STATE OF THE UNION: An Underwhelmed Nation Yawns

STATE OF THE UNION
An Underwhelmed Nation Yawns

Last night, President Bush attempted to shift attention from his failing strategy in Iraq. He couldn't do it. The Washington Post notes that "his address lacked the rhetorical lift of some of his best efforts of the past, and the domestic policy agenda, although lengthy, included initiatives that have been around for some time. In that sense, the speech was a reminder of how much the war in Iraq has drained the administration's energy and creativity, and how much it continues to define the Bush presidency." Bush stressed that "with so much in the balance, those of us in public office have a duty to speak with candor." But Bush frequently glossed over " harsh global and political realities" in an effort to paint an optimistic picture of the State of the Union. Check out our comprehensive reality check on ThinkProgress.org.

THE REVIEWS ARE IN: " Encumbered by some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency," President Bush delivered a speech that has been characterized as "generic," "small-bore," and without ambition. A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll revealed that Bush's address last night received the lowest positive reaction of any State of the Union speech delivered during his tenure. News analyses have noted that Bush "displayed little ambition to tackle some of America's greatest challenges at home or abroad." In comparison to Bush's previous State of the Union addresses, last night's speech was "far less ambitious, his tone noticeably different." In style, the speech was "lackluster, ordinary and, most of all, generic." Bush repeated "arguments he regularly makes in national security speeches while running through a succession of economic proposals with little evident passion." " No sweeping proposals," according to Reuters. The New York Times adds, "[T]he speech was notable largely for a lack of big new proposals from a president who for five years has not shied from provocative and politically risky initiatives." "The solutions Bush offered were relatively small-bore and wrapped in familiar language," writes the Associated Press. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) captured the sentiments of many: "we didn't hear anything new, and we didn't get any real answers."

BUSH ADDICTED TO ENERGY INDEPENDENCE RHETORIC: President Bush last night called for America to drastically reduce its dependence on foreign oil -- just as he's done in every other past State of the Union address -- despite the fact that our dependence on foreign oil has increased every year. Bush departed from his past failed policies of drilling our nation's remaining oil and gas supplies, cajoling Saudi Arabia and the other "allies" upon whom we depend for oil, and increasing subsidies to the fossil fuels industry. Despite seeking cuts in both alternative energy and biofuels programs in the FY06 budget, Bush last night proposed a 22 percent increase in financing for various clean energy research projects. Yet even those funding boosts represent "incremental adjustments" compared to the subsidies dished out in the energy bill Bush signed last year, "including $2 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas drillers over five years." Also missing from Bush's speech was any mention of "requiring higher fuel economy standards for consumer vehicles," which analysts say "would have the greatest impact on reducing U.S. oil demand and cutting imports." All in all, the New York Times noted, last night's rhetoric "was hardly the bold signal we've been waiting for through years of global warming and deadly struggles in the Middle East, where everything takes place in the context of what Mr. Bush rightly called our 'addiction' to imported oil." For a comprehensive progressive roadmap to energy independence, check out American Progress's plan: "Resources for Global Growth."

MEDIA HEAD-FAKE ON HEALTH CARE: The White House can claim at least one success from this year's State of the Union: falsely convincing the media that President Bush would take America's health care crisis seriously. " Health Care Is Now at Top of Bush's Agenda," a New York Times headline proclaimed prior to the speech, while the Associated Press reported that Bush would "attempt to shift focus from the polarizing war in Iraq to a more popular domestic priority: taming health care costs." "Health care will be the centerpiece of the White House's domestic agenda for 2006," reported the Weekly Standard. "In Tuesday's State of the Union, the president will focus on rising health costs, with more detailed policy announcements to follow in the weeks ahead." In fact, just 170 words of Bush's 5,400 word speech were devoted to the topic, reflecting the true priority Bush has placed on health care during his time in office.

WHAT WASN'T IN THE SPEECH: "The speech was notable for what Mr. Bush did not mention. He offered no new ideas for rebuilding New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, made no mention of his troubled Medicare prescription drug program and offered no proposal to clamp down on lobbying abuses in Congress that have led to the investigation of Jack Abramoff, a formerly powerful lobbyist and a major fund-raiser for Mr. Bush." For any listener last night holding out hope that Bush would address these key issues, the speech was "a grave disappointment." Bush's own previous bad decisions have limited the scope of what he can achieve; he is in essence "hampered by his own track record." "The president's future horizons are constrained by his past choices, budgetary and political. At home, expensive tax cuts and a Medicare prescription drug entitlement limit his scope for new initiatives. Abroad, the commitment of troops, money and diplomatic capital to Iraq has narrowed the president's options."


STATE OF THE UNION
SOTU Tour Hits Music City USA

President Bush travels today to Nashville's Grand Ole Opry to promote his State of the Union agenda, focusing on health care, tax cuts, and energy costs. For the last five years, residents of the Volunteer State have seen their energy prices skyrocket, their number of uninsured swell, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots widen to a chasm. In response, Bush is offering "repackaged versions" of old proposals. There is a reason why the audience is hand-selected by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN): for average Tennesseans this song is played out.

ENERGY -- TENNESSEE GASOLINE PRICES HAVE INCREASED NEARLY 50% SINCE 2004: Gas in Tennessee currently costs $2.27 per gallon, up from $1.53 per gallon in January 2004. The change in prices represents a 48 percent increase.

HEALTH CARE -- MORE THAN 800,000 TENNESSEANS ARE UNINSURED, HEALTH COSTS RISING RAPIDLY: According to data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 803,130 people in Tennessee do not have health insurance and 157,070 children are uninsured. The number of uninsured among the nonelderly increased by 4.0 percent from 2000-04.

TAX CUTS -- BUSH'S TAX CUTS ON DIVIDENDS AND CAPITAL GAINS DISPROPORTIONATELY BENEFIT STATE'S WEALTHY: The Citizens for Tax Justice found that if Bush made his tax cuts on dividends and capital gains permanent, Tennessee's wealthiest citizens would receive the lion's share of the benefits. According to the CTJ study, in the year 2010, the top 1% of earners in the state would receive 56.2 percent of the tax cuts. The lowest 20 percent earners would receive only 0.1 percent. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities found Tennessee to be one of five states - along with New York, Texas, Arizona, and Florida - with the "largest income gap between the top and bottom fifths of families."

MEDICARE -- TENNESSEANS 'TEARING THEIR HAIR OUT' OVER MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN: The Nashville Tennessean reported local pharmacists "are saying that the federal government's new drug plan for the elderly and disabled is a nightmare for druggists and an out-and-out catastrophe for the poor." "I've talked to pharmacists who have been in practice for 25 years who say this is the most difficult time they've ever had," Baeteena Black, executive director of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association, said. "They're saying we have it rough right now, but the patients have it even worse." Roughly 25 companies offering 80 insurance plans are operating the drug plan in Tennessee. "It's been a nightmare only the government could have come up with," one pharmacist said. "Any pharmacy serving an older population is tearing their hair out." Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) said the plan would improve access to drugs for seniors. "Prescription drugs in the past have been denied to our seniors, but will be there as a result of this legislation," Frist said in 2003. Frist called the bill's passage a "victory for our nation's seniors, and for all Americans," and he thanked Bush for his "leadership on the issue."

CORRUPTION -- BUSH OFFERS NO SOLUTIONS, STATES LIKE TENNESSEE TAKE THE LEAD: Bush said in the State of the Union Americans are "concerned about unethical conduct by public officials," but did not offer any solutions. Meanwhile, "Tennessee lawmakers are in special session to consider tough new restrictions on lobbying and campaign finance." Gov. Phil Bredesen (D-TN) convened the session to deal with the "culture of corruption in Nashville." The governor wants "a ban on most gifts by lobbyists to government employees and elected officials, disclosure of spending by lobbyists, new limits on cash campaign contributions and the creation of an independent ethics commission with broad enforcement power." Bredesen said of Abramoff scandal in Washington, "I'm telling the Legislature this is going to be front-page news for a year, so let's get out in front of the curve and be actively addressing these issues." The Tennessee state senate passed a version of the reform package yesterday.

Under the Radar

INTELLIGENCE -- GONZALES LIED UNDER OATH ABOUT BUSH'S SPYING PROGRAM: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have lied under oath to the Senate during his confirmation hearings a year ago. In a Jan. 30 letter to Gonzales, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) charged that Gonzales misled the Senate "when he appeared to try to avoid answering a question about whether the president could authorize warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens." According to a transcript of the Jan. 6, 2005, exchange, Gonzales tried to waive off Feingold's question as "hypothetical," and said that "it's not the policy or the agenda of this President to authorize actions that would be in contravention of our criminal statutes." But in fact, Gonzales personally approved Bush's warrantless domestic spying program, in contravention of a criminal statute.

ECONOMY -- WAGE GROWTH LOWEST IN NINE YEARS: Wages and benefits "rose last year by the smallest amount in nine years," according to new figures released by the Labor Department. But even this small increase was not enough to keep up with inflation. "When inflation is considered, overall compensation fell by 0.3 percent." Additionally, "there was a slowing of benefit costs in 2005 as employers struggled to deal with surging health costs." But while working Americans struggle to deal with skyrocketing health care and home heating costs, Exxon Mobile's profits surged to a record $10.7 billion -- $1,073 a second -- "capping the most profitable year for any company in U.S. history."

CONTRACT CORRUPTION -- LITTLE-KNOWN CONTRACTOR PULLING IN BIG MONEY FOR SHODDY, UNFINISHED WORK: In 2002, the National Security Agency (NSA) hired Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) "to help it build a state-of-the-art tool for plucking key threats to the nation from a worldwide sea of digital communication," in a project code-named "Trailblazer." More than three years later, the project has yet to get off the ground, but has cost taxpayers $1.2 billion. This isn't the first time SAIC has been paid high dollars by the federal government for unfinished business. SAIC received seven no-bid contracts for Iraq, including an $82 million no-bid contract to run the country's first post-Saddam TV network, even though the company had no broadcast experience. A surprise government visit found that while the work had not happened, SAIC had been paid anyway. Lucky for SAIC, it has friends in high places. Adm. William Owens, for example, went from SAIC president and CEO to a Secretary Rumsfeld's Defense Policy Board. Christopher Henry, former senior vice president at SAIC, became a key aide to Douglas Feith, who supervised contract work done by SAIC in Iraq.

ADMINISTRATION -- BUSH ADMINISTRATION RESTRICTS NEWS COVERAGE, ONE PHOTO AT A TIME: Not only does the Bush administration screen its audiences at speeches, but it also shuts out media photographers from many events, instead offering the press only White House-approved photos. "A review of Associated Press archives found that during the entire eight years of the Clinton administration, only 100 handout photos of events were released to the press. During the first five years of Bush's presidency, more than 500 have been distributed." Media photojournalists are regularly blocked out of White House events, forced to use official White House photos. "Would anyone on the word side take a press release and regurgitate it verbatim and publish it in the newspaper as legitimate news," asked Susan Walsh, an Associated Press photojournalist and president of the White House News Photographers Association. " Of course not." Other photographers "point out the power such an arrangement gives the White House to literally control news."

POLL - IRAQIS WANT TIMETABLE FOR A U.S. WITHDRAWAL: A new poll of the Iraqi public by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) found that 70 percent of Iraqis favor setting a timetable for U.S. withdrawal, but 76 percent believe the United States would not withdraw within six months if asked to do so by the Iraqi government. 80 percent of the Iraqi public believes the United States plans to have permanent bases in Iraq.