Underwhelming SOTU

Since I was a small child, and long before I was ever interested in politics, I've hated Presidential State of the Union addresses. They invariably pre-empted my favorite show and forced me to find something else to occupy my time. Given my feelings towards the chimperor, it probably goes without saying that my attitudes towards them haven't changed much.

However, the presidential speechwriters and advisors totally phoned in last night's speech. In previous ones, even if one was watching them to pick Shrub apart, one always had some grand, overarching concept as a reward for watching. Whether it was the Iraq war, the dismemberment of Social Security or even plans to put a human on "Mars, B!tch3s!", there was always the visionary idea tossed in.

Last night, the best we got was a bold stance against hybrid human-animal cloning. Somewhere in the White House at this moment, there is a seriously hungover speechwriter holding his aching head but laughing his @$$ off over that one, still unable to believe they let him slip that bit in.

In what has now become commonplace, Chimpy railed against the excesses and failings of the government over which he has presided for the last 6 years. He reiterated his pledge to cut in half the massive deficit which he created. He spewed pleasant words about education, for which he cut funding. And he boldly suggested that we need to reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil; the dependence which was strengthened by Dick Cheney's energy task force.

So, lacking the single visionary jewel, this was just another example of the Republicans who control the entire government railing against the fat cats in Washington.

Personally, while it was on, I was doing my usual "SOTU activity, and was thoroughly engaged in a cutthroat game of Hide and Seek. Glad I didn't miss anything.