Yesterday afternoon, as I walked to the floor for a vote, I passed a TV monitor in a colleague’s waiting room. Reporters were discussing the upcoming State of the Union address. The headline on the screen read "salvaging a legacy."
It struck me – that was it exactly. Here, in his last State of the Union address, President Bush was trying to put a new spin on the decisions he made and the policies he put forward during his two terms in office. He was trying to salvage his legacy.
If you watched the address last night, my guess is you heckled and yelled at your TV more than once in response to some things the president said. And you probably noticed me or the other Democratic members of Congress whispering amongst each other. You may have been yelling while we were whispering in the chamber, but I bet we were all expressing the same sentiments.
Last night the president did not come close to rising to the occasion. At this moment when our nation’s economy is in distress, our infrastructure is crumbling, our reputation is deteriorating, uninsurance and unemployment are rising, this president had nothing bold to offer.
Yet, I remain excited that this year we have a chance to elect someone who does have something bold to offer.
I do have to say it’s amazing to be in the chamber and part of the pomp and circumstances of the State of the Union address.
Each group – the Senate, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court – enter the House Chamber as they are announced. This year it was really exciting to see the Democratic presidential candidates parade in with the rest of the Senate. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama received an exceptionally warm welcome as House Members crowded around to give hugs and well-wishes and you could hear all the cameras clicking from the House gallery.
When the president was announced, he received a polite welcome from all with a seemingly forced enthusiasm from the Republicans. But I know for a fact they are anxious to have a new person leading their party. Many of my Republican colleagues view Bush as the president who brought their party down—and they can’t wait for a new face at the bully pulpit.
Finally, there’s something we can all agree on.