February

A new month has arrived and the February calendar is already filled with tasks for me to complete. I just need some motivation. (Easier said than done.)

Last night was the occasion for the annual State of the Union address by the president. And once again I avoided listening to it. But I’m reading it this morning without the distraction of his voice. And I already see that Mr. Bush has become a “Waffler” and a “Flip Flopper”. How can that be? I thought that was only a Democratic Party problem?

The news this morning is filled with briefs on pertinent sections of the speech and you can download the entire text here. The text even includes those places where applause is required…so don’t forget to clap as you read!

One item of merit was his noting that Americans are addicted to oil. And since Bush has always resisted changing the CAFE requirements for automakers, I wonder if he has really changed his mind on that? This is a place where he needs to waffle. I would love to drive an American car that got 40 to 50 mpg; but there is nothing like that for sale…yet.

But…it’s time for a reality check. This was a speech written specifically for political purposes. It was designed by analysts to provide a good measure of comfort with just a hint of a challenge. We all love a good fight! In short; it was simply another speech and until the president and his cohorts get down to business, it will remain words on paper. Keep a copy of it on hand; you may want to refer to it next year at this same time.