President Bush’s State of the Union came early this year, and that was no accident.
Delivered one day after the Iowa caucuses and a week before the New Hampshire primary, the speech was designed to steal the political spotlight from the president’s Democratic rivals, to contrast their battle with the trappings of a man already in that office and, of course, to spell out his re-election plan.
The speech included a vigorous defense of the administration’s war on terror at home and abroad, and called on Congress to enact key domestic initiatives — everything from extending tax cuts to supporting abstinence programs in schools. This hour on The Connection we assess the state of the speech, with reaction from Democratic candidate Retired General Wesley Clark.
Guests:
Alan Murray, Washington bureau chief and anchor, CNBC;
Nolan Finley, editorial page editor, The Detroit News;
Democratic candidate Retired General Wesley Clark
Charles Saunders, President of Saunders Thread Company in Gastonia, North Carolina;