Two last thoughts before I turn in:

1. Notice how Bush completely ignored major economic issues -- particularly rising unemployment, the budget deficit, and the state budget crisis? Granted, the Iraq thing is going to suck up all the news oxygen the next week (until Powell's "Adlai moment"). But ultimately, that can't detract from pink slips, exhausted unemployment benefits, and red ink as far as the eye can see.

   I'm not being partisan now, I've got my "strategist" hat on -- wasn't this a glaring mistake in Bush's speech? Wasn't this exactly his father's mistake? Here's the sum total of his comments on the economy -- taxes, taxes, taxes, and taxes. Does anyone who is financially hurting right now (and that's alot of people) really think taxes are at fault? This seems bizarre to me.

   Bush promised prosperity as a result of the last round of tax cuts, which obviously never materialized. It's no wonder people are skeptical about his calls for more (though we'll see what the polls say after the SOTU address).

2. The more I think about the Health Care thing, the more I am shocked it made it through the speech's editing and review process. This was so thin, so utterly ridiculous, that they would've been better served by simply ignoring it (like they did with the economy).

   Instead, we must work toward a system in which all Americans have a good insurance policy, choose their own doctors, and seniors and low-income Americans receive the help they need. (Applause.) Instead of bureaucrats and trial lawyers and HMOs, we must put doctors and nurses and patients back in charge of American medicine. (Applause.)

   Man, this is so amateurish it hurts. But the best part of his "bold" plan is this:

   To improve our health care system, we must address one of the prime causes of higher cost, the constant threat that physicians and hospitals will be unfairly sued.

   So his health care plan (other than throwing a lot of money at Medicare) consists of an amorpheous promise to have doctors make decisions, and tort reform.

   And that bold plan will somehow lead to

   [H]igh quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

   Un-freakin-believable. Like I said, no plan would've been better than this. I can't believe Karen Hughes approved this whole segment. They should've hired back the "axis of evil" speechwriter.