Thanks for reminding us about the wonderful Wesley Autrey. What an amazing man. He just exuded love and joy. Will he be ruined by all this attention? I hope not. I want a picture of that hug, too.
Regarding Baby Einstein Mom – I think Bush was celebrating her entrepreneurialship. That’s a good thing. She looked too small to jump down in a subway and rescue a full grown man. ;o)
I’ll tell you one thing that honked me off – those elected women who couldn’t keep their hands off the Prez. One of them was acting positively ridiculous. So unprofessional, and it gives the MSM a picture to compare with Bubba and Monica. Come on, my fellow women – control your Estrogen!

Sioux on January 24, 2007 at 4:28 pm

Thought it was a great speech, and a great delivery. I was proud that I voted for him. He’s not perfect, nobody is,but certainly far better than the that pathetic jerk Kerry,who went to Iraq for a photo-op with our soldiers after his lousy remark about them and was forced to pose with the British.
DEFINITELY BETTER THAN KERRY, BUT THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE STANDARD OR BENCHMARK. THAT’S A PRETTY LOW STANDARD.
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL

Tim on January 24, 2007 at 4:52 pm

How can you say he’s for Hezballah, when he in the words of Jim Zogby ” held Israel’s coat for 3 weeks” to give them a chance to clean up Hezballah. He and Condi held off the cease fire for that time, under a lot of pressure, while Israel diddled and sacrificed troops in furtive small raids instead of doing the job right.
NO-ONE SAID, “HE’S FOR HEZBOLLAH,” BUT CLEARLY BUSH TRIED TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND REHABILITATE THEIR IMAGE UNTIL, SUDDENLY, THIS SUMMER, HE WOKE UP. AND IT WAS ALREADY FAR TOO LATE. A YEAR AGO, HE AND CONDI CLUELESS WERE STILL FLOATING IDEAS (ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES) TO RECOGNIZE HEZBOLLAH.
IT’S NOT LIKE THE HEZBO MURDER OF OVER 300 US MARINES AND CIVILIANS, THE TRAINING OF AL-QAEDA TERRORISTS IN IRAQ AND ELSEWHERE, THE BLOWING UP OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER AND ISRAELI EMBASSY, AND THE KHOBAR TOWERS AND U.S. EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN EAST AFRICA WERE ALL THINGS THAT HAPPENED *AFTER* BUSH AND CONDI MADE SEVERAL YEARS OF EFFORTS TO RECOGNIZE THE GROUP. ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAPPENED BEFORE OR DURING. BUT IT’S LIKE THEY NEVER READ A PAPER OR A HISTORY BOOK ON THIS TOPIC–THEY WERE HELL BENT TO REHAB THE GROUP. GLAD HE FINALLY DISCOVERED AMERICA AND RECOGNIZED THAT HEZBOLLAH IS A THREAT. BUT IT’S FRANKLY WELL PAST TOO LATE.
AND SINCE HE NOW RECOGNIZES WHAT AN EVIL GROUP IT IS, WHY IS HE STILL INVITING OPEN HEZBOLLAH SUPPORTERS AND DEFENDERS TO THE WHITE HOUSE AND HAVING WHOLE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES PANDER TO THEM? YOU CANNOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. BUT HE’S TRYING TO.
DEBBIE SCHLUSSEL

Tim on January 24, 2007 at 5:10 pm

Dear Debbie:
You are persceptive on this: “get off oil dependence while I fete the Saudis”
This year was no different. 6 years after convening a secret meeting of CEOs of America’s largest petro-chemical companies, President Bush is once again claiming to “get serious” about reducing “oil” (the proper term is “petroleum”).
You would think his speech last night was meant to fire a warning shot accross the bow of the Saudi petro-chemical lobby, but that would be wrong. The reason it’s wrong is because he ALSO proposed doubling the size of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. At record price-per-barrel prices, President Bush has proposed giving U.S. Taxpayer dollars directly to the Saudis. And the word “giving” is generous because the Saudis cannot extract or ship oil without American workers to do the work and American soldiers next door in Kuwait and Iraq to protect them.
I have long said that the strategic path to victory in the war against Islamic terrorism is the elimination of petroleum as the prime mover of our transportation system. Americans now instinctively understand this even if they cannot articulate it.
I thought I’d mention this, just in case there are some Americans who were duped into believing that the President has finally gotten serious about cutting off the flow of American dollars to Saudi Arabia. It’s definitely business as usual.
Take care,
There is NO Santa Claus

There is NO Santa Claus on January 24, 2007 at 7:14 pm

I also thought the ordinary/extraordinary stories were the high point. How does any country with such feckless politicians and elites produce such men and women? Hollywood, fiction, theater, and art all deny the power and meaning of stories such as these.
Our fellow citizens are quite marvelous, and so are our traditional values.

PJ on January 24, 2007 at 9:37 pm

To find the most appropriate pic for last night, try Google Images and key in- Emperors Clothes. After 5 years, $500 billion, 3,000 soldiers lost, 20,000 soldiers wounded, many maimed for life, we find the mightiest country in the world cannot outthink, outsmart, a few thousand thugs. We are truly no better off than when we started. In fact, many are saying- No Way Out. Is that a success story? Laura, give him a GPS to find his way and a history book on successful military campaigns against resistance fighters and a few weeks off to catch up. Or maybe just read to him about how a handful of rag tag colonists outlasted the mighty English. He should give some serious thought to the words- I resign. In fact he and the veep might want to sing it as a duet. Kerry has come to his senses, maybe W is next? This is still a democracy, at least kind of. Speak up and shake up those 535 duly elected but elusive spirits representing you.

Happiness Pursuer on January 24, 2007 at 9:48 pm