From: Arizona Daily Wildcat, Jan. 24, 2007.
Presidential speech falls flat
President Bush pronounced his version of the State of the Union last night and it fell flatter than a note sung by Lindsay Lohan. Ironically, her music also has more practical substance than President Bush’s address.
I find it gut-wrenchingly hard to watch him give any speech, but like a car accident on the side of the road, I just cannot turn away from this wreck.
By far my favorite observation of the night was the deafening silence on the left side of the chamber. Many sweeping images showed Democrats silent when Bush proposed his Republican-friendly ideas. For example, Bush spoke strongly about the Senate’s responsibility to hold an “up or down vote” on federal judges. Republicans screamed with joy, while Democrats rightfully sat on their hands.
Since massive public opinion already wants a change in energy policy, the president promised unsurprising alternative-fuel initiatives. How can we trust a former oilman to run a clean, oil-independent energy policy? That’s like asking Whitney Houston to give up crack – and that rock just won’t burn.
My favorite line from President Bush was about the elimination of the federal deficit. Another irony from Bush, considering his tax cuts for the rich were what created the deficit in the first place. It’s like if I stole a car and then returned it and expected someone to clap for me.
But the most ridiculous part of Bush’s speech was his healthcare proposal. He wants to tax healthcare wage deductions in order to pay for coverage for the uninsured. Economics probably never made sense to the thickheaded Bush, but someone should explain his proposal makes health insurance less affordable, not more.
Missing from Bush’s ramblings was a true recognition of the pain of losing a family member in Iraq. He likes to tout vague “victory” as his goal – but Bush should attempt to explain why 3,000 Americans have died for a pointless war that he refuses to end.
President Bush delivered a stinker of a speech last night – lacking ambition, depth and practicality. It left me wishing it were already January 20, 2009: Bush’s last day in office.
Sam Feldman is a political science senior.