The President's Final Days

8:50pm

I am at the Courier News about to watch the President's final State of the Union Address. I am part of their panel watching the president. The Secretary of the Interior is not there. He's at home watching this on TV, at home "carrying the football" in case of a national emergency.

9:05pm

All members of the Cabinet appear to wearing the same ties. Maybe they get a bulk discount, when they buy at the White House gift shop.

9:07pm

Barry Sullivan, announces the President of The United States to Madam Speaker. Second time that happened.

Bush is walking through the crowd, shaking hands, smacking backs, ruffling hair. Cheney: Red tie. Bush: Blue tie. Republicans and Democrats alike are cheering. Democrats that it's his last. Republicans perhaps glad he is going, too.

9:11pm

The President speaks. Note the hour. Wander if that's choreographed.

Economic stimulus package, job growth slower.

"Compete for votes, cooperate on results." Hmmm. Good line. Wonder who wrote that?

Funny line about the IRS taking checks and money orders. Democrats did not laugh. He calls for permanent tax cuts, promises to veto any bill that raises taxes.

9:20pm

Promises a balanced budget; "families must balance budgets so do governments." Of course, this is from a man who has OK'd spending 2 billion a month on a war that has put the nation in deep debt. Ironic.

"expanding consumer choice in health care". What does that mean? If people cannot afford healthcare, there is no choice.

Small business association health care. Good idea.

Education: No Child Left Behind. Unfunded mandate! And why schools, teachers, and parents want to see it retired, period.

Pell Grants expansion. Sounds like the same thing that Democrats offered 8 years ago that the 2001 Bush opposed as too expensive.

Rhetoric from a lame duck with low approval ratings. He leaves a legacy of failure, lack of accomplishments, and Republicans running from him around the country.

<--------Big smirk on Cheney's face.

9:26pm

He still cannot pronounce "nuclear" correctly: Calls for expansion of "nuclear" energy. Expand investment in research. Does not sound like a conservative to me.

Wants to ban human cloning. I support that, as long as it includes Bush's DNA.

9:32pm

Secure the borders. Build a fence. More border patrol agents. Calls for foreign workers to be able to come to America and work. Illegal immigration still a problem. Must be dealt with in a way the upholds our highest ideals.

Sets the stage for more nation building by giving examples of democracies emerging around the world.

Now he is on Iraq. Oh boy. Says the surge is working. [Sure, but not politically].

9:45pm

Killing is down, he says due to surge. [So, does not that mean it's time to come home?]. Cheers from Republicans, Democrats sit. Surge forces beginning to come home.

This is certainly one of the most shallow, cliche-filled State of the Union messages I have ever heard. 20,000 troops are coming home. Any further draw down will hurt progress he says. [However, with no bench marks, there is no way of knowing for sure when troops will come home.]

Well, this certainly is not the same Bush who said using the Cowboy attitude, "Bring'em On". He looks tied, beleaguered, and worn.

Calls for a democratic Palestinian state, once again.

Talking about Iran's nuclear program. Still cannot pronounce "nuclear".

He should have been impeached. Our bad.

9:58pm

Calls for liability protection for companies who have allowed the government to spy on Americans. Boo. Hiss.

"America opposes genocide in Sudan". That's going out in a limb!

Asks Congress to pass a wide range of new benefits for veterans. I heartily approve. He's winding up, because he is talking history about the framers ---"We The People". It's almost over. He is almost no longer the President. Just a few more months to 1.20.09.

He's done. Final one.

Impeachment is looking better and better...

...at least of Cheney, maybe.

Two months ago, I went to an impeachment forum in Princeton attended by Mark Crispin Miller. He is a strong advocate for impeachment, and at the time I was not. My thinking was that as long as the Democrats now control Congress, the most important issue [for me, at least] was ending the war, and having a time-tabled plan for leaving Iraq. Impeachment, while important, was not something I thought the American people would tolerate with GW’s term ending on January 20, 2009.

Miller made a good case for impeachment. There are certainly many reasons to impeach Bush/Cheney: The war in Iraq. Signing statements. Outing of a CIA operative. The firing of federal prosecutors along political lines. Spying on American citizens.

But, I thought, the political “To Do” list for Congress should have as its number one item: Ending the war. And I thought that Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Senator Harry Reid would agree with me. So, I thought.

Well, the Democrats rolled over on war funding in June. They are willing to wait another month or so for a report on the “progress” in Iraq. It is kind of weird to think that “progress” includes more than 3600 American troops dead, and more than $450 billion in cost.

And now they are willing to allow the Bush administration to spy on Americans. Rep. Rush Holt had the best take on the issue: "Legislation should not be passed in response to fear-mongering."

So, if the Democrats are not going to actually end the war---the key reason why they won back Congress ---maybe impeachment should be on the table.

After all, the Democrats are not doing anything else of importance.