Thoughts on the State of the Union Address

As previously mentioned, I didn't watch the speech last night. I've read the transcript, and have the following thoughts. Quotes from the speech are italicized.

Congratulations, Madam Speaker.
Barf. I know one must play nice, and I certainly am not opposed to a woman in the Speaker's chair, but Nancy Pelosi? I will say one thing about her - she's about as left as they come, and probably still too conservative for the district she represents!

On budget "earmarks":
These special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour...over 90 percent of earmarks never make it to the floor of the House and Senate - they are droed into committee reports that are not even part of the bill that arrives on my desk. You did not vote them into law. I did not sign them into law. Yet they are treated as if they have the force of law. The time has come to end this practice.
AMEN, brother! The President says that $18 billion of extra expenditures were added to the budget this way in 2005. Ridiculous, and probably un-Constitutional to boot!

Finally, to keep this economy strong we must take on the challenge of entitlements. Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of conscience - and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound. Yet we are failing in that duty - and this failure will one day leave our children with three bad options: huge tax increases, huge deficits, or huge and immediate cuts in benefits.
How about we start with Constitutionally authorizing those programs? I agree with you Mr. President, but forget it. The Dems won't play on any common sense solution, privatization in particular, that would actually help the situation. Furthermore, "huge tax increases" isn't a bad option to them, it's the primary point of attack.

I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance...Families with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $15,000 of their income.
I never saw a tax cut I didn't like. ROCK ON! Dems won't go for it though.

States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and sick.
Emphasizing the private sector option, good. However, I still want somebody to show me where the Congress is Constitutionally authorized to spend money this way.

[P]rotect good doctors from junk lawsuits by passing medical liability reform.
Too late W. The only chance for much-needed tort reform would have been with a Republican Congress.

No quotes, but the President's comments on illegal immigration read as soft and limp. Complete enforcement first. Round up and deport all illegal immigrants second. Come up with "guest woker" or whatever you want to call it programs third. That's the way it should be.

Energy issues. Good that he mentioned increasing use of nuclear power. Stepping up domestic production, even better. Increasing fuel efficency standards, probably won't do a whole lot since consumption increases will likely outstrip efficency gains.

Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned, and our own security at risk. Ladies and gentlemen: on this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. So let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.
Too weak! Will somebody please come forth and state that there are only two outcomes possible in war? Outcome 1: complete unconditonal surrender of our enemies. Outcome 2: if they won't surrender, then they will be completely and totally annihilated. That is how war should be waged! Churchill said it best: "Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory no matter how long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival!"

Overall, not too much to be upset about. It matters not though, because the lefties will forever stand in the way of anything productive.