Sigh. Bush has spoken and made grand promises. He promises money to fight Aids. He talks of hydrogen powered cars. He even remembered to touch on education.

But promises don't fill up the hand basket. Now it is up to Congress to pass and then fund the legislation. And who is in charge there? With all those Republicans it SHOULD be easy. I bet it doesn't happen.

Also, I'd like to know what part of his speech was an actual report on the state of our Union? That is what he is supposed to be doing in January. Does he even know? I doubt it.

"This country has many challenges. We will not deny, we will not ignore, we will not pass along our problems to other Congresses, to other presidents, and other generations. (Applause.) We will confront them with focus and clarity and courage."

Does he know what a deficit is? What do the fools beating their hands together think that it is? How does he explain the transition from budget surpluses to deficit?

"Jobs are created when the economy grows; the economy grows when Americans have more money to spend and invest; and the best and fairest way to make sure Americans have that money is not to tax it away in the first place. (Applause.)"

I know what I'm going to do with my tax cut. I'm going to buy a hamburger and a milkshake. I don't think I'll have enough for some fries.

"We should also strengthen the economy by treating investors equally in our tax laws. It's fair to tax a company's profits. It is not fair to again tax the shareholder on the same profits. (Applause.) To boost investor confidence, and to help the nearly 10 million senior who receive dividend income, I ask you to end the unfair double taxation of dividends. (Applause.)"

So, let me see. A company, defined by the Supreme Court as a person under the law, makes a profit. That person then pays another person some of that money. Currently that second person is taxed for the profit he makes on his investment. Bush wants to make sure that the second person doesn't have to pay taxes on his income. Well, I have no investments so I have to pay taxes. Who do we know that makes most of their money on investments? Rich bastards. So the rich grow richer and the poor keep on going down hill.

"We must work together to fund only our most important priorities. I will send you a budget that increases discretionary spending by 4 percent next year -- about as much as the average family's income is expected to grow. And that is a good benchmark for us. Federal spending should not rise any faster than the paychecks of American families. (Applause.)"

My most important priority is NOT killing Iraqis. Nor is it lining the pockets of wealthy industrialists. My most important priority is making sure my parents can afford health care and their property taxes. It's making sure my children can grow up free from burdensome debt and funding a Federal deficit.

By the way, he talks about "our" most important priority. He is once again forgetting he took the job based on fewer votes than "our" first choice.

"My budget will commit an additional $400 billion over the next decade to reform and strengthen Medicare. Leaders of both political parties have talked for years about strengthening Medicare. I urge the members of this new Congress to act this year. (Applause.)

To improve our health care system, we must address one of the prime causes of higher cost, the constant threat that physicians and hospitals will be unfairly sued. (Applause.) Because of excessive litigation, everybody pays more for health care, and many parts of America are losing fine doctors. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit. I urge the Congress to pass medical liability reform. (Applause.)"

Well now he is talking about health care. Good for him. And what does he want to do? He will restrict people from being able to be recompensed for malpractice. What do the studies say about "frivolous" lawsuits? Are we seeing another decision made because of anecdotal evidence?

And he has promised more phantom money for bolstering Medicare. Great! But here comes that deficit. Too bad he gave away all that money at the outset.

"Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country, while dramatically improving the environment. (Applause.) I have sent you a comprehensive energy plan to promote energy efficiency and conservation, to develop cleaner technology, and to produce more energy at home. (Applause.) I have sent you Clear Skies legislation that mandates a 70-percent cut in air pollution from power plants over the next 15 years. (Applause.) I have sent you a Healthy Forests Initiative, to help prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife, and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest. (Applause.)"

He has systematically worked to gut the entire set of environmental regulations. What is in these things that will replace them so we don't "…pass along our problems to other Congresses, to other presidents, and other generations."

"In this century, the greatest environmental progress will come about not through endless lawsuits or command-and-control regulations, but through technology and innovation. Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles. (Applause.) "

In other words he is going to focus all his hopes on developing a hydrogen powered auto and that will solve our problems? I don't think so.

"A single chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen generates energy, which can be used to power a car -- producing only water, not exhaust fumes. With a new national commitment, our scientists and engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free. (Applause.) "

And who will make money on the production of hydrogen? I'll bet the mileage will end up at the same dollars per unit. And each of those dollars will go into the pockets of the rich industrialists who were paid by the tax payer to develop those cars.

"I urge you to pass both my faith-based initiative and the Citizen Service Act, to encourage acts of compassion that can transform America, one heart and one soul at a time. (Applause.)"

I want someone to tell me that faith based initiatives will put money in the hands of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., as well as Christian groups. I bet we'll hear a roar of protest when taxpayer money goes to an innocent Muslim organization.

"Last year, I called on my fellow citizens to participate in the USA Freedom Corps, which is enlisting tens of thousands of new volunteers across America. Tonight I ask Congress and the American people to focus the spirit of service and the resources of government on the needs of some of our most vulnerable citizens -- boys and girls trying to grow up without guidance and attention, and children who have to go through a prison gate to be hugged by their mom or dad.

I propose a $450-million initiative to bring mentors to more than a million disadvantaged junior high students and children of prisoners. Government will support the training and recruiting of mentors; yet it is the men and women of America who will fill the need. One mentor, one person can change a life forever. And I urge you to be that one person. (Applause.) "

Is this another faith based initiative? Are they actually pushing a Christian agenda here? Will money be provided to a gay Christian organization? I bet it won't.

By the way, $450M and the $600M he is proposing for the mentor program and the addiction program is chump change in a multi-trillion dollar economy.

"By caring for children who need mentors, and for addicted men and women who need treatment, we are building a more welcoming society -- a culture that values every life. And in this work we must not overlook the weakest among us. I ask you to protect infants at the very hour of their birth and end the practice of partial-birth abortion. (Applause.) And because no human life should be started or ended as the object of an experiment, I ask you to set a high standard for humanity, and pass a law against all human cloning. (Applause.) "

Ah, here we have our President making scientific decisions. Have you looked at who he has working as his Science Advisor? Nobody. He has a committee recruited from private industry offering suggestions but no one in his cabinet or on his staff is tasked with advising him regularly on scientific issues.

"I ask the Congress to commit $15 billion over the next five years, including nearly $10 billion in new money, to turn the tide against AIDS in the most afflicted nations of Africa and the Caribbean. (Applause.)"

Hmm, $15 Billion for Africa and the Carribean and $1,050,000,000 for our own people. And nothing mentioned about AIDS is the USA. I am glad he sees the tragedy of the epidemic growing around the world and I am heartened that he is spending the money but…

"All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries. Many others have met a different fate. Let's put it this way -- they are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies. (Applause.)"

He may not have noticed but the laws of this country require the government to prove guilt. And a suspect is innocent until proven otherwise. Additionally we are required by law to provide legal counsel and return the person if the evidence does not warrant holding them. I don't now how may of the 3,000 languish in US jails but there are many who were picked up who have not been allowed legal counsel and they include American citizens. This is not just wrong. It is criminal and our President condones and supports such criminal activity.

"Tonight, I am instructing the leaders of the FBI, the CIA, the Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense to develop a Terrorist Threat Integration Center, to merge and analyze all threat information in a single location. Our government must have the very best information possible, and we will use it to make sure the right people are in the right places to protect all our citizens. (Applause.)"

Is this the database that John Poindexter has in his control? Has Bush forgotten that Poindexter is a convicted felon? That his crime was controlling and hiding information gathered on enemies of the state under Bush Sr.? Or does Bush even care? Is Bush creating a system where he can control the flow of information in his own favor?

"Now, in this century, the ideology of power and domination has appeared again, and seeks to gain the ultimate weapons of terror."

Yeah, and if he would step down from the White House one proponent of the "…ideology of power and domination…" would be out of the picture.

"America is making a broad and determined effort to confront these dangers. We have called on the United Nations to fulfill its charter and stand by its demand that Iraq disarm."

Wasn't it the Republicans who blocked payments to the UN in the hopes that it would fail? Wasn't it Clinton who finally got them to approve SOME of the funding we owed them?

"Almost three months ago, the United Nations Security Council gave Saddam Hussein his final chance to disarm. He has shown instead utter contempt for the United Nations, and for the opinion of the world."

He's a Republican?

There are several paragraphs of what he obviously thinks is evidence of Hussein's complicity and duplicity. But there is no real evidence, just statements that US intelligence indicates that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. OK, where is the empirical evidence and why not provide that to the weapons inspectors?

I am not surprised that Iraq has acted the way they have. I would be surprised if they did not. Try to imagine an outside influence coming in here and telling us to disarm because we used our might against smaller and weaker countries. Do you really think we would be able to do it without resisting?

"With nuclear arms or a full arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, Saddam Hussein could resume his ambitions of conquest in the Middle East and create deadly havoc in that region."

And Bush doesn't have "…ambitions of conquest in the Middle East…" and won't? "…create deadly havoc in that region…"?

"Before September the 11th, many in the world believed that Saddam Hussein could be contained. But chemical agents, lethal viruses and shadowy terrorist networks are not easily contained. Imagine those 19 hijackers with other weapons and other plans -- this time armed by Saddam Hussein. It would take one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known. We will do everything in our power to make sure that that day never comes. (Applause.) "

The Republican party has always been the party of paranoia and fear. All he's doing here is trying to create more hysteria.

"The dictator who is assembling the world's most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages -- leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind, or disfigured. Iraqi refugees tell us how forced confessions are obtained -- by torturing children while their parents are made to watch. International human rights groups have catalogued other methods used in the torture chambers of Iraq: electric shock, burning with hot irons, dripping acid on the skin, mutilation with electric drills, cutting out tongues, and rape. If this is not evil, then evil has no meaning. (Applause.) "

Can't argue with this one. However, the Soviet Union wasn't much better and we didn't invade. And the USSR is gone.

"Sending Americans into battle is the most profound decision a President can make. The technologies of war have changed; the risks and suffering of war have not. For the brave Americans who bear the risk, no victory is free from sorrow. This nation fights reluctantly, because we know the cost and we dread the days of mourning that always come. "

This one is almost funny. The endless complaint we heard when Clinton ran against Bush Sr. was that Clinton had no military experience and wouldn't make a good president. This Bush has no military experience and probably doesn't realize that wars are not similar to the movies. Yet he will send our children into harm's way.

"We seek peace. We strive for peace. And sometimes peace must be defended. A future lived at the mercy of terrible threats is no peace at all."

This apparently doesn't apply to Iraq.