In addition to "the state of the union has never been better", things that will not be mentioned include:

1. Axis of Evil. Kind of hard to use that phrase when 1/3 of that axis, North Korea, is getting kid glove treatment, while another 1/3, Iraq, has become the singular administration obsession.

2. Budget deficit. How, you ask, can any speech on the State of the Union avoid mention of a budget deficit? When lying by omission better serves your political fortunes.

3. Affirmative Action and Abortion. We all know how bold Bush is, so why avoid these two issues? Here he has an entire nation (or at least a fifth of it) at his disposal, yet he's going to avoid the two issues that he most ardently opposes? Why not make a case to the nation that abortion is wrong, or that the time for affirmative action is past? Wouldn't that be the bold thing to do?

4. Osama Bin Laden. Osama who?