State of the Union: The simulblog

9:03 PM: Kudos to Mr. Bush's speech writing staff for weaving Martin Luther King into the end of the address. If it isn't a coincidence, it gives the address a beautifully circular nature – from the mourned widow to the fallen leader himself.

And what a great closing after that comment:

Before history is written down in books, it is written in courage. Like Americans before us, we will show that courage and we will finish well. We will lead freedom's advance. We will compete and excel in the global economy. We will renew the defining moral commitments of this land. And so we move forward - optimistic about our country, faithful to its cause, and confident of victories to come.

It's over now. 51 minutes all told.

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8:56 PM: No question about it, Mr. Bush is speaking like a genuine conservative. He is standing in front of the very embodiment of big government – Congress itself – and just managed to preach personal responsibility:

These gains are evidence of a quiet transformation - a revolution of conscience, in which a rising generation is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life of fulfillment.

This is welcome rhetoric from a president who had some beginning to wonder if he truly shared the values of Ronald Reagan or if he had fallen for the big government trap. Don't get me wrong – still a lot of federal proposals running around in this speech, but it is refreshing to see Mr. Bush advocating personal responsibility in lieu of entitlements and handouts.

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8:44 PM: We've come a long way since Mr. Bush was accused of being in the pocket of big oil and not being able to pronounce the word “nuclear.” He just got major applause for managing the latter task as part of a proposal to prove the former equally errant:

The best way to break this addiction is through technology. Since 2001, we have spent nearly 10 billion dollars to develop cleaner, cheaper, more reliable alternative energy sources - and we are on the threshold of incredible advances. So tonight, I announce the Advanced Energy Initiative - a 22-percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants; revolutionary solar and wind technologies; and clean, safe nuclear energy.

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8:44 PM: Perhaps Social Security reform in Mr. Bush's White House isn't dead after all:

So tonight, I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of Baby Boom retirements on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. This commission should include Members of Congress of both parties, and offer bipartisan answers. We need to put aside partisan politics, work together, and get this problem solved.

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8:42 PM: The comments on tax relief and making tax cuts permanent are being about as well received as an episode of “Question Time” in the British parliament. I am pretty sure Democrats were audibly booing Mr. Bush at a rather notable level while Republicans clapped through the line:

Because America needs more than a temporary expansion, we need more than temporary tax relief. I urge the Congress to act responsibly, and make the tax cuts permanent.

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8:36 PM: Looking for a bridge between foreign policy and domestic politics? There it is – The Patriot Act.

And now he is directly addressing the surveillance program that Democrats thought would make him look bad. So far this evening, he has directly addressed troop casualities and his enemies' biggest domestic gripe – I am getting the feeling that Mr. Bush is either the least timid leader we've had in a long time or just utterly amused by the absurdity of his political opponents' childish arguments.

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8:32 PM: Even the evening's first non-terror item is foreign in nature:

We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, and the drug trade.

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8:30 PM: The networks are now 30 minutes into their coverage – an entire sitcom's worth of air time – and Mr. Bush is yet to mention a single domestic agenda item, other than his brief tribute to Ms. King. This is a president who will be defined by a bold foreign policy and he seems perfectly content with such. Unorthodox for sure, but in this era, not necessarily a bad thing.

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8:27 PM: Major gamble highlighting a troop death, but reading from Marine Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's letter seems to have paid off poignantly. His family may have also gotten one of the longer standing ovations in recent State of the Union history.

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8:23 PM: I wish the camera would have shown Russ Feingold after Mr. Bush's well-versed potshot at the far left:

The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home. As we make progress on the ground, and Iraqi forces increasingly take the lead, we should be able to further decrease our troop levels – but those decisions will be made by our military commanders, not by politicians in Washington, D.C.

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8:22 PM: No surprise that terrorism is the night's opening theme – Mr. Bush is even more comfortable with a foreign agenda than most second term presidents. And he isn't shying away from Iraq either: “In a time of testing, we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders. If we were to leave these vicious attackers alone, they would not leave us alone. They would simply move the battlefield to our own shores. There is no peace in retreat. And there is no honor in retreat.”

He just dropped an “evil empire” reference too – I doubt it's a coincidence; the parallel is a unique one, though. This nation has shifted its focus from a “godless” Soviet Union to an enemy of religion turned into radicalism. Both fights are great; the parallel just isn't a natural one.

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8:17 PM: He has opened with a reflective tone – “We have gathered under this Capitol dome in moments of national mourning and national achievement. We have served America through one of the most consequential periods of our history – and it has been my honor to serve with you.”

Then he pivoted to a progressive tone – “To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another – and I will do my part. Tonight the state of our Union is strong – and together we will make it stronger.”

Now he is mixing the two with great ease, moving between 9/11 and the present, even dropping a juxtaposition of 1945 and the present: “In 1945, there were about two dozen lonely democracies on Earth. Today, there are 122.”

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8:12 PM: I love that NBC's first individual cut away (not sure if this is a pool feed or not) was to John Kerry. The loser in the crowd; the winner at the podium. And Mr. Kerry looked just a touch constipated by my estimation.

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Alright, the simulblog starts now. Updates will be posted at the top of this dispatch, not bottom. I'll also try to informally time stamp each update to give an idea of the evening's progression.