State of the Union

President Bush is set to give his annual State of the Union address on the 23rd of this month. A little history for you: the tradition started with George Washington's presidency but was discontinued in 1801 by Thomas Jefferson as too "monarchical." After that, the president sent a written address to Congress which was read by a clerk. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson re-instated the State of the Union address in its present form although some presidents have chosen to send a written address since then.

A website has compiled the text of all the State of the Union addresses since 1790. It really gives insight in to the history of our country and what was on the minds of the people. A lot can be learned from these speeches.

So, what should we look forward to in this year's address?

The news agencies are speculating that President Bush will address energy issues and, as last year, discuss steps that America needs to take to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Another announcement that seems to be forthcoming at the State of the Union address is a "surge" in troop levels in Iraq. The reports are that the President will send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. This is the complete opposite of the recommondations Iraq Study Group Report and not what the majority of Americans want.

In my opinion, very few can make a more compelling, factual, heart-felt argument than Keith Olberman does on his Countdown show. On January 2nd, he stated his thoughts on sending more troops to Iraq in no uncertain terms. It was one of the angriest I've ever seen him.

It's in two parts. Enjoy!

Part 1:

Part 2: