SOTU - The Wrap

Unlikely as it seems, I need to make a truly, deeply, droolingly admiring observation. Every State of the Union Address I’ve ever heard included what I call the “laundry list” portion. That’s when the President itemizes every single “accomplishment” of the last year, including “expanding Flag Day activities in minority owned-and-operated government-contractor construction companies.” Boring, dreary, unnecessary, and usually not entirely honest. Bush skipped all that, although the temptation must have been great, given the year he’s just had.

Overall tonight’s SOTU was Bush’s best. I’ve been (more or less) drunkblogging these things for five years now, and they’ve almost always left a bad taste in my mouth. One, I’m happy to say, easily remedied by another sip or two of vodka. However, Bush’s best SOTU will also prove his least effective. The best he can hope for out of the new Congress is that the Blue Dog Dems help him maintain our tax cuts. Other than that, this Presidency is domestically done.

Foreign policy is all Bush has left – all any seventh-year President has, really. Tonight he said the things he always says, but will he follow through this time? Will he use his lame-duck status as cover to get things done, or will he just be lame? Dunno, but we’ll have fun watching it unfold.