economy = higher revenues for the feds to do what they want. I want paying off the deficit but when there is a war....

[risk]

Meaning?

There's more to the first amendment than meets the untrained but well-meaning eye. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[LandofLincoln]

I want paying off the deficit, but when there is war ... ... ... ... ... GO AHEAD

[Ophiucus]

New pads for your knees, 'bot?

Aawww - what's the matter. Get testy when everyone isn't the perfect little ideologue and start whining about imperfect things are.

Then get nice and vidictive when someone supports Mr. Bush for doing a good but not perfect job. Hurl spiteful remarks when those others don't agree with everything you believe - because they can't be TRUE conservatives.

If a football team won a game 21-12, your kind of "thinking" would would scream that they lost because the game wasn't perfect.

The rest of us can disagree with a couple points but accept that Bush is doing a good job in a tough situation.

Insisting on perfection will leave you in a dark and lonely place.

[FITZ]

Tax cuts, increased spending, deficit cut in half. ??????????????

The tax cuts are excellent and of course so is cutting the deficit in half. Now what he needs to do is cut all but military spending in half. Take the government out of education --- return education --- including those community colleges he spoke of --- back to local communities. Let businesses that want trained employees pay for the retraining programs. He can even salvage the illegal alien thing by saying it will be their employers who need them so badly who will pay for the health care and education for themselves and their families.

[LandofLincoln]

I'm on board with that, give that stuff back to the states

[ohioWfan]

Let me just stick my nose in your discussion and say that I agree with MUCH of what you said Arne.

The vitriol and vile hatred for Bush by the chest thumping keyboard 'macho men' that have OVERTAKEN FR lately, is most likely more offensive to women than to men, given our innate, God-given sensitivities.

I know a whole lot of strong, intelligent, educated, articulate women who won't come NEAR most threads because almost every one has been hijacked by these Johnny One Note nasties, and it's just not worth it.

I, on the other hand occasionally get in the mood to take these morons on, and reveal to the world the vacancies in their brains where logic is meant to dwell..........

[ohioWfan]

Insisting on perfection will leave you in a dark and lonely place.

I think that's where most of them live.......

[marsh-mellow]

No kidding! I am convinced we have a bunch of phony freepers making these caustic posts against the president, who laid out some great agenda items last night.

[FITZ]

I think Bush could very easily cut the federal deficit in half --- give everything back to the states that was given to them in the Constitution. That would make him a Conservative hero, take away the economic issue from the democrats.