Preamble. Well, here we go. I'm exhausted from work, but I have Dunkin' Donuts coffee. (Because I don't speak Fritalian.) And the crowd's filing in, so we should be close. (It's also 1952, so the clock tells me it's close, too.) All of this is fancy talk for I'm sleepy, and might not be totally coherent. But, then again, neither will the President, if recent form holds.
Hors d'oeuvres? In Baraboo, Wis., students have been banned from chanting U-S-A at sporting events? Why? Because it is now a coded message! "You suck ass" cannot be said, much less chanted repeatedly, at a high school, you see. Oh, kids. (Wait! Is it too late to pass a note to the Dems in the House?)
2000 (8 o'clock, don't you know). Game time! Laura looks nice. She always does. And the Supremes come in. Four of them, anyway.
2004. Apparently, instructions from the top: no funny stuff from the Dems tonight. We'll see. It'll be too bad if there isn't a joke or two.
2006. The word on the speech is that Iraq is getting shuffled back in the speech, for obvious reasons. People tuning in might be bent about this, to the point of throwing stuff at the TV in anger. But he's the President, and you're not. So there. Still--how exactly is he going to handle it? It'll be delicious, for sure.
2008. By the way, gang: comment box is open. If I run out of ideas, you are more than welcome to throw down. And... George W. Bush? Come on down!
2011. Nancy Pelosi reax shots. That'll be good. And he's getting to the stairs now.
2013. Nice clam clap from Steven Breyer. And nice applause for Nancy.
2015. Wait, what happened to Norwood?
2016. Not leave problems for the next generation. Ha! Cross the aisle? We'll see about that.
2018. It seems impossible to point out, from either side, that manufacturing jobs are being lost, thousands upon thousands, every month. Unemployment going down is nice, but what kind of jobs are being created?
2019. C-SPAN joke. Dorky.
2020. Why does John McCain always look like he has something up his sleeve? Because he does. Ted Kennedy looking pensive. Or sleepy. I'm with you, pal.
2022. Flexibility in education. Somewhere, teacher union bosses are gnashing teeth. Lukewarmish response from the Dems, but they pick up on the health care note.
2024. Tax deductability of health care insurance? Why do I think this is a big shell game? I get health care from work. Do I get to deduct for money I do not pay out of my own pocket? And for the uninsured? I need more on this one.
2026. Affordable care grants to the states? State legislators are licking their chops at that honey pot.
2027. Junk lawsuits. Speaking as a lawyer: bastard. Pat Leahy looks bemused.
2029. Temporary worker plan--still quite unpopular with the hard right folks, of course. But he may gets some help from the Dems on this one.
2030. Energy policy now. Which means ethanol. The Iowa caucuses have nothing at all to do with that, of course. Chuck Grassley looks like he is going to have a birthday party in his pants.
2032. 20% reduction in gas through CAFE standards? The Big Three are gonna love that. But he doesn't say the word Alaska in this speech. And good for him--he cops to global warming. That didn't take him too long.
2034. Judges should be confirmed, now. Yeah, George, that'll be the day.
2035. Here we go--terrorism.
2038. Greatest hits so far from the President. Nothing new, yet.
2041. Transitional government in 2005. More purple fingers. Then: blowback--including a giveaway in Afghanistan.
2045. "Let us find our resolve," he says. "New plan," he says. Rehash of a couple of weeks ago, pretty much.
2047. Looks like he's building an out--if the Iraqis don't come through, we can split.
2048. New recruits for terrorism? Well, you've done a good enough job of that. And if you split now, you forget 9-11. Nicely done. Jackass.
2052. Volunteer civilian service corps? What ever happened to FreedomCorps anyway?
2054. Big talk on Darfur. And also the great evil that is Minsk. (Which, admittedly, is old-school Russia. Unlike Russia, which is also, well... OK. They're old-school Russia too.)
2055. Speaking of Darfur: no mention of New Orleans tonight, thus far (and probably not at all). Maybe all of the talk in the run-up to the game on Sunday had everybody Katrinaed out.
2056. Mutumbo! Give me a finger-wag, man.
2058. Children's videos in basement. And working with John Walsh, too. That's a pairing you don't hear about a lot.
2100. And Lynne Cheney's a hero too! No, wait... he's wrapping up.
2102. And the state of the union is strong! Yes! We get it at the end. It was as he had to explain it first, so as not to get laughed out of the room.
Postamble. Nothing on Katrina, like I said. Side-stepped stem cells, too--and that one lost him the Senate, all things considered. Other than that, well, it was better than expected. Iran wasn't amped out of all proportion, but maybe he was just setting the table on that one. The Lebanon talk might be a check our Union's collective ass might be unable to cash. Health care and education? Jury's out. The budget's going to be a fight for the next few months, so you can't take too much out of this speech. In the end, though: he didn't fall flat on his face.
Pre-Webbamble. So the Democratic response is up next. Does he kick it up a notch? Should be interesting.
2115. Everyone come to Jamestown! Woo! And New Orleans! Yes!
2116. Dude has an impressive forehead, btw.
2118. Guy's talking like a normal person, it seems. Except when he extrapolates Andy Jackson to Wall Street.
2120. Show and tell! Worked for Ross Perot, right?
2122. Coming in for withdrawal. Well done, in the way he did it.
2124. "If not, we will show him the way." Kicked some butt there.
G'night. Well, that was mildly interesting. I'm beat. Time to zonk out to the soothing tones of... Chris Matthews? OK. Sleep not coming for a while. But I'm out for now. Later.
Showing posts with label state of the union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state of the union. Show all posts
21 January 2007
While I Was Out -- Thanks Coach
The problem with (a) running a purportedly daily blog while (b) having a real job is that (b) interferes with (a). Such is life here. Things get in the way of posting thoughts. So absences will occur. We don't mean for it to happen, but it happens anyway.
Arizona Cardinals' head coach Dennis Green has a comment on this. Coach?
The President is feeling the same way, I guess, with regard to the Democrats in Congress. The 100 hours are over, with the House Dems going six for six on their plan. (Now to the Senate. Let us hope Robert Byrd is fully napped when the bills are introduced, so he doesn't sleep for a month and let the bills fester.) Other bills have been dropped with regard to the Iraq "everything old is new again" plan.
And now he has to go forth and give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. And the Congress (or, as one nerdy little kid I knew once once put it, the Congreff) will probably have none of it. (Another liveblog on Tuesday, unless work seriously interferes. Again.)
Oh, and Hillary Clinton is running for President. In other news, it sometimes snows in winter.
(About that kid--the intentional misspelling of "Congress" was repeated numerous times in a term paper, as we had to base our review of the Constitution on the original documents--or, in this case, a photocopy of the original. He got a S.)
Arizona Cardinals' head coach Dennis Green has a comment on this. Coach?
The President is feeling the same way, I guess, with regard to the Democrats in Congress. The 100 hours are over, with the House Dems going six for six on their plan. (Now to the Senate. Let us hope Robert Byrd is fully napped when the bills are introduced, so he doesn't sleep for a month and let the bills fester.) Other bills have been dropped with regard to the Iraq "everything old is new again" plan.
And now he has to go forth and give to the Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient. And the Congress (or, as one nerdy little kid I knew once once put it, the Congreff) will probably have none of it. (Another liveblog on Tuesday, unless work seriously interferes. Again.)
Oh, and Hillary Clinton is running for President. In other news, it sometimes snows in winter.
(About that kid--the intentional misspelling of "Congress" was repeated numerous times in a term paper, as we had to base our review of the Constitution on the original documents--or, in this case, a photocopy of the original. He got a S.)
16 January 2007
The Meter -- Where Did They Dig Him Up?
So the folks over at Wonkette are all bent out of shape because Rich Little was hired to be the entertainment at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Hey, it can't be cutting edge all of the time. Besides, between Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Lewis Black, I don't think there is any Daily Show talent that hasn't been tapped for one of these things. John Hodgman? Maybe--but he's too busy being a sick and somewhat lame PC. But still: Rich Little?
Anyway, this is of no importance. It's only good for a two minute snip (if that) on a Sunday network newscast. And anything becomes funny if you're drunk enough--not a problem, I suppose, for snarky bloggers.
Well then.
Tony Snow (and White House flackers): 2. Here's the latest remix on the "oh, yeah?" refrain from the White House:
There's going to be a lot of dissent, we have acknowledged that all along. And, as a matter of fact, it's important to debate this and also to debate the proposition if, as most Democrats who have visited the President and most we've heard from, want to succeed in Iraq, if you think there's an alternative way to do it, you can really help your country by putting it forward.
OK. Here's what should happen. If the President drops a line like this in his State of the Union speech one week from now, the Dems should go up to the Clerk's desk, take the Iraq Study Group report, a report drawn up by Congressional Democrats last year, S.121 (from Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), asking the Secretaries of Defense and State to go back to the drawing board and come up with a "flexible" withdrawal date based on conditions; available through the Library of Congress); S.287 (the Ted Kennedy (D-Mahhss.) bill--dropped on Friday, no text yet from the LoC), whatever embryonic legislation that exists from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and whoever else that's out there... and just drop it on the desk, right in front of him. Right in the middle of the speech. Hilarity will ensue.
Barack Obama: 5. So you're in! Tell me something that I don't know. (Oh, and while I'm here: thanks for not asking for money in the Christmas card you sent me. Nice of you. Also: love the decor in your pad. Very Frank Lloyd Wright. Sweet.)
David Wu: 2. Here's the thing, Dave. We need America to think that the Democratic Party is actually not populated by insane people. (It would also help America to know that Oregonians as a group are not nuts. A boost to those who don't believe that all 50 states are on board, you know.) A tip: if you ever get the notion again that there are fake Klingons in the White House, keep it to yourself. Many thanks in advance.
(Oh, one more thing: the last guy to reference Star Trek on the House floor is now in jail. Totally unrelated incidents led to his expulsion from the House, of course. But still.)
Anyway, this is of no importance. It's only good for a two minute snip (if that) on a Sunday network newscast. And anything becomes funny if you're drunk enough--not a problem, I suppose, for snarky bloggers.
Well then.
Tony Snow (and White House flackers): 2. Here's the latest remix on the "oh, yeah?" refrain from the White House:
There's going to be a lot of dissent, we have acknowledged that all along. And, as a matter of fact, it's important to debate this and also to debate the proposition if, as most Democrats who have visited the President and most we've heard from, want to succeed in Iraq, if you think there's an alternative way to do it, you can really help your country by putting it forward.
OK. Here's what should happen. If the President drops a line like this in his State of the Union speech one week from now, the Dems should go up to the Clerk's desk, take the Iraq Study Group report, a report drawn up by Congressional Democrats last year, S.121 (from Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), asking the Secretaries of Defense and State to go back to the drawing board and come up with a "flexible" withdrawal date based on conditions; available through the Library of Congress); S.287 (the Ted Kennedy (D-Mahhss.) bill--dropped on Friday, no text yet from the LoC), whatever embryonic legislation that exists from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and whoever else that's out there... and just drop it on the desk, right in front of him. Right in the middle of the speech. Hilarity will ensue.
Barack Obama: 5. So you're in! Tell me something that I don't know. (Oh, and while I'm here: thanks for not asking for money in the Christmas card you sent me. Nice of you. Also: love the decor in your pad. Very Frank Lloyd Wright. Sweet.)
David Wu: 2. Here's the thing, Dave. We need America to think that the Democratic Party is actually not populated by insane people. (It would also help America to know that Oregonians as a group are not nuts. A boost to those who don't believe that all 50 states are on board, you know.) A tip: if you ever get the notion again that there are fake Klingons in the White House, keep it to yourself. Many thanks in advance.
(Oh, one more thing: the last guy to reference Star Trek on the House floor is now in jail. Totally unrelated incidents led to his expulsion from the House, of course. But still.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)