Bush’s SOTU Thread
January 23, 2007I wanted to make a preemptive entry here for the speech. I’ll probably be busy at work while it’s on, so if I miss it I’ll have to wait until the transcript is up before commenting.
Prediction: Bush will give his “new way forward” a deep massaging.
While we wait, how about an OpEd from Liz Cheney?
Update: OK, I’m sure every blogger in America and beyond is frantically typing their thoughts and analysis into their entry screens right now. I suppose I’ll do the same.
I hung out in the Lizard Lounge (LGF chatroom) for a bit to share some real-time reactions. Aside from general comments about how everyone looked (funny faces, make up, etc.), there was one section of the speech that seemed to grab more attention:
This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we’re in. Every one of us wishes this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. (Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory. (Applause.)
The bolded section is pretty disingenuous if you ask me. As I pointed out a few posts ago, we did know this was going to be the fight we’d be in. They were just bullshitting us before. To me, he’s really just admitting it here. I guess I should be relieved. However, instead of the catchy slogan, he should have just came out and said “sorry” for neglecting to tell us about 1300 years of Sunni/Shia conflict when he was making his sales pitch 4 years ago.
Howard Dean apparently got the memo:
There are other risks.
Iraq is a divided country, with Sunni, Shia and Kurdish factions that share both bitter rivalries and access to large quantities of arms.
Iran and Turkey each have interests in Iraq they will be tempted to protect with or without our approval.
Next?
Of course, there is a lot of buzz about the speech on the net. Here are some conservative blogs discussing it (as copied from Hot Air’s trackbacks):
- Captain’s Quarters
- Sister Toldjah » Comment thread: The President’s State of the Union address and the Dem response to it
- Michelle Malkin
- Ace of Spades HQ
- Bill’s Bites
- Ed Driscoll.com
- The Political Pit Bull
- Church and State
- The Moderate Voice » Blog Archive » Bush’s Pleads For More Time On Iraq In Less Partisan Speech
- ThatPoliticalBlog
- Fear Bush
- Right Pundits
- Stop The ACLU » Blog Archive » State of the Union from the Left & Right
- Infidels Are Cool » Blog Archive » SOTU: The Good, The Bad and The Boring
- You Decide 2008 » Blog Archive » State of the Union roundup
- Iowa Voice
- My Thoughts On Bush’s State Of The Union Speech at Conservative Times–Republican GOP news source.
- State of the Union Address Poll « Candy Slice of Life
- Pajamas Media
- Right Wing Nation
- Wake up America>Hint to Hot Air-PLEASE
- My Amusement with the SOTU Speech at Conservative Times–Republican GOP news source.
- Right Voices » Blog Archive » Senator Webb: how we see the health of our economy – how we measure it, and how we ensure that its benefits are properly shared among all Americans.
- Right Wing Nation
- The Mahablog » About Last Night
- Conservative Thoughts
- Notes on the State of the Union « Conservative Thoughts
- The Corn Beltway Boys
- Right Wing News
OK, they aren’t ALL conservative. I pinged H.A. with the Fear Bush entry. Oops.
ChenZhen's Chamber 
I’ll be at work, too. I keep hearing all the pundits say he’s not going to talk about Iraq. That almost made me want to call off work to see if it’s true– I can’t imagine him not talking about Iraq.
Thank you, thank you, for installing the Snap Widget. I’m an American, far too lazy to click through. I love the preview.
I still can’t figure out how you can stand to read anything over at LGF. I swear the people who post there are about five days post-op from their lobotomies.
Snappy is cool, but it doesn’t seem to work for the links in the sidebar.