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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (25049)	1/18/2004 9:44:34 PM
From: Sully-	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793690

Geeze, you can't get past the first paragraph before the BS begins to fly..... "The Bush administration's inability to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- after public statements declaring an imminent threat* posed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein "* Once just wasn't enough..... 'He said the gaps between the administration's rhetoric and the postwar findings threaten Bush's doctrine of "preemption," which envisions attacking a nation because it is an imminent threat." So much for ethics, objectivity or accuracy in journalism.

To: Lane3 who wrote (25049)	1/18/2004 11:29:17 PM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793690

Safire disects the coming "State of the Union." January 19, 2004 OP-ED COLUMNIST State of the Speech By WILLIAM SAFIRE WASHINGTON Iowa, despite record hype, won't be dispositive; the major campaign event this week is the president's State of the Union address. A dozen points to watch: 1. Salutation: For two centuries, "My Countrymen" was traditional; now it's sexist. "Fellow Americans" works best. 2. Defining adjective: The State of the Union is — what? "Strong" is popular; J.F.K. used "good"; Jerry Ford, in his first S.O.U., dared to judge it "not good." If Bush chooses an unfamiliar adjective, that word will reverberate. 3. Interruptions by applause: Congress in joint session will clap on cue any time a president looks around. But watch how Democratic leaders Tom Daschle and Nancy Pelosi (who have already issued "prebuttals") grimly sit on their hands. Observe calibrated reactions by candidates Kerry, Lieberman, Edwards and Gephardt, if they can spare the time to be there. 4. Overarching theme: "War on Terror" has been overdone, though "Age of Liberty" has not yet sunk in. "Opportunity society" too domestic-only. Because an S.O.U. must touch so many different bases, we'll be lucky if three thematic puddings can be interrelated. 5. Pointing with pride: He should first assure us we are in a new economic boom, and then take credit for it by showing how his tax cuts turned around the post-bubble recession he inherited from a "previous administration" whose name never passes his lips. Look for him to torpedo the current Democratic mantra by pointing to a quarter-million new jobs created since August, with deficits now beginning to head downward. An effective end to the prosperity comeback section would be: Hey, middle class, don't let them take away your tax cuts. 6. Buttering the ethnic hot potato previewed last week: He'll welcome the 10 million "illegals" now living here in the shadows. Though denying it's an amnesty, a word that scrapes the conservative chalkboard, he should dramatically repeat and refine his offer to hard-working, undocumented Hispanics with a way to earn citizenship. See if he puts heat on Congress to do its duty, as cameras pan the California and Florida delegations. 7. Follow up the Kennedyesque idealism also heralded in the unprecedented publicity run-up to this address: Hopscotch from the Moon to Mars. Let aging Democrats bemoan expense to presidency after next; this is Bush's challenging appeal to youth who yearn for uplifting liftoff. 8. Theft of more opposition clothes: Geezerdrugs paid by Medicare is not enough. Expectations are that he will propose making health expenses tax-deductible for all but the wealthy, with an eye toward one day giving taxpayers a tax credit — in effect, reimbursement — for all medical payments. He could surprise by doubling the budget for scientific research over the next four years, especially in preventive medicine, which is not a huge expense but would save a bundle long-term. 9. Creative compassion: This may be the time to put people more in charge of their futures, with expanded tax-deferred savings accounts for education and housing, and self-directed portions of Social Security accounts. He may finesse the anti-gay-marriage amendment idea by concentrating on incentives to poor straights to stay married. 10. A last-minute news lead: Something positive may come out of Paul Bremer's meetings this week with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Governing Council members, showing that Bush has found a "vital role" the U.N. should play in nation-building. Results count; he can say he had this sort of multinational diplomacy in mind all along. 11. The moral rightness and historic reach of combining homeland defense with pre-emptive offense: Bush's decision to carry the war to the enemy is the centerpiece of his presidency; he is obliged tomorrow to reassert his purpose eloquently and his intent to "stay the course" no matter how stridently denounced. At the same time, the commander in chief must not flinch from recognizing the human cost to Americans; a moment of silence for coalition and Iraqi casualties would be in order. 12. Energizing the faith-base: President Lincoln had to be reminded at the last minute to slip a reference to Divine Providence into his Emancipation Proclamation. Will Bush, in tomorrow night's secular and political setting, somehow invoke God's blessing? Count on it. Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company