In the lead up to tonight's State of The Union Address, I have gotten an advance copy of President Bush's speech and have been posting snippets of the speech each day.
Enjoy!
Now, these new breakthroughs have to be used in ways that reflect our values. First and foremost, we have to safeguard our citizens' privacy. Last year, we proposed to protect every citizen's medical record. This year, we will finalize those rules. We've also taken the first steps to protect the privacy of bank and credit card records and other financial statements. Soon I will send legislation to you to finish that job. We must also act to prevent any genetic discrimination whatever by employers or insurers. I hope you will support that.
My fellow Americans, every time I prepare for the State of the Union, I approach it with hope and expectation and excitement for our nation. But tonight is very special, because we stand on the mountain top of a new millennium. Behind us we can look back and see the great expanse of American achievement; and before us we can see even greater, grander frontiers of possibility. We should, all of us, be filled with gratitude and humility for our present progress and prosperity. We should be filled with awe and joy at what lies over the horizon. And we should be filled with absolute determination to make the most of it.
Isn't that refreshing? No FEAR and TERROR and FEAR and FEAR and LIES and FALSE PROMISES and DEATH and DOMESTIC POLICIES THAT AREN'T WORKING....oh shit......
this was President Clinton's State Of The Union from Thursday, January 27, 2000. I was wondering why there was all this optimism and hope and propsperity. Man, do I feel like an idiot. Sorry about that.
Even more telling was the Republican response to Clinton's State Of the Union. It was delivered by none other than Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) and Sen. Bill Frist (Tenn.). Oh what a difference 6 years makes:
we are honor-bound to keep our promise to protect Social Security. Last year, for the first time in thirty-nine years, the federal budget was balanced without dipping into the Social Security trust fund.
We'll do it again this year, and we'll pay down even more of the national debt. We've already paid off 150 billion dollars in the last two years. Now, our goal is to eliminate the 3.6 trillion-dollar debt entirely in the next 15 years.
SNIP
First, we will continue to increase federal funds for elementary and secondary education. Last year, the Republicans boosted education spending by 500 million dollars more than the President's budget, and we added funds for children with special needs.
Second, rather than Washington dictating to communities how they should run their schools, we should listen to those who know best: our parents, teachers, and local school boards.
The debate in Washington is not about money. It is about who makes the decisions. We need a change of approach -- one that recognizes that local schools, not Washington offices, are the heart and home of education. We will empower states and communities to use federal education dollars in the ways children need most.
SNIP
As a doctor, I've cared for thousands of seniors. I know Medicare is their lifeline, their security.
But this 35-year-old program, with 130,000 pages of regulations creates waste and abuse, and leaves our seniors with confusing red tape and heartache. Worst of all, Medicare doesn't even include the mainstay of modern medicine - outpatient prescription drugs.
The answer is not government-dictated price controls that stop life-saving research, or forcing the 65 percent of seniors who now have drug coverage to pay more or give up what they have. Instead, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have come together with a plan to build on two simple principles: choice and security. It lets people choose the type of medical plan that is best for them, including prescription drugs. No senior citizen, no mother, no person with a disability will ever be told by a bureaucrat what plan to pick, what doctor to see, or what service they can receive.
But just last year the President said "No" to this plan put forth by the "National Bipartisan Medicare Commission" - the very commission the President and Congress appointed to save Medicare. However, I'm proud to say that I've asked for and received full assurances today from our Majority Leader Trent Lott, that he is prepared to bring this needed bipartisan legislation to the Senate floor within two weeks. For this to happen, Mr. President, all we need is for you to tell the American people "Yes" to this Democrat and Republican plan to fix Medicare, so that people like my fellow Tennessean, Patricia Brown, whom we honered in the gallery this evening, will have the vital prescription drug coverage she needs.
And tonight, to show you that we are sincere and that we mean business, Republicans take a first step toward making Medicare stronger. To guarantee that seniors can rely on Medicare forever, we will add it to the Social Security lockbox, which will lock away the surplus for both Social Security and Medicare. We will not let anyone spend your Medicare money.
Has anyone seen that lockbox? I believe Frist and the rest of his cronies gave Abramoff the key. I guess we all get to look forward to Bush's 40 minute FEAR speech instead.
Enjoy.