The State of Our Union is Good

George is the man.

The only way to protect our people … the only way to secure the peace … the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership – so the United States of America will continue to lead.

Abroad, our Nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal – we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it. On September 11th, 2001, we found that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring murder and destruction to our country. Dictatorships shelter terrorists, feed resentment and radicalism, and seek weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer, and so we will act boldly in freedom’s cause.

I don't think anyone can argue with this line of reasoning. The only thing debatable is what is and is not a morally justifiable bold action "in freedom's cause." I don't agree at all with the war in Iraq. I obviously don't think that the benefits of invasion outweighed the costs, both morally and financially, but it's not like it was a cut and dry decision to be made. Both sides have legitimate arguments for and against, but it ultimately was the President's prerogative to take action. Like it or not, we are where we are now, and it is our responsibility to practice in equal share prudence and sticktoitiveness in completing the task at hand. A straight pull-out of all our forces at this point in time would be incredibly irresponsible.

Yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure. Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second-guessing is not a strategy.

Amen, amen, and amen. Hey, the war in Iraq - money pit though it may be - has accomplished a lot of good. To deny that is to be irrationally stubborn or blindingly ignorant or both. Props given where props are due.

As regards the non-issue of wiretapping and all that baloney:

It is said that prior to the attacks of September 11th, our government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy. We now know that two of the hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to al-Qaida operatives overseas. But we did not know about their plans until it was too late.

So to prevent another attack – based on authority given to me by the Constitution and by statute – I have authorized a terrorist surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international communications of suspected al-Qaida operatives and affiliates to and from America. Previous presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have – and Federal courts have approved the use of that authority. Appropriate Members of Congress have been kept informed.

Way to set 'em straight, Georgie. I love the people that pretend that the federal government HASN'T been spying on civilians since its inception, and get indignant all of a sudden when it actually comes up with a legitimate reason to do so. Get over it.

Other domestic issues all seemed a little hurried, but that's not really surprising given the position that foreign policy has comandeered over his presidential career. The energy bit was definitely ambitious, if not out of left field. Too bad it would take an act of God to even budge any of the major oil companies from complete dominance of the energy market. Still, this line has to go into the "vintage Bush" vault:

We'll also fund additional research in cutting-edge methods of producing ethanol, not just from corn, but from wood chips and stalks, or switch grass.

Just to hear him say "wood chips" and "switch grass" in the biggest speech of the year - totally classic.

The fear/hope interplay served him well, especially toward the end of the speech when "hope" really found some rythym.

In recent years, America has become a more hopeful nation. Violent crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1970s. Welfare cases have dropped by more than half over the past decade. Drug use among youth is down 19 percent since 2001. There are fewer abortions in America than at any point in the last three decades, and the number of children born to teenage mothers has been falling for a dozen years in a row.

These gains are evidence of a quiet transformation -- a revolution of conscience, in which a rising generation is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life of fulfillment. Government has played a role. Wise policies, such as welfare reform and drug education and support for abstinence and adoption have made a difference in the character of our country.

"Revolution of conscience" is a money phrase if I've ever heard one, and one that I think should become a rallying point for conservatives in the next rounds of elections. Although it has never been phrased so perfectly succinctly, their focus on conscience and personal responsibility is the reason why Republicans have dominated the political landscape as of late. People recognize and appreciate appeals to the natural law - it is human nature. The Democrats have no such moral foundation upon which to build, and are, quite frankly, clueless as to how to connect with voters on such a purely humanistic level.

Also in that strain,

A hopeful society has institutions of science and medicine that do not cut ethical corners, and that recognize the matchless value of every life. Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research: human cloning in all its forms, creating or implanting embryos for experiments, creating human-animal hybrids, and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is a gift from our Creator -- and that gift should never be discarded, devalued or put up for sale.

This was an especially bold statement to make on such a hotbed issue, and I loved it. I've said it before, it was the pro-life crowd that won the election for him, and this was exactly what they needed to hear. I think the fact that he didn't specifically mention abortion speaks volumes in itself. The writing is already on the wall: the atrocity that is Roe v. Wade is as good as gone (another testament to the appeal of personal responsibility and conscience). Thank God.

Overall, Bush rocked. He looked and acted Presidential. He was responsive to criticism, repeated key points about his current policies, and even offered a few new initiatives. But above all, he was optimistic. It's really easy to fall into the "everything sucks, America sucks" death trap. I have myself, on several occasions. What is not so easy is to recognize and acknowledge just how irresponsible and generally oppressive such an outlook really is.

Those who gave an honest and open-minded listen to what the President had to say - no matter what you think of his policies - should appreciate that he is a man who is committed to the well-being of this country, both now and in the future. For that, I applaud him. Hear, hear.

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