2008 Woodie Awards
State of our union
Aaron Fetterman
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News
"[S]o long as we continue to trust the people, our nation will prosper, our liberty will be secure, and the state of our Union will remain strong," said George W. Bush to conclude his 2008 State of the Union address.
The main themes of his final speech were a trust in Americans to continually improve and a desire to keep our international position strong through alliances, aid, and measures to fight terrorism.
On the domestic economy, President Bush acknowledged that "growth is slowing." He asked Congress to pass his proposed $145 billion tax relief package, targeted towards middle-class Americans and mortgage rates. As he has every year except 2001 and 2007, he urged them to make the current tax cuts permanent. President Bush also vowed to veto any bill raising taxes that reached his desk.
Striking at bloated spending, President Bush said that he would "send … a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs, totaling more than $18 billion. The budget that I will submit will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012." He then vowed to veto any appropriations bill that "does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half."
President Bush also reported on agreements with Peru, Columbia, Panama, and South Korea that would help American businesses reach customers in their markets.
Throughout the portion of his State of the Union speech focusing on domestic issues, President Bush emphasized trust: trusting people with their money, homeownership, in making medical decisions, and trusting businesses to compete, innovate, and create.
He is also trusting people abroad to choose "freedom and peace." To support the war against terror, he is deploying 3,200 more troops to Afghanistan. President Bush also thinks that, because of the "Anbar Awakening," a grassroots effort against the terrorists, because of Iraqi troop levels, and because of the surge, the United States will be able to "return on success" and begin to bring the surge forces home.
The main themes of his final speech were a trust in Americans to continually improve and a desire to keep our international position strong through alliances, aid, and measures to fight terrorism.
On the domestic economy, President Bush acknowledged that "growth is slowing." He asked Congress to pass his proposed $145 billion tax relief package, targeted towards middle-class Americans and mortgage rates. As he has every year except 2001 and 2007, he urged them to make the current tax cuts permanent. President Bush also vowed to veto any bill raising taxes that reached his desk.
Striking at bloated spending, President Bush said that he would "send … a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs, totaling more than $18 billion. The budget that I will submit will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012." He then vowed to veto any appropriations bill that "does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half."
President Bush also reported on agreements with Peru, Columbia, Panama, and South Korea that would help American businesses reach customers in their markets.
Throughout the portion of his State of the Union speech focusing on domestic issues, President Bush emphasized trust: trusting people with their money, homeownership, in making medical decisions, and trusting businesses to compete, innovate, and create.
He is also trusting people abroad to choose "freedom and peace." To support the war against terror, he is deploying 3,200 more troops to Afghanistan. President Bush also thinks that, because of the "Anbar Awakening," a grassroots effort against the terrorists, because of Iraqi troop levels, and because of the surge, the United States will be able to "return on success" and begin to bring the surge forces home.
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