SOTU Address

Didn't watch it. Wasn't particularly interested. But I have found the blog punditry rather interesting. For example:

What Obama didn't mention in his speech

- Climate change: The signature environmental issue of this administration evaporated into thin air. The UN conference in Copenhagen didn’t really exist. No reference to cap and trade. Not a word. (Ed. Hallelujah, Praise the Lord)

- The housing crisis: If you had tuned into planet Earth from outer space, you would not know there was a housing crisis in America. Not a word about the near bankruptcy of government mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Nor did he mention the rising number of foreclosures.It was the president who unveiled his HELP program to keep people in their homes. Most evidence is that it has been a failure. Tonight, not a word about it. (Ed. hehehehehe! I would say the SOTU is one of denial)

- Jobs: Yes, there was the feeling of pain. But you would not know the country is still in a jobs emergency. There were words like “competition,” “innovation,” and “Sputnik,” but not a road map to explain how he will spur jobs in the private sector. (Ed. Sputnik???? That was fifty freakin' years ago, and it was the Soviet's baby. Guess I'd have to hear the speech to put this one into context.)

- States facing bankruptcies: Our biggest state governments are in a debt crisis, most of them led by Democrats. Does he recognize this is a looming problem? Does he wish to bail them out? Tonight there was no word. (Ed. Yup. States of denial.)

- Closing down Guantanamo Bay and trying terrorists in civil court: Gitmo still functions and holds enemy combatants. This was a sterling commitment of his administration — to shut down Gitmo. He also failed to mention any willingness to abandon his attorney general’s effort to try terrorists in civilian courts. It’s a huge issue in New York City where the prospect of trials has been denounced by nearly every political office holder. (Ed. But does the mere absence of mention mean he has abandoned this bit of lunacy? Does it mean he's too chicken-shit to admit it was a stupid idea? Or is it just that it's not possible to blame this one on Bush? Could it be Obama has a hidden agenda, too? Can we blame that on Harper?)

- War on Terror: On the basis of this speech, there is no War on Terror. There is community-building in Afghanistan and defeating the Taliban. But nothing about the worldwide terror network that is waged from Malaysia to London subways to Times Square. (Ed. Deny, deny, deny. Yawn. What about "man caused disaster"? You'd think he could have mentioned that.)

- Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the UK: They are all flirting with economic catastrophe. (Ed. But of course not. We're in denial, after all. There's no point in acknowledging where our policies will lead, is there.)

- Overseas human rights: A Chinese Nobel Prize-winner tonight sits in a prison cell. Nothing about human rights in Egypt or Iran or anywhere else in the world. (Ed. Well, The One already has his Nobel Prize. So why worry?)

- Israel: Supposedly America’s most important ally in the Middle East. Nothing about Jerusalem or one of his stated highest goals of his first term: ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Ed. Deny. Deny. Deny.)

- Reaching out to the Muslim world: His next trips take him to South America. (Ed. Well, when the Muslim world is collapsing all around him, maybe it's not such a good idea to actually stand up for democracy rather than dictatorship. That would be so, you know, Islamophobic.)

- Osama bin Laden: He’s still at large. John Kerry and the Democrats campaigned that this was the litmus test for winning the war on terror. (Ed. Ssshh. Don't tell anybody.)

- George W. Bush: There was no Bush-bashing tonight. His advisers probably suggested blaming Bush no longer had currency. (Ed. Ya think?)

Gateway Pundit has a pretty good round up of the reaction from Americans. And it ain't pretty.

PS: If you're like me and you didn't listen to it, American Power has it up. Better grab a cup of very strong java, though. It's booooooorrrrrrrring.