In a speech before graduates of the Air Force Academy, Dubya compares the war on terror to WWII. And, a day after being called out by Dana Milbank for his straw men, Bush is at it again: “Some who call themselves realists question whether the spread of democracy in the Middle East should be any concern of ours.” Is that really the central argument being made by those dubious of our foray into Iraq? I don’t think so.
Category: Speechwriting
State of Fear.
In case you missed the State of the Union address last night, this cartoon anticipated the upshot: terror, terror, terror, 9/11, 9/11, fear, fear, fear, steroids, thank you, good night, and God bless the USA. It’s wonder they didn’t pass out little bloody shirts for the Congressional GOP to wave in unison. Well, while this New York Times news analysis of the speech sounds like it was written by the Bush campaign (he “quickly turned” to domestic issues? What is Todd Purdum talking about? Dubya was blathering on about scary, scary terrorists for at least 40 minutes), I gotta think that this speech might’ve played badly to any voters out there concerned about the economy, and this year as always, it’s still the economy, stupid.
Subways and Synonyms.
Two random and unrelated links for your perusal – First, What NYC Subway are you? (Via Fair Play and Substantial Justice.) Despite wanting to be the A-C-E or 1-9, since those are the ones I use, I kept getting the J-M-Z…Sigh.) Second, the Plumb Design Visual Thesaurus, which offers a spinning and strangely captivating wordweb for each entry you choose. It’s neat (syn.: peachy, keen, interesting, boffo…)
Chip off the old Block.
James Fallows on Bill Clinton on John Edwards, coming soon in The Atlantic Monthly. (In the meantime, you can peruse Fallows’ annotated version of Dubya’s State of the Union address.)
Get Your War On.
We’re clearly going to war, we’re giving all the old folks prescription drugs, we’re eliminating AIDS in Africa, and American taxpayers won’t have to pay a red cent. Anybody notice a problem? Dubya’s State of the Union promised a lot, including dividend goodies for the rich and flaming death to Saddam, but it didn’t say much about the actual State of the Union. At any rate, I was impressed with the AIDS initiative (although I’d be more impressed if he wasn’t getting advice from cranks like these), but otherwise didn’t think much of Dubya’s speech. I also doubt he changed anyone’s mind about the Iraq situation, but perhaps Secretary Powell’s speech next week will prove more fruitful. (Thacker link via Julian’s Jabberings.)
Be Karl Rove …
and make your own Bush speech. I wonder if this is the same interface they use to program the real Dubyabot.
Harvard jihad.
The jihad furor at Harvard‘s graduation dies down. (The speaker, a fellow with a knack for creating controversy, will undoubtedly go far.) This weekend is also my 5-year reunion up in Cambridge, but I’m bagging it (as are most of my closest friends from the old school.) Maybe I’ll make the tenth.
Man of the “People.”
Dana Milbank surveys one of Dubya’s more aggravating rhetorical tics.