STATE OF THE UNION

Some quick thoughts on last night's constitutionally mandated monologue:

AIDS A surprisingly correct thing to do and a shocker to nearly everyone. Who cares why he's stepping up to help, as long as it gets done. (NEWSWEEK: But focusing on AIDS was a tactical ploy: Bush wants to show the world that he’s more than just a trigger-happy cowboy. He’s a compassionate trigger-happy cowboy.)


Big Finish Did anyone else notice the cell phone in the balcony as the President stumbled over his concluding sentence? Speaker Hassert did, cause he was giving the person a dirty look as the speech closed. That was the weakest finish since St. Elsewhere.

Hitlerism - After the seemly random use of the word Hitlerism, one guest at our SotU Potluck asked: "Is that even a word?"
To which another answered, "Maybe he meant 'Hitlerific'".

Polls - There was just no 'there' there. Pew Research has him slipping more and more: