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.

[nicmarlo]

Did anyone ever determine if the President refused to shake Kennedy's hand last night?

I was watching for that last night....I did not see him shake Kennedy's hand....after all the putrid eye-rolling and head-shaking on Kennedy's part, I hope the President did refuse......let me know if this is confirmed.

[MEG33]

Oh I do hope so.He deserves a big left hook to that fat jaw...Surely it would be on TV if he did.Hope your daughter is doing better.

[hellinahandcart]

I know exactly what you mean.

It's weird, eh? One year I'm taking crap from some for supporting Bush, the next year I'm taking crap from others for not saying "thank you" every time that man decides to slap my face. It's especially annoying to be classed with malcontents and one-issue voters after having given Bush my full support for three years.

CFR and this Amnesty sham have left me a very unhappy camper. He needs to start throwing more bones our way, and soon. I would like to feel a little happy about having to vote for him.

[txradioguy]

Glas to talk to you again too Miss Marple.


I guess a good way to tell if a Republican hit a homerun with a speech of ANY kind is to observe how rabid the DIM's response is. THe more frothing the better the speech was.


We've captured Saddam, democracy is flourishing here and in Afghanistan and STILL the human face lift and company are saying we "didn't do it right". C'mon, I thought they got rid of all the Jonestown Kool Aid a long time ago. Guess not. We're doing it right. And I'm in a position to know. And if we're not doing it right what way SHOULD we we be doing it Ms. Pelosi? The French Way? Mon Deu! Saddam would still be in power.


Eastforker I know what you mean about being around and knowing what's inmportant and what's not. As a semi-old fart I too have seen a bit of the world and know what evils lurk out there and what will happen if certain measures of protection aren't taken.

[Moby Grape]

You are missing the point...it is NOT a matter of social conservative desire for Bush to go "hard right" as you put it (which is not a correct assesment).

This is simple.....the programs, and growth of programs, that Candy Man George is proposing will BANKRUPT this nation...and a bankrupt nation is a nation in peril...

We have on one hand, a president who does have the courage and conviction to go after those who would, if left alone, come to our shores with intent to kill us all....Sadly, we have on the on the other hand, a president who does not understand that the blank check social programs he is proposing will soon lead to economic meltdown (remember Russia).

Our votes have become finger-in-the-dyke votes.....with a democrat, the dyke gets BLOWN up...with Candy Man George, the dyke will eventually collapse from the pressures...and the flood will be great.

NO ONE at FR can accurately accuse me of being a Bush basher....LONG record of defending Bush, and pointing out that the alternative ( a dem president and all the JUDGES they would appoint) is NOT partiotic choice....but GOD HELP US, we need a Congress that will say NO to the Candy Man.

[MEG33]

#3444 straight from Iraq

[nicmarlo]

I quite well understand the point. I have already stated I don't agree with his positions on the illegals being given jobs, and several other equally important issues. I understand, as well, the "bankrupting" our country.....I have watched what happened in California very closely all these years....as I lived there for a great portion of my life, and then saw what Davis, and the liberal Rats, did to that once great state. It is symbolic of what will happen to the rest of the country should we continue on the course of funding socialistic programs.

This is also why I said that I hope that what Bush wants to implement will either not be or will be reversed (I thought that point was obvious--this means Congress would have to vote against Bush's desire of implementing issues or make laws to reverse those already implemented). This means, of course, we must ELECT officials who DISAGREE with these programs and are willing to take action. It also means we must WRITE to our elected officials, expressing our concerns, in an attempt to pursuade them to not implement socialistic programs.....

[txradioguy]

For someone who claims to not be a Bush basher, you have me fooled. Must have been the Candy Man George reference.

IF not Bush then WHO do you think woul be better? Hopefully your answer is not some Liberaltarian.


The economy is rising at a rate not seen in nearly 20 years, unemployment is down, the tax cuts are kicking in which will mean more $$$ in the coffers and you STILL insist we are oin the edge of financial ruin in this country? You lost me there.

[risk]

No they don't that I know of.

I checked, and it's sad but true. From the Whitehouse's own page on faith based ministries:

The government can do many things, but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense of purpose in our lives. This is done by churches, synagogues, mosques and charities that warm the cold of life — a quiet river of goodness and kindness that cuts through stone. The Administration is committed to a concerted effort to identify and remove needless barriers that thwart the heroic work of faith-based groups.

You expressed more fear of Saudi financing of prison ministries:

The Imam's that minister in the prisons, from what I understand, are sponsored directly by the Wahabi sect in Saudi Arabia. Even scarier than them being sponsored by our tax dollars.

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

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.

[Moby Grape]

You miss the point...I am lamenting that there is NO choice....It is die NOW or die later. Bush is not a conservative. You may be fairly new to FR..I am NOT a Bush basher...some of you get froth in the mouth and yell "Bush basher" if someone takes Bush to task...I have A LONG record at FR of defending Bush from the single-issue and Libertarian crowd.

His illegal alien ideas are just plain WRONG and are BAD for this county.

His ideas on Health Care are BAD.

I am hoping that we can get enough conservatives into Congress to put an end to this madness....it will not be military might that defeats us, but economic meltdown. Bush is attempting to put in place programs that have the potential to bankrupt the nation.

Now, others with unquestioned conservative GOP standing are saying the SAME. Bush has become the CANDY MAN.

[txradioguy]

Well know I know and I stand corrected. I didn't know that OUR tax money was going to sponsor a religon dedicated to brainwashing people. Sometimes this inclusiveness can go WAY too far.

What you've shown me begs the question why is it ok to promote and almost SHOVE Islam down our throats here in America and treat Christianity like it's the Plauge?

This minority/special interest dictating to the majority crap has got to end. *sigh*

[.45MAN]

It's nice to miss some things..

[Fresh Wind]

ATI is the best there is.

I wish I had bought the ATI, but the Geek Mart was sold out of them. That should have told me something! But, I settled for a Pinnacle, and have regretted it ever since.

The major problem I had was actually a Windows problem associated with the P4 HT proocessors. There is a fix from MS, but you have to ask for it. Pinnacle support is the pits. Even though it was not really their problem, they had no clue about what was going on, even though there were loads of people with the same problem. Pinnacle can't be bothered with making customers of their low end products happy.

Anyway, once that was straightened out, I find that the TV reception on this card is marginal, there is a constant interference from the sound channel in the video, like an old TV that needs to be fine-tuned. Furthermore, the remote control is unusable. I had to un-install it. What happened is the damn thing would change channels or volume randomly, and would even start up without being asked. Weird, and unacceptable.

Other than the poor reception, unusable remote, and crappy support from the manufacturer, it is just fine.

[Moby Grape]

As a follow up to the previous response, you questioned what I mean by economic meltdown considering the current economic growth. It is this:

The programs proposed (for illegals and medicare) to Univeral Health Care (in an effort to beat the dems to the puch) have LONG term potential to empty the treasury.

I am taking the LONG view.

[txradioguy]

I've been her about a year. Not sure if that shakes the "newbie" status from me or not.


As I said earlier I agree that the Illegal Alien policy is wrong. I'm hoping it's just a carrot thrown out there to shut certain people up. To take "off the table" certain red meat issues the DIM's could use to bash him with like a club over the next year. He never would have proposed things like that when he was Gov. But then again neither would 90% of the DIM's in Austin. It's a different breed of DIM he's dealing with up there inside the Beltway I guess.

I think that W is hoping as you do, that we get more conservatives in Congress this election cycle. That way judges will get appointed at ALL levels. CFR will get repealed and some of these liberal programs can either be shrunk in his budgets or outright eliminated completely.

I think from what I know of W, from his time in Midland and as the Gov. of my state he is a conservative at heart. I think in my heart of hearts he hates personally some of the things he's proposed but he has to in order to get the "swing voters" and the non-hating moderate DIMS (i.e. The Reagan DIM's) on his side. Anything less than a landslide this year I think will fuel the DIM's to further obstinance and obstruction in the House and Senate.

While pandering is unpleasant and takes a strong stomach it is a very necessary evil these days at the level of politics that W is currently playing at.

[cyncooper]

Sorry my fellow Freepers...This is a horrible state of the union...

It was a terrific speech, a terrific SOTU, a terrific ass-kicking to the dems and liberal judges, and you are completely and utterly foolish and wrong to choose to "chime in" when he mentions steroids, exposing that you have poor comprehension skills.

I only speak harshly because you choose to pontificate as if your opinion is correct when it is not.

[Luis Gonzalez]

It wasn't Bush's best speech by any means, I caught a nap in the middle of it.

He was not delivering a speech riding on the emotions of a 9/11, he was not rallying the country behind him, he was talking mostly to Congress...that's boring.

He spoke at length on the immigration issue some days ago when he enjoined Congress to reform the current immigration laws, he has nothing to do now but wait and see what Congress does, and like it or not, the issue does not resonate with the American people to the extent that it resonates with FReepers. Don't mistakenly assume that we here are representative of a cross-section of America, we are mostly political junkies with no lives. :-)

Here are the results of a FOX News poll conducted after the President's immigration reform speech:

8. Later this month President Bush will give his State of the Union Address to the nation. What topic are you most interested in hearing the president talk about during his speech? (OPEN ENDED)

The economy/jobs	35%
Iraq	17
Terrorism	10
Health Care	4
Medicare/ prescription Drugs	4
Education	3
Immigration/ illegal aliens	2
Social Security	2
Taxes	2
Budget Deficit	1
Other	5
None	6
Not sure	9

"None" and "Not Sure" beat immigration/illegal aliens by a 7 to 1 margin.

What I don't understand is your complaint about the speech being filled with old news, coupled with complaints that he did not deliver "a speech" on the topics of immigration and the space program...two issues that he delivered extensive speeches on less than two weeks ago.

[Moby Grape]

The idea of coming forth with "red meat" program propsals to take the issues away from the dems is NOT a good idea....

REMEMBER CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.....he should NEVER have signed it.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"FR, TOMORROW, should shut down and we should all re-register with at $30 entrance fee."

Can I borrow $900?

[cyncooper]

I'm going to start a "faith-based org" and get on the gravy train!!!

Well, no, but many others will.

Did you even listen to the speech? He addressed that it is not enough to say you are "faith-based" and display a cross or Star of David. He said they must have a history and a program that demonstrates success.

Sheesh