The Other State Of the Union. In three days President Bush will issue his State of the Union speech. What he won't say is any truth about the state of our nation that would put any negative light upon his administration. The number of items he won't want the American people to focus on are many. Some of the major items he won't mention or will spin appear below.
The Economy – A jobless economic recovery is a fact to date. Yes, there was a fluke two months ago when net job creation spiked only to be followed by another indicating only 1000 jobs created. The Washinton Post states:
More than 2 million manufacturing jobs have been lost nationwide over the past three years. Administration officials knew that job creation would be the last part of an economic recovery to kick in, but they were taken aback by a Labor Department report last week showing that only 1,000 jobs were added to payrolls in December.
The Post further states the Administration will use tax dollars to shore up job growth numbers with government spending – this from a President who used to say Government should be downsized and businesses should create jobs. The President also will not mention that the Greenville, Michigan-based Electrolux factory announced it was laying off 2,700 workers.
Nor will the President indicate what manufacturer's had to say this week in a NY Times article which states:
In an otherwise buoyant report, the National Association of Manufacturers predicted that factories would add 250,000 jobs in the next 12 months – less than 10 percent of the 2.8 million they cut in the last three years.
And even that outlook may be optimistic. Manufacturing companies added barely that many jobs during the previous two economic recoveries, and productivity increases have been so high over the last year that demand for workers could climb more slowly than in the past.
And it just keeps getting worse as we may be discovering the white collar jobs may be going the way of manufacturing jobs as reported by Robert J. Samuelson in an editorial entitled The Specter of Outsourcing.
The President also won't mention the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) warning appearing on Jan. 7 that our national debt being created by this Administration and Republican Congress threatens not only the U.S. economy but that of the entire world's.
Iraq – The President is not going to reveal that the Iraqis have one plan for a direct vote to install what is hoped will be a lasting democracy, but his Administration is telling them no, you can't do that, we want caucuses that will involve far fewer Iraqis voting and provide more control over the voting process. Additionally. the Presdent is not going to discuss another setback in Iraq, the desire of the Iraqi's to decide if and how long American troops remain in Iraq. NY Times.
Nor will the President mention the soaring suicide rates among our troops in Iraq, nor many troops scoffing at a proposed $10,000.00 reenlistment bonus: strong evidence that our troops morale is falling and GI sentiment toward the Administration is changing as it extends tours of duties dashing troop's hopes of coming home when they thought they would.
Health Care – The Bush Adminstration did reveal on Jan. 8 that health spending accounts for nearly 15 percent of the nation's economy, the largest share on record. What the President won't mention is that the Medicare overhaul bill which he refused to veto contains language preventing any negotiations by Medicare administrators to reduce prescription drug costs for senior citizens. And the law prevents middle class Medicare recipients from purchasing private insurance to cover the gaps that Medicare does not provide for. Those gaps will be substantial for a great many recipients.
Education – The President will not reveal to the American people the criticisms of his No Child Left Behind initiative like these reported in the CS Monitor.
The requirements don't come with enough new money to pay for them. The new focus on the worst-off kids means the gifted children are now being left behind. The law is prompting some states – which must each create their own tests – to game the system by setting low standards.
Nor will the President have much to offer students facing rocketing college costs because the pressure is on to trim the deficits caused by Iraq, starwars research, putting towns on Mars, 1.5 Billion for promoting heterosexual marriages, and tax cuts, upon tax cuts, upon tax cuts.
War on Terrorism – Nor will the President mention the scathing report from the Army War College. A Washington Post writer Ricks states:
A scathing new report published by the Army War College broadly criticizes the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism, accusing it of taking a detour into an “unnecessary” war in Iraq and pursuing an “unrealistic” quest against terrorism that may lead to U.S. wars with states that pose no serious threat.
Reversals – The President will not discuss how he is having to back down from so many of his original positions evidencing claims of his being a student President, learning from mistakes which others must pay for. Some of these reversals are: White House Wants U.N. to Return to Iraq. Reversal of his steel tariffs imposed upon China. Acting Conciliatory, U.S. Seeks to Revive Global Trade Talks. After years of steps toward improvement in U.S.- Cuban relations, Jan. 8 finds this headline: U.S. Halts Cuban Immigration Talks; Worsening of Ties Seen. The Bush Adminstration made headlines when it announced there would be no Iraq contracts for the coalition of the unwilling. Recent headlines indicate reversal on this mistaken position as the U.S. announces Canada can bid on contracts and Germany, France and Russia are being reviewed for reversal as well. [Third Party & Independents Watchblog]