According to the transcript of the (ongoing) State of the Union address, Bush has said/will say "free" or "freedom" 27 times (and that's actually down from his inaugural address). (Addendum: There's a fun State of the Union parsing tool at style.org.)
Quick spin highlights/lowlights:
Bush says he'll "cut the deficit in half": That's based on a year-old projection of what it would be, not what the deficit currently is (which is far lower than the projection). And that "half" claim doesn't include the cost of the Social Security accounts Bush is pushing so hard (among other things).
Social Security: The system isn't going to be "bankrupt" as Bush just suggested. In 2042 or 2052, depending on whose projections you like, the system will only be able to pay 73 percent of the benefits promised under current law. That's a problem, but it's hardly "bankrupt." (And for more on the language Bush used to describe the accounts, check out this article on CJR Daily).
Finally, I find it somehow fitting that cable company Adelphia, on the eve of the SOTU, announced that it will begin selling triple-X porn on pay-per-view in Los Angeles (and credit to the LA Times for delineating, in detail, the differences between single-, double- and triple-X porn).
Blue states, indeed.
Posted by bkeefer at February 2, 2005 09:42 PM