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The FMP recap on SOTU

Posted 24 Jan 2007 in George W. Bush, politics

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I was mostly unmoved by President Bush’s speech last night. I mean, it was fairly good and he had his moments, but I was sad to see him move so far into bipartisanship (a Democrat code word for “do what we say”) and not get far enough into the tough words all Americans need to hear at this critical time.

I was glad to see the President concentrate on domestic issues first, keeping the Iraq hot potato for last. That might be a good thing, given that so many people shut the President whenever the “I” word is mentioned, but I do think our national security takes top priority over civil entitlement squabbles. Still, at least he spent equal time addressing both issues.

He did make a few good points, like reducing earmarks. Personally, I think they should be eliminated completely, as they are a hideous mutation of the legislative process and are bleeding billions of dollars unnecessarily. There’s no excuse for this kind of back-door raiding of public funds.

Much of the rest of Bush’s domestic portion of the speech seemed dedicated for furthering the out-of-control spending that has made him look like a “tax and spend liberal”, only without the tax increases.

I remain dead-set against Bush’s amnesty, er, guest worker program for illegal aliens. Rewarding the lawbreakers among us will not stem the flow of millions of illegals into our nation. And the few paltry roundups we’ve had so far, while good, are a mere drop in the bucket compared to how we need to be handing the issue of securing our borders. Empowering our border patrol and building a comprehensive high-tech fence should top our priority list, followed closely by a strict enforcement of our residency laws and prompt deportation of illegal immigrants whenever they are found. Dallas local community Farmer’s Branch has the beginnings of the right idea.

I think the President’s notion of a civilian corps in Iraq might be interesting, but the pessimist in me says it’ll just be more Americans over there for the terrorists to kidnap and behead.

I was VERY happy to hear the President announce several of the terrorist attacks we have pre-empted. I don’t think enough is made of this and we tend to get very complacent when we’re not seeing thousands of our civilians slaughtered by totalitarian attackers. And I think Bush should have openly challenged the liberal media about the way they maximize our lossses and minimze our victories. Just like the way they doom-and-gloom our strong (thanks to tax cuts) economy.

I thought it was good when the President made it abundantly clear that our commitment to Iraq is not open-ended. I wish that point would be driven home more often, both as a constant reminder to the Iraqi government and to stifle the shrill cries of the spineless antiwar weenies.

Despite the fact that Nancy Pelosi makes history as the first woman Speaker of the House, I was more than a little irritated to watch her constant fidgeting behind the President. Her behavior during the speech was especially telling, as she continually checked her notes for when she was supposed to grimace, smile, clap mildly, or actually stand up and applaud. Every time Bush announced another spending program or entitlement, there went the Dems, all but whooping and hollering at the idea of burning more tax dollars to strengthen their political power.

But when the President talked of finishing the job in Iraq, I was disgusted to see the Democrats continually sit on their hands in a flat rebuke of our Commander-In-Chief and the American soldiers in harm’s way. You’d think Pelosi would have clapped, seeing as how Democrats have been calling for an increase in troops for years. But no, now that they’re in the majority, they’re going back to their knee-jerk obstructionism and cowardice.

Except when it comes to Darfur. Of course, the Dems act like they want to send troops there “to stop the killing.” Pardon me for pointing out the obvious, but isn’t that exactly what we did in Iraq? We stopped a genocidal maniac from slaughtering hundreds of thousands of his own people as well as stopped the additional dangers of Hussein aiding terrorists and acquiring the capacity to hit us himself with chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. But if the tough-talking Dems are gonna turn tail and run when Sudan proves difficult, like they’re doing with Iraq, then why bother? Obviously, they’re not serious about this.

Time will tell whether President Bush is. He and his advisors have made mistakes (as do ALL Presidents), but he’s been steadfast thus far and I still agree with his main direction. My favorite part from last night’s speech was, to me, an apt summary of our nation’s situation and a stirring reminder for unity:

“This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in. Every one of us wishes this war was over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of the battle. So let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.” 

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UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt is in fine form, as usual.

First principles plus the resolve to defend them are the mark of great presidents, and it has always been so in the history of the country. President Bush extended a variety of invitations last night to the new majorities in the Senate and the House, and only the most optimistic of sorts can imagine much coming from them as the Democrats have evidenced no interest in ending their effort to reverse the judgment on Bush which history will inevitably bestow. With the possible exception of an immigration reform bill, it will be a year of confrontation and definition in preparation for a presidential election of almost incalculable stakes. 

President Bush is resolved to deliver the country to his successor much safer than the one that was delivered to him, a safety which flows from clear-eyed realism about threats and the courage to act upon them.

It will be interesting to see if the combination of General Petraeus’ clear and emphatic testimony at his confirmation hearing and the president’s steady insistence on victory will reverse the flow towards neoappeasement in the Senate. That may be too much to expect of politics in these divided times, but the good news is that the president is not for turning.

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UPDATE: So President Bush’s speech wasn’t perfect. Then what would have been?

David Allen Coe has a great song about what he calls “the perfect Country & Western song” that I love to sing at karaoke (especially toward the end of the evening when everyone is a bit impaired – including yours truly). But I digress. Jules Crittenden has what might have been the perfect State of the Union address that President Bush should have made last night. (h/t: Media Lies)

Don’t bother standing up or clapping, any of you. I already know who won the election, and I know how you feel. 

I come before you tonight not to make amends, not to make it good, curry any favor or find any middle ground.
[...]
So what is the best thing I can do tonight? I can tell you the truth. What none of you want to hear. What you’ve been stopping your ears to. The ugly truth.

The State of the Union is a disaster. I did my best, but I made mistakes, and my best wasn’t good enough.

We went to war without building up our army, and now, I am trying to make up for that.

But that is not the disaster.

The disaster is that you, Congress and the American people, do not care to fight.
[...]
I’ve heard all the comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam. George Bush’s Vietnam. The myopia is astonishing, even for me, George Bush, who you all think just isn’t that smart. But I learned something in school: People who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Didn’t you learn anything from Vietnam? Didn’t you see what happened when your predecessors in Congress, disgruntled and responding to public opinion polls just like you are, voted repeatedly to undermine an ally that was fighting for its survival and making headway against evil? There, I’ve said it again. Millions of people were murdered or imprisoned.

The entire speech is even better, check out the whole thing.

Sadly, Bush didn’t have the stones to talk tough to the Dems, or to the rest of the American people, like we all needed to hear. Let’s hope his “high road” approach pays off. But I won’t be holding my breath.

 

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Posted by FullMetalPatriot
12th gen. American, Constitutionalist, Harley-riding Texan, gun owner & NRA member, blogger, illustrator, Florida Gator alumnus. #TCOT

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