Don't do the SotU alone. Thanks to the Bus Project you don't have to:

State of YOUR Union. It's that time again... time to watch the State of the Union by President George W. Bush.  Watch it with the Bus over pints: meet up at ACME pub (SE 8th and Main) by 6pm.  Email [email protected] with questions.

The 'State of the Union' is turning into a GOP pyramid scheme

Among the many sub-plots to watch for in Wednesday's State of the Union address will be President Bush's appropriation of the words "freedom" and "liberty" for his agenda and the GOP.

As I've written before, the Republicans have dominated American policy debates through their manipulation and control of language. Whether through message discipline or superior framing (to use Lakoff's term), the GOP has won a succession of victories spanning tax reform, Medicare, environmental policy, and more.

Bush's 2005 State of the Union will be no exception to this strategy. Across both domestic and foreign policy, President Bush will position the Republicans as the party of "choice", "liberty" and "freedom." The dangerous and unneccessary privatization of Social Security through "personal accounts" will provide Americans greater freedom and control over their retirement security. Irresponsible and inequitable tax cuts will give Americans freedom to spend their money. School vouchers empower parental choice. New proposals for the Bush "Ownership Society" will free individuals to control their financial destiny. And that is just the beginning.

For more, see:

"Hijacking Freedom"

FYI, here's a flashback to my write up of the 2004 SOTU. Though written with the 2004 elections in mind, I think the basic analysis still applies.

Even with his shaky State of the Union address and dipping approval ratings, President Bush unfortunately remains in a strong position for the 2004 election. Saddam is captured, GDP is surging, and his reelection war chest has a staggering $100 million in the bank. And while his Democratic foes battle each other in primary contests across the country, Bush used his prime-time address to the nation to unveil his future for America, one grandly titled the "Ownership Society."

The administration's Ownership Society vision, a theme that along with wartime leadership will highlight his reelection drive, seeks to address the president's vulnerability over the jobless recovery. It aims to create a new American homo economicus, armed for battle in the new economy. Faithful to the GOP's twin mantras of rugged individualism and free markets, the plan is to consolidate an array of federal programs with tax incentives for personal saving, retirement, job training, and health coverage, among others. Thus, the president will call on Americans to unite behind his dual crusades against terror abroad and joblessness at home.

Ironically, it is the public's growing realization that it is American national unity itself that is under attack by the GOP during a time of war that presents Democrats with their best chance for victory in 2004. In reality, the president and his party are creating an "Opt Out Society," a nation where Americans, while standing shoulder to shoulder against foreign foes, are divided and pitted against each other by an ideology of market worship, the privatization or abandonment of traditional government roles, and a radical individualism. Their Opt Out Society encourages Americans to withdraw their support from their country, their government, their communities, their schools and each other...

To read the whole piece, see:

"State of Disunion: A SOTU 2004 Flashback"

"Or, if SE is not convenient to you, just don't do the SotU.

Not like I need Dubya to lie to me about how it is. Besides, I'll read it at my leisure from the transcript later, along with the Democratic pre-response and re-response (Obama! Pick him!) and Lost is a rerun this week, anyway."

That's how I felt about the inaguration. Other than watching the Daily Show a few times, I spent about three days in an inaguration coverage-commentary black out.

Turns out I can't make it to the ACME. I'm leaning towards watching the last three episodes of the second season of the X-Files since the DVDs need to be returned to the library by Friday.

I told my dad today that if he watches the SotU, he should turn the sound off and place a a Post-it™ under the screen with "He's Lying" written on it.