On Tuesday night President Bush will deliver his sixth State of the Union Address. Based on what we have heard from the Drive-bys the speech will be a mix of things that both Republicans and Democrats want to hear…. What follows is a rough, unpolished version of what I wish the President would say.
Madame Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Tonight I bring a message of vision, direction, and victory to these hallowed halls.
It is time for us, the elected representatives of the American people, to progress an agenda that means the success of American interests at home and abroad. Tonight I will lay out the direction our country will embark during the last two years of my Presidency. It is my hope that our work on this plan will set a firm foundation for my Republican successor to carry to fruition.
The most pressing issue of our time is the Global assault on our values, freedoms, and ideals. America was founded on the truth that all men are created equal, that we are endowed by our creator the right to the pursuit of life, liberty, happiness. Over the past One Hundred Years, America has battled the forces of Fascism, Nazism, and Communism… these forces had as their goal the suppression of these fundamental truths and the control of mankind for their purposes. Today, in the twenty-first century, America is challenged again with forces intent on its destruction. The most vitriol and apparent of these forces is radical Islam and its terrorist minions.
On September 11, 2001 American was attacked for the thirteenth time in a decade by these radical enemies of mankind. This attack left 3,000 Americans dead and exposed American vulnerabilities. In the days following that attack I announced that America was stepping up to the challenge of the day and was now fully engaged in the Global War that was declared against us.
Tonight, as I speak to you, our service men and women are battling this evil on many fronts. They have overthrown regimes that supported terrorists and are working to build democratic, free governments that will support our global fight.
Unfortunately, our military is facing grave threats at home and abroad. On the frontlines they face a variety of dangers… From roadside bombs to the legitimate length of the time it takes to build a stable military for the countries we are assisting. At home they are endangered by a media that constantly beats down the American people with bad news and never good. The media does not report the great successes Iraq has enjoyed in ninety-percent of the country. They do not report the booming Iraqi economy, the developing infrastructure, and the true safety present in most regions of the country.
America and its armed forces also face the internal danger of a group of elected officials on both sides of the aisle that use the dangers of an Iraqi reconstruction period riddled with terrorism to their political advantage. Disgust over the armed conflict between men is human, I share this disgust… Anti-war rhetoric during a crucial, vital challenge to our way of life is immoral, irresponsible, and traitorous. Disagreements in the strategies of a way are normal and historic… Open calls for de-funding the military at the most crucial time in our history is criminal.
Many in this room will not like this accurate description of the state of our union. Their anger does not bloom from inaccuracy in my words, but its reality. It is to us the elected Government of the United States of America, to recognize the threats to our existence… Radical Islam and its Terror forces are hell-bent on our destruction. The evil leaders of this movement would send millions of their followers to their death just to get a bomb into this room tonight. They would not care if the first woman Speaker of the House was present. They would not care if a retired Marine, now Congressman, who openly calls for our withdrawal and retreat in this fight, died tonight. In their eyes, we are all Americans and should die.
Tonight I have laid out this account of the War on Terrorism not to offend those who oppose it… I mean only to remind the citizenry of what is at stake… This is not George Bush’s war as our distinguished Speaker has called it… This is America’s war and we must win it.
As the Commander in Chief of our military I will take whatever steps necessary to win this war. America will surge forces into the hostile regions of Iraq and stabilize it. The armed forces of evil on that front will be defeated and Iraq will continue on its path to freedom and democracy with America by their side.
We will further achieve victory over other states that sponsor or conduct terrorism. Sovereign nations that reform their approach, that cease hostile acts and plans, will be treated fairly by America. Those who continue to beat the battle drums will be meet with opposition.
Securing America means more than foreign wars, it means secure borders. My Administration will actively purse the steps necessary to secure our borders to the North and South. We will work with the Government of Canada to make our northern border airtight. Unfortunately the government of Mexico is less than willing to help secure our Southern border. We will take our own steps to make this border “airtight”. We will construct a fence from California to Texas. We will divert Federal dollars to build and strengthen our Border Patrol.
In addition we will purse individuals residing on our soil that are here illegally. They have broken our laws and must answer for their crime. America is a land of opportunity and we welcome those who want to pursue the American dream. We have laws in place that govern the relocation of people to our country. Violation of these laws will not be tolerated.
My administration will battle forces at home and abroad that mean to damage our efforts to secure our citizenry and our freedoms. Tonight, we must recognize that terrorism is not the only danger we face… Our country is in danger through the overspending and overtaxing that we, the government, have allowed. My administration will launch in the coming days a plan to address the out of control spending that this Government engages in… I will appoint a Federal Spending Czar that will bring together Democrats and Republicans to look at the massive government bill… The committee will form recommendations to slash government spending and cut waste. The United States of America will honor its commitments as designed by our founders. We will fund the defense of our nation, we will care for those who cannot care for themselves, and we will support, not fund the citizenry in their pursuit of happiness.
Further we will look at the tax code and modes of taxation currently inflicted on the American people. Paying taxes to support the basic tenants of Government is part of the call on being a citizen. However, the hard earned money of Americans should not go to waste. My administration will unveil a new tax plan that will significantly reduce the citizen’s tax bill.
During the first year of my administration we partnered with Democrats to launch “No Child Left Behind”, a plan to fix our Public Education System. Today, American still lags behind many other Western Nations in scholastic performance. We will again pursue vouchers that will allow everyone access to private school education. We will introduce competition into the delivery of education in our country. Competition in the economy has made our country great… Competition will force schools to improve or they themselves will be left behind. America will become the world leader in Education.
As of today there are a multitude of empty seats on the Federal Judiciary. I will be sending names to Congress for approval. I expect an up or down vote on each nominee. It is our duty to ensure that the Judiciary be staffed appropriately to carry out the business the people expect.
These are but a few of the important issues facing our country. I pledge the vigorous pursuit of our responsibilities during the last phase of my administration. I will use my weekly radio address to keep the American people updated on our progress. I will further address the American people directly from the Oval Office and from the heartland. I will tell them bluntly of our progress and our setbacks. I will tell them of our successful partnerships and our opposition.
It is my hope that you will join with me to make America secure and prosperous. I thank you for you time and May God Bless America.
