Totally Biased State of the Union

With President Bush delivering his last State of the Union address ever tonight, it's time for a State of the Union of my own. First, let me agree with Senator Hillary Clinton who is also excited to see the last of Dubya.

Now, let's take a look at the last year. Here are a few highlights:
(in no particular order)

• Ongoing Iraq debacle
  This has been all over the news for so long, there is no need to rehash the details. The situation in Iraq has been mismanaged from the beginning; every time a decision has been made, the worst one has been chosen. Iraq is the Vietnam of this generation, and Bush refuses to entertain realistic solutions and troop withdrawal for the same reasons Nixon would not leave Vietnam. It's that simple. Worse than that, we have been drawn in so deeply, and the mess is so big, that there is no simple solution any more. With a President whose main interest is proving his global omnipotence in office, there will be no solution. While the Senate may be able to effect some kind of damage control at least, the Iraq issue is really in a holding pattern until after the inauguration of another President. (Hopefully Hillary Clinton. Can't resist the shameless plug.)


• In January, Senators Clinton, Obama and Edwards officially announce candidacy for president. On the Republican side, Mitt Romney, Rudy Guiliani and John McCain announce theirs.
  The good thing about election years is that the Presidential campaign usually focuses on the main issues in the country, unless of course the drama of the campaigns overshadow things. This year we have seen a little of both.


• In part of the Democratic takeover of Congress, Nancy Pelosi becomes the first woman to be Speaker of the House.


• In May, Bush vetoes a $124 billion dollar military spending bill, because the Senate had built in a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq.


• In October, Bush vetoes a health care bill designed to benefit children.


• In November, Bush vetoes a bill that would help with hurricane recovery, wetland restoration and flood prevention. The veto was overturned by a landslide only 6 days later.


• Five days later, Bush strikes back with a veto of a popular health & education spending measure.


• Less than a month later, Bush vetoes a second attempt at passing a children's health care plan.


• Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales and Dan Bartlet all resign from the Bush Administration.
  I think these three in particular really frame the intensity of the scandal inside the Bush Administration. The corruption of the current administration is starting to show serious strain. Insiders, long term friends and supporters of Bush in some cases, are quitting. When even your best buds can't justify being associated with you any more, it's really time to reevaluate.


• The US and Iran continue their nuclear standoff.
  So, is this the new Iron Curtain? Russia is certainly interested in Iran, and the insults are flying all over the place. The Iranian government is making vague threats of "serious problems" if the UN goes ahead with sanctions. Iran and Iraq are opening diplomatic relations. They are also working on the same with Egypt. The United States has stirred the pot so badly, that an unprecedented Middle Eastern alliance is forming against us, and still the Bush Administration is fermenting trouble. Bush's attempts to create divisiveness in the Middle East are backfiring, but he persists anyway. Any claims at aiming for peace are disproved by this.


• Eight US Attorneys are fired for not pandering to GOP agenda.


• A major mortgage crisis in the US points out economic troubles.


• After being sentenced to 30 months in prison for exposing the identity of CIA operative Valeria Plame, Lewis Libby's sentence is commuted by President Bush.
  Why? The guy compromised the identity (not to mention the threat to her life from exposure) of a CIA Operative -- one of the people who works for the government surveillance agencies. He compromised national security. He broke every trust imaginable. And what is the possible benefit to Bush? This was just a show of power, and a poorly thought out one.


• Stem cell research gets a makeover: scientists are able to "reprogram" human skin cells to acts like embryonic cells.
  Maybe this will stuff a sock in the mouth of the religious right who want us to stay in the stone age of medicine. If we can replicate stem cells without using dead babies, they are going to lose a lot of steam. Of course the "playing god" argument will always be toted out any time genetic research comes up. Repeat after me: ethical use of medical research. That's all it takes, and it could be and is being done.


• Bush introduced an economic stimulus plan (technically in 2008) that has merits, but seems more like lip service.
  I personally can't wait for that nice $300 check. I'm going to eat out a couple times and maybe pay my cell bill. Or, it might pay some of my rent, once. Wow, so much economic stimulus. There are so many problems with Bush's "stimulus plan" I don't even know where to begin. Regardless, at least it's something, which seems to be the popular sentiment in Congress, too. I don't see any enthusiasm either for or against this stimulus plan, and the likelihood that it will pass Congress like Ex-Lax shows how little care anyone has for it. The economy has lit a fire under the presidential candidates, but every election see the economy on the top of the issues list.

The State of the Union is getting worse by the day. The last 6 1/2 years have been a constant parade backward. Our economy is in the dumps, with the dollar falling every day. We are at war all over the world with increasingly less popular support, and we are making more enemies every day. The image of the United States is in the trash. Our administration is hideously corrupt, and continually finds ways to hold itself above reproach. Millions of Americans are still displaced or homeless from a stream of natural disasters.

Nothing is going to change until we get rid of George W. Bush. With the countdown on, and his successor in sight, at least there's hope. Much remains to be seen however. We are not out of the woods. Historically, all second term Presidents have gone into over drive on their personal agenda. With no worry about re-election, and insufficient time for impeachment proceedings, what's to stop Dubya? We have not seen the worst of it yet.