SotU: Only Strong?!

Posted by Freddie on January 24, 2007 under Uncategorized |

I lost thousands of dollars tonight. I had bet and bet and then bet again that the state of our union would be “very strong”. Boy was I wrong! We are merely “strong”!! What kind of message does this send to the millions of Americans hoping to stay the course in Iraq in order to achieve victory?! Is the president subtly admitting that the terrorists are winning?! How can we not be very strong?!?!

Oh, right: because the Democrats took control of Congress, and they are weak. So, even though we have a Republican in the White House for 2 more years, we can’t truly be a “very strong” nation. Damn.

A few other notes:

I have to say that it was pretty amazing to see Nancy Pelosi sitting in the seat that used to have Dennis Hastert’s name on it. And I gave props to the president right off the bat for acknowledging that historic assignment with grace.
My prediction prior to the speech was that if the president included a section of the speech devoted to Iran, then we would engage in military action with them before his term is over. I stand by that. Whether we use Israel as a proxy to engage in tactical strikes or we do it ourselves from aircraft carriers entering the Gulf as I type isn’t really the issue. The Israeli Defense Forces just got some practice in Lebanon, and we just had some air strike practice in Somalia. If a Democratic Congress can’t stop an escalation in Iraq, will they be able to stop military intervention in Iran? The magic 8 ball says: Outlook Not So Good.
The president’s idea for futzing with the tax code related to health insurance is surprisingly bad. Isn’t this the guy who swept to power wanting to simplify the tax code? Remind me how many Americans buying their own insurance because their employers are too cheap to pay for it are itemizing deductions at this point? My guess: not too many. Adding a provision requiring an accountant is not exactly a beneficent tax mechanism for helping low income Americans. I’ve been an entrepreneur enough times over in my life to recognize the pitfalls of this proposal. Here’s to hoping the Democrats send this one back to the president well worked over.
Would it be possible for the president to pursue alternative and renewable energy policy that didn’t include subsidies for coal (no matter how “clean”) and nuclear? And can somebody tell me what is the damn deal with his insistence on “wood chips” as an energy source? Is this something he’s learned from clearing brush?
Katrina? Anyone? Mr. President?

Otherwise, honestly, there wasn’t a lot of news made during this particular address. The policy objectives, no matter how misguided, were less ambitious than in years past, and the president didn’t even belabor the need for victory in Iraq despite giving over a significant chunk of the speech to our foreign policy aims. There were some threatening undertones, but he didn’t call on the American people to prepare for war in Iran. This doesn’t mean there won’t be military action; it just means we won’t be sending 100k soliders into the country. And he has already put this issue on the table in recent weeks. Is the more conservative portfolio of issues presented a sign that the president’s account is a little lower in political capital than previously? I’d say so, at least in part.

And, despite a low bar, I wasn’t that impressed with Jim Webb either.

Following the president’s model, I’d like to give a couple of shout outs at the end. Big ups to The 5 Spot for hosting our watching party. And thanks to Democracy for Tennessee for co-sponsoring.

For those who missed out, look for pictures from Mary in the near future…

Whitney said,

I strongly agree with your thoughts on health insurance taxation. I anticipated and then listened carefully to that part of the speech, and it left me confused. Am I going to have more payroll tax deducted because I receive health insurance benefits from my employer or not? One thing that is certain is that I cannot afford to be taxed for this benefit.

Speaking of health insurance, did anyone notice the irony of Bush’s comment that medical treatment should be between a patient and doctor, not an insurance provider and the government? Does this remind anyone of another medical issue that should be a private matter between a patient and her doctor? Hm…

Also, did you find it ironic that the President called for the formation of a bipartisan Iraq advisory group? Wasn’t that essentially what the Iraq Study Group was? And didn’t he ignore their advice? He has clearly demonstrated that he is not interested in bipartisan advice regarding Iraq, so why should he even pretend that he is?

I thought that the Democratic response from Jim Webb was well spoken. However, I am much more interested in actual policy reform than I am in good speeches. I hope that the Democratic majority will find the courage and power to act on their words, especially in regards to the war.
Paul said,

“And, despite a low bar, I wasn’t that impressed with Jim Webb either.”

Wrong. I thought it was an excellent speech. Concise and directly confrontational. I esp liked the line: “Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.” Show him the way Dems!
Freddie said,

Among the loyal opposition, I seem to be one of few people who didn’t enjoy Webb’s response. In the interest of full disclosure, my attention was not full, as we were winding down our event. I might revisit tonight if I get bored.