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At the last minute, I decided to do a live blog on the State of the Union address. The following blog will be a quick paraphrased understanding of the president’s priorities outlined in the speech. I will update as needed.

9:00: I turn on C-Span.

9:01: Laura Bush enters upper gallery.

9:03: Supreme Court Justices and Cabinet secretaries enter chamber.

9:09: President Bush enters the chamber, applause seems rather muted compared to past speeches, though it could just be a broadcast audio characteristic.

9:12: President Bush turns to Speaker Pelosi to bring the chamber to order. She introduces the president. President Bush starts the speech giving congrats to Pelosi. Ugh. Clearly an attempt to reach out to Dems.

9:15: Bush starts to talk about common purposes. Spending money wisely. Talks about government division and bipartisanship. Make life better for Americans and extending prosperity. Growing the economy - talks about job growth, 7.2 million jobs, low inflation and unemployment. More enterprise.

9:18: Economic priorities - balance federal budget without raising taxes. Spending discipline - touts deficit surpluses and growth. Eliminate the deficit within 5 years. Touts earmark reform - budget reform process, accountability and visibility, cut earmarks in half by end of session. Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare reform - no specifics.

9:21: Promotes No Child Left Behind Act, asks to renew. Touts school choice.

9:23: Americans must have affordable health care. Government must help elderly and children. Two initiatives - standard tax deduction for families and individuals for health care. No payroll taxes for healthcare, touts tax reform to help people pay for private health care. Promotes grants for states who help provide healthcare assistance. Promotes association health plans, information technology, health savings accounts, price transparency, medical liability reform. Best health decisions made by patients and doctors.

9:27: Immigration reform, touts temporary worker program (Ugh…not again). Enforce immigration law at the worksite. Touts “melting pot,” and assimilation. Asks Congress for comprehensive immigration reform.

9:29: Talks about dependence on foreign oil. Diversify energy supply. Use clean coal, nuclear power, wind and solar. Biodiesel fuel and find new methods to use ethenol. Agricultural wastes for energy. Asks Congress for cooperation in reducing gasoline use by 20% in 10 years. Promotes government intervention in setting fuel efficiency and alternative fuels standards. Step up domestic oil production, double supply of strategic petroleum reserve. Touts global climate change and confronting the problem (Why??!!!).

9:33: Talks about judge vacancies, for a prompt up/down vote on Senate floor.

9:34: Starts to talk about defense and stopping terrorists. Must take the fight to the enemy. (Democrats slow to stand and about half just stay seated). Starts to tout successes in breaking up terrorist plots. Gratitude to public servants who stop terrorists. America is at war as long as terrorists are still in the world. Terrorists want USA to abandon cause of liberty. Touts Iranian influence on Sunni extremism. “They want to kill Americans, kill democracy in the middle east.” Dangers have not ended. Use every lawful and proper tool to find enemies and protect America. Ideological struggle. Free people are not drawn to violent ideology. Build free societies and promote human rights for our security.

9:42: Talks about Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq elections. Talks about 12 million turnout for Iraq vote. Terrorists strike back in 2006. Syria and Iran undermining Lebanon. Al Queda blow up mosque, promoting Iraqi death squads and sectarian violence. Don’t abandon our friends, leaving our security at risk. Let us find resolve and turn events toward victory. New Iraq strategy, demanding more from Iraqi government. Iraq must stop sectarian violence. Deploying 20,000 troops to Iraq, mostly Baghdad. “Marines…with orders to find the terrorists and clean them out.” Time for Iraqi government to act, commitment is not open ended. Lift military restrictions on coalition forces. Iraq must take responsibility for its security. Violence backed by Iran, Al Queda. Nightmare scenario for Americans…chaos is their greatest weapon. Must spare America from the danger.

9:49: Congress did not vote for failure. Support our troops in the field and those on their way. Generational struggle. Close consultation on Iraq war. Bipartian advisory panel. Calls for increase in size of Army and Marine Corps. Civilian reserve corps, hire critical skills for use abroad. We have diplomatic strategy. Sanctions on Iran, won’t be allowed to aquire nukes. Promotes independence Palestine. Diplomacy for North Korea. Work to save the people of Dafur.

9:54: Continue to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Touts success of those getting AIDS drugs. Calls Congress for foreign aid to fight malaria in Africa. Support trade and debt relief to help eliminate poverty. American character, self sacrifice greatest strengths. Pounts out NBA star Mutambo, proud to call him American citizen. Others in gallery examples of American character.

10:02: America faces danger, but we can go together. Our cause goes on. End of speech.

Conclusion: Unusually interesting speech in my opinion. The sections on defense and American resolve were great and definately showed a commander-in-chief who is strong in character and not afraid to stand up for victory abroad. Domestic priorities seemed more liberal however. The call for comprehensive immigration reform is NOT what the majority of Americans want and the president seems adamant to defy the call for increased border protection. The call to decrease gas consumption by 20% and increase fuel standards are sure ways to help tank the economy. Tax deducations for health care seem like an interesting idea, though I’d like to read more analysis on the logical results from conservative think tanks. Earmark reform and balancing the federal budget were mentioned, both great ideas. Bush also included talk about school choice, which definately leads into vouchers. The debate will be interesting on No Child Left Behind in terms of funding levels.

Overall, a stong speech for the president, though I think he’s wrong on most domestic priorities. I think he’s too concerned with appeasing Democrats and is showing his true moderate colors. However, I think he was very strong on his defense of Iraqi policy and plainly communicated what American priorities are in Iraq.

While I was trolling around the blogosphere today, I came across an interesting article on Townhall.com. In the article, author Kevin McCullough describes where the “Christian Left” has gone wrong. I’ve included an excerpt that I think explains the entire “Christian Left” mindset:

All three men shun the thought of biblically based Christians from standing firm against the creeping peril of evil in our culture. “Be more tolerant,” they would advise. “Reach out with love and understanding, not judgment and division.”

The ‘Christian Left’ is rife with such belief.

Unity, forgiveness, mercy, and constant appeasement are to be more highly favored than righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, and obedience.

The so-called “Christian Left” obviously do not have a handle on the very fabric of Christianity or everything Christ stood for while on earth. There is a HUGE difference between tolerance of personal diversity and allowing relativism to be the standard for human morality in general.

The “Christian Left” supposedly teaches to be tolerant of others and love each other. However, even non-believers can love and be non-judgemental. I wonder if those on the left have read what Jesus actually said about division in Matthew 10:34 - 36:

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

John the Baptist further explains that Jesus will divide those who have truly followed him and believed in him from those who have rejected him (Matthew 3:12):

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Jesus further gave some advice to his disciples in Matthew 7:13:

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

The principle of tolerance and allowing unmoral behaviors happen unquestioned are completely different things and should be treated as such. Jesus Christ loves all of us, but I really doubt he doesn’t care about moral relativism. Afterall, he has promised to judge each and every one of us after death. I wish the “Christian Left” could understand this. For them however, even the principle of right and wrong is, unfortunately, irrelevent.

Read more: Jesus and Politics

Definately a surprise out of Harry Reid’s Senate:

Members of Congress convicted of serious crimes would lose their taxpayer-paid pensions, sometimes totaling more than $100,000 a year, under a measure unanimously approved by the Senate Friday.

The 87-0 vote to deprive lawbreaking lawmakers of their retirement benefits was part of a comprehensive ethics and lobbying bill that the Senate has taken up as its first piece of legislation in the new Democratic-controlled Congress.

-Snip-

Currently, a lawmaker can lose his or her pension only if convicted of crimes such as treason or espionage. The Kerry provision would extend that to cases of bribery, conspiracy to defraud the United States and perjury.

Read more at Foxnews.com

This is a very good surprise out of the Senate, and even for liberal John Kerry. This is a small step to correct an enormous problem of corruption in Washington, but every little bit of corrective legislation helps. Props go out to the bipartisan efforts in the Senate to pass this bill. Let’s hope the House does the same.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family has personally revealed he will not support John McCain in 2008:

“Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances,” said James Dobson, founder of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family as well as the Focus Action cultural action organization set up specifically to provide a platform for informing and rallying constituents.

-Snip-

“That came from McCain, and the McCain Feingold Bill kept us from telling the truth right before elections … and there are a lot of other things. He’s not in favor of traditional marriage, and I pray that we won’t get stuck with him,” Dobson said.

Read the full article

The more blogs I read, the more I’m convinced John McCain has no chance in 2008…at least in the blogosphere. He may be a “maverick” and the MSM’s favorite rebel, but to me, John McCain does not possess a drop of true conservative blood in his veins. Obviously, James Dobson doesn’t think so either.

Read more about why John McCain is not the right choice for the GOP:

The Conservative Case Against John McCain in 2008

Why John McCain Is Finished

Interesting article from Townhall.com:

President Bush on Saturday challenged lawmakers skeptical of his new Iraq plan to propose their own strategy for stopping the violence in Baghdad.

“To oppose everything while proposing nothing is irresponsible,” Bush said.

It seems to me President Bush is quite serious this time about making things happen in Iraq. And one of the signs he’s taking things seriously is that within the last few days, he’s challenged members of Congress to come up with their own plan for Iraq, if they don’t like his.

The reality is that Democrats have never come up with a plan of their own for Iraq, instead offering only negativity and obstruction, even since before John Kerry’s 2004 defeat! Democratic leadership has even flip-flopped when it came to the troop surge in Iraq, only arguing against additional troops after Bush’s plan was leaked to the press days before his speech. If that doesn’t open your eyes to what kind of leadership the American people have in Congress, maybe a minimum wage increase that takes more money from Americans’ pockets will.

Tonight, President Bush laid out a plan for a new way forward in his strategy to secure Iraq. Here are a few of the details of his plan as taken directly from his speech:

So I have committed more than 20,000 additional American troops to Iraq. The vast majority of them — five brigades — will be deployed to Baghdad. These troops will work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.

To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq’s provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country’s economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend 10 billion dollars of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation’s political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws — and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq’s constitution.

In keeping with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, we will increase the embedding of American advisers in Iraqi Army units — and partner a Coalition brigade with every Iraqi Army division. We will help the Iraqis build a larger and better-equipped Army — and we will accelerate the training of Iraqi forces, which remains the essential U.S. security mission in Iraq. We will give our commanders and civilians greater flexibility to spend funds for economic assistance. We will double the number of Provincial Reconstruction Teams.

And Secretary Rice will soon appoint a reconstruction coordinator in Baghdad to ensure better results for economic assistance being spent in Iraq.

So I have given orders to increase American forces in Anbar Province by 4,000 troops. These troops will work with Iraqi and tribal forces to step up the pressure on the terrorists. America’s men and women in uniform took away Al Qaeda’s safe haven in Afghanistan — and we will not allow them to re-establish it in Iraq.

We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.

We will use America’s full diplomatic resources to rally support for Iraq from nations throughout the Middle East. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the Gulf States need to understand that an American defeat in Iraq would create a new sanctuary for extremists — and a strategic threat to their survival.

Read the full text

A great speech from President Bush tonight. He is still our commander-in-chief and as much as the Democrats complained in their official “response” (which was defeatism disguised as a critique), I fully support the president in his new strategy.

Be prepared to pay more for EVERYTHING you buy:

The Democratic-controlled House voted Wednesday to increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, bringing America’s lowest-paid workers a crucial step closer to their first raise in a decade.

The vote was 315-116, with more than 80 Republicans joining Democrats to pass it.

Fox News has the latest…

Yet again, Democrats have shown me they are NOT the party of economic success. Thanks more making my hard earned money worth less than it already is.

Over at Rightwingnews.com, John Hawkins posted a particular comment on his article “There Is No “Trickle Up” Effect Caused By The Minimum Wage.” Take a look at what one employer will go through if the Democratic Congress signs a minimum wage increase into law:

Real life here. I plopped down $215,000 to buy Tumbleweeds Bar and Grill. If the minimum wage is increased I’ll have to lay off all my hostesses. I don’t believe liberals have ever had to make payroll. My business has to gross $78,000 a month just for me to take home $700 a week. Since we’re always teetering on that number an increase in the minimum wage would hurt me bad. Unless of course libs think I’m rich with my salary of $36,400 take home pay a year.

I don’t think they have any idea how much us small businesses are already taxed, retail sales tax alone is over $5,000 a month. I have to match all 34 of my employees taxes which is around $3,800 every two weeks.

I’d like to hear from the libs why, since I took all the financial risks am I supposed to make less money? If this minimum wage increase is signed into law there will be 7 college/high school girls out of a job at my place.

Sad isn’t it? Instead of Congress getting a high off temporary passions for the poor, I wish its politicians would use reason and economics to justify economic legislation. A minimum wage increase will just make everyone increase prices and take more money out of your pocketbook (including those under the poverty line).

Something kinda funny happened today. When the BCS title game started between Ohio State and Florida, a friend looked at me and said, “There’s your boy, John McCain!” I looked at him and said, “Well, I hate John McCain.” Since they know I tend to vote Republican, he was amazed. “But he’s a Republican!” he said. I turned back to him and said, “He’s just too liberal for me. And he tried to take away first amendment rights with some legislation he designed.” Another friend couldn’t believe it.

Even though John McCain is a Republican and is running for president, I think he’s just a RINO (Republican in name only) in disguise. I really hope he gets trounced by Romney and Hunter in the GOP primaries.

Edit: See a great related article at Rightwingnews.com - The Conservative Case Against John McCain in 2008

Yet again, another story in the Associated Press that shows the utter failure of the Bush Administration and the former Republican-controlled Congress in enforcing our immigration laws:

Immigrants arrested for being in the United States illegally may have been charged up to six more times, for more serious crimes, after they were released by local authorities, new Justice Department data indicate.

-Snip-

The data suggest “the rate at which released criminal aliens are re-arrested is extremely high,” the audit noted. The report, parts of which were redacted, was required by Congress in 2005 and looked at how local and state authorities that receive Justice Department funding are working with the Homeland Security Department.

Illegal aliens being arrested, released, then re-arrested for more serious crimes while still in the United States in simply unacceptable. The Congress and the president must untie the hands of states and local authorities to prosecute and/or deport the thousands of illegal alien criminals in our country today. There must be Congressional accountability on this issue! Instead of working to accomplish the will of the people and strengthen our immigration policies by providing more resources (including National Guard) at the border, the Congress and the president have told the American people they really don’t care about border security; it seems they only care about the election season. It’s time to get tough on these illegal criminals and deport them.

Unfortunately, with the new Democratic majority in Congress, I highly doubt anything will be done to enhance border security.