Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Nightmare Scenario and Showing Him the Way: Thoughts on the State of the Union

I cannot say enough how relieved I am that W can no longer claim a majority in Congress to support his disastrous leadership. Listening to him plead with lawmakers and the American people to give his war a chance was far more heartening than hearing him gloat about the “successes.” The most common word I’ve used to cover the response to his State of the Union address was “tepid.” W knows that the American people do not support him or his war, and he knows that he can be defeated.

Still, his words about Iran make me very nervous. If he broadens this “war on terror” to include a fight against Iran, I fear for the future of my country, and I fear for the safety of the entire world. We are not winning in Iraq—what makes him think that we can take on Iran? “Nightmare scenario” indeed.

Senator Jim Webb’s succinct and cogent response for the Democrats demonstrated why he won his seat as a Democrat in the red state of Virginia. Here was a voice who knows war himself. His father served in the military, he served in the military, and now his son is serving in Iraq. He said that this war was misguided from the beginning and that it is time to extricate ourselves from it now. Alluding to the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, he said that Congress would be “showing him the way” if W refused to listen to reason about this war. The American people have placed their trust in the Democrats to do just that.

11 comments:

Sassy Sundry said...

The "home" policy stuff was nothing to write "home" about. His fuel economy stuff is greenwashing (ethanol is not an eco-friendly fuel if it is made with corn). Making employer-sponsored health coverage (something we shouldn't have---it should be nationalized) taxable income is not going to help working families, and it won't help the uninsured.

The good news is that the guy just might be washed up. Bye-bye political capital.

dive said...

Hmm … Just thinking what acreage of corn he's going to have to plant to make enough ethanol … and what effect that will have on the environment.
I honestly can't write what I feel about his speech because I'd have an apoplectic fit (and you wouldn't like all the swearing).

Before Girl said...

Sassy wrote: "W knows that the American people do not support him or his war, and he knows that he can be defeated."

Uh, I'm not so sure about that. I think he really truly believes every word he's saying, and can't understand why everyone else doesn't believe it, either. He's on a whole different plane from probably 85% of the population. He's kind of like that guy who gets his come-uppance in disaster movies-you know, the ones where he's the builder or the genetic engineer who assures everyone that "It's perfectly harmless," right before he gets dismembered.

Before Girl said...

I can't believe I used the word "come-uppance." is there something a little more...gee, I don't know, modern?

james said...

Personally, I don't think he believes every word he says. He's full of shit. He and Cheney learned long ago that if you tell a lie loud and long enough, people will start to believe it. And they all bought it come the Iraq War and the 2004 election.

726 days left to go!

Carissa B said...

I don't think I have much of a comment on his speech. I'm just rolling my eyes.

Sassy Sundry said...

Dive, I don't mind the swearing a bit.

Before Girl, I think he does know that he's in trouble. He believes he's right, but just from looking at him, it seems as though the cold, hard reality that no one likes his ideas anymore is setting in. Way to use old-fashioned language!

James, he is full of shit, isn't he? Dangerously so.

Carissa, I rolled my eyes, too. I nearly didn't write about this, but I thougth that Jim Webb's speech was good enough to comment on.

dive said...

Just got home to the news that George's got another kicking over Iraq.
I can go to bed smiling.

Old Knudsen said...

I like James Webb but not long ago he was doon right rude to Bush in public and even to Bush that was uncalled for. I may have to reconsider him.

Sassy Sundry said...

Dive, that news made me happy too. I hope that the resolution passes. I'm not sure if it will do a whole lot of practical good (being non-binding and all), but it will send a message.

Knudsen, when a president doesn't do the people's will, then I think he deserves a bit of yelling. He doesn't seem to listen to anything else.

Bock the Robber said...

He's not my president. People in my country didn't vote for him, but he has the power to blow up my planet.

I suppose that's democracy for you, American-style.

God bless democracy.