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Freindly Fire

State of the Union: More of the Same

by Chris Freind

I was lucky enough last Monday to be in the Capitol, watching President Bush deliver his last State of the Union message. Seeing virtually the entire United States government in one room is truly a sight to behold.

This event was remarkable for three reasons.

First, witnessing both parties peacefully coming together, makes one realize just how awe-inspiring America really is. We certainly have our political differences, which are always on display in this town, and yes, the barbs are particularly acrimonious this election year. But that's where it ends---with words. No matter which Party claims the White House in November, there will be a peaceful transition of power. There always is. In fact, we take this miracle for granted so much, that the only "divisive" part of the evening was the media focus on Barack Obama "snubbing" Hillary Clinton on the House floor (which was not the case at all).

Compare that with Kenya.

That nation had a disputed election in December, and the fighting still rages. Scores have been killed, including numerous children, and hundreds of thousands are displaced. Sadly, there is no end in sight.

The second noteworthy aspect was that the President's speech lacked any type of "nostalgic" tone. Many news anchors compared Bush's remarks to the final State of the Union addresses of Presidents Reagan and Clinton, which were much more reflective in nature. Of course, there is one, not-so-insignificant difference. Both Reagan and Clinton were highly popular; George W. Bush is mired with a dismal 30% approval rating. It is pretty tough to be "nostalgic" when most of the country thinks your Administration has been a flop.

That leads us to the third interesting point---the speech itself.

For starters, 90% of his address could be swapped, almost word for word, with any other State of the Union from the last six years. We need to get tough on terrorists, pressure the bad guys like Iran and North Korea, lower taxes, stop wasteful spending (especially "earmarks"), confirm judges and secure the border. Did I miss anything?

After visiting Washington, even for a day, you realize that there are two Americas: the one inside the Beltway, and the rest of the country.

Take the truck driver in Oklahoma, or the health care worker in California, or the inner city teacher. Why do they refuse to believe that government is serious about solving the tough issues? Because they know lip service when they hear it.

They don't know all the ins and outs of political maneuvering, they can't recite GDP numbers or trade agreements, and they are lost when it comes to governmental minutiae. But what they have is infinitely more important--- the big-picture outlook. The ability to tell right from wrong, and the desire for elected leaders to be true to their word.

But all they get are empty promises.

The border wall has been funded for well over a year, yet only a very small portion is built. Illegals, and terrorists, continue to stream across our border unchecked.

A push to make Bush's tax cuts permanent---before they expire in 2011--- was made. But it didn't happen when Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress, and it certainly won't happen now.

We were told that "wasteful pending" must be eliminated, and earmarks, which are the special pork projects of legislators, must be drastically reduced. The best laugh of the night was when the Congress---both parties--- actually stood and applauded this point. Yet almost of them will be putting earmarks in the next bill. But wait! Bush told the country that he would be signing an Executive Order the next day directing federal agencies to ignore future earmarks that weren't voted on by Congress. Two questions come to mind: why wasn't this directive issued in 2001, and how can Congress appropriate money that it didn't vote upon?

The back room deals will go on, and spending will continue out of control. How do we know this? Past history. Our President showed us that he didn't have a "Veto" stamp for seven years.

And now, we are supposed to believe that spending our way out of our economic problems is the ultimate answer. Never mind inflation, never mind that the values of "fiscal restraint" and "personal responsibility" are nowhere to be found, and never mind that Bush's "solution" is nothing more than a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.

It all sounds good, and for the Washington crowd, that's all that really matters.