The State of the Disunion
# George W. Bush in the House of Representatives via WhiteHouse.gov - State of the Union Address - This is the "official" transcript. C-Span has a copy, too, which is good to bookmark in case they change the "official" version. I went home last night in time to see this, but got started paying bills and forgot all about it until it was over. Oh well, at least I didn't have to listen to GW prounounce "terror" (tear) or "nuclear" (nuculer). MSN video here (54:48, likely Windows only). C-SPAN also has video (Real), but you need to get to it via the main page, not the State of the Union Archive page, because the links on the latter don't work correctly (I told C-SPAN about this, so hopefully they'll fix it). CNN, CBS, and NBC have video as well, but you need to have a membership to watch. To make listening more fun, you can keep in mind the State of the Union Address Drinking Game. Hehe.
# Thomas L. Knapp at Rational Review - Rat Race, part 2: Lies, damn lies and Republican rhetoric revisited - commentary on why Bushnev will lose the 2004 election, even if the Demoncrats run a Roseanne Barr/Charles Manson ticket. [smith2004]
The most obvious indicator that things are going downhill for Bush was the simple change of tone. The 2002 and 2003 SotU speeches were reminiscent of Stalin's tirades -- not by what was said at the podium, but by the audience reaction. When Old Joe took a mind to talk, the applause began with his appearance and stopped ... well, never. Nobody wanted to be the first one to stop clapping, lest he or she be treated to a ride in a Black Maria and a bullet in the basement of the Lubyanka.
A year ago, two years ago, it was your political ass if you didn't treat Bush as a blessed combination of messiah and rock star. No Black Marias or basement executions for People of Stature, but don't bother refinancing that home away from home in Alexandria or Georgetown, if you know what I mean.
This year, the Democrats didn't spring to their feet with the Republicans every time an inanity passed Bush's lips. They clapped politely when they had to, and otherwise pretty much sat there looking bored. For that matter, much of the applause from the other side of the aisle seemed rather perfunctory as well.
Nobody's afraid of George W. Bush anymore.
Nor should they be. It took 9/11 to make Bush look like anything more grand than the petty criminal and failed businessman that he is -- and two failed wars have rubbed off all the shine on his conqueror's crown.
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It could be Kerry. It could even be Hillary or Lieberman. But right now, I suspect that Dean will take his real, personable passion to New Hampshire, shake babies, kiss hands and come out a clear winner next week. The Clintons are desperately hoping that Clark can put a dent in him, and it might happen. But New Hampshire is not Iowa. The vote totals will stand as cast, and not be modified by the losing candidates' ability to transfer their support to the "not Deans." That's going to cost Kerry some, and it's going to cost Edwards dearly.
From here, it still looks like a Dean v. Bush race. And I don't think that Bush can win such a race, even discounting the high likelihood that Dean will be vindicated by carnage, some time in the next 10 months, in his statement that Saddam's capture has not made America safer.
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Next installment: Third party prospects.
# We the People Foundation - Give Me Liberty 2004: First Annual National Conference - this conference takes place in Arlington, Virginia, tomorrow through Saturday. For $75, you can watch it live on the net and receive a video tape. Scheduled to appear: Dr. Alan Keyes, Joseph Sobran, Joseph Farah, Larry Pratt, Aaron Russo, Angel Shamaya, Angela "Bay" Buchanan, Mark Lane, G. Edward Griffin, Arch McColl III, Larry Becraft, Vernice Kuglin, Joe Banister, John Turner, Sherry Jackson, Jan Linday, Hutton Gibson, Clay Conrad, Paul Chappell, ...
# bob lonsberry - They're Lucky They Don't Live in China - Bob tells the Humane Society extremists to go boink themselves. Hehe. [trt-ny]
Dogs can't be outside in New York anymore unless they have access to a warm, dry and insulated shelter. And if a passerby thinks your dog lacks these things he can call 911 on you. And if the little pretend Humane Society cops come around they can come on your property and take your dog and fine you.
I swear, we need to outlaw Animal Planet.
And we need to return to a world where people mind their own business and there is a little bit of common sense.
Don't get me wrong, I love animals. I just also happen to love humans and freedom. And I believe that the Humane Society types are nothing more than animal rights extremists dressed up in non-profit status under color of law. In New York, they even have police powers and carry a sidearm and a badge. It's an odd cross between Barney Fife, Rambo and those PETA people.
# Vin Suprynowicz at The Las Vegas Review-Journal - Can't they shut these people up? - commentary on Stephen Pound's response to the BBC "Listener's Law" poll.
"But yesterday, 26,000 votes later, the winning proposal was denounced as a `ludicrous, brutal, unworkable blood-stained piece of legislation' -- by Stephen Pound, the very MP whose job it is to try to push it through Parliament," reports Independent Media Editor Vincent Graff.
Mr. Pound's reaction was provoked by the news that the winner of Today's "Listeners' Law" poll was a plan to allow homeowners " 'to use any means to defend their home from intruders' -- a prospect that could see householders free to kill burglars, without question," Graff reports in a story The Independent headlined "MP calls Radio 4 listeners `bastards' over vigilante vote."
"The people have spoken," the Labour MP replied when advised of the vote, "... the bastards."
# Paco Kelly at Gunblast - Latest Reloading Manuals from Nosler, Hornady and Lee - short commentary on three new reloading manuals. I bought the new Lee manual a few months back and have been very happy with it. [gunblast]
