Blah Blah Blah...

The US President gave his State of Union speech lest night. Sigh.

At least he recognized that the war is costing real people their lives. He had the widow and parents of a soldier who had been killed in Iraq in the gallery, right behind the First Lady. A couple of years ago, I remember being scandalized that he didn't even mention the war...let alone recognize the soldiers who were over there. I'm no hawk, but as an ex-military spouse (in a previous life), it rankled.

And his tired rhetoric about judges who "legislate from the bench." They interpret the law--that is their job.

And more of the same on the domestic wiretapping. I watched the speech on a Canadian network, CTV, and their camera zoomed in on Hilary Clinton, who was shaking her head ruefully. I am not always a big fan of hers, but she had it right this time.

And where did he get his figures on new jobs? The count must include seasonal (holiday) work, part-time, temporary, everything they could scrape together. We sure aren't seeing it in the part of the US closest to me! Right across the river, people are desperate for jobs, any jobs--and another large employer in the area just announced a plant closing...thousands more people looking for work. Lots of jobs? Show me, Mr. President.

What makes me angry is that the President can't seem to understand that the people who disagree with him do so with as much (if not more--but I won't go there) integrity as he defends his position. They are not all timeservers and politicians looking for a boost in the polls. I'm sure some of them are, but so are many people in the administration. But listening to him, his opponents are all manipulators of Machiavellian proportions. He demonizes them, which serves no-one, not even his own aims.

Feh. I'm going to go read something uplifting, like "Antagonists in the Church" or today's paper.