State of the Union

Smirk of the Union: The Show's Over; Shelve the Sequel

Robert Borosage — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:09:36 -0800

The old routines don’t work anymore. The presidential smirk seems sheepish. The threats seem like bluster. No one really listens anymore. Even George W. Bush seemed almost giddy that he wouldn’t have to go through this again. The president appears as tired of us as we are of him.

Monday’s State of the Union speech had an inescapable problem. It couldn’t possibly address the question at hand — the actual state of the union. Costly and unending occupations. Economic recession. Unprecedented foreign indebtedness. Unsustainable trade deficits. A declining middle class. Millions about to lose their homes. Leading banks on the auction block. Gilded Age inequality. A foolish starvation of vital public investments in everything from bridges to broadband. Basic challenges — global warming, a broken health care system — simply ignored. America weaker, more isolated, and less secure.

Bush is history; his name spurned even by Republicans seeking to succeed him. But hold off on the interment rites. While Bush is being discarded, the catastrophic conservative policies that he championed live on.

The leading Republican candidates pledge to continue the costly occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The Democratic majority in Congress failed to end them. The leading Democratic presidential candidates pledge more forces for Afghanistan and wouldn’t promise to have troops out of Iraq by the end of their first term. That would be 10 years, $2 trillion and 50,000 U.S. casualties later.

No leading candidate in either party questions the U.S. empire of bases, nor its role as globocop that leads us to spend as much on our military as the rest of the world combined, and insures that we will be enmeshed in strife across the globe. In fact, candidates in both parties pledge to increase the size of the U.S. military and expand its ability to go places and do things.

Our global economic strategy — developed by, for and of the multinational corporations and banks — has disemboweled our manufacturing sector while racking up unsustainable foreign deficits and debts. Financial deregulation has created a global speculative casino economy marked by increasingly rapid and destructive booms and busts. Every leading Republican candidate for president pledges to pursue more of the same. Leading Democrats promise no more NAFTAs, and pledge to add labor rights, environmental and consumer protections to trade accords. But none have laid out a national strategy for the global economy that can get us out of this hole. And needless to say, none have challenged Wall Street’s deregulation. The Democratic Congress couldn’t even gird itself to require hedge-fund billionaires to pay the same rate of taxes as their secretaries, much less implant regulations that would limit destabilizing speculation.

Bush’s distorted tax and budget priorities have contributed to Gilded Age inequality, racked up trillions in national debt, even as we have simply starved vital investments in our future — from schools, to affordable college, to advanced broadband, to basic sewage systems, levies and bridges. Yet every leading Republican candidate pledges to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, increase spending on the military and cut more from domestic investment. Leading Democrats vow to rollback the top end of the Bush tax cuts to pay for national health care, but they also pledge to increase military spending and move towards balanced budgets — virtually insuring the continued starvation of vital domestic investment.

Bush will not be on the ticket in 2008, but it seems clear that the Republican nominee will make this election a referendum on his policies — promising only more of the same, sustaining the ruinous Bush wars, tax cuts and global economic policies. The Democratic nominees look to offer a choice, promising to bring the occupation of Iraq to an end, roll back tax cuts to pay for affordable health care and launch a bold plan for energy independence. That’s a big agenda, but we’re still a long way from putting a stake in the heart of the policies that have created this wreckage.

Smirk of the Union

Isaiah J. Poole — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:39:08 -0800

Behind President Bush's facial expressions during his final State of the Union speech was a series of dangerous ideas and misleading statements.

Robert Borosage surveys the wreckage of a presidency in its death throes, and what's missing in the Democrats' response.
Rick Perlstein delves into the substance of the speech and points out one of its most Orwellian moments.
David Sirota hits Bush on trade and Bill Scher picks apart Bush' insincerity on global warming.

By the Numbers

We've counted up the cost of the last seven years of conservative misrule. See the facts in our comprehensive Real State of the Union chart. Plus, watch our video reality check of Bush's past State of the Union fantasies.

Smirk of the Union: The Global Warming Debate Shifts Some More

Bill Scher — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 07:59:03 -0800

As we've said before, nothing that President Bush says in a State of the Union address can been taken at face value. But sometimes, there's import beneath the insincerity.

And there is import in this line: "And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases."

This is unquestionably insincere. The Oilman-In-Chief has pledged support for clean energy in every one of his past State of the Union addresses, and has never followed through.

Further, his support for an "international agreement" -- not a new position but new for a State of the Union address -- provides easy excuses for anti-environmental conservatives, who use hesitancy from China and India as an excuse to prevent America from leading.

And let's not forget not all global warming agreements are created equal. A "compromise" package can fall short of what's necessary to avert a climate crisis, letting corporations continue to pollute the atmosphere without penalty, giving conservatives political cover, and dampening the urgency for sufficient action.

Yet, it is quite notable that Bush feels compelled to claim, however insincere, in front of a national audience that he supports an international agreement, as it was that wannabe elder statesman Newt Gingrich was compelled to back his own disingenuous global warming package.

We (with a bit of help from Nobel Peace Prize laureate Al Gore) have not only resolved that global warming is happening, forced prominent conservatives to relegate deniers to the fringe, and moved the debate towards what needs to be done.

In saying that an "international agreement" is required, Bush has implicitly conceded that averting the climate crisis requires a major response by our government, and cannot be resolved through voluntary efforts by corporations.

The parameters of the debate have positively shifted again.

Sure, conservatives are trying to turn into the skid and regain their balance in a debate they are losing badly.

But it's another reminder that the forces of obstruction are on their heels.

It is not the time to settle for something that doesn't get the job done. It is time to establish the mandate for what needs to be done.

State of the Union 2008

Toby Chaudhuri — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:22:00 -0800

WASHINGTON -- President Bush is expected to address problems in the nation’s economy while hailing the state of the union as strong tonight, but for Americans worrying about how to make ends meet, the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to numbers compiled today by the Campaign for America’s Future.

ON INCOMES:

-- Median household income in 2000 (inflation-adjusted): $49,158
-- Median household income in 2006: $48,201
-- 8-year increase in median household income in 2001: $6,000
-- 6-year decrease in median household income in 2007: $1,100
[U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 - 2007]

-- Salary of a full-time minimum wage employee without vacation: $12,168
-- Average salary of a CEO of one of America’s top 500 companies: $15.2 million
[Forbes Magazine, May 3, 2007]

-- Number of Americans living in poverty in 2001: 31.6 million
-- Number of Americans living in poverty in 2008: 36.5 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Amount more Americans earned than spent in 2001: +2.3 percent
-- Amount less Americans are earning than spending in 2008: -0.5 percent
[Bureau of Economic Analysis]

-- Total consumer credit debt in 2001: $7.65 trillion
-- Total consumer credit debt in 2008: $12.8 trillion
[Insurance Information Institute]

-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in White American households: $745
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in African American households: $2,766
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in Hispanic American households: $1,043
-- Decrease in median income from 2000-2006 in Asian American households: $1,381
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

-- Median income of African American households in 2006: $31,969
-- Median income of Hispanic American households in 2006: $37,781
-- Median income of White American households in 2006: $50,673
-- Median income of Asian American households in 2006: $63,900
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

-- African Americans living in poverty in 2006: 24.3 percent
-- Hispanic Americans living in poverty in 2006: 20.6 percent
-- Asian Americans living in poverty in 2006: 10.1 percent
-- White Americans living in poverty in 2006: 8.2 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau. Aug. 2007]

ON HOUSING:

-- Percentage increase in home foreclosures in the last year: 68
[RealtyTrac. Dec. 19, 2007]

ON JOBS:

-- Total number of American manufacturing jobs in 2000: 17,263,000
-- Total number of American manufacturing jobs in 2006: 14,197,000
-- Number of American manufacturing jobs lost between 2000 and 2006: 3,066,000
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]

-- Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 1992-2000: 1.76 million
-- Yearly average number of new private sector jobs created from 2001-2008: 369,000
[Bureau of Labor Statistics]

-- Jobless African American workers in Dec. 2007: 9.0 percent
-- Jobless Hispanic American workers in Dec. 2007: 6.3 percent
-- Jobless White American workers in Dec. 2007: 4.4 percent
-- Jobless Asian American workers in Dec. 2007: 3.7 percent
[U.S. Department of Labor Employment Situation Summary, Jan. 4, 2008]

ON ENERGY:

-- Average price of a gallon of home heating oil in Jan. 2000: $1.40
-- Average price of a gallon of home heating oil in Jan. 2008: $3.39
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Average price of a gallon of gas in Jan. 2000: $1.59
-- Average price of a gallon of gas in Jan. 2008: $3.14
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Increase in the average price of home heating oil since Jan. 2000: +142 percent
-- Increase in the average price of gas since Jan. 2000: +98 percent

-- Price of a gallon of home heating oil in the winter of 2001-2002 (inflation adjusted): $1.36
-- Projected price of a gallon of home heating oil in the winter of 2007-2008: $3.32
[Energy Administration, Jan. 2008]

-- Amount of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that was imported in 2001: 52.75 percent
-- Amount of U.S. liquid fuel consumption that is imported in 2008: 60.38 percent
[U.S. Energy Information Administration]

-- Exxon Mobil profits in 2000: $7.9 billion
-- Exxon Mobil profits in 2006: $36.1 billion
-- Exxon Mobil’s profit per second during the second quarter of 2006: $1,318
[CNNMoney.com, July 27, 2006; Fortune500 2006]

ON HEALTHCARE:

-- Americans without health insurance in 2000: 38.4 million
-- Americans without health insurance in 2006: 46.9 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Decrease over 2 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2001: 4.5 million
-- Increase over 6 years in the number of uninsured Americans in 2008: 8.5 million
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Number of children without health insurance: 8.7 million
-- Number of times President Bush vetoed additional health insurance for children: 2
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Americans receiving employment-based health insurance in 2000: 64.2 percent
-- Americans receiving employment-based health insurance in 2006: 59.7 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

-- Annual cost of family health insurance premiums in 2000 (inflation adjusted): $7,643
-- Annual cost of family health insurance premiums in 2006: $11,480
[Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust]

-- Uninsured White Americans in 2006: 10.8 percent
-- Uninsured African Americans in 2006: 20.5 percent
-- Uninsured Asians Americans in 2006: 15.5 percent
-- Uninsured Hispanic Americans in 2006: 34.1 percent
[U.S. Census Bureau, Aug. 2007]

ON COLLEGE COSTS:

-- Average cost per year at a public four-year college in 2000: $10,153
-- Average cost per year at a public four-year college in 2006: $13,089
[CollegeBoard, 2007]

-- Average yearly change in tuition costs for public four-year college since 2000: +29 percent
-- Average percent change in median household income during same period: -2 percent
-- Average debt shouldered by 2006 college graduates: $21,000
[The Project on Student Debt, Sept. 2007]

ON IRAQ AND THE MILITARY:

-- Number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq before the “Mission Accomplished” speech in 2003: 139
-- Number of US troops killed in Iraq as of Jan. 2008: 3,907
-- Number of Iraqi deaths after U.S. invasion: 1,139,602
[iCasualties.org., Jan. 3, 2008]

-- Number of US troops wounded in Iraq before the “Mission Accomplished” speech: 542
-- Number of U.S. troops wounded in Iraq as of Jan. 2008: 28,661
[iCasualties.org, Jan. 3, 2008]

-- Amount of total world military spending spent by U.S.: 47 percent
[Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation]

-- Total U.S. military expenditures requested for 2008: $644 billion
-- Total military expenditures of the 10 next top spending countries combined: $446.1 billion
[Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Includes China, Russia, U.K., France, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, India and Brazil, Feb. 5, 2007]

-- U.S. military base budget in 2001: $297.1 billion
-- US pending military base budget 2008, not including Iraq and Afghanistan: $481.4 billion
[White House Office of Management and Budget, Feb. 5, 2007]

-- U.S. budget spent on military not including Iraq in 2007: 50 percent
-- U.S. budget spent on education in 2007: 6.2 percent
[White House Office of Management and Budget, Feb. 6, 2006.]

-- Number of active duty army divisions rated at the highest readiness levels in 2001: All
-- Number of active duty or reserve brigade in the U.S. considered fully combat ready: 0
[Speaker of the House, Nov. 29, 2007]

ON DEBTS AND DEFICITS:

-- The national debt in 2001: $5.7 trillion
-- The national debt in Jan. 2008: $9.2 trillion
[U.S. Dept. of the Treasury]

-- Monthly U.S. trade deficit in Oct. 2000: $33.8 billion
-- Monthly U.S. trade deficit in Oct. 2007: $57.8 billion
-- U.S. trade deficit in 2000: $380 billion
-- U.S. trade deficit in 2007: $759 billion
[U.S. Census Bureau, Dec. 12, 2007]

-- Value of one Euro in Jan. 2000: $1.01
-- Value of one Euro in Jan. 2008: $1.45
-- Loss of value of the Dollar relative to the Euro from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2008: 45 percent
[Federal Reserve Statistical Release]

-- Value of an ounce of gold in 2000 (inflation adjusted): $319
-- Value of an ounce of gold in 2008: $892
[GoldPrice.org, Jan. 22 2008]

-- U.S. budget surplus in 2000: +$236 billion
-- U.S. budget deficit in 2007: -$354 billion
[House Office of Management and Budget]

ON PRODUCT AND FOOD SAFETY:

-- Increase in consumer product safety spending from 2000 to 2006: 9 percent
-- Increase in number of U.S. imports from 2000 to 2006: 30 percent
[Consumer Federation of America]

-- Increase in the number of federal food inspections from 2000 to 2006: 8 percent
-- Percentage increase in number of agricultural imports from 2000 to 2006: 39 percent
-- Number of cases of food borne disease outbreaks in 2006: 25,659
[U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Drug Administration, Center for Disease Control]

ON WORLD OPINION:

-- Number of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2001: 58.3 percent
-- Number of people abroad who viewed America favorably in 2007: 39.2 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2001: 83 percent
-- Number of people in Great Britain who viewed America favorably in 2007: 56 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2001: 75 percent
-- Number of people in Indonesia who viewed America favorably in 2007: 30 percent
[Pew Research Center]

-- Number of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2001: 78 percent
-- Number of people in Germany who viewed America favorably in 2007: 37 percent
[Pew Research Center]

State of Bush's Union: Whining For Credit

Bill Scher — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:15:33 -0800

The Washington Post previews tonight's State of the Union address with this:

For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war. Today, the president is getting little credit for improved security in Iraq, as the public increasingly focuses on a struggling U.S. economy.

Of course, that seeming paradox quickly resolves itself.

Before, Bush received little credit for the economy because the economy wasn't actually working well for everyone, a reality that's now impossible to spin.

Now, Bush receives little credit for Iraq because it's clear that moving Iraq from "the eighth circle of hell to the fifth" in terms of sectarian violence, while nothing happens to resolve the underlying political strike, is no argument to continue a destabilizing occupation.

For several years, conservatives have pounded on the table, yelling at working familes, "The economy is strong! Quit yer bitching!" Families actually struggling chose to disagree.

Today, Bush will tell Americans to close their eyes, pretend that violence doesn't continue to rage in Iraq and pretend that fundamental political divisions don't persist.

Good luck with that.

State of the Union Rated Poorly by 4 out of 5 Americans

Brian Dockstader — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:58:09 -0800

As President George W. Bush is fine tuning his last State of the Union address, American adults do not think much of the current state of the country. Four out of five Americans (81%) think that the current state of the country is fair or poor while just 19 percent think it is excellent or good (2% and 17% respectively).

Fighting "State of the Union" Deception

Brian Dockstader — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:28:48 -0800

A new study tries to quantify the stream of lies coming from the Bush administration. In just two years of trying to mislead the country into backing the invasion of Iraq, the study found that Bush and his senior administration officials dropped nearly 1000 such terminological inexactitudes on Americans, Congress, the UN and most world leaders.

The Real State of The Union…Call Bush’s Bluff

Anne Thompson — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:18:50 -0800

Watch our video reality-check on Bush’s State of the Union fantasies. Then, share your own truth (through the Discuss link below) about how Bush’s real-world debacles have hit you personally.

We’ll take your stories directly to the news media covering Bush’s speech, and further expose the reality we must confront to get America back on track.

The Real State of The Union…Call Bush’s Bluff

Anne Thompson — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:18:36 -0800

Watch our video reality-check on Bush’s State of the Union fantasies. Then, share your own truth (through our publishing tool) about how Bush’s real-world debacles have hit you personally.

We’ll take your stories directly to the news media covering Bush’s speech, and further expose the reality we must confront to get America back on track. GO»

State of Delusion

Bill Scher — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:20:15 -0800

Check out our new video, truth-squadding Bush's State of the Union address:

Also, if you missed it earlier, here's Robert Borosage's takedown of Bush's speech, and here's where you can write your local newspapers and get the facts out about the real state of our union.