Chris Matthews keeps repeating the need for Democrats to stand and applaud the President for seeing through a successful election in Iraq. He doesn't seem to believe they will.

And why should they?

I wonder if the state of the union is "strong."

Your "lame duck" comment makes me think: aren't we using the term much earlier than we used to? Hell, he's only a few days into his second term. Didn't it used to signify someone who's successor has already been picked, but not taken office yet?

Yeehaw!

Sure seemed to be a LOT of democrat purple fingers pointing at the cameras.

"Confident & strong." Good opening.

Red ties??

Women in red suits - Reagan red, I say.

Steve is right. Even Bush is wearing red, but Hillary isn't.

Steve is right. Even Bush is wearing red, but Hillary isn't.

Parsidint Boosh is moving headlong through some of that applause. He got a date after?

Steriods?

And what happened - big trial, sport shaken up.

Nukes for all!

"4 years of debate is enough."
Agreed.

Huh huh huh... he said "doody"

The small-government federalist in me is cringing.
Good about changing immigration.

Detailing what changes in social security is a nice way to do it. I liked the 55 and over part.

Was that Ted Kennedy yelling for another drink? This ain't the House of Commons Q&A time, Dems.

"Money is yours , and the government can never take it away"

Dems remained seated for that one. No cheers there.

For a non-drinker, Bush sure as hell likes making me drink.

Gaaa, not the FMA again. Let it die. Boy, Sully is going to come back from hiatus over that.

Well, they just found something in the bone marrow which might be as good as embryonic.

And CA passed that $3 billion boondoggle.

It is, however, already being redefined by millions of gay couples who are, for all intents, already married. Now the law just needs to catch up to the reality.

But that is where the problem is --- middle america refuses to accept what is going to be.

Give it time.

Ooooh, he just called Egypt out for democracy.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia...please to be holding your feet to the fire, por favor. Syria, consider yourself bitchslapped.

Iran, you will take your slaps and like it. Iranians, sic 'em. Sic 'em, boys.

Hey, when do we get purple ink in our elections?

And we have our first dyed fingers.

I'm hoping he'll say something about the poor G.I. Joe held hostange. :)

I liked the dig he made on military tactics.

Bush is speaking real well tonight. Good speechwriter too. Will Safire come back for a critique?

"We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out. We are in Iraq to achieve a result: A country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself. And when that result is achieved, our men and women serving in Iraq will return home with the honor they have earned."

Nice.

I'm Liveblogging over at my place, with the full text of the speech appended to the post.

Anyone want to be what will be the lead line on the Austin American Statesman? (Pflugerville is about 10 miles outside of Austin)

Amen on the tears, biggest standing O for the parents. Deepest thanks to them.

The moment with the Marine's parents and the lady from Iraq was the moment of the night. Got my stoic male self all choked up.

Maybe it's just what every President does, but Bush is hauling out another FDR quote.

Perhaps cause he can't come up with a good one himself? :)

The Iraqi woman and the Marine's mom hugging was easily the finest moment I've seen in a SOTU. Bush giving the moment all the time it took was not just a proper response, but from his near tearing up, a class act.

First rant *&^&*%&*%!@#@!@ Wolf Blitzer says of the applause that the Norwoods got "I'm sure they would rather have their son back."
Brit Hume on Fox notes that Mrs. Norwood gave the Iraqi lady (sorry I don't know her name) her son's dogtag.

"unprecedented actions to protect Americans... improve border security..." Meanwhile, back in the real world, 3 million illegal aliens will sneak across the border this year. How many could be terrorists?

For the truth about Bush's guest worker plan, see The Big Show on the Border.

As an aside, how the hell do the Democrats put that flake Pelosi on the Dem response again?

I mean, I'm all for hysterical, somewhat disturbing TV, but it's not something you really wanna see if yer a Democrat is it? No, seriously.

Dem. Representative Louis Slaughter on C-SPAN 2 (I'm not going to watch the response) is saying that SS is solvent, and that she hasn't gotten any calls calling for reform. Maybe the Democrats should switch mascots from the donkey to the ostrich. I'd really like to see a rational plan from them.

Harry Reid: Marshall Plan for America? Internet created by government investment in the '90s? Blather.

Internet was a military creation that found a market in the private sector.

What a bunch of whiney spoiled brats.

Pelosi just said nukular. I thought only dumasses from Texas pronounced it like that. Is she really as scared as she sounds giving this prebutal?

Someone needs to perform a Botox intervention with the Mrs. Pelosi.

Nan is giving a lot of support to the troops. Good for her. The rest of what she has said so far is more, yes, whining. And she needs to lighten up on the Botox.

RE: the internet. I can't even imagine how much more was invested by the private sector compared to the gov't. Several orders of magnitude? Calling it a government investment is laughable. Though I am glad that Gore was there to help invent it.

And Nan is still whining "...failed to put together a comprehensive plan to protect America." What have you done to help our security, Nancy?

You call this rightwing bunghole garbage live blogging?

Dead blogging is more like it, alcohol-poisoning pundit.

You are the son of 60,000 whores.

Ouch Jay. Your witty repartee has thrust through our alcohol haze and pierced us.
As for the 60K whores, do we have to give each one of them a mother's day card? Perhaps you work for Hallmark.

Your witty repartee has thrust through our alcohol haze and pierced us.

Thank you. I aim to sleaze.

Which is no more than you deserve.

As for the 60K whores, do we have to give each one of them a mother's day card?

No.

Perhaps you work for Hallmark.

Ya Allah, speaking of witty repartee that one is just stabbing me in the kishkas. I am gasping wheezing dying of laughter.

Not.

jimmy-joe Jay
jimmy joe

Just sayins all

check

Remove thy hat and bow thy head when Stephen Green bloggeth! Otherwise betake thyself to more congenial shores, such as DU.