State Of The Onion

This thing is like an onion: the more layers you peel, the more it stinks! (George Costanza)

I didn't watch President George's final State Of The Union address. I can handle only so much bullshit at one time, and Bush's SOTU typically exceeds my threshold in a minute and a half. However, since I like to stay informed, I try to read the transcript. Here's how last night's address began:

Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Seven years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum. In that time, our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens. These issues call for vigorous debate, and I think it's fair to say we've answered the call.

Look at that, not even a minute in and already I'm past my limit in BS.

They've answered the call for vigorous debate. That's the claim he made. Hmm... Maybe I'm just not remembering things the same way he is.

Cheney's energy task force: met in secret with industry insiders, stonewalled attempts to gain access to the notes, defied orders from federal judges to release the notes, and finally the Supreme Court refused to rule on the matter (big shock there) and sent it back to the appeals court, which decided that Cheney's secrets can remain in the closet, for now.

Iraq War: There's so much on this topic, I'm only going to point out one. George Bush said this in July of '03,

We gave him (Saddam Hussein) a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn’t let them in. And, therefore, after a reasonable request, we decided to remove him from power.

Which is funny, because according to Hans Blix, the head of the UN inspection team, the opposite was true. On January 27, 2003 (before the war started,) Hans said this in a report to the UN:

For nearly three years, Iraq refused to accept any inspections by UNMOVIC. It was only after appeals by the secretary-general and Arab states and pressure by the United States and other member states that Iraq declared on 16 September last year that it would again accept inspections without conditions.

And this:

The most important point to make is that access has been provided to all sites we have wanted to inspect. And with one exception, it has been [without] (sic) problems.

That example is typical of the "debate" that was had during the lead up to the Iraq invasion. All evidence that contradicted the plan was ignored and the machine marched forward undaunted.

You may argue that those things are ancient history, that Bush is all about open dialog now. In fact, George made a statement about that in the SOTU:

Let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time.

He seems to have glossed over the part where the Republicans in the Senate have set the record for the most filibusters in a single session. And that they set that record in the first year, where every previous record took two.

Is that the kind of vigorous debate he's talking about, the kind where you knee-jerk block every move by your opponent rather than discussing things and voting on them? Where you decide what you're going to do and then ignore any input that doesn't toe the line? Where the absolute worst thing you could possibly do is change your course of action, no matter how obvious it becomes that you're driving toward a cliff?

Maybe somebody needs to whisper into W's ear-piece just what the word "debate" actually means.

See? This is why I don't watch the SOTU.