SOTU Reax

I’ll begin with what probably concerns most readers of this site, which is Bush’s undeniably wimpy avoidance of discussions of North Korea, David Sanger’s predictions notwithstanding. In what must be the worst possible sign, the speech actually won relieved praise from the South Korean press. Contrast that with his deliciously of more sanctions on Syria for its shenannigans in Iraq, and what sounded very much like (!). We’ll probably know by the end of next summer whether anyone will answer that, and whether we’ll provide some carefully standoffish but decisive support for any such effort.

The embrace between Safia Taleb al-Suhail and Janet Norwood couldn’t fail to bring tears to the eyes of anyone but those whose hearts have been darkened with hatred for Bush, the war, and those who are fighting it, and the part that couldn’t have been scripted was Ms. Suhail getting caught in Sgt. Norwood’s dog tags. For most of us, it was something we badly needed–an image of Iraqis not dancing on humvees or stringing up corpses on bridges–one that contained enough humanity to be worthy of giving a damn. The image probably wouldn’t have meant much to me personally had it not been backed up by some empirical evidence. There is a sense, for now, that things in Iraq are tipping our way.

I have roughly the same attitude about Social Security as I have about cicada plagues, taking out the garbage, and the kreppy / highly expensive diaper removal assembly line that hums day and night in our house. All are counted are among life’s unalterable annoyances, and all are best left unfretted. Ask any guy under 40 and you’ll probably get the same combination of general disinterest and incredulity that something that takes so much money out of our paychecks is ~~a krep vessel~~ insolvent; meanwhile, I’m digging change out of my couch cushions to find money for my IRA’s, which (not to boast, but I’m just sayin’) have probably made as much money in the last two years as I’ve paid into social security in twenty. Fine, then–limit me to conservative investments if you must–as if my wife won’t–but why the hell are we being forced to invest for a return that’s at or below the rate of inflation when that money could be earning more for me and for the economy as a whole? Social security as turned into one of this town’s most powerful constituencies–that’s why.

Overall, you never expect much from Bush in the way of oratory, but the elections in Iraq clearly have him a huge psychological tailwind this time. Pretty good for a G.W. Bush speech, especially for the strongest impression that it left–he means all of it. For this town, it makes G.W. Bush nothing less than exceptional, completely unlike another President Bush who was forgotten by nearly everyone by the time his furniture arrived at Kennebunkport. By the end of G.W. Bush’s second term, I suspect we will come to see that stubbornness as determined principle.