The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/20040402031233/http://www.pandagon.net:80/mtarchives/000694.html

January 20, 2004

Live State of the Union Coverage

I'll be commenting on it live as I watch. Newer remarks will be at the top. Use the comments to give your own ideas or witty remarks. I will stop when I get bored. Let's kick some ass. We start under this disclaimer.
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Screw this, I'm done. Enjoy the SOTU.

He's going to send Congress a budget that does everything we want and only increases spending by 4 percent. It does this by selling our children to China for labor pruposes.

Now we're privatizing social security.

Bush wants the tax cuts to be permanent. Surprise surprise.

Jobs for the 21st century is now being proposed. This is a clearly Democratic program. It is larger government, more money for public education, and general progressivism wrapped up in a republican package. Sounds good, though.

Apparently No Child Left Behind is being undermined by defenders of the status quo and not, y'know, by those who won't fund it.

The economy is strong and growing stronger. Congress is wetting itself with excitement. He's touting the Child Tax Credit, y'know, the one that doesn't help most poor people.

We're now talking about God and the desire for freedom. What about thosr Russians who wish for a return to Communism? Those Muslims who think God implanted a desire for Shari'a?

I am zoning in and out. I think we just thanked El Salvador. Coalition of the willing indeed.

Had we not gone into Iraq we would have weakened the UN. Yeah, we'd never want to do that.

We're apparently not into giving evil dictators WMD's. Good for us. Whoops, now we're invoking 9/1 and Bush's sentimental recollection of a fallen officer's police shield.

I really screwed up by not having beer onhand for this. And deciding to cover it live. I'm a moron.

Apparently they're drafting an Iraqi Bill of Rights. Sounds good to me, though seems like a Democratic government that wants Islamic law could invalidate it quite easily.

Afghanistan is apparently all better. Good to hear.

Bush just demanded renewal of the PATRIOT Act. A year before it needs to be renewed. Rove clearly thinks this is a winning issue.

Heh. People just started clapping when he said "Key provisions [of the PATRIOT Act] are set to expire next year. Cute.

Wow, Bush is launching into a defense of the PATRIOT Act. I'm all for making this a campaign issue.

I hate how much clapping there is. "Useless platitude! Everybody up!"

The speech is good but really bad. Nice rhetoric, but this is all fear mongering. Short Bush: Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Bush appears to have abducted a black child. Nope, he gave her back. That's compassionate conservatism.

"The President is getting ready to leave the holding room". Who's holding him? Alternately, well shouldn't someone stop him. Thanks folks, I'll be here all week.

Apparently Bush's 2003 State of the Union last 67 minutes. Shit.

Elliot Abrams is so evil looking. Like he'd eat your children.

People on CNN are talking. This is not a good start to the evening.

Posted by Ezra Klein at January 20, 2004 08:58 PM | TrackBack
Comments

But will he do his own "the era of big government is over" as Clinton did to move to the center and get re-elected?

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:11 PM

starting early with 'the war on terror'. people are going to be tanked by the end of the drinking game.

Posted by: GFS at January 20, 2004 09:12 PM

kennedy laughed at the medicare comment. ha.

Posted by: GFS at January 20, 2004 09:14 PM

understanding, comfortable.. AND FALSE$##@! STAY SCARED OR IT'S ORANGE ALERTS FOR YOU ALL!@$#

Posted by: GFS at January 20, 2004 09:16 PM

Did they just applaud him when he said portions of the patriot act were set to expire?

Posted by: Doward Hean at January 20, 2004 09:18 PM

Jack and Coke ... better than beer and I need tha hard stuff when listening to this idiot

Oh and he is making WMD an issue ...

Man is this a bad speech

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:31 PM

Drain the bottle. He's going crazy on Iraq. Sit down, douchebags.

Posted by: ss at January 20, 2004 09:32 PM

Jesus, this guy is the worst public speaker this side of that "Jimmy" kid on South Park.

And here he goes with the programs = weapons cannard.

At this precise moment, I'd even vote for Lieberman to get rid of this buffoon. I'd have to hold my nose, but I'd manage.

Posted by: Balatron at January 20, 2004 09:32 PM

When he talked about Iraq giving us "credibility" I lost it. What a pile of s***.

Posted by: Social Scientist at January 20, 2004 09:35 PM

Free Labor Unions??????

Or is he just ptiching making Iraq a Right-to-Work Country ...

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:36 PM

I've never seen the Dems sit on their hands like this at a SOTU. Good for them.

Posted by: Social Scientist at January 20, 2004 09:38 PM

Half aren't even there ... they are running for President ...

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:40 PM

"We won't go back to the days of shuffling children through grades" (now that I'm done with school).

I'm still waiting for his "$87 billion" moment.

Posted by: Social Scientist at January 20, 2004 09:42 PM

Were those boos?

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:44 PM

Actually what has leaked from his training program worries a lot of people. It will most likely push Comm Colleges to spend less on edcuating people and moving them on to four year degrees and spend mroe time "training" them making them public versions of Devry

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:46 PM

Yeah but your "temporary workers" who don't break the law won't be able to become citizens ... they didn't break the law.

Posted by: Kevin Thurman at January 20, 2004 09:48 PM

Ooh, drug discount card. Does it work in Canada?

Posted by: Charley on the MTA at January 20, 2004 09:50 PM

The check is in the mail.

love,
PhRMA

Posted by: Charley on the MTA at January 20, 2004 09:52 PM

Steroids???? WTF??

Oh, now STDs--I see. We must maintain our purity of essence. Defense of marriage--check.
Get the gays--uh-huh.

He's planning to run as Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. Perhaps he'll dress up in a 1920's varsity jersey for his photo-ops.

Posted by: Social Scientist at January 20, 2004 10:01 PM

I can't stomach listening to it, but the live coverage at Pandagon and Atrios comments is pretty good.

Boos. Mentioned it at Atrios, too. That rocks.

I like the applause at Patriot Act expiration. And the Dems not cheering according to Rove's script.

He mentioned El Salvador? The other coalition members will be so insulted. Latvia, Eritrea, Albania, Palau...not making that up, see the list here.

OK, the SCLM better savage the Kay lies.

I can't even withstand following the blog comments! I can't take it! Chimpy makes me sick!

Good night

Posted by: EssJay at January 20, 2004 10:02 PM

is it just me or is every other camera shot showing a black person or a person surrounded by black people. You think bush is emphasizing that there are black people who will applaud him a little too much? Am I the only one who thinks it's a little transparent?

Posted by: lundy at January 20, 2004 10:04 PM

I just want to know if he pronounced "nuclear" properly, without stumbling.

Posted by: Tom DC/VA at January 20, 2004 10:04 PM

Two words: Whistle Ass.

Posted by: Social Scientist at January 20, 2004 10:08 PM

UNLEASH THE COMPASSION, y'all!!!

Posted by: Andy Axel at January 20, 2004 10:11 PM

Tom: nope.

Posted by: obeah at January 20, 2004 10:12 PM

Tom, I beleive nookaler or nookle ear or some variation was uttered three or four times.

Posted by: EssJay at January 20, 2004 10:57 PM

Ah, good, now I know the world isn't coming to an end tonight.

"nookle ear". That's funny!

Posted by: Tom DC/VA at January 20, 2004 11:05 PM

I've never seen the Dems sit on their hands like this at a SOTU. Good for them.

For the last few years, they've been a pack of obsequious toads on a spring. It put a big grin on my face to see them sitting down with their hands on their laps when Bush was scolding about tort reform and extending tax cuts. And yes, I'm pretty sure I heard booing, Kevin and EssJay (and I loved Shrub's smirk when he was looking at the sitting Democrats after his tax extension remark).

To add to the War on Drugs and War on Terror: War on the Judicial Branch.

Or is he just ptiching making Iraq a Right-to-Work Country...

Well, he'll need it for when Wal*Mart starts expanding into Baghdad. As long as the stores have 5 metre concrete barriers around them.

Nookle ear? Does that describe Bush's flapping ear condition?

Posted by: Harrow at January 20, 2004 11:11 PM

My favorite part of the speech was "People ask me whether I'm down with trying to minimize the effects of performance-enhancing drugs. Well, I'm down like a clown, Charlie B-B-B... Down like a clown Charlie Br-aaaaa... Down like a clown...."

Posted by: Norbizness at January 20, 2004 11:25 PM

The way the democrats gave him no less than 19 standing ovations, its like watching the supreme soviet, to quote howard zinn.

Posted by: Johnx at January 20, 2004 11:35 PM

My favourite part was seeing Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel studiously examining the lint on his pants while Bush gibbered on.

Posted by: Harrow at January 20, 2004 11:36 PM

I played the official campaign SOTU speech drinking game, and I got pretty tanked. The word "nukular" was a killer.

The applause when he stated that the provisions of the PATRIOT Act were due to expire at the end of the year was a nice touch.

Posted by: Willy at January 20, 2004 11:40 PM

Ugh. I caught about 20 minutes of this speech and honestly, I don't know what people see in this guy. Forgetting for a moment his whacko policies and whipping out the "TERRORISM" puppet to scare us with, he's about the worst damned speaker I've ever seen.

I used to tutor people for an intro level college speech class and my jaw nearly hit the floor when one talking head following the address called the performance "powerful and commanding." I'm fairly certain there exists Inuit porn out there featuring more commanding performances.

Posted by: Kevin at January 20, 2004 11:55 PM

A little two-year-old...I mean, ten-year-old girl wrote me a letter and asked me what she could do to help President Bush. I told her to tutor him in reading.

Posted by: s.z. at January 21, 2004 01:41 AM

I think that Osama bin Laden needs to get a new publicist. Because that's two SOTU's in row where he got no props at all for being responsible for the murder of over 3000 people.

That guy is being underserved.

Posted by: ArtElliot at January 21, 2004 09:40 AM

For shame! No mention of the slipperiest phrase of the speech, "David Kay has found dozens of weapons-of-mass-destruction-related program activities"?

Posted by: FlipYrWhig at January 21, 2004 10:36 AM

We listened to the speech at dinner last night (what an appetite killer) and my precious 10 year old spawn asked, "Isn't that supposed to be 'nuclear'?"

I didn't do the drinking game because I didn't want to model irresponsible behaviour -- instead, I modeled getting really mad and storming off to play computer games behaviour. Oops.

Posted by: Ab_Normal at January 21, 2004 03:12 PM

Please check your website.
When I click on it, the first half turns up blank.

Posted by: theologicus at January 21, 2004 03:30 PM
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