President George W. Bush’s Final State of the Union

by Keith Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, February 8, 2008

George W. Bush gave his final State of the Union address on Monday, January 28. As historic as this event was, most unique was the fact that it was his last annual speech to Congress. This was the fact I found most noteworthy and encouraging.

Apparently, Fox News broadcasted a special on Sunday, the 27th to kick off the week of Bush’s historic address. I didn’t watch it but it was entitled “George W. Bush: Fighting to the Finish.” It is clear that Bush is, at least, spewing rhetoric to the finish. All in all, there were no surprises in this last State of the Union.

Bush couldn’t deny the fading economy, and, to preserve a shred of credibility, he led off with that bleak subject. While his acceptance of the dire situation did indicate a perceived awareness of reality, he made a pathetic attempt to spin a little optimism into the mix. Describing the problem as “slowing growth” does little to quell fears about the worsening economic situation of most Americans. The proposed stimulus package he mentioned that night illustrates the disconnect between the president and those in Congress, and those of us who are hit hardest by the failing U.S. economy. Throwing a few hundred dollars each to the masses while whispering under their collective breath, “God, I hope they spend this,” will do little to help those struggling to pay bills, put enough gas in their cars to get themselves to their low-paying jobs, or allow them to keep their meager homes. For most Americans, economic hardship is far more than kitchen table talk. We live in a constant state of worry and fear of where the next financial blow will hit. It is disheartening to note that so many of our political leaders are out of touch with those of us who work hard but barely get by.

Even faced with the reality of impending recession, Bush’s disregard of the working class was evident in his insistence that the nation’s wealthy not sacrifice the sweet tax cuts they’ve been enjoying during his presidency. Not only has this administration frittered away the prosperity and surplus of the Clinton years, driving up the Federal deficit and financing its imperialistic military agenda with foreign credit, it has refused to allow those who can best afford it to help support its aggressive policies. The administration’s line has always been that these tax cuts would stimulate the growth and strengthen the economy. Now, with the market tanking and the working class squeezed between low wages and rising costs, it’s difficult to see the effectiveness of this strategy.

Again, Bush was forced to face the inconvenience of reality when he had to mention the nationwide health care crisis. Fortunately, he was able to garner cheers from the Republicans present by focusing on “solutions” that benefit insurance companies and corporations without offering relief to the uninsured or underinsured. The arrogance of measures like tax credits for private insurance holders and health savings accounts add insult to injury by blaming the working class and working poor for their plight. These programs do little to help those who can barely afford food and staples, gain access to needed healthcare.

The remainder of the speech was dedicated to fear mongering as thick as only the Bush administration can lay it on. To satisfy his base’s rabid hunger for immigration reform, the president called attention to immigrants who mean us harm. He described terrorists and extremists as evil men who despise freedom. He warned of the danger of failure in Iraq, while claiming the success of the surge. It is interesting that he mentions the new mission given to troops a year ago, which included denying insurgents safe haven. Recent reports from those in-country have indicated that violence reductions in some areas like Anbar have been matched by increases in other parts of Iraq. That insurgents appear to have found sufficient safe havens elsewhere calls into question his definition of success. Bush used the fear of terrorism in an attempt to intimidate Congress into reauthorizing aggressive surveillance programs.

In rhetoric that echoed his 2003 State of the Union, Bush used the podium to repeat his fervent condemnation of Iran. The macho breast thumping was the standard administration fare that has been the constant appeal for public support of action against the Arab nation. One addition was a warning to Iranian leaders against threatening our troops. This is a reference to the recent incident where Iranian speedboats were apparently videotaped taunting a U.S. military ship. Inconsistencies in the official story harkened to the Gulf of Tonkin incident that springboarded the Johnson administration’s escalation of the war in Vietnam. This reference is an important counter to the recent damaging National Intelligence Estimate that reported that Iran had most likely canned any nuclear program it had been working on long ago. It is clear that Iran is an agenda item Bush wishes to check off his list before leaving office.

It inspires fear in me that throughout these final twelve months Bush is determined to fight to the finish. Unfortunately, his fight is the fight of America’s sons and daughters. His presidency has written checks that have been cashed with the blood of our military and the lives of those we have invaded. We must not let his administration drain this account as he has dwindled our economic prosperity. We must remind those who represent us in Congress, that the Executive is accountable to the people. We must let our leaders know that we will not accept policies that are not in our best interest.