The Force of Human Freedom
President Bush’s State of the Union speech started slowly and ended spectacularly. My off-the-cuff thoughts:
1. Restraint on spending
- Like: Idea of fiscal restraint, permanent tax relief, and elimination of 150 government programs (I wonder if the National Endownment of the Arts was one of those programs?)
2. Education/Small Business
- Like: Reformation of class action lawsuits
- Dislike: Increased spending of any kind on education
3. Health Care
- Like: Tax credits and encouragement of association health plans for small business
- Love: Health Savings Accounts and medical liability reform
4. Environment
- Like: More nuclear energy
- Love: Less dependent on foreign oil (I can’t wait to drill in Anwar!!!!!!!)
5. Tax Code
- Like: “Pro-growth, easy to understand, fair to all”
6. Immigration
- Hate: Guest Worker Program. One of the worst proposed presidential policies in the modern era. We need to develop a program to document the 11-20 million illegals already here. Interesting to note that Bush emphasized not only by speaking but by his use of an adamant tone that the Guest Worker Program “rejects amnesty”
- Love: Protecting our borders from terrorists and drug thugs (How about illegal aliens too?)
7. Social Security
- Like: All reforms on the table (including raising the retirement age, paying into the system later in life, etc.)
- Love: That Bush actually has the cahones to fight for Social Security reform
8. Marriage
- Love: Support for a constitutional amendment protecting marriage between a man and a woman. Interestingly, the Democrats did not stand for either Social Security reform or the marriage amendment. Maybe the Democrats should change their name to the Gayocrats
9. Judges
- Like: Judges get an up-or-down vote. Hey Dems, end your carping. If you don’t cooperate, we’re going nuclear on y’all
10. Youth initiative/HIV/DNA
- Yawn
11. War on Terror
- Love: Bush’s vision. “Until the fight is won”; “The force of human freedom“; “Advance of freedom will lead to peace”
12. Palestine
- Like: Sending Condi to sit down with Sharon and Abbas
- Neutral: Sending $350 million for Palestinian reform efforts (Couldn’t we just ask Arafat’s wife for the money. I’m sure she has a couple of billion stashed under her Paris mattress).
13. Syria
- Like: Beware you terrorist dog (Bush didn’t say that, but, that was his message)
14. Iran
- Love: Bush’s message to the Iranian people: “As you stand for your own liberty, America stands with you”
15. Iraq
- Love: Bush’s adoration of the Iraqis who braved death to cast their vote; “Freedom in Iraq will make America safer for generations to come”
- Love: Salute to the American Soldier
Overall, Bush’s speech was a success. Bush’s strength lies in his visionary conviction and moral certitude leading America in her fight against the terrorists, and that part of Bush’s speech was outstanding. Why? Because it resonates–freedom/good versus evil resonate–and Bush’s speech was about freedom and the fight against the terrorist villains. Yes, President Bush, “the road of Providence leads to freedom.” Hopefully, that road does not permit illegal aliens to travel thereon.