State of the Union address.

I could only watch 6 minutes of it. The man has no problem lying. I turned it off when he went into the tax cut where every American will get an average tax savings on over $1000 dollars. Let me explain how an "average" works. My boss came into my office yesterday while me and a co-worker were talking. He said that he had great news! Our raises had just been approved and we each got an average raise of $1000. I was ecstatic! Then he said that he got $2980 and my co-worker and I got $10 each. I am so glad Nancy Pelosi grimaced and shook her head no as he was saying it.

While I didn't have to watch it, I did track it. Daily Kos has a running commentary on it. Many people were posting on the comment pages, so there is a lot of reaction if you want to read it. The pundits are praising it. It now. I am sure they are going on about how bold it was. Actually what little I saw was not good. The people on Daily Kos found it lacking also, in substance and style.

Hacked from Atrios, who evidently got it from Schmanda. There are some good comments over on Atrios' blog also.

      your note []

Anti-war protesters in Atlanta

WSBTV: War protesters take to metro Atlanta streets.

11 Alive: Anti-war protests hit Atlanta.

Members of the group Not In Our Name spread out over the metro area and set up what they called “no war zones” along major intersections. 

Supposedly the protestors were at 50+ intersections. Media coverage only covered a few, and downplayed the size of the demostrations. The idiots on talk radio got into the spirit, however.

“People in America who don’t get it...They all need to be shipped over there and be treated like [how] Saddam treats his people,” said one caller.

The caller seemed to forget that the right to protest is one of America's most fundamental and important rights. She, I heard this quote on a newscast and it was a woman, also does not seem to know that Iraq is more progressive than most of our Arab allies. If it wasn't for our sanctions, conditions in Iraq would be much better than in most other middle eastern countries. Well, except if you are a Kurd and Saddam is gassing you with assistance from a former Republican-led US government.

WSBTV placed the protest numbers at 400. They also got a few nice quotes, including one from a veteran.

Eric Jacobs served during the Gulf War. He said he is opposed to a new war.

"I don't believe Iraq is much of a threat," he said.

Said protestor Susan Cookson: "People are thinking twice about what's going on and looking for proof (because) we haven't seen any."

      your note []

They will say bold and brilliant no matter what he says.

NY Times: A credibility problem.

Bush will give his State of the Union Address tonight. How will it be received?

We can be sure that some pundits will acclaim the speech as bold and brilliant; they would do that if he read from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar."

Yeah, but he would probably have a hard time reading that.

Okay, the upsidedown book photograph is a hoax, but I still like it.

      your note []

Governor Perdue quickly shows that he has no backbone at all.

11 Alive News: Perdue addresses budget and flag.

AJC: Perdue plots new course.

11 Alive News: Democrats to oppose tax hikes.

"Let us decide and let us move forward," the new Republican governor said in his first State of the State address to the Legislature. "I'm willing to trust the people of Georgia to make the best decision for Georgia and I trust you are, too."

What he decided was to have a non-binding referendum on the flag. He wants no voice in what choices are on the ballot or when the referendum takes place. After the vote, he will allow the legislature to make the decision about what to do. In other words: "Leave me alone, you guys do it. I don't want anything to do with it. I know nothing!" He does look a little bit like Sgt. Schultz.

On the tax issue, Perdue initially announced plan to scale back the homeowners tax relief program instituted by Barnes four years ago, part of his overall strategy for managing the state's budget in an economic slump.

He drew a standing ovation after declaring he will leave the program intact and make it permanent because he has found other ways to balance the budget.

Yeah he found the money, after the people of Georgia started burning up the ears of all their elected officials opposing this move. Where did this self proclaimed businessman find the money to do away with the tax cuts he insisted we need for fiscal stability and responsibility?

Perdue told reporters at a briefing before the speech that he would delay by one day from June 30, 2004, to July 1, 2004, paychecks for government employees for that June pay period. The one-day delay in payment would push a $200 million expense into the 2005 budget and give the governor time to look for ways to cut expenses other than the homestead exemption.

Basically he is stealing the money from the following year. We still need to pay for the homestead exemption, it is just that Perdue can push it away a year and not look at it right now. Sounds similar to Fred Sanford sneaking outside and putting the bills back into the mailbox, and saying he never got them. This is the man who is going to restore Georgia to fiscal responsibility?

Moving paychecks back one day did not cover all of the money needed to fund the homestead exemption. More was needed. Where did our education Governor get this additional money? He found a good chunk of it in the supplemental budget, where he cut a portion of the education funding. Now we have Perdue not giving teachers raises, the Democrats are trying to reinstate the tenure system for teachers preventing administrators from firing poor performing educators, and Perdue cutting supplemental funding for education in general. How much lower than 50th can we go?

I am thinking, with a little pressure we can get old "Moon Pie" to back off the sin taxes he is proposing on alcohol and tobacco. I don't mind those taxes, but Perdue doesn't seem to have the backbone to stick to any of his plans.

In their rebuttal, Georgia Democrats said they are opposing raising any taxes right now. They would rather cut spending.

"Unfortunately, Governor Perdue still wants to raise taxes by more than $400 million," [Democratic Lt. Governor Mark] Taylor said. "Georgia Democrats oppose raising taxes to balance the budget. Taking more money from your wallets, from your homes, from your children should be the last resort, not the first."

"It's the wrong time, it's the wrong way and we'll fight it," he said.

Which party sounds more like fiscal conservatives?

      your note []