Bush to have a final State of the Union address Monday night

[Give me liberty]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4197856&page=1

hmm

[derdy]

I wonder what he'll say?

Maybe he'll unveil his new comprehensive plan for dealing with people who have lost their homes due to the burst housing-bubble; the illegal immigration crisis; and the "homegrown terrorists" problem:





































http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g83/derdy01/femacamp2_dees.jpg

[pinkmandy]

Thank God! Now that's something to celebrate! LAST Bush State of the Union, hopefully FOREVER!!!!

[Ex Post Facto]

There won't be a Union of States to address within the next year.

[nate895]

There won't be a Union of States to address within the next year.

I fear this may come to pass.

You live in NC, how do people down there feel about a possible Clinton/Obama presidency?

[David805]

let me point out something i read.. Ron Paul will be introducing letters of impeachment for bush ether AT or after or sometime that day the 29th.

Thats just what i read

[Ex Post Facto]

I think that Dennis thats introducing them.

[RockEnds]

God, I hope it's his last state of the union address.

[kill the banks]

poppy bush will be proud ... banksters united progress report


kill the banks

[Kotin]

if things go socialist come to texas!


we are conservative and we already have a militia/military and then Ron Paul could run for our President!

[Caravello]

I wonder what he'll say?



$5 he mentions Iran and that they cannot be allowed to obtain nukes.

[Ex Post Facto]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120148684275021387.html?mod=googlenews_wsj


Bush to Pitch Free Trade
President to Push
Skeptical Congress
For Colombia Deal
By GREG HITT
January 28, 2008; Page A7

WASHINGTON -- President Bush will ask skeptical legislators not to spurn free trade, urging passage of a pact with Colombia in a State of the Union address expected to stress keeping the U.S. engaged in the highly competitive global economy.

Winning passage of the proposed trade pact with Colombia, and also pending deals with Panama and South Korea, is a priority for Mr. Bush in his final months in office. The Latin American nation is among the U.S.'s closest allies in a region simmering with anti-American sentiments, as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez uses his country's oil revenue to undermine U.S. influence.

In his speech tonight, Mr. Bush is expected to portray Colombia, which is struggling to get beyond its history of narcotics trafficking and violence, as a strategic partner worthy of closer economic ties.

For Mr. Bush, the State of the Union represents a chance to confront the increasing fear among lawmakers and voters that free trade is turning out to be a bad bargain for American workers and companies. Mr. Bush will talk about the "importance of trade to the U.S. economy and the importance of opposing the forces of protectionism and isolationism," a senior administration official said.

MORE ON PRESIDENT BUSH


• Can Bush Transcend His Own Record?
• Up Close: Bush's State of the Union Addresses
• How Presidents Stack Up: A Look at Approval Ratings
• Vote:How would you rate the state of the union?Mr. Bush's focus on trade tonight dovetails with a broader White House push to rebuild public support for the issue and propel the Colombia, Panama and South Korea deals -- all completed before Mr. Bush's trade negotiating authority expired -- through the Democratic Congress.

After Democrats took control of Congress last year, the president's trade negotiating authority wasn't renewed by lawmakers. The authority ensures trade deals can be pushed through Congress without amendment. That offers an incentive to potential trading partners to cut free-trade deals with the U.S., but critics say it erodes the power of Congress. Mr. Bush now has limited power to push for new deals abroad.

All three of the pending deals -- Colombia, Panama and South Korea -- were negotiated under the president's now lapsed "fast track" authority. Mr. Bush can still force a vote on any one of them on Capitol Hill, but he faces critical strategic decisions about when to move, especially with such uncertain support for continued expansion.

Expanded trade has been a priority for Mr. Bush throughout his two terms in office. The Bush administration helped launched the Doha Round of global trade talks, which Mr. Bush is also expected to mention in his State of the Union. He is expected to urge that the long-running negotiations -- beset by differences over how much to scale back global farm supports -- be brought to a conclusion. And the administration has negotiated a series of smaller deals, such as the Central American Free Trade Agreement, that have lowered trade barriers and created new markets for American exporters.

But amid the expansion of deals, public support for free trade has eroded sharply, as manufacturing jobs have moved offshore and middle-class incomes have stagnated.

Mr. Bush did persuade lawmakers last fall to approve a trade deal with Peru after many months of wrangling and a pledge to better reflect Democratic priorities in U.S. trade policy. But even with that commitment, a majority of House Democrats opposed the Peru deal. And amid the divisions, Democratic leaders have shown no interest in holding a vote this spring on Colombia. Not only have American unions sounded alarms about the history of violence against labor organizers in Colombia, but top Democratic presidential contenders have voiced concern about continued action on the Bush trade agenda.

"We can't afford more of the same," said Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who was among several lawmakers elected in 2006 while campaigning as skeptics of the Bush trade agenda. "His prescription of passing more NAFTA-style trade deals is throwing gasoline on a fire. Job-killing trade agreements shut down our factories, hurt our communities and send toxic toys into our children's bedrooms."

Unbowed, Mr. Bush is pushing forward. To help bolster support in Congress for the Colombia deal, top administration officials -- including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- are leading a series of lawmaker delegations to the country.

Write to Greg Hitt at greg.hitt@wsj.com

[Ex Post Facto]

This is gonna be a friggen drug and arms deal, to open up trade between latin countries for the NAU.

[derdy]

This is gonna be a friggen drug and arms deal, to open up trade between latin countries for the NAU.

These 'trade' deals just legalize what has been going on covertly and/or they allow corporations to do things they couldn't do covertly because some actions you can't keep a lid on.

[nodope0695]

I'll be sure to miss that...

I'm not a big fan of money bombs, but wouldn't that be a great time for all of us to give to the RP campaign?:D

[derdy]

I'll be sure to miss that...

I'm not a big fan of money bombs, but wouldn't that be a great time for all of us to give to the RP campaign?:D

You should've heard me during the last State of the Union. My friend and I were drinking and he was still a Bush supporter (he just registered to vote so he can vote for Paul) and he goes, "What's the point of watching this if you keep yelling at the TV?!"

:D

We both decided it was best to turn it off because I was getting pissed at GW and my friend was getting pissed at me.

[InLoveWithRon]

I'm not going to waste my time watching that lying coomie ugly mug on tv.

I'll see the trranscripts later.

[pinkmandy]

So now that there is massive friction between Venezuela and Colombia we must have free trade with Colombia? Timing is everything, isn't it?