Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 10183

I couldn't be arsed to sit through all of it, but I guess what I saw wasn't too bad. He's just repeating the same things over and over.

The freakin applause was annoying as hell, talk for 10 seconds then applause for 10 seconds. When presidents address the nation it should be sans-audience, it's all for pr, fill the place with a few thousand ass-kissers to show the world how supported the president is. Take out the applause and it would've lasted half an hour.

I thought I heard him mention he's taking on the no same sex marriage ammendment again, is that what he said? Yay, now that re-election isn't an issue we get the Christian agenda, Praise Jesus!

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
Posts: 11010

Wah wah wah.

Why arent' you killing him ffs??

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8660

can anyone post a link to a transcript?

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

The Democratic response was far more interesting. Utterly and abysmally reactive. Pelosi was better than Reid, but neither was anything but teeth-grinding. And apparently, it is now the position of the Congressional Democrats that what we need to be doing in Iraq is what we are doing, only more so.

This is a ship in serious need of a helmsman. Thank heaven for Howard Dean, eh?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10433

quote:

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Originally posted by mmmtravis
can anyone post a link to a transcript?

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8660

Thanks DM

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35570

quote:

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Originally posted by CHiPsJr
The Democratic response was far more interesting. Utterly and abysmally reactive. Pelosi was better than Reid, but neither was anything but teeth-grinding. And apparently, it is now the position of the Congressional Democrats that what we need to be doing in Iraq is what we are doing, only more so.

This is a ship in serious need of a helmsman. Thank heaven for Howard Dean, eh?

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Registered: May 2002
Location:
Posts: 8660

quote:

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Originally posted by Dingle
The freakin applause was annoying as hell, talk for 10 seconds then applause for 10 seconds. When presidents address the nation it should be sans-audience, it's all for pr, fill the place with a few thousand ass-kissers to show the world how supported the president is. Take out the applause and it would've lasted half an hour.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: zanzibar
Posts: 10433

I was trying to decipher this bit as I listened:

quote:

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To promote peace and stability in the broader Middle East, the United States will work with our friends in the region to fight the common threat of terror, while we encourage a higher standard of freedom. Hopeful reform is already taking hold in an arc from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain. The government of Saudi Arabia can demonstrate its leadership in the region by expanding the role of its people in determining their future. And the great and proud nation of Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East.

To promote peace in the broader Middle East, we must confront regimes that continue to harbor terrorists and pursue weapons of mass murder. Syria still allows its territory, and parts of Lebanon, to be used by terrorists who seek to destroy every chance of peace in the region.

You have passed, and we are applying, the Syrian Accountability Act, and we expect the Syrian government to end all support for terror and open the door to freedom.

Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror, pursuing nuclear weapons while depriving its people of the freedom they seek and deserve. We are working with European allies to make clear to the Iranian regime that it must give up its uranium enrichment program and any plutonium reprocessing and end its support for terror. And to the Iranian people, I say tonight: As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

Sorry, but it ain't just anti-Dem bias talking here. I've recognized and given credit for intelligent political strategy by politicians I despise. There was not a scintilla of strategy in the Dem response last night; the leadership is in the throwing-crap-at-the-wall stage at the moment. And Reid has the rhetorical skills of a lamprey.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
Posts: 26385

quote:

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Originally posted by CHiPsJr
The Democratic response was far more interesting. Utterly and abysmally reactive. Pelosi was better than Reid, but neither was anything but teeth-grinding. And apparently, it is now the position of the Congressional Democrats that what we need to be doing in Iraq is what we are doing, only more so.

This is a ship in serious need of a helmsman. Thank heaven for Howard Dean, eh?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Location Location
Posts: 26385

The Democratic response for those interested. Reid did the domestic stuff, Pelosi the internatinal.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: b0ulder
Posts: 5126

It sounded hopefull and whatever. At first glance, the social security reform idea sounds pretty good.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35570

I'll be interested to see where the shortfall is going to be made up. I'm wary of any magic solution that has the stock market picking it up, because unless people harden their hearts enough to see people impoverished by stock market disasters, the government will have to underwrite the whole thing just as it will have to with the current situation. I suspect that honesty as to who will benefit and who will suffer might kill any reform (not just this proposed reform, but pretty much any reform), though.

Additional to that, I am concerned as to whether or not we can get sensible figures that aren't massaged, so the accusation that bush is using one projection for GDP growth to discuss the 'Social Security crisis' and another to project his budget deficit remedies, for example, needs to be sensibly debated (it might be perfectly acceptable maths/logic, but it needs to be clear).

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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 5073

quote:

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Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.

Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be redefined by activist judges. For the good of families, children and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.

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Apparently, what he means is that government should not undermine *his* values. My values would include honoring commitments by any committed couple. Actually, my values would separate recognition of "marriage" and the civil and legal benefits of a committed relationship. But, of course, it's fine for government to undermine those, because those aren't really values. "Values" inherently means heterosexuality.

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The United States has no right, no desire and no intention to impose our form of government on anyone else. That is one -- (applause) -- that is one of the main differences between us and our enemies. They seek to impose and expand an empire of oppression, in which a tiny group of brutal, self-appointed rulers control every aspect of every life. Our aim is to build and preserve a community of free and independent nations, with governments that answer to their citizens and reflect their own cultures.

And because democracies respect their own people and their neighbors, the advance of freedom will lead to peace. (Applause.)

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I found this very odd. 'The United states has no right, desire, or intention of imposing our form of government on anyone else...we just insist that everyone has a government responsive to the people, like a democracy'. That seems somewhat self contradictory.

Actually, there were a number of things he said that I like. I appreciated him strongly standing by a two-state Israel and Palestine solution. Much of it, though, I found irksome. As expected, honestly.

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Registered: Apr 2001
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Posts: 16691

i watched the whole thing, the only thing that really caused a reaction from me was when the lady whose son died hugged the Iraq woman who got to vote and the dog chains the mom was holding got stuck in the Iraqi woman’s dress. my reaction was, "wow that's unfortunate on a few levels"

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taste the fucking rainbow

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Registered: May 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 809

quote:

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Originally stated by George W. Bush
The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are now showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure. Tomorrow morning, Secretary of State Rice departs on a trip that will take her to Israel and the West Bank for meetings with Prime Minister Sharon and President Abbas. She will discuss with them how we and our friends can help the Palestinian people end terror and build the institutions of a peaceful, independent democratic state.

To promote this democracy, I will ask Congress for $350 million to support Palestinian political, economic, and security reforms. The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach -- and America will help them achieve that goal.

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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Oceanside, CA
Posts: 5073

I think the idea was to give the 350 million to non-terrorist Palestinians, in the hopes of 1. increasing the power of the ones who aren't terrorists and helping them build a country which doesn't support terrorism, and 2. encouraging those who are terrorists to adopt the lucrative business of not being terrorists.
Presumably, at least some Palestinians are interested in a peaceful, prosperous state, even if it means coexistence with Israel. From what I've seen, although the radicals get the press, most people everywhere just want to live their lives alongside others doing the same.

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Den
Posts: 11010

quote:

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Originally posted by towrofstgh
He's bitching about Social Security and he wants 350 million to give to fucking terrorists?

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Registered: Feb 2004
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 86

Asbestos claims are frivalous? You're going to protect the sanctity of marriage by baring individuals who love each other from it? Medical malpractice suits should have caps? Even if the doctor removes the wrong leg, takes a half an hour break in the middle of neuro surgery to have lunch in the next room, misses an obvious tumor on an mri? We're going to make the world safer by giving 350 million dollars to Palestine? He speaks of judicial restraint, yet knows nothing of executive restraint? His faith based community groups will cut down on gangs? What about sepparation of church and state? Is he serious?

Last edited by lauren000 on 02-04-2005 at 04:27 AM

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 7504

The rest aside: the majority of asbestos claims at this point are what Dr. Seuss would calll "ON BEYOND FRIVILOUS."

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Registered: Jan 2005
Location:
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quote:

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Originally posted by towrofstgh
Then he ends his speech comparing himself to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He's in the same boat asFucking FDR? Who the fuck is he to compare himself to one of the greatest Presidential innovators the U.S. has ever seen? That's the type of fucking shit we have to deal with in his 2nd term? We're fucking screwed!@!@!@!@!@!@!@!

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