Opinion of Bush's 2006 State of the Union Address

[Citizen James]

1) He said the abortion rate is down, and it isn't.  Because of his idiotic abstinence policy, abortion rates have gone UP not down.

http://www.factcheck.org/article330.html

Politicians from Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Howard Dean have recently contended that abortions have increased since George W. Bush took office in 2001.

This claim is false. It's based on an an opinion piece that used data from only 16 states. A study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute of 43 states found that abortions have actually decreased. Update, May 26: The author of the original claim now concedes that the Guttmacher study is "significantly better" than his own.

Looking at Guttmacher's statistics, I can find no indication of any major change in the abortion rate up or down.  In fact, the data ends at 2002, so there is little information to support either point of view.   I recognize that the lack of data reflects most poorly on those making the claims, but I never particularly liked Hillary anyway.

Further, the downward trend is not new - the abortion rate has been steadily declining since the early 80's, with a signifigant drop under Clinton (which according to Guttmacher was due to the approval of "emergency contraception" - something many social conservatives oppose.

I know it can take a while to compile and interperet data, but I am curious as to what trend more recent data has taken, if anyone has access to it.

(I had class during the speech, but I'll read it shortly).

[Citizen James]

Looked over the transcript - negative

Lots of vague glittering generallities, a number of half-truths, and the usual all-or-nothing/my way or the highway tripe which is red meat for the partisan hardcore but comes across as completely clueless for anyone living in a reality based world.

Highlights - he indirectly admitted that "a failed state" (reading between the lines, Afganistan) was behind 9/11, not Iraq.

Made some (probably empty) promises about overcoming our dependence of foriegn oil and strengthing our borders (after he slashed the funding and staff for the border patrol from the higher rates of the previous administration).

Lowlights:

 two houses, two parties - paralell structure, but are the libertarians offended?

Iran - are his neocon advisors so drunk with power and poisoned by groupthink that they think we can enter a third war (and second optional war of his administration) without instituting a full draft (rather than just the back door one that he is abusing our reserves with) - or is he just saber rattling to appease the knuckle dragging jingoists who help fill out the neo-con's numbers?

His excuse for ignoring the FISA was as lame as ever.   FISA already authorizes emergency wiretap now - get permission within 48 hours later (sort of like morning after permission).  He just doesn't want to give up his Nixonesque abuses of power.

Jobs - there hasn't so much been major job gains, as some of the jobs lost in his first administration have finally started hiring.  Good news to be sure - but no miracle.  It's like buying something that's doubled in price, then been marked down 20%.  (He uses the same trick in many of his 'funding' inititives as well).

Crime stats - Though it is true that violent crime is down since the 70's - a lot of that is because of the nosedive it took in the 90's - the Available data shows it's been on the decline since 1993, certainly not something he can take credit for without at least crediting his predicessor.

Similarly, though Juvinile drug abuse is down from 2001, it is up from 2002 (and down from 2003 - it's somewhat flat).  Unfortunately, adult drug abuse continues to rise steadily.

Thank you, and God bless America, and protect us from the fools we have chosen to lead us.