"THE STATE OF OUR UNION IS STRONG !"

In his sixth State of the Union Address last night President Bush declared the strength of our Union. This statement is typically at the beginning of most State of the Union Addresses but the President chose last night to appropriately end his annual report to the Congress with this statement about our nation. The speech covered a myriad of initiatives ranging from decreasing our oil energy consumption by 20% in the next ten years to a payroll deduction program for health care designed to allow the uninsured through eliminating the deduction according to family or single status at a certain income level thus allowing a savings in payroll taxes substantial enough to allow for the purchase of health insurance. This was combined with a usual laundry list that the President would like to see pass through Congress but with the Democrats in the majority passage possibilities are slim unless Bush can find some of the newly elected to side with his proposals. With Nancy Pelosi in the House and Harry Reid in the Senate opposing anything that comes from the White House this is not likely since they have a strong arm hold of loyalty from the newly elected.

Now to the portion of the Address that was most anticipated, the war and especially the troop increase that is being instituted by the President. Several times during this portion of the Address which encompassed that last nearly half hour of the speech President Bush made several references to the war and not only the necessity of victory but outlined the consequences for The United States and the Middle East if the war effort were to fail. Many of the victory references were directed to the fight against the common enemy and not mentioning the, "new strategy, " nor Iraq just the defeat of terrorism and those that use it as a means to attempt to force their radical Islamic beliefs of others. A very telling reaction on the part of Democrats occurred in three specific moments during these references to victory or achieving a goal that leads to success in the war. The Democrats not only did not acknowledge the call for victory with a standing ovation as Republicans and the Gallery did but they would not even clap in response to the call.

The first of these calls to victory stated, "With the distance of time, we find ourselves debating the causes of conflict and the course we have followed. Such debates are essential when a great democracy faces great questions. Yet one question has surely been settled... that to win the war on terror we must take the fight to the enemy." This was greeted by a standing ovation by everyone.....except Democrats who sat on their hands and their butts!

The second call to victory was, "The great question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle East to build free societies and share in the rights of all humanity. And I say, for the sake of our own security ...Wee must." Again met with a standing ovation by all except Democrats who repeated their seat warming gestures.

The third came when the President mentioned a nuclear Iran, "The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran, and made it clear that the world will not allow the regime in Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons." Again met with a standing ovation by all except Democrats who even with the mention of their beloved United Nations their only response was to warm their seats.

While I did not expect the Dems to respond favorably to anything concerning the battlefield of Iraq because of their opposition to our presence there and their lack of the acceptance of the fact that it too is a theatre in the War against terrorism, their lack of responsee simply to the idea of victory blatantly proves that victory is not only excluded from their vocabulary but is not something that they desire or a policy that they favor but an action in which they oppose. This seat warming response to American victory in the war gave evidence that surrender is the creed of Democrats and withdrawing without victory is their only goal.

After introducing wonderful examples of Americans who shine forth the essence of who we are through their love of country, entrepreneur spirit and heroism both at home and in the ranks of Americas finest as represented by Silver Star recipient Sergeant Tommy Rieman, President Bush closed The State of the Union address with these words of inspiration, " We have been through a lot together. We have met challenges and faced dangers, and we know that more lie ahead. Yet we can go forward with confidence.... because the State of our Union is strong ... our cause in the world is right ... and tonight that cause goes on, God bless!"

Ken Taylor