The State of Our Union

Is it only a year since the last State of the Union address? Here's my play-by-play:

• It's all motherhood for now. Let's trust each other during this challenging time. Yada yada yada.
• Letting tax cuts expire is a tax increase. Perhaps the Republicans who passed those cuts a few years ago should have been honest about their intentions and about the long-term cost of the plan in the first place. And shame on Democrats who didn't call them on it.
• Bush is going to cut $18B from the budget! Wow! Up against the $300B we'll spend on the war this year, we're talking some real money. And while the record-setting earmarks of the Republican-led Congress sailed across the President's desk, now that his party is out, he's going to start sharpening his veto pen when he sees earmarks? Nice gesture; a little late. Congratulations; we're on the road to fiscal responsibility now.
• Trust doctors and patients to make good decisions about their health care. Except when it comes to abortion. In that case, trust the Congress.
• Performance in primary education is improving. Time for Congress to renew No Child Left Behind. Give Pell grants to public school kids. To do what? Is this a voucher program? Unclear.
• Free trade for good manufacturing jobs. It's good for security reasons too. Without free trade, we play into the hands of those selling "false populism." ::cough:: Chavez ::cough::
• Reduce our dependency on oil. Not even a "foreign" qualifier. That's good news. Wait -- the answer is coal. Shoot. And nuclear. Not sure how I feel about that. We need an international agreement to stop the growth of greenhouse gases. Give no "major economy" a "free ride."
• Double subsidies for scientific research in the physical sciences. Maybe we can pay for it with those $18B we just saved.
• Make stem cells out of skin cells; don't kill the embryos whose parents threw them away.
• Judges should be strict constructionists. Confirm my judges! Wouldn't be the State of the Union, for any president, without this one in there.
• Congress should permanently extend federal funding for faith-based charities.
• Social Security privatization is coming. He's going to say it.... He didn't! Just "I've offered proposals; now I want yours." A humble admission of failure?
• No more catch-and-release at the border. But we will never seal the border if there's no legal outlet. I agree with him here. We need a "sensible and humane way" to deal with people already here.
• Our foreign policy is based on a hope that people prefer democracy. Now we're onto the defense portion of our program. The Terrorists hate Freedom. More Marines for Afghanistan.
• The Surge is working in Iraq. The Troops have our gratitude. Everyone stands; Pelosi is a bit perfunctory. The Iraqis love us again, and are driving Al Qaeda out everywhere. We've killed "hundreds" of "key" Al Qaeda operatives. (How big is their leadership structure, anyway?)
• Now the surge forces are starting to come home. One unit has come home already (that's like, six guys?); eventually, 20,000 will come back. That's similar in size to the original surge, or perhaps slightly smaller. That's not a troop draw-down, it's jst a relaxation of the draw-up. If you need those guys over there, then defend that policy. Don't pretend you're bringing them home.
• Now we're getting to what the surge was supposed to be for: making space for political reconstruction. The Iraqis are making progress.
• The Palestinians want peace. So do the Israelis. Unfortunately, leaders on both sides are the weakest they've been since Bush took office. I applaud Bush's recent efforts; I wish he had made them sooner.
• Iran is doing bad things. We love the people of Iran. All their government has to do is to disclose all of their defense secrets, admit total strategic defeat in the nuclear arena, and reconstruct itself as a liberal western style democracy. I'm not saying those things wouldn't be positive from an American point of view, but isn't it a little bit patronizing to say "we're looking out for you" while implying the humiliation of someone's country? The Iranians don't want America to look out for them. They want us to leave them alone.
• The government needs to know who people who might be terrorists might be talking to. Any corporation who discloses information to the government as part of a warrantless illegal search should get away with it.
• We oppose genocide in Sudan. That's got to be good for some applause. Raise your hand if you're against genocide. Me! Pick me! No word on actually doing something about it.
• Half of the world's food aid comes from the U.S. Buy crops created by local farmers in the Third World. I thought the reason why we couldn't is the dumping of highly subsidized produce our country is doing in their countries.
• More motherhood about trust and freedom. God Bless America.

Democratic Response by Kathleen Sebelius, governor of Kansas

Nevermind; this is an American response. Sounds like it reflects the platform of the Democratic Party. Funny; I must be mistaken.

Nothing to see here; move along.

The End

I am not a Democratic Party hack. I am a moderate. In the last election in which I voted, I cast votes for candidates of no fewer than four different political parties. I gave The Man some props after last year's State. And so it bothers me that I come across as so snarky in the list above. But I have to say, I found the speech very uninspiring. It comes down to this:

Is the Republican Party so morally and intellectually bankrupt at this point in time that it has nothing to offer us but militarism, tax cuts, and some pat statements about stem cells?

Where's the strategic vision for building our international relationships and our place in the world? I don't hear any Reaganesque "city on a hill"; all I hear is some hard talk about taking the nukes and giving back democracy. Yes, more of that, please; it's worked out so well thus far. In this difficult economic climate, with a possible recession in the short term, and globalization in the long term, making everyone nervous about their economic place in this world, what's the strategy? Free trade with Colombia, and make my tax cuts permanent? Are you kidding me?

Governor Sebelius said one thing of note: "We have no more patience for divisive politics." That at least, I hope, is true.