BobcatJH's SOTU liveblog

[BobcatJH]

9:00 p.m.: Let's see how this works. Well, the speech hasn't even started, yet the full text has been posted. Read away.

9:02: I love Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. She always manages to find a good spot in camera range for the big events. Go Judge Tubbs!

9:03: John from AMERICAblog has already posted the full text of Sen. Jim Webb's Democratic response. Read away.

9:08: Wow. That speech is a barnburner. Especially his conclusion.

9:09: Here comes Mr. Irrelevant. Will he again kiss Joe Lieberman?

9:10: Let me just say how good this feels to watch this president have to give his address in a room dominated by the Democrats. We'll see how uneasy it gets. My hope: Very uneasy.

9:12: I hope someone claps this long for me when my approval rating is at 28 percent.

9:13: "Madam Speaker". God damn right. No thanks to you, Mr. President.

9:16: "... to solve problems, not leave them to future generations ..." Says the guy hoping to hand Iraq to his successor.

9:18: Balance the budget? Who gave you that surplus, Mr. President?

9:21: Watering down standards? Was he talking about school or how this country chose him for elected office?

9:23: Man, Think Progress is smoking right now with the rebuttal. Check it out.

9:24: For a good fisking of the president's health care "plan", go read Ezra Klein.

9:29: "Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it comes to immigration. Let us have a serious, civil, and conclusive debate ..." Tell that to your party, Mr. President.

9:30: Regarding America's energy, "the way forward is through technology." Yeah, that, and electing Democrats.

9:31: Use less gas. Boy he's bold, isn't he?

9:33: Global climate change. Makes you miss President Gore, no?

9:34: If the president is so keen on up-or-down votes, why is the Sen. Mitch McConnell threatening to filibuster any legislation expressing disapproval over Bush's escalation?

9:37: Notice the foiled plots? Stay scared, Americans! (But still go shopping.)

9:39: "And so it remains the policy of this Government to use every lawful and proper tool of intelligence, diplomacy, law enforcement, and military action to do our duty, to find these enemies, and to protect the American people." And the unlawful ones, too. Torture, anyone? Warrantless wiretapping, anyone?

9:44: "This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in." Good god.

9:45: Though this speech is not yet over, I can say for certain that it's wholly unremarkable. Nothing to see here. More rhetoric from the man most Americans have long tuned out.

9:48: "My fellow citizens, our military commanders and I have carefully weighed the options. We discussed every possible approach. In the end, I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success." Says who? Some think tank bozo who has never seen battle? Some has-been senator whose presidential hopes are fading?

9:50: Those who voted for you, Mr. President, voted for failure.

9:51: Bush to the military: Get me more pawns!

9:53: Let's go to war with Iran! (Because Iraq has worked out so well.)

9:54: If he's so interested in helping people, why no mentions of Hurricane Katrina? "... to take on the challenges of hunger, poverty, and disease ..." But no Katrina. Terrible.

9:56: Dikembe Mutombo! Man does not fly in the eyes of Mutombo! Predict the greater number: Mutombo's career blocks or Bush's vetoes of Democratic legislation.

9:58: Hey, maybe that Baby Einstein lady can make a video about Mark Foley. Just throwing it out there, since she seems to care so much about helping others and keeping the world safe for children.

10:00: As an aside, I find these attempts by the president to make himself look better by pointing to the achievements of others worthless. No amount of Wesley Autreys and Dikembe Mutombos can save this administration.

10:02: "This is a decent and honorable country ..." Yes, everywhere but the White House.

Well, that's it. Another unremarkable speech by an unremarkable president. Now get out the popcorn for Webb's response.