Don't bother listening?!?

Dear Birthday Girl(s)! I am gearing up for the moment. Broken promises abound from this administration. I don't want to let my repug loving political sidekicks go without my being able to provide first hand knowledge of what their dear president has spoken to the nation. I won't be watching on fox station though. Say, doesn't that channel provide American Idol? It should be Idol Americans. Now, that is a show I won't watch!

I heard this morning that, in his State of the Union address this Tuesday, Bush will propose a health care "tax break" for people who have no health care. I'm not sure if he meant deduction or credit. A deduction would be kind of useless for the poor. He will propose paying for this by taxing the health benefits we receive from our employers. Can you believe this??? He is, in essence, proposing a tax increase on the middle class and working poor! PLEASE PLEASE BE SURE TO CONTACT JIM WEBB AND ASK HIM TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF THIS IN HIS RESPONSE.

Are you kdding me????? Another tax for the middle-class?! What is wrong with this President?

state of the union speech? so what is the state of our "union." disjointed would be a better phrase. after we hear from the divider and decider, we all can get the smooth fluffy version from tony snow(job) and his white mist machine ... provide your own shovels.

I do not watch Hitler Bush talk on TV. When I am Watching the news and he comes on I switch to another channel until hes don lying. I will watch Mr.Jim Webb.

Why bother? My ears are tired and sore from all his regurgitated rhetoric.
Can't we just impeach the stupid jerk, and put him out of our misery?

State of the Union? You kidding me? What the hell are you talking about? There is no any "union" now, especially when we still have this mentally unstable president with his "perfect vision" of things, who persecutes and brainwhashes the People of the United States to make them shut the hell up , who strongly violates the Constitution and bombs EVERY other country for oil, who cooperates with the Congress to bring to pass immoral laws and actions like "the patriot act" and the war in Iraq, etc. Such is the state of the Union guys. No worries, we welcome you to the Bush's America.

No sooner had Sens. Hagel and Biden announced their resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Bush surge of 21,500 troops to Iraq was not in the national interest than the stampede was on. By day’s end, Sens. Dodd, Clinton, Bayh, Levin and Obama and ex-Sen. John Edwards had all made or issued statements calling for reversing course or getting out.

You can’t run a war by committee, said Vice President Cheney.

True. George Washington did not request a vote of confidence from the Continental Congress before crossing the Delaware, and Douglas MacArthur did not consult Capitol Hill before landing at Inchon.
But Congress is not trying to run a war. Congress is trying to get out of Iraq and get on record opposing the “surge.” Congress is running after popular opinion.
And if the surge does not succeed in six months in quelling the sectarian violence in Baghdad, there will be no more troops, and the Americans will start down the road to Kuwait. And, unlike 2003, there will be no embedded and exhilarated journalists riding with them.
Nouri al-Maliki can see what is coming.
As Condi flies about the Middle East in a security bubble, telling the press he is living on “borrowed time,” and Bush tells PBS of his revulsion at the botched hanging of Saddam Hussein, Maliki is showing the same signs of independence he demonstrated when he refused Bush’s invitation to dine with him and the king of Jordan. Give me the guns and equipment and go home, he seems to be saying to the White House.

Put me down on Maliki’s side. It is he who is taking the real risk here – with his life. It is he who is likely to learn what Kissinger meant when he observed that in this world, while it is often dangerous to be an enemy of the United States, to be a friend is fatal.

Will the surge work? Can it work? Certainly, adding thousands of the toughest cops in America to the LAPD would reduce gang violence in South Central. So, it may work for a time.

Yet in the long run it is hard to see how the surge succeeds. We are four years into this war, and the bloodletting in Baghdad is rising. Our presence has never been more resented. In America, the war has already been lost. Even Bush admits that staying the course means “slow failure.” And a rapid withdrawal, as urged by the Baker-Hamilton commission, means “expedited failure.”
Even should the surge succeed for a time, it may only push the inevitable into another year.

And consider what it is we are asking Maliki to do.

We want him to use Sunni and Kurdish brigades of the Iraqi Army, in concert with the U.S. Army, to smash the Mahdi Army of Moqtada al-Sadr, the most popular Shia leader in the country and the principal political support of Maliki. We are asking Maliki to turn on his ruthless Shia patron and bet his future on an America whose people want all U.S. troops home, the earlier the better.For Maliki to implement fully the U.S. conditions would make him a mortal enemy of Moqtada and millions of Shia, and possibly result in his assassination. Whatever legacy Bush faces, he is not staring down a gun barrel at that.

The truth: There is only one U.S. policy guaranteed to work if we are resolved to keep Iraq in the U.S. camp. That is to send an army of 500,000 to 750,000 U.S. troops into Iraq for an indefinite period, to pacify Baghdad, retake and hold Anbar and secure the borders against jihadis. Even that kind of commitment, beyond the present capacity of the U.S. Army and Marines, would not secure America’s position, once the inevitable withdrawal began.

It is over. What we need to face now are the consequence of the folly of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice in launching this unnecessary and unprovoked war, the folly of the neocon snake oil salesmen who bamboozled the media into believing in this insane crusade to bring democracy to Baghdad in the belly of Bradley fighting vehicles and the folly of the Democratic establishment in handing Bush a blank check for war out of political fear of being called unpatriotic.

It's a bit late to "keep Iraq in the US camp". Bush has managed to anger not only the Shiites and the Sunnis, but now the Kurds. They are not in our camp, and haven't been for a long time.
We blew into Iraq, "won the war" by "shocking and awing" a devastated demoralized Iraqi army, and proceeded through arrogance, mismanagement, and greed to thoroughly piss off the entire population. And we're now supposed to win the day with a "surge" of tired demoralized US soldiers?
Dawg has a very valid point.
BUT...the only way we can come out of this with any honor, integrity, and military left, is to thoroughly investigate the lack of reasoning, the lies and corruption that lead to this disaster, and IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY!!!
We now need to prove to ourselves and the world that the American people have the honor and backbone to correct the problems that the lies and deceit of these wannabe oligarchs have caused.

I totally hope our Democrats who have finally gained some power don't make fools of themselves like they did last year on TV. It looked really bad when they applauded obstructing any hope of Social Security reform. Let's hope for a little dignity.

Again, the comments of all above are very thoughtful. I hope they are read and noted.

I think there is still hope for concensus with some Republicans in Congress, but I believe that there is no hope to mentally reach Bush and Cheney, and I am sorry about that. If there was time to try to penetrate their dangerous beliefs, and the possibility existed that they might adapt to the wisdom that has been offered to them, it might be worth going through the ritual of the State of the Union speech and attempting to work with them. However, this administration has NEVER made any attempt to listen to those who possess knowledge, and who offer facts and sincere help. This administration has made a pretense of being engaged listeners, but there has NEVER been any intention of doing anything other than implementing their own fatal ideology.

The Bush-Cheney Administration has thrown this country into financial chaos, has left our citizens hurting for lack of basic needs, has tilled a path of increased death, destruction, and hatred throughout the Middle East, and has left a generation of American men and women dead and maimed because they don't have a clue what dialog and diplomacy is, and even consider it a weakness. They equate strength with USING military might to obtain their objectives, but not the situation where a government has military might yet has the intelligence to know that dialog is what will solve problems.

Reluctantly, I find that the executive branch of our government is morally repugnant and shows no signs of changing, or wanting to change. Tragically, there is no more time to change them. Too many lives will be lost, especially if this administration intends to expand military action into neighboring countries as their advisors have detailed in their many Project for a New American Century strategy papers. Their claim that they are following a course of diplomacy is another sham, as Rice talks about increasing sanctions against Iran and ratcheting up the rhetoric against Iraq's neighbors. She actually refers to this as diplomatic action!

For the sake of our country, I would like to see Republicans and Democrats make a very visible statement that we do not agree with the policies of the Bush-Cheney Administration. I hope that no member of Congress shakes Bush's hand as he swaggers down the aisle, or smiles at him, or gives him any applause. You know right now that any feel-good program that he announces is going to be another farce, so don't be a facilitator of yet another deception upon the American people who are already badly hurting from this administration's policies. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that this administration has done has ever been designed to help the bulk of Americans, not even a trickle coming down from the very few who have been given the opportunity to consolidate their power and wealth.

The State of the Union is televised everywhere, and I would like the rest of the world to see that Americans have a very different moral yardstick than this administration. Short of impeachment, I think this is perhaps one of our last opportunities to stop the administration's policies of unending escalation of wars, that could be avoided if we used our combined intelligence and words. However, their neocon PNAC objective is to change the world into countries that fall in line with our beliefs and interests, using military force if they don't automatically comply. We need to realize that they believe that instability and violence are acceptable by-products of their plan, and that their end-goal of world transformation is worth the pain -- OF OTHERS -- today. Please use the peaceful instruments within our democracy and legal system to stop them.

hello people! it has been throwing freezing rain and ice all day. it's cold! I just watched Ted Kennedy on Meet the Press. AWESOME TED!
WHAT MORE CAN I SAY? A PHASED WITHDRAWEL! YES! THAT'S THE PLAN! AND THIS PRESIDENT IS FORCING US TO CUT OFF THE FUNDING IF HE KEEPS IGNORING US! YOU'RE RIGHT! YOU ARE THE MAN TED! I am going to make some popcorn and get in bed and watch ROME. last weeks episode at 8 pm and then the new one at 9 pm. I hope you all had a nice weekend! catch you later!

I'd like to hear the speech just so I'm able to argue point by point with non-believers. However...As I have maintained since I lived in Texas during his governorship- If his lips are moving, he's lying! He makes me almost ashamed to be a native of Texas. I would also add a cautionary note to the new congress: My Grandfather used an expression to describe situations like this. "You can pick up a rattlesnake, but if you don't hold it right, the SOB will bite you." Be strong, and be careful.

The state of the union is in dire straits but it is not because of George Bush its because some in this country want to change the rules in the middle of the game.Elected officials want to assert their authority but refuse to let the president of the United States assert his authority.When I cast my Vote in 2000 and in 2004 it was to give the President the power to make hard choices on how to win the war on terrorism and keep our economy strong.Now the Democrats and some in the republican party want to take my vote away.I did not vote for Jack Murtha,John Kerry,Nancy Polosi or Chuck Hagle to be commander in cheif.So to those who want to weaken the President you are in effect robbing me of my constatutional right to vote and have that vote counted.This is how the Left robs the American people of their votes.So yes our state of the Union is in Dire Straits and the Liberal Democrats are the Problem!!!

The State of the Union 2007: We have just made things worse since 2001. Try again next year.

Condog: Well, you got the con part right, whether you are part of the con or have been conned.
The president of the United States has no right to destroy the Constitution of the United States, and Bush's actions in the last six years have proven him to be a domestic enemy of our Constitution.
After seeing some of the many tricks the Republicans have used to lie about candidates, cheat on the campaigns and outright steal votes, I can tell you tell that you are barking at the totally wrong tree about people being denied their Constitutional right to vote.
So go chase your tail.

Our economy is strong? Oh yeah Bush really cares about our rights. Can't wait for REAL ID, more UNaffordable healthcare, and hell maybe even a North American Union. If Bush had it his way, Wall Street would be ruling the world.

I no longer have the stomach to hear his lies. I'm sure King George "Crusader of the Free World and Democratic(?) Puppet Governments" will spin his paranoia to the weak to gain support for his failed initiatives. Hopefully American's of conscience will continue to demand accountability, by voicing their displeasure thru their respective Congress members. If not, the 2008 elections should finish off the Republican Party (members that have yet to reform) of deceit and corruption.

I'm contributing to this blog from Australia in the hope that the issues will be taken up in your responses to the State of Union address, and as someone who hopes like crazy that the Democrats will defeat the Republicans at the next Presidential election. That's because the rest of the world is so much affected by your President and Government. In fact so much so, that we almost feel that we should also have a say in who gets the Presidency!! Sometimes it seems to us that Americans are only concerned about themselves and the way policy impacts on them, ignoring the very real impacts of US policy and US intervention around the world on millions of other nationalities. I say this with the best of intentions and a love of your country. But your military presence in 100 or so countries, and market penetration by US corporations in the name of "free trade" and globalisation seriously affects the lives of others who are not American. A recent BBC poll has shown that of the 26,000 people polled in 25 countries, a majority disapprove of the US' position in the world (in Australia it was over 60%). A further 75% disapprove of the invasion of Iraq, and around 65% disapproved of the US stance on the bombing of Lebanon by Israel. Instead of fighting for "democracy" (and what is that when you can hold someone in detention for 5 years in Guantanamo Bay without them being charged or brought to trial?) the rest of the world actually considers that you are diminishing prospects for democracy around the world, and the chances of peace. Sorry if I have upset any of you with these words, but look more closely at news services in other countries - its true. (Your news services do not give you the full picture). So, that is why I have joined this blog - please make sure you remember the rest of the world in your reply to the State of Union address.

So, Bush now wants to help people buy health insurance by raising taxes on the middle class (by adding a new tax on employer medical benefits).

Isn't it interesting that the man who spent his entire presidency lowering taxes for the wealthy now proposes to raise taxes for the middle class? He's doing this under the guise of helping the uninsured buy their own medical insurance by giving them a tax deduction. This, of course, will only help those who are relatively well off. Deductions are worth less to lower income workers and premiums will likely still be too expensive for them.

This is a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul (not to mention Mary). Reagan tried the same scheme a generation ago. The real solution to the USA's unique healthcare mess is to first cut out the insurance companies, which do little more than siphon off healthcare dollars to stuff in their pockets.

I'm interested in hearing what he has to say about this debacle that had been started over in Iraq. What other grand ideas will he have to share. Yet, the only difference now is that he has to contend with a Democratic Congress. It will not be a wink and a nod. In fact, he'll have to participate in a true checks and balance kind of government. This last mid-term election, the American people voiced their concern. The American people do not want to "stay the course", nor do they want "more of the same". Instead, the American people want a change of course.

The USA produce controlling WEATHER-ATTACKS aganist the World with WEATHER-CONTROL-STATIONS for sure the World Control by, of USA and destoring the Futur of ALL ANOTHERS CONTRIES OF THE WORLD !
USA will be DESTORY and the USA and ALL HUMANS will be for Their War Crimes aganist World to death are condemned !
ALL ANOTHER NATIONS OF WORLD DO NOT LEAVE THEMSELVES TO THESE UNPARALLELED DOCUMENTS OF THE FORCE, ANY MORE OFFERING, ALL THE SAME WHETHER CHINA, INDIA, RUSSIA, PAKISTAN, IRAN OR GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, EUROPEAN !

DR. PETER KERSTEN
Geb-Datum: 27.11.1942
REICHELSTRASSE 3
39124 MAGDEBURG, SACHSEN-ANHALT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
GERMANY, BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND
Inland Tele-Phone-Nummer: 0391-502438
Ausland Tele-Phone-Nummer: 0049-391-502438
E-MAIL-ADRESSE: dr_peter_kersten@web.de

People who are working at poorly paid jobs aren't going to buy medical insurance no matter how many tax breaks they get.
Tax breaks only help with a small percentage of any deductible expense, and most families who can't afford medical insurance use their tax refunds for catching up on their bills, including last years medical bills.
It just proves how out of touch Dubya and his handlers are.

Who Cares, this adminstration needs to be impeached for all cost.

Our government makes a lot of promises it can't keep. For example our government made a promise in 2000 with other countries known as the Millennium Goals. The first of the eight Millennium Goals is to end global poverty by 2025. According to the Borgen Project, only $60 billion is needed to attain all goals by 2015. We should let our representatives know that we care about these issues and others such as health care and conservation.

Speaking of keeping promises, there is a bipartisan bill which has just been introduced in the House by Chet Edwards D-Tx and Walter Jones R-NC to keep the Pentagon from increasing Tricare fees for Reservists, their families, and retirees.
Just like Dubya's proposal to fund a minimum of medical care while taxing the middle class to pay for it, this proposed raise in Tricare fees is an attempt to pretend to give with one hand while taking away with the other.
Please email your representatives and let them know it's important to support this legislation. There are a lot of reservists, and retirees who have no other health insurance, and because of their or a family member's pre-existing medical conditions can't get any other insurance.

Who's ready for some BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL CRAPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

This Bush health care proposal is a rip off of the middle class. Bush is using punitive taxes in an attempt to completely destroy employer subsidized health care. What's the replacement? Buying private insurance with a minimal tax deduction. Big deal! In fact, Bush's new health care idea is a recycled idea proposed by Reagan in 1986. Charles Rangel killed it back then and Charles Rangel will have to do it again.

When the Republicans and Democrats get real about health care. We need universal health care not more bandaids and juggling of money. Support HR676.

Just like Dubya's proposal to fund a minimum of medical care while taxing the middle class to pay for it,
****

Actually, he's not even doing that. He is creating a new tax. Who knows what will be done with the money! All he has really committed to is that you will be taxed if your plan's value exceeds certain numbers and you will receive a tax break if you buy insurance on your own. It's a scheme to destroy employer subsidized health care and throw the entire nation into chaos.

The chimp is doing this to start another ideological war just like he did with social security. He figures that will take the pressure off of his Iraq debacle.

I say don't let the chimp's "I-Dears" come up in committee. Zero ccoperation with this POS.

Who Cares, this adminstration needs to be impeached for all cost.
****

Exactly impeach the chimp and darth cheney as well. I refuse to listen to the obnoxious arrogant POS.

Tax breaks only help with a small percentage of any deductible expense, and most families who can't afford medical insurance use their tax refunds for catching up on their bills, including last years medical bills.
****

Krugman already figured it out. It's another tax shelter for the wealthy who often buy their own health care because they want something above and beyond AND many of them are not employees.

So if the chimp was serious about taxing gold plaited health care plans why not tax all plans over a certain dollar amount irrespective of whether the person bought it or not? Why not tax the health care benefits that federal workers, congressional reps and presidents get? What makes these arrogant politicians think they are so damn special that they can make rules for the middle class and skate themselves?

How about creating a health care system where we all are truly in it together? It's called single payer universal health care. Everything else is a bunch of bandaids with loopholes in it that always benefit the wealthy while taxing the middle class to death. I would pay taxes for health care but business should match them. In return, I want health care that can't be taken away even if I lose a job and prices that are controlled because we all are being ripped off.
This is the essense of HR676.

Who's ready for some BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL CRAPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!
****

You mean some more

Bush-It ... Bush-It ... Bush-It

My Fellow Dems, I couldn't help but notice this evening that when Speaker Pelosi would stand up to applaud, Cheney could barely get up; but not until Dubya mentioned Iraq. LOL he jumped up so fast I thought (prayed really LOL) that he'd been shot from a cannon! I'm not sure how we're going to get our troops home before the election now...if not several years after.

Glad to see most of the nics / peeps since the last time I was here are still around...and of course, the everloving stool droppings. I would love to run into Sally and her band of menaces! That being said, I'll behave and report the facts as I've seen them and of course she'll go away lol.

Avoiding sleep tonight...would someone get that idjit chimp a dictionary? Oh a thesaurus would be nice...but clearly he would need schooling on how to use both of them.

Niters & Sweet Dreams to all my Dem Friends!

1.Instead of Signing a Non-Binding Resolution,Which is Pointless,The Ranking Members of The Party,Go to The White House and Confront Bush and Force Him To Make Changes In Iraq. 2.Bush Is An Extremely Arrogant Man and If The Dems Don't Force Him to Change He Won't.3.Advice to the DNC and to All the Democratic Candidates Running For President;Absolutely,Positively and Under NO Circumstances Whatsoever,Run a NEGATIVE Campaign.4.DO NOT ATTACK FELLOW Dems,or The Republicans.5.All That Does Is Make All Of The Candidates Appear Incompetant,and I for One Would Rather Vote For The Candidate Most Qualified,Not The Least Incompetant,which during Recent Election Years That's What We're Stuck With.6.Remmember the Old Saying "If You Can't Say Something Nice About Someone Don't Say Anything At All",This Should Be Your Motto From Now On.I Don't Want To Hear What Your Opponet Did Wrong,I Want To Hear What You're Going Do To Make Things Better.7.Finally If You Really Want To Solve The Problems We Face,You MUST Work with The Repulicans,The Entire Time Your In Office That's The ONLY Way To Make The U.S.Better.

Wouldn't it be nice if our President listened to the citizens of his country.

In line with what rjsnj said above, I was thinking about the old saying, "Your argument reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull's horns, a point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between!" That's Washington politics!

The problem with the State of the Union message is that most of it is a wish or dream. Getting the two parties to work together for the better good of Americans is just not going to happen. So we are stuck looking ahead to the next election.

Regarding the war, it would be good to get our troops home ASAP. But we are in a difficult situation where we don't want to add fuel to the fire of hatred that already exists in this part of the world. A sudden pullout without a reasonable image of peace will result in deeper anger and more heated hatred towards America. Our children and grandchildren will be paying the price long after we have departed this life. A sudden pullout without any plan for reconstruction assistance and a lasting peace will indeed fuel the fires of hatred that already exist. Wasn't this one of the stands that was stated soon after the start of the war?

I want to see our troops home and I want my home to remain safe from future terrorism so that my children and grandchildren may grow up in a healthy environment.

Let's work toward that goal - together.

In line with what rjsnj said above, I was thinking about the old saying, "Your argument reminds me of Ferdinand the Bull's horns, a point here and a point there and a lot of bull in between!" That's Washington politics!

The problem with the State of the Union message is that most of it is a wish or dream. Getting the two parties to work together for the better good of Americans is just not going to happen. So we are stuck looking ahead to the next election.

Regarding the war, it would be good to get our troops home ASAP. But we are in a difficult situation where we don't want to add fuel to the fire of hatred that already exists in this part of the world. A sudden pullout without a reasonable image of peace will result in deeper anger and more heated hatred towards America. Our children and grandchildren will be paying the price long after we have departed this life. A sudden pullout without any plan for reconstruction assistance and a lasting peace will indeed fuel the fires of hatred that already exist. Wasn't this one of the stands that was stated soon after the start of the war?

I want to see our troops home and I want my home to remain safe from future terrorism so that my children and grandchildren may grow up in a healthy environment.

Let's work toward that goal - together.