George W. Bush and/or his advisors applied recent history to his SOTU message last night. By stating that "America is addicted to oil," Bush recalled Bill Clinton's famous "The era of big government is over" in his 1996 SOTU. Clinton's statement was a brilliant election-year political maneuver as it co-opted a GOP position. But Clinton also followed it up in '96 by working with the GOP Congress to pass a substantial welfare reform bill. But will Bush also follow through to back his rhetoric?
(more below the fold)
Will the money for alternative fuels really show up? I'm not so sure. In the meantime, Democrats seeking election should remind voters at every turn that Bush/GOP policies have enriched the oil companies while increasing our addiction, not decreasing it. The Democrats have been much stronger on this issue - for economic and environmental reasons -- and need to make that case often, powerfully and clearly in this election year. Dems also need to make sure that the policies have real suuport for alt. fuels - not just giveaways to the nuclear power industry and coal companies for "clean coal technology" (whatever that is). That way, GOP operatives can't co-opt a popular Democratic stance the way Clinton did to them in 1996.