Kowabunga

In the State of the Union Address, President Bush said a great deal on what is going on in the Middle East, all of it hard to argue with, because he is, without any doubt, right on the money.

We remain on the offensive in Afghanistan - where a fine president and national assembly are fighting terror while building the institutions of a new democracy.

And we are on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory. First, we are helping Iraqis build an inclusive government, so that old resentments will be eased, and the insurgency marginalized. Second, we are continuing reconstruction efforts, and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy, so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom. Third, we are striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy. Iraqis are showing their courage every day, and we are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom.

Iraq has held free elections, with its citizens marking the occasion with their index fingers dipped in purple ink. And although terrorist groups continue to death and fear throughout that country, the people of Iaq are continuing to sign up in great numbers to serve in its military and police forces. As these forces improve, they take an increasing larger load off of Coalition forces that serve in safeguarding their country until these troops are ready to stand on their own.

Bush went on to mention the recent elections that took place in Palestine, and stated, quite clearly, that Hamas must now reject the ways of terrorism, and recognize the legitimacy of Israel. Bush is right. If Hamas is to govern, it MUST change, or it will lead the Palestinian people to extinction. I don't believe it will change, though.

The president touched on the economy, and pointed out that in the last two and a half years, more jobs have been created here than in Japan and the European Union combined. This is not a surprising accomplishment as much of Europe is dominated by socialist governments that stifle their economies. However, the leftwing media and liberals in Congress continue to claim that the economy is in the dumpster, regardless that the facts prove otherwise.

Congress did not act last year on my proposal to save Social Security, yet the rising cost of entitlements is a problem that is not going away — and with every year we fail to act, the situation gets worse. So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of Baby Boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This commission should include Members of Congress of both parties, and offer bipartisan answers. We need to put aside partisan politics, work together, and get this problem solved.

Great point, great idea. It will never happen as the Democrats will continue to play partisan politics, and keep working Americans chained to bankrupt systems that are doomed to fail them when they need it most. such is the way of "Liberals." They claim to be the protectors of freedom and choice, yet refuse to allow Americans have a choice when it comes to Social Security.

Immigration was another topic touched on, including a call for "orderly and secure borders," while at the same time offering immigrants greater opportunities. What more can one ask? Secure our borders and let in those who will respect and obey our laws, and make it easier for them to come and go as they please. This would be a welcome change.

Energy, health care, tort reform, education, and more, were touched on. As well as a call for bipartisanship, which the leftists in Congress and the Democratic Party have already rejected.

Tim Kaine, the Governor of Virginia, had this to say in his response to the State of the Union Address:

Our commitment to winning the war on terrorism compels us to ask this question: Are the President's policies the best way to win this war?

I'd have to say, yes, especially since the Democrats have not offered any plan except capitulation to terrorists.

We now know that the American people where given inaccurate information about the reasons for invading Iraq. We now know that our troops in Iraq were not given the best body armor or the best intelligence. We now know that the Administration wants to cut tens of thousands of troops from the Army and National Guard and Reserves at the very time America is facing new and dangerous threats. And we now know the Administration wants to further reduce military and veterans' benefits.

This guy is confusing President Bush with former President Clinton. The Bush administration has done its best to INCREASE military and veterans' benefits. Military recruitment, overall all, is up, as is re-enlistment in the regular Armed Forces. As for the Guard and Reserve components, there may be a decline currently, however, that is not unusual.

As for the troops in the field not getting the best body armor and intelligence, who was it that was voting against funding body armor a few years back? If you answered Flipper Kerry, you win a gold star.

Whether or not one believes the information used for blessing an invasion of Iraq and removing a brutal dictator and his murderous regime from power was accurate or not, the fact remains that Saddam Hussein had murdered nearly a half million Iraqis and used chemical weapons against both the Kurds and Iran during the war in the '80s. Oh, yeah, and banned weapons systems have been found on numerous occasions, including a few artillery shells containing various nerve agents. Hmmmm….faulty in tellignece?

Kaine whent on:

When it comes to energy, Americans are using more than ever, paying more for it, and are more dependent on the Middle East than ever before.

There's a better way.

Drill in ANWR? Nope. Push the oil companies to give up their profits. How many Americans have investments in oil companies? Probably any body who has a 401k or similar retirement vehicle. And a lot of that profit is passed on to you in the form of dividends that are reinvested in those retirement funds.

Yes, gas prices are excruciatingly high. The solution to high energy prices isn't socialism, but encouraging the use of alternative energy solutions and revitalizing nuclear energy industry.

but wait, there's more:

If we want to replace the division that grips our nation's capital, we need a change. Democrats are leading that reform effort, working to restore honesty and openness to our government, working to replace a culture of partisanship and cronyism with an ethic of service and results.

The dems speak of restoring honesty and opennes in government. Remember Torricelli of New Jersey, and Traficant of Ohio. And the Clinton Administration. The Democratic Poster Children of honesty and integrity.

As for replacing "a culture of partisanship and cronysism", the Dems are the masters of it. Their concpet of bipartisan politics is "our way or the highway." No quarter for "the enemy," which is what they view Republicans as: the enemy.

Some other Democrat talking points:

Democrats want a health care system that will cover everybody.

Sounds like a call to let government control our health care, and take your medical decisions away from you and your doctor. Dems frequently yell about keeping government out of our bodies, yet they want to turn our bodies over to the government in total.

Democrats want to create jobs and make America energy independent.

Makes it sound like Republicans don't want this, yet the Dems consistently block efforts to drill for oil in remote regions, and blockade the development of nuclear energy. Wind turbines are nice when the Dems like Ted Kennedy are bloviating, but that can't solve our nations energy needs, and neither can ethanol. Only nuclear energy, with advanced reactor designs like PBRs, can move us toward energy independence.

As for jobs, the Clinton recession lost the U.S. some three million jobs (which the Bush administration receives the blame for), yet they refuse to acknowledge the creation of some 4.5 million jobs in the last two and a half years. Sounds like the Republicans are doing pretty good in that space.

Democrats want a strong national security based on telling the truth to our citizens, our soldiers, and our allies.

If so, then vote GOP. I really hate the leftist mantra that the dems keep repeating, that "Bush lied." It doesn't wash with the facts.

All in all, President Bush has it right, and has performed admirably in his stewardship of our country through some very trying times. There is no doubt that he is the right man at the right time and in the right place.

God Bless our Armed Forces, and our Country.