***Official State of the Union Running Thread***

[HoustonNutt]

Post all thoughts, reactions, and general gripes here throughout the SotU.

[UCAbears]

Boooo george bush? lol not sure what that is^

[reverend_kyle]

I'm drinking every time he says terror or terrorism.

[HoustonNutt]

I'm drinking every time he says terror or terrorism.

I believe you mean "terra" and "terrarism."

I'm drinking for every "Merica" and "Merkins."

[UCAbears]

I'm drinking every time he says terror or terrorism.

too bad you cant legally

[stinkycheese]

I'm drinking every time he says terror or terrorism.

too bad you cant legally

It's not illegal unless you get caught.

[CBlake]

he said he was drinking he didnt specifically say alchohal

[UCAbears]

nor did I speifacally say alchohal

[dcowboys055]

i like the smirks that the republicans give the democrats everytime they stand up to clap, and i saw a wink or two as well, lol.

[HoustonNutt]

i like the smirks that the republicans give the democrats everytime they stand up to clap, and i saw a wink or two as well, lol.

Is that the "too bad we got our asses kicked in November" smirk?

[dcowboys055]

you tell me

[AndyDufresne]

Totally am not watching it.


--Andy

[dcowboys055]

well dont you get basic cable over in zihuatanejo?

[HoustonNutt]

you tell me

Nope, I was wrong. It's the "Wow, we really are going to lose in '08, huh" smirk.

[areyouincahoots]

I think it was an interesting 50 minutes...

Glad to finally see a female Speaker of the House!

"Madame Speaker,..." --That's just great!

The NYC hero kept saying, "You the man!" to the President.

I did notice a wink from the President probably directed at his cabinet and a few smirks of his own, as well.

Good speech...it will be interesting to see how the next two years and the election in 2008 turn out!

[supercram]

Geroge W. Bush still looks like a dismal failure playing "dress-up" to me. The privileged son of a privileged man, completely out of touch with the average American.

I liked Jim Webb's response though.

[areyouincahoots]

Really, the response was merely typical.

I think a more effective approach would have been to assure Americans that the most effective course of action would be taken, in all areas, regardless of party affiliations.

The people need to know that their best interests are at heart for all, and that politicians in D.C. would not be focusing on the politics involved but the true task at hand.

[supercram]

Really, the response was merely typical.

I think a more effective approach would have been to assure Americans that the most effective course of action would be taken, in all areas, regardless of party affiliations.

The people need to know that their best interests are at heart for all, and that politicians in D.C. would not be focusing on the politics involved but the true task at hand.

i like to hear from a man who has served in the military (i mean, for real), whose son serves in the military in iraq. i think that was nice.

i liked that webb discussed the disparities in income between average boss and average worker (400:1), and that he pointed out that the democratic congress has already passed a measure to increase the minimum wage in the house.

i liked the reference to teddy roosevelt's battle against the robber barons, and the reminder that andrew jackson said we should measure a society by the lowest denominator and not the highest.

i thought it was far from typical politics, even if webb himself is not all that charismatic.

[supercram]

I think a more effective approach would have been to assure Americans that the most effective course of action would be taken, in all areas, regardless of party affiliations.

The people need to know that their best interests are at heart for all, and that politicians in D.C. would not be focusing on the politics involved but the true task at hand.

and those two things sound like sound bites to me that don't mean anything. what is the "true task at hand," exactly?

i don't want a politician who will assure me he or she is taking the "most effective course of action." that doesn't mean anything. i want specifics.

webb was specific about the war, about economic disparity, and about how bush has brought up alternative energy for the last 7 years in his speech but has done very little about it. now that the dems are running things, we might see some action on this issue.

[wicked]

*** best thing about living on the west coast: was still at work when Bush was speaking! loving that!!!! ***

[supercram]

*** best thing about living on the west coast: was still at work when Bush was speaking! loving that!!!! ***

lucky, lol. i'm west coast and i got back from work right at the sappiest part at the end. then i had to read the transcript because i'm a masochist.

[theosi]

Ok I have not posted here in awhile. Which my long winded post have more than likely not been missed but I felt like checking in on this one.

Given that Bush has delivered this provoking 'State of The Union Address' this evening I feel maybe we should look at the events leading up to our current State of The Union and really think about what it is we are fighting for in Iraq. The following are sourced and accurate data that are open to rebuttal, but please do bring source and reference or please state that it is in your narrow minded, ignorant, un-substantiated, kool-aid drinking 'OPINION' that you disagree.

With that let me give my OPINION on Bush and the State of This Union. Bush is a lying coward who cares not for this country nor it's people. His concern is how much money he, his family, his friends and the Corporate greed they represent are TRUCKING in! The economy is completly inflated to 'appear' healthy where if we look at the people that make up this country, they are under paid, if not unemployed, over charged for Health Care, all forms of insurance, Petroleum cost, Pharmacutical cost, Living expenses, Phone service fees, Cable fees, Internet fees (did you know in China they pay only =$10 for Digital service?), and all other things neccessary in this country of Life, liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! Homelessness is at all time highs since the Great Deprssion, the poverty in this country is DEPLORABLE, children with healthcare is at it's lowest ever, senior citizens find it cheaper to just die than receive the care they need, crime is on the rise in nearly every city across the country, Police harrass us more and more daily, Our freedoms are gone, our soldiers are dying for a shameful war in Iraq and let us not forget the INNOCENT Iraqi's dying by the thousands since we INVADED there country, the Civil war we have created, the Economical depression we have caused in the countries surrounding Iraq. Syria, Turkey, Saudi, Pakistan, Lebanon etc... Etc... THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of Iraq's have fled there own country in fear into there neighboring countries who are now without money, work or food. I wonder where the next wave of terrorist's are coming from? Hmmm... The returning soldiers have endured extreme conditions, thousands are un-employable due to loss of limbs, mental anguish but thank God they are alive right? And what for? Well so far at a cost of $360,782,400,289!!! What is all this for? Why are the Corporations bringing in historical profits while the rest of us are deplentishing are savings, living pay-check to pay-check, without healthcare, without, without, without! How can any one of you justify in your minds what this President and his Administration has done with the State of the Union? I cannot understand your mental dysfuntion and inability to come out of your haze of supidity long enough to see the truth of what is going on and what has happened right here in this Patriot Act country of ours. Oh yeah and the Illegal Immigrant situation let us not forget that. I found some info on that, http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20070119/cm_usatoday/latinosknowupclosethecostofiraqwar, and I think I know what it is all about. Did you know about 7% of the active fighting force are citizens with green cards, the Christian Science Monitor has reported. Latinos are 9.4% of the armed forces, but 17.7% of combat troops and 11% of military deaths in Iraq, and we wonder why Bush supports all those Mexicans crossing the border, "Come on over yall and we give you Green Card, fight for US and we give you citizenship." What a scam that is huh? And all those deaths that need not be told of because who cares about the little Mexican immigrant anyway right? 3000+? Hmmm. I wonder how many green carded Immigrants have died for "Our" country so far that we had no idea were even there?

So anyway, this is how I, in my humble opinion, see the State of the Union and this President seems to think we are a bunch of narrow minded and ingnorant morons with no concepts other than the ones he tells us we have and I personaly am disgraced by him, my countrymen that elected him and The Supreme Court for 'Appointing' him the first go round!

A little reminder for you to enjoy:
Washington Post Bush seeks to restrict Hill Probes of September 11

Bush opposes 9/11 panel
This is what Bush has to say about his administrations efforts to cover up, ooops, I mean enlighten the 9/11 committe.
George Bush interview on Meet the Press- "We have given, uh, extraodinary cooperation with, uh, Chairman Kean and Hamilton".

What did the 9/11 comission have to say about there "Extraordinary cooperation"?
Chairman of 9/11 commision Governor Thomas Kean- "We haven't gotten the materials we needed, and we certainly haen't gotten them in a timely fashion. The deadlines we set have passed".Bush on 'Testifying' before the 9/11 Comission:
George W. Bush at Press Conference- "This commission? You know I don't.....I.....testify? I mean, I'd be glad to visit with them".
Bush went on to 'Visit' with the 9/11 comission with his VP Cheney in a closed door session and refused to 'Testify' under oath as ALL OTHERS QUESTIONED DID!

Events leading up to 9/11 in hindsight:

Charles Gibson (host of ABC News Good morning America) interviews Richard Clarke (former U.S. government official who specialized in intelligence, cyber security and counter-terrorism. Until his retirement in January 2003, Mr. Clarke was a member of the Senior Executive Service. He served as an advisor to four U.S. presidents from 1973 to 2003: Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. During the September 11, 2001 attacks, Clarke was the chief counter-terrorism adviser on the U.S. National Security Council. [I think he's got a lot of credibility huh?])

Charles Gibson "So you come in on September 12th ready to plot what response we take on Al Queda. Let me talk to the... About the response that you got from top administration officials. On that day, what did the president say to you"?
Ricahrd Clarke "The president, in a very intimidating way, left us, me and my staff, with the clear indication that he wanted us to come back with the word that there was an Iraqi hand behind 9/11. Because they had been planning to do something about Iraq from before the time they came into office".Charles Gibson "Did he ask about any other nations other than Iraq"?
Ricahrd Clarke "No. No, no, no. No, not at all. It was Iraq, Saddam. Find out, get back to me".
Charles Gibson "And were his questions more about Iraq than about al Queda"?Richard Clarke "Absolutely. Absolutely. He didn't ask me about al Queda".Charles Gibson And the reaction you got that day from the Defense Secretary, Donal Rumsfeld, from his assistant Paul Wolfowitz"?Richard Clarke "Well, Donal Rumsfeld said, when we talked about bombing the al Queda infrastructure in Afghanistan, he said there were no good targets in Afghanistan. Let's bomb Iraq. And we said, but Iraq had nothing to do with this. And that didnt seem to make much difference".

Questioning during the 9/11 comissions investigation:
Comissioner Richard Ben-Veniste questioning Thomas Pickard, acting FBI director in 2001

Comissioner "Mr. Watson had come to you and said that the CIA was very concerned that there would be an attack. Yoiu said that you told the Attorney General this fact repeatedly in these meetings. Is that correct"?
Thomas Pickard "I told him on, uh, at least two occasions".Commisioner "And you told the staff, according to this statement, that Mr. Ashcroft told you that he did not want to hear about this anymore, Is that correct"?Thomas Pickard "That is correct".

And then there was that "Vague" mention of al-Qu'iada in the August 6th PDB as told by National Security advisor Condoleeza Rice.

August 6th Presidential Daily Briefing delivered to Bush and his advisors at the Texas White House. 'Bin Laden Determined to Strike Inside US"
This document strongly warned of the looming threat to the United States by al Queada.
"AL-Qa'ida members-including some who are U.S. Citizens-have resided in or traveled to the U.S. For years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qua'ida members found guilty in the conpiracy to bomb our Embassies in East Africa were U.S. Citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990's. A clandistine source said in 1998 that a Bin laden cell in new York ws recruiting Muslim American youth for attacks. We hav enot been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a...[redacted portion]...service in 1998 saying that Bin Laden wanted hijack a U.S. Aricraft to gain the release of "Blind Shaykh" 'Umar' Abd al-Rahman and other U.S. Held extremists. Never the less, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveilance of federal buildings in New York.
The FBI is conducting 70 full-field investigations throught the U.S. that it considers Bin Laden related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in UAE in May saying that a group of Bin laden supporters are in the U.S. planning attacks with explosives." http://www.cnn.com/2004/images/04/10/whitehouse.pdf

In 1997, while George Bush was Governor of Texas, a delegation of Taliban leaders from Afghanistan flew to Houston to meet with Unocal executives to discuss the building of a pipeline through Afghanistan, bringing natural gas from the Caspian sea. As CEO fo Haliburton, Dick Cheney aided in negotiations forHaliburton's gaining drilling rights in the Caspian Sea, which they recieved on the very same day Unocal signed the pipeline deal with Afghanistan.

In March of 2001 (5 and half months previous to 9/11) George Bush hosted an envoy from the Taliban to tour the United States in order to help improve the image of the opium importing Taliban government. (So many may throw stones at Clinton who did not go after Osama Bin Laden in 1998, when he could have, yet here is Bush hosting the government that is harboring Bin Laden who was credited with bombing the U.S. Cole and our embassy in Africa, in order to improve there image.... Verra interesting.)

Once the Taliban was overthrown, without catching Bin Laden by the way, uhmm... some Unocal advisors (yeah Unocal the company that had a contract with Afghanistan to run a pipeline through it and a contract with Haliburton that had the exclusive rights to drill in the Caspian sea) were installed as heads of the NEW Afghanistan Government. Hamid Karzai installed as president and Zalmay Khalilzad as the U.S. Special envoy to Afghanistan. Both 'former' Middle East advisors for Unocal. Surprisingly Afghanistan signed an agreement with it's neighboring countries to build that pipline from the Caspian sea while Osam Bin Laden is...? Don't know...? Was it Bush that said while speaking to a group of Journalists at the White House "Terror is Bigger than one person. And, uh, he's just...he's...he's, uh, he's a person who's now been marginalized, so I don't know where he is, nor...you know I just don't spend that much time on him, hell to even be honest with you".? Yeah the most WANTED terrorist in the world he "Just don't spend that much time on him". Isn't this a war on Terror and should we not want to capture, KILL and destroy this al-Quada from the top to the bottom? Why is he so uninterested in him? OHHH YEH cause we have to go take down Saddam Hussein and his WMD possesing Tyrantial self! Yet 4 years later and no WMD's. No nuclear plans found. No chemical weapons found. Nothing found except a depleted country with people to kill and oil to steal, I mean confiscate, uhmmm... I mean give the newly 'elected' Iraq government a hand...a liberating hand...a strong encouraging hand...a backhanded , bitch slapping "While we take yall's oil" hand! Oh I just can't get it straight now. Why are we in Iraq again? Why are thousands upon thuosands dead, maimed, wounded and scarred for life? How did 9/11 happen when we had all the warnings that it was coming? Why have our Freedoms, liberites and our rights of citizenship been forfeited for our better intrests? I don't know. Maybe one of you 'right' minded thinkers can enlighten me.

[Senfive]

I totally agree with you. I see all the "right minded people" have no response, when presented with the truth.

[Lone.prophet]

dont use that much energy nubs