Last night, as the State of the Union Address got under way, George W. Bush paid tribute to the new House Speaker. For the first time in our history, sitting next to the Vice President, with gavel in hand, a woman by the name of Nancy Pelosi presided over the proceedings. It was one of only two highlights in the entire evening that may have been enough to turn what could have been a total disaster into something memorable.
This was the President's sixth State of the Union address, and it was probably his poorest speech to date. Some of the words used to describe his speech by reporters on MSNBC were, subdued, somber, etc. It was apparent that there was a timidity in his delivery, a weakness, if you will. Some said that he seemed to be carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders in terms of the war. It is unfortunate that he is still trying to bunch the Shiia, Iran, Hezbollah and the rest of the players in the Middle East together, and also how he shamelessly is still trying to tie the war on terrorism with the debacle in Iraq.
The next best thing to his introducing of Nancy Pelosi was towards the end when he introduced Motumbo, the Iraqi soldier who was a hero, as well as New York's favorite hero, Wesley Autrey. It was enjoyable to see how much Mr. Autrey was basking in the moment. Some say President Bush was exploiting him for political gain. It is doubtful that that was the case, however, if that was the case, you can bet the American people are smart enough not to fall for it.