SOTU
Resuming this blog after a twelve-month hiatus I feel obliged to jump in with a few thoughts on the State Of The Union speech last night.
I’ve heard and read some comments regarding Bush’s “confident demeanor” and “steadfast resolve”, but I only saw a defeated leader who is counting the days until he can sail off into the sunset, leaving the mess in his wake for the next administration to clean-up.
There has been positive response to Bush’s “gracious” comments regarding the first-ever woman Speaker of House, Nancy Pelosi. But the truth is it would have been a glaring mistake not to acknowledge her, especially considering the more-than-obvious change from the usual visual on the TV of a trio of white male heads alternately bobbing, nodding and sneering. The press would have had a field day with the guy had he neglected to acknowledge the historic change in leadership.
True to his character, though, Bush did manage a quick dig at the new majority party calling them the “Democrat” Party, rather than the preferred “Democratic” Party- an inside sort of snub but clearly intentional and all the more revealing of Bush’s sore-loser persona.
The highlight of the evening was the response to the SOTU, by Virginia Senator Jim Webb. Concise, and powerful, Webb’s self-penned speech, went a long way in undermining the twin myths held by the Republicans: expertise on economic issues, and strength on military issues. Recent history has proven the Republicans are far from expert in these two areas, and increasingly it is the Dems that the voters are turning to.
The over-all subdued atmosphere among Republicans might have been best illustrated by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, looking particularly haggard and symbolically dressed in black. MSNBC host Chris Matthews said bluntly about Rice: “She looks like a mummy”.
I’ve heard and read some comments regarding Bush’s “confident demeanor” and “steadfast resolve”, but I only saw a defeated leader who is counting the days until he can sail off into the sunset, leaving the mess in his wake for the next administration to clean-up.
There has been positive response to Bush’s “gracious” comments regarding the first-ever woman Speaker of House, Nancy Pelosi. But the truth is it would have been a glaring mistake not to acknowledge her, especially considering the more-than-obvious change from the usual visual on the TV of a trio of white male heads alternately bobbing, nodding and sneering. The press would have had a field day with the guy had he neglected to acknowledge the historic change in leadership.
True to his character, though, Bush did manage a quick dig at the new majority party calling them the “Democrat” Party, rather than the preferred “Democratic” Party- an inside sort of snub but clearly intentional and all the more revealing of Bush’s sore-loser persona.
The highlight of the evening was the response to the SOTU, by Virginia Senator Jim Webb. Concise, and powerful, Webb’s self-penned speech, went a long way in undermining the twin myths held by the Republicans: expertise on economic issues, and strength on military issues. Recent history has proven the Republicans are far from expert in these two areas, and increasingly it is the Dems that the voters are turning to.
The over-all subdued atmosphere among Republicans might have been best illustrated by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, looking particularly haggard and symbolically dressed in black. MSNBC host Chris Matthews said bluntly about Rice: “She looks like a mummy”.
posted by Steve Trumbull | 1/24/2007
<< Home