Liveblogging Another Boring Speech SOTU 2007

Posted by Seth Kramer on Tuesday, January 23rd 2007 at 8:14pm



Welcome to the Liveblog for State of the Union 2007. If you're like me--god help you--you've learned that just about everything with this administration goes down a little better with some alcohol. So I'll be nursing a Malibu and Orange Juice and cracking wise during the whole she-bang.

[1.23.2007 20:27:28] Things to look for in this SOTU: Iraq Dig people's reactions. It'll be a good hint how that non-binding sense of the Senate resolution vote is going to go down tomorrow. Environment Word is he's going to talk more about how we're addicted to oil. Hopefully he'll follow through this time. Health Care Big Democratic issue. I doubt they're going to like his plan. Sounds like its a--GASP! Tax Increase.

[1.23.2007 20:29:31] Things to look for in the Democratic Response: It's being done by new Senator Jim Webb (R-VA) who is I believe the only Senator with an immediate family member in Iraq. His son. Obviously Iraq's going to be the point here, but Webb's not a very good speaker. He is a writer. Maybe his speeches are better when he's written them beforehand.

[1.23.2007 20:31:40] What I'm looking for: Iran. I'm looking for any hints that the President has lost his mind. If he sounds like he's posturing for war with Iran I'm likely to blow my top. 30 minutes and counting.

[1.23.2007 20:54:5] I hope he brings up Human/Animal Hybrids again. Maybe that'll be his new energy policy. We can all ride to work on our new Human/Animal Hybrid cars.

[1.23.2007 21:4:10] Oh my god, Pickles (Laura Bush's nickname) is wearing a fuchsia dress, and Chris Matthews just said that Chief Justice Robert's "didn't get the name brand" robe. WTF?!

[1.23.2007 21:16:41] Cheney's left eye looks a little lazy. Could we be witnessing the first State of the Union stroke?

[1.23.2007 21:18:43] Three economic reforms: Balance the federal budget (I think he's probably not going to want to include Iraq in that).

[1.23.2007 21:19:7] We met the goal of cutting it in half (as long as you leave Iraq off the budget like you have for the last 4 years).

[1.23.2007 21:19:46] Next reform: Earmarks. Amen. Fix that crap. I'm with you on that George.

[1.23.2007 21:21:33] last item: Social security reform. Not much applause.

[1.23.2007 21:23:3] No Child Left Behind. It'd be great if he'd fully fund it. "choose something better" (vouchers to hand your tax dollars over to Jesus Incorporated and undermine public schools.

[1.23.2007 21:23:33] Health care. HAHA Cheney just started coughing. Democrats seem pleased, Bush was laughing...why?

[1.23.2007 21:24:53] 2 healthcare initiatives He babbled through that health insurance plan. I don't think half of them know what's going on.

[1.23.2007 21:25:4] Boehner looks like he's going to vomit.

[1.23.2007 21:26:41] expanding health savings accounts, accociation health plans (means what?), better information technology (I'm for that, though it means insurance cost will go up.)

[1.23.2007 21:27:1] medical liability reform got a shit-eating grin from Pat Leahy (D-VT)

[1.23.2007 21:28:42] Immigration: Temporary worker plan. "...they won't have to try to sneak in" we'll be letting 'em in ourselves. Mike Chertoff shaved the mustache. He still looks like Skeletor.

[1.23.2007 21:30:43] "Nuclear, solar, and wind" sounds good, but he's just full of shit. He didn't do jack last time. Why would he now.

[1.23.2007 21:31:8] Speaking of Ethanol, I need more alcohol.

[1.23.2007 21:32:27] Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) looks like he's having an orgasm about that Ethanol line.

[1.23.2007 21:33:27] Doubling the Strategic Petroleum Reserves (that was already announced earlier by Energy Secretary Sam Bodman.

[1.23.2007 21:34:1] Cheney and Bush drank water at the same time. Is that like the trick ventriloquists do?

[1.23.2007 21:38:10] terror, terror, terrorists, terra, terra, terra, terra, badger, badger, badger.

[1.23.2007 21:41:21] Warner (R-Va) looks skeptical about this terror stuff.

[1.23.2007 21:41:30] Condi is pissed!

[1.23.2007 21:43:10] Bush acts like he's some sort of genius and we're just too stupid to get it.

[1.23.2007 21:46:30] I heard Iran, but thankfully nothing terribly inflamatory.

[1.23.2007 21:47:35] "We didn't drive Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan only to have them set up a safe haven in Iraq." That's right. We didn't drive them out of Afghanistan, and to the extent we did we drove them into Pakistan. Where they continue to attack us. But you want to take more troops out of Afghanistan to fuck around in Iraq a bit more.

[1.23.2007 21:48:49] They shot to the JCS and they didnt' look like they agreed with this Iraq shit. In fact the Army guy looked to be mouthing the words "deathtrap" but I think that might be the liquor talking.

[1.23.2007 21:49:0] Joe Biden's asleep.

[1.23.2007 21:50:59] Conflation. He put the "support the surge, and support the troops" shit together. Sorry Mr. President if I were a troop I'd like it if you supported me by not making me another fucking target in a desert hellhole.

[1.23.2007 21:51:42] He wants a committe on the war? Didn't Cheney just say last weekend "You can't run a war by committee.

[1.23.2007 21:52:22] I'd go for an increase in the military if it weren't to go to war in Iran or Iraq. Unfortunately I can't trust the President because he has zero credibility.

[1.23.2007 21:53:8] I haven't heard any Lenny Skutniks yet. Usually the President has a human prop, referred to as a "Lenny Skutnik" after the first such use by Ronald Reagan.

[1.23.2007 21:58:2] Here's the Lenny Skutnik, Dikembe Mutumbo. NBA Player.

[1.23.2007 21:59:4] Debt relief for the third world. Good. Baby Einstein creator too. Wow this is an absolutely crazy SOTU.

[1.23.2007 21:59:50] and the New York Subway Hero. Okay that guy deserves it.

[1.23.2007 22:1:50] Jesus how many of these does he have? Army Ranger. Good man. Pity he had to sit next to Lynne Cheney.

[1.23.2007 22:2:47] I'm still reeling from Baby Fucking einstein. What the hell was that shit?

[1.23.2007 22:3:41] Olbermann: It wasn't a particularly bad speech; it wasn't a particularly good speech. What was it?

[1.23.2007 22:5:59] He's signing autographs. If they were smart they'd get him to autograph a resignation letter.

[1.23.2007 22:7:4] Democratic response soon

[1.23.2007 22:16:12] Webb just mentioned "New Orleans", Good move. Bush completely ignored that.

[1.23.2007 22:17:11] "two different countries", tres John Edwards.

[1.23.2007 22:19:35] Webb's got some awkward pauses between major sections. Its almost like he's freaked out, but he's speaking pretty well.

[1.23.2007 22:21:20] Webb's coat, tie and shirt don't really go together, and his collar is a wee too tight.

[1.23.2007 22:22:7] He hasn't mentioned his son who is in theater right now.

[1.23.2007 22:24:37] "If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will show him the way." Wow that's pretty stern.

[1.23.2007 22:26:0] Webb's smart. He didn't have to mention his son. All the pundits are telling everyone.

[1.23.2007 22:26:45] Webb was pitch perfect. Bush's speech seemed like a ramble.

[1.23.2007 22:32:9] MSNBC just had Edwards who brought up New Orleans. Smart for them. Republican responses could be interesting. Lindsey Graham is on, apparently supporting the surge.

[1.23.2007 22:35:34] Matthews just called Graham on his comparison to WWII. "But we didn't have people dying in Europe after VE day."

[1.23.2007 22:43:11] Okay. Enough already, I'm out.

[1.23.2007 22:47:35] Last item: HRC (Hillary Rodham Clinton) is on MSNBC wearing PINK pearls. Jesus H. Christ.

I'm feeling full
I'm spinning MSNBC