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The Hazy State Of The Union

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 30, 2008

President Bush's final speech on the state of the union is a history lesson in why his popularity has sagged.

After providing a firm hand following the 2001 attacks, he has lost clarity.

Bush on Monday night demanded that Congress kill their pet projects, saying, "If you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, I'll send it back to you with my veto."

His threat draws attention to his prior approval of thousands of earmarks. Why did he wait so long to get tough?

On federal spending, up sharply under his administration, he seemed to be scolding himself: "American families have to balance their budgets; so should their government." He didn't explain why all his own budgets have never balanced.

"The nation needs to secure its borders," he said, as though it was a new idea.

On foreign policy, he repeated a favorite theme: "We support freedom in countries from Cuba and Zimbabwe to Belarus and Burma."

He made no mention of countries such as Kenya, which is being torn apart by ethnic rivalries sparked by winners of elections who bestow economic advantages on themselves. Bush doesn't acknowledge that many conflicts arise from abuses of democracy and free enterprise.

To help the U.S. economy, Bush called for temporary tax cuts to provide an instant stimulus, saying, "In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth ..."

Later, referring to spending on entitlement programs, he said: "We all know the painful choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases, sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, and crippling deficits."

The speech left many viewers unsure of the state of the union. One thing he did help the folks understand is why the dominant theme of the 2008 presidential campaign is change.

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