That pretty much says it all. Read on.

I want a bumper sticker that says “Subpoena Novak!”

–C

Published on Thursday, January 22, 2004 by the Boston Globe

Infiltration of Files Seen as Extensive

Senate Panel’s GOP Staff Pried on Democrats

by Charlie Savage

WASHINGTON — Republican staff members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee

infiltrated opposition computer files for a year, monitoring secret strategy

memos and periodically passing on copies to the media, Senate officials told

The Globe.

From the spring of 2002 until at least April 2003, members of the GOP

committee staff exploited a computer glitch that allowed them to access

restricted Democratic communications without a password. Trolling through

hundreds of memos, they were able to read talking points and accounts of

private meetings discussing which judicial nominees Democrats would fight —

and with what tactics.

The office of Senate Sergeant-at-Arms William Pickle has already launched an

investigation into how excerpts from 15 Democratic memos showed up in the

pages of the conservative-leaning newspapers and were posted to a website

last November.

With the help of forensic computer experts from General Dynamics and the US

Secret Service, his office has interviewed about 120 people to date and

seized more than half a dozen computers — including four Judiciary servers,

one server from the office of Senate majority leader Bill Frist of

Tennessee, and several desktop hard drives.

But the scope of both the intrusions and the likely disclosures is now known

to have been far more extensive than the November incident, staffers and

others familiar with the investigation say.

The revelation comes as the battle of judicial nominees is reaching a new

level of intensity. Last week, President Bush used his recess power to

appoint Judge Charles Pickering to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,

bypassing a Democratic filibuster that blocked a vote on his nomination for

a year because of concerns over his civil rights record.

Democrats now claim their private memos formed the basis for a February 2003

column by conservative pundit Robert Novak that revealed plans pushed by

Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, to filibuster certain

judicial nominees. Novak is also at the center of an investigation into who

leaked the identity of a CIA agent whose husband contradicted a Bush

administration claim about Iraqi nuclear programs.

Citing “internal Senate sources,” Novak’s column described closed-door

Democratic meetings about how to handle nominees.

Its details and direct quotes from Democrats — characterizing former

nominee Miguel Estrada as a “stealth right-wing zealot” and describing the

GOP agenda as an “assembly line” for right-wing nominees — are contained in

talking points and meeting accounts from the Democratic files now known to

have been compromised.

Novak declined to confirm or deny whether his column was based on these

files.

“They’re welcome to think anything they want,” he said. “As has been

demonstrated, I don’t reveal my sources.”

As the extent to which Democratic communications were monitored came into

sharper focus, Republicans yesterday offered a new defense. They said that

in the summer of 2002, their computer technician informed his Democratic

counterpart of the glitch, but Democrats did nothing to fix the problem.

Other staffers, however, denied that the Democrats were told anything about

it before November 2003.

The emerging scope of the GOP surveillance of confidential Democratic files

represents a major escalation in partisan warfare over judicial

appointments. The bitter fight traces back to 1987, when Democrats torpedoed

Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court. In the 1990s, Republicans

blocked many of President Clinton’s nominees. Since President Bush took

office, those roles have been reversed.

Against that backdrop, both sides have something to gain and lose from the

investigation into the computer files. For Democrats, the scandal highlights

GOP dirty tricks that could result in ethics complaints to the Senate and

the Washington Bar — or even criminal charges under computer intrusion

laws.

“They had an obligation to tell each of the people whose files they were

intruding upon — assuming it was an accident — that that was going on so

those people could protect themselves,” said one Senate staffer. “To keep on

getting these files is just beyond the pale.”

But for Republicans, the scandal also keeps attention on the memo contents,

which demonstrate the influence of liberal interest groups in choosing which

nominees Democratic senators would filibuster. Other revelations from the

memos include Democrats’ race-based characterization of Estrada as

“especially dangerous, because . . . he is Latino,” which they feared would

make him difficult to block from a later promotion to the Supreme Court.

And, at the request of the NAACP, the Democrats delayed any hearings for the

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals until after it heard a landmark affirmative

action case — though a memo noted that staffers “are a little concerned

about the propriety of scheduling hearings based on the resolution of a

particular case.”

After the contents of those memos were made public in The Wall Street

Journal editorial pages and The Washington Times, Judiciary Chairman Orrin

Hatch, Republican of Utah, made a preliminary inquiry and described himself

as “mortified that this improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach

of confidential files may have occurred on my watch.”

Hatch also confirmed that “at least one current member of the Judiciary

Committee staff had improperly accessed at least some of the documents

referenced in media reports.” He did not name the staffer, who he said was

being placed on leave and who sources said has since resigned, although he

had apparently already announced plans to return to school later this year.

Officials familiar with the investigation identified that person as a

legislative staff assistant whose name was removed from a list of Judiciary

Committee staff in the most recent update of a Capitol Hill directory. The

staff member’s home number has been disconnected and he could not be reached

for comment.

Hatch also said that a “former member of the Judiciary staff may have been

involved.” Many news reports have subsequently identified that person as

Manuel Miranda, who formerly worked in the Judiciary Committee office and

now is the chief judicial nominee adviser in the Senate majority leader’s

office. His computer hard drive name was stamped on an e-mail from the

National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League that was posted

along with the Democratic Senate staff communications.

Reached at home, Miranda said he is on paternity leave; Frist’s office said

he is on leave “pending the results of the investigation” — he denied that

any of the handwritten comments on the memos were by his hand and said he

did not distribute the memos to the media. He also argued that the only

wrongdoing was on the part of the Democrats — both for the content of their

memos, and for their negligence in placing them where they could be seen.

“There appears to have been no hacking, no stealing, and no violation of any

Senate rule,” Miranda said. “Stealing assumes a property right and there is

no property right to a government document. . . . These documents are not

covered under the Senate disclosure rule because they are not official

business and, to the extent they were disclosed, they were disclosed

inadvertently by negligent [Democratic] staff.”

Whether the memos are ultimately deemed to be official business will be a

central issue in any criminal case that could result. Unauthorized access of

such material could be punishable by up to a year in prison — or, at the

least, sanction under a Senate non-disclosure rule.

The computer glitch dates to 2001, when Democrats took control of the Senate

after the defection from the GOP of Senator Jim Jeffords, Independent of

Vermont.

A technician hired by the new judiciary chairman, Patrick Leahy, Democrat of

Vermont, apparently made a mistake that allowed anyone to access newly

created accounts on a Judiciary Committee server shared by both parties —

even though the accounts were supposed to restrict access only to those with

the right password.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company

Folks,

Check out this hugely important article about the competition for contracts for rebuilding Iraq, and the problem of insuring those operations. It’s a fascinating look at the process. It also covers one element I’ve heard nothing about previously, which is insurance for the contracting companies, aka “soft targets.” It’s not something on which the private insurance companies are willing to take the risk, so guess who’s backing it? That’s right, you, the US taxpayer. The only insurance available is from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic), a US government agency which provides loans and insurance to US companies investing abroad to “support US foreign policy”.

Here are a couple of choice quotes:

“Who bails out Opic? “In theory,” he says, “the US treasury stands behind us.” That means the US taxpayer. Yes, them again: the same people who have already paid Halliburton, Bechtel et al to make a killing on Iraq’s reconstruction would have to pay them again, this time in compensation for their losses. While the vast profits being made in Iraq are strictly private, it turns out that the entire risk is being shouldered by the public.”

“The reconstruction of Iraq has emerged as a vast protectionist racket, a neo-con New Deal that transfers limitless public funds – in contracts, loans and insurance – to private firms, and even gets rid of the foreign competition to boot, under the guise of ‘national security’.”

The $500 billion fire sale

–C

Folks,

Thank
you for your responses to my post about the speech last night. I love your
feedback! Here’s a bit more to chew on:

William
Rivers Pitt’s review of the speech did an excellent job of refuting some of the
larger lies in it: http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/012204A.shtml

One
alert reader responded to my question about why Dubya persists in
mispronouncing “nuclear”: “He says ‘nukular’ to reinforce that
he is just a ‘regular guy’. His Yale educated father famously
mispronounced some words for the same reason. Lying bastard criminal evil
scumbags.” Gee, isn’t that great? Our president thinks so highly of the
American people that he’s stooping to mispronounce words just for us, so we’ll
feel like he’s on our level. (Who’s cynical now?)

On
the educational issue, Greg Palast gave Bush a regular tongue-lashing: http://www.gregpalast.com/printerfriendly.cfm?artid=310

And
finally, I hope you’re all subscribers to the Progress Report by now. Today’s
issue was packed with good ‘uns. If you aren’t, check it out here,
then subscribe wouldja? It’s free! Here are a very few highlights.

On education:

- The
president proposed $250 million for community colleges – but just last year,
Bush proposed a $300 million cut to community college/vocational education funding.

- He also
proposed $33 million more for Pell Grants – but just last year, he proposed a
rule change that slashed
$270 million out of Pell Grants, cutting off aid to 84,000 students and reducing aid to millions more.

- He also
eliminated the entire $225 million Youth Opportunities Grants program which
provides job training to young people. Budget analysts pointed out how small a
proposal it was, with one saying, “It’s
a drop in the bucket.
If you look at all they’ve been cutting, some [of the proposed new spending] is
just getting it back to baseline.”

On the environment:

Bush
never once mentioned the environment, global warming, clean air issues, or
anything of the sort in his address. But “yesterday at the Hyatt Regency in Washington, manufacturing
lobbyists gathered at a conference to discuss how to spin
coverage of environmental issues during the lead up to next November’s elections. The
keynote speaker? EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt. The National Association
of Manufacturers event, entitled “Environmental Issues 2004: How to Get
Results in an Election Year,” cost $150 to attend. …Reporters trying to
attend Leavitt’s speech to the energy lobbyists were turned
away by event staff.
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reports that at the event, “industry
insiders, regulators and lawmakers mingled at the foot of mountains, under palm
and orange trees, on grounds dappled with hidden swimming pools, hot tubs and
tennis courts.” The meeting was coupled with a
“$3,000-per-corporation ‘mulligan and Marguerites’ fund-raiser.” An
EPA spokeswoman said that the audiences for Leavitt’s first two speeches “do
not indicate a preference for industry.”

On Iraq:

- Some
congressional sources and budget analysts say the White House “may
seek an additional $40 billion or more” while others “said it could be closer to
$75 billion or $100 billion.” Instead of the “affordable
endeavor” Americans were initially promised the price tag keeps
skyrocketing. This derails the President’s State of the Union claim that
“We can cut the deficit in half over the next five years,” as his
plan “omits a number of likely costs” such as the continued cost of
Iraq and the Administration’s own defense spending plans. See more on the White
House’s previous declarations about the affordability
of the Iraq endeavor.

On the US military being badly overstretched and needing greater
recruitment:

- Lt. General
John Riggs…is the first senior active-duty officer to publicly urge a larger
Army. According to Gen. Riggs, “I have been in the Army 39 years, and I’ve
never seen the Army as stretched in that 39 years as I have today.”

On the WMD question:

In an exclusive interview
with National Public Radio, Vice
President Dick Cheney said this morning that “there was overwhelming
evidence of a connection with Al Qaeda and the Iraqi government.” He
stated flatly, ” I am very confident that there was an established
relationship there.” Cheney is the same man who was reprimanded by
President Bush for falsely asserting Iraq’s complicity in 9/11 – and he had
no definitive facts to back up his latest Saddam-Al Qaeda claim. In fact, most
solid evidence points to the exact opposite conclusion. Last week, documents
surfaced showing that Saddam shunned the terrorist organization for fear it
would target him. Also, “CIA interrogators have already elicited from the
top Qaeda officials in custody that, before the American-led invasion, Osama bin
Laden had rejected entreaties from some of his lieutenants to work jointly with
Saddam.” And the week before, Secretary of
State Colin Powell conceded that, despite his assertions to the UN last
year, he had no proof of a link: “I have not seen smoking-gun, concrete
evidence about the connection.”

IGNORING THE KAY
REPORT: Cheney
told NPR, “We found some semi trailers we think were part of that
[weapons] program. In my mind, it was a danger to have these in the hands of
someone like Saddam Hussein.” But the Kay
Report Cheney referred to actually found the opposite, stating, “We
have not yet been able to corroborate the existence of a mobile biological
weapons production effort…Technical limitations would prevent any of these
processes from being ideally suited to these trailers.”

IGNORING ALL PAST
REPORTS: In
some ways, the new claims are not surprising coming from Cheney, a man who Newsweek described as having a
history of “cherry-picking information” and “discarding”
intelligence that debunks his theories. But in other ways, they are quite
alarming, since most reports have shown no evidence of Cheney’s claims. On 11/4/02,
the LA Times reported that U.S. allies fighting Al Qaeda in Europe found no
evidence of an Iraqi-Qaeda connection. On 6/27/03, the NY Times reported,
“The chairman of the monitoring group appointed by the United Nations
Security Council to track Al Qaeda told reporters that his team had found no
evidence linking Al Qaeda to Saddam Hussein.” On 7/19/03, the bipartisan
September 11th commission report “undercut Bush administration
claims before the war that Hussein had links to Al Qaeda.” And on
8/9/03, National Journal reported that “three former Bush Administration
officials who worked on intelligence and national security issues said the
prewar evidence tying Al Qaeda was tenuous, exaggerated and often at odds with
the conclusions of key intelligence agencies.”

THE GOAL OF
MISINFORMATION:
The concerted effort by Cheney and others in the Administration to create the
perception of a Saddam-Al Qaeda connection has unfortunately misinformed and
confused the public. A poll four months ago showed that, despite the absence of
any evidence, 82%
of Americans believe that Saddam and Al Qaeda were connected.

Folks,

I thought this article from Sojourners
Magazine was excellent. It so elegantly says so much of what I have been unable
to describe. This is a great read for all right wing Christians in
particular. I hope you will forward it to Christians you know and see
how they feel about Bush’s quasi-religious quest for empire.

Is this really what you want? Is this
what any of us really want? I don’t think so. I think we’ve coerced into this
corner by a mixture of empire ideaology and fear, and it’s time for true
Christians and all people of faith to stand up and clarify the difference
between faith and state.

A teaser:

‘Bush seems to make this mistake over and over again—confusing nation,
church, and God. The resulting theology is more American civil religion than
Christian faith.’

and

‘Since Sept. 11, President Bush has turned the White House
“bully pulpit” into a pulpit indeed, replete with “calls” and “missions” and
“charges to keep” regarding America’s role in the world. George Bush is
convinced that we are engaged in a moral battle between good and evil, and that
those who are not with us are on the wrong side in that divine
confrontation.’

Read it.

George W. Bush’s Theology of Empire

Sojourners, www.sojo.net, is a
Christian ministry whose mission is to proclaim and practice the biblical call
to integrate spiritual renewal and social justice.

–C

Folks,

I
don’t know how many of you watched the State of the Union speech last night,
but the only one person who actually graded it or sent me his reactions
(straight Fs on the True Majority State of the Union report card) was the one
person I called on the phone and personally asked if he would grade it. Oh
well. I had as much fun as I could with it. I watched it with a friend, we
spoofed it, and I took some notes, see below. I thought it might be fun to try
to write down the basic “inside message” as he went along. I admit, I
did lose concentration on it at a few points, but I think it’s a pretty
accurate representation.

So here is my “Inside Reading of the State of the Union Speech,” along with some links to other responses that you may want to check out.

Folks,

I
don’t know how many of you watched the State of the Union speech last night,
but the only one person who actually graded it or sent me his reactions
(straight Fs on the True Majority State of the Union report card) was the one
person I called on the phone and personally asked if he would grade it. Oh
well. I had as much fun as I could with it. I watched it with a friend, we
spoofed it, and I took some notes, see below. I thought it might be fun to try
to write down the basic “inside message” as he went along. I admit, I
did lose concentration on it at a few points, but I think it’s a pretty
accurate representation.

So here is my “Inside Reading of the State of the Union Speech,” along with some links to other responses that you may want to check out.

-
Typically, the Center for American Progress did the best wrapup, in my opinion.

http://www.americanprogress.org/AccountTempFiles/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/040121.HTM

Even
better, they did a detailed, point by point rebuttal, which was great:

http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=22985

I
would love to see that one circulate the Net for awhile along with all the
other email flotsam.

-
Ben Cohen does a great pitch for his True Majority organization. An animated
look at the federal budget…in Oreo cookies. Good stuff. I definitely endorse
True Majority by the way; being an activist doesn’t get a whole
lot easier.

http://ww11.e-tractions.com/truemajority/run/oreo

-
Chronicling the continuing games of the Bush administration in trumpeting some
social support program just as it de-funds it, the Daily Mislead is on the
beat.

http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df01212004.html

(“Yeah,
you got it buddy, the large print giveth and the small print taketh away.”
- Tom Waits)

-
Since whipping up fears of terrorism and support for the war in Iraq were major
parts of the speech, it’s interesting to compare that to the results of this
Gallup poll, in which the economy and jobs figure prominently among Americans’
concerns:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr040120.asp

And
now, my notes from the speech. If you want to follow along, print out the
actual transcript below.

An Inside Reading of the State of the Union Speech

Call
to patriotism

Whip
up fear

Uncertain
suggestions of improvement

Congratulate
us for our compassion

Revisit
fear

With
us or against us theme

We’re
part of unbroken heritage with past

“Confident”
and “strong”

Reinforce
fear. Assert strength against adversity.

Support
Patriot Act…connect to terrorism…not a “free license to do whatever we
want”…terrorist threat will not expire so neither should the Act.

Success
against al Qaeda etc

Afghanistan
as a model of success

The
people of Iraq are free!

Victory
over Saddam – Evil regime – we are Right – moral superiority

Establish
democracy in Iraq by end of June!

Adman
Pachachi loves Joanie

“nukular”
(he said this repeatedly, leading me to believe that it can’t be a mistake
anymore, not as much as we know he’s being coached. Which raises an interesting
question: why is he intentionally mispronouncing the word
“nuclear”?)

“Weapons
of Mass Murder!” [Is this the new catchphrase?]

“Lonely
hours on faithful watch” – pride in troops – War on Terror

Fear
of terrorism

War

WMD
assertions [Still? Aw, man. The unbelieveable chutzpah to continue to lie about
this!]

“Killing
fields of Iraq” – nice, connect Iraq to Cambodia

Safer
& better place now

Coalition
of the Shilling

It’s
“mistaken & condescending” of us to say that the Mideast
cannot be converted to democracy

“Forward
strategy”

“Expect
a higher standard from our friend” [hmm, a dig at the Saudis?]

“No
ambitions of empire”

“no
ambitions of empire” …”dignity and rights of every man and
woman”….”This great republic will lead the cause of freedom.”

Strong
economy

No
child left behind – testing standards

Funding
for advanced education will only be for the gifted

Fear
of taxes, with no recognition of costs

“What
Congress has given, the Congress should not take away.” [This kind of
quasi-Biblical sounding nonsense--I mean, look at it, what's he saying? That
Congress is utterly perfect in its spending? No, this was a nonsensical
statement intended to sound Biblical and support his spending proposals. He
bastardized a few other Biblical homilies in the speech, coded cues to the
Christian Right that he's their boy.]

Energy:
modernize, conservation, less dependence on foreign oil. [OK, I'm Mr. Energy
Policy, so props where they're due, "Bravo!" But I don't believe for
a minute that he believes any of that where it's going to cost American
businesses money. He's not worried about energy security. This is just code for
big work projects for the energy industry. I'd love to be proven wrong on that
count.]

Free
trade

Privatize
Social Security – “Limit the burden” [That's code for
"lower payouts for the boomers."]

“limiting
the growth in discretionary spending to less than 4 percent” … “we
can cut the deficit in half over the next five years” [The only way this
could ever be considered a true statement is by leaving out a lot of actual
costs - see the Progress Report.]

Immigration
laws “bringing millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows
of American life”

Rising
costs of medical care – “extend benefits of modern
medicine throughout our country” [This is code for a corporate
welfare program for the pharmaceutical industry]

Privatize
Medicare – prescription drug coverage [Gotta cut loose Medicare because we
can't afford it and our burgeoning defense budget]

Insurance
- limiting medical lawsuits

Fundamentalist
values – “unseen pillars of civilization” [Fundamentalist values are
going to be written into the Constitution if they can do it]
Drugs!!

Drug
Testing!

In
schools!

Athletics
& drugs & children…

Marriage

“unleashing
the compassion of America’s religious institutions” [Am I the only one who
shuddered upon hearing this? Doesn't it sound like a threat?]

Codify
faith-based charities to end discrimination! [Interesting use of the word
"discrimination"]

Assertions
of our strength, courage, confidence, faith. [Democratic presidential
candidates could stand to take a page from this book if they really want to win
the heartland.]

Finally,
the Whopper: “The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable — and
it is not carried forward by our power alone. We can trust in that greater
power who guides the unfolding of the years. And in all that is to come, we can
know that His purposes are just and true.” [Reduction: our policies are
God's policies.]

Here’s
the actual transcript of the speech:

2004 State of the
Union Transcript

THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress,
distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: America this evening is a nation
called to great responsibilities. And we are rising to meet them.

As we gather tonight, hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women
are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope to the
oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making America more
secure. (Applause.)

Each day, law enforcement personnel and intelligence officers are tracking
terrorist threats; analysts are examining airline passenger lists; the men and
women of our new Homeland Security Department are patrolling our coasts and
borders. And their vigilance is protecting America. (Applause.)

Americans are proving once again to be the hardest working people in the
world. The American economy is growing stronger. The tax relief you passed is
working. (Applause.)

Tonight, members of Congress can take pride in the great works of compassion
and reform that skeptics had thought impossible. You’re raising the standards for
our public schools, and you are giving our senior citizens prescription drug
coverage under Medicare. (Applause.)

We have faced serious challenges together, and now we face a choice: We can
go forward with confidence and resolve, or we can turn back to the dangerous
illusion that terrorists are not plotting and outlaw regimes are no threat to
us. We can press on with economic growth, and reforms in education and
Medicare, or we can turn back to old policies and old divisions.

We’ve not come all this way — through tragedy, and trial and war — only to
falter and leave our work unfinished. Americans are rising to the tasks of
history, and they expect the same from us. In their efforts, their enterprise,
and their character, the American people are showing that the state of our
union is confident and strong. (Applause.)

Our greatest responsibility is the active defense of the American people.
Twenty-eight months have passed since September 11th, 2001 — over two years
without an attack on American soil. And it is tempting to believe that the
danger is behind us. That hope is understandable, comforting — and false. The
killing has continued in Bali, Jakarta, Casablanca, Riyadh, Mombasa, Jerusalem,
Istanbul, and Baghdad. The terrorists continue to plot against America and the
civilized world. And by our will and courage, this danger will be defeated.
(Applause.)

Inside the United States, where the war began, we must continue to give our
homeland security and law enforcement personnel every tool they need to defend
us. And one of those essential tools is the Patriot Act, which allows federal
law enforcement to better share information, to track terrorists, to disrupt
their cells, and to seize their assets. For years, we have used similar
provisions to catch embezzlers and drug traffickers. If these methods are good
for hunting criminals, they are even more important for hunting terrorists.
(Applause.)

Key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year. (Applause.)
The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule. (Applause.) Our law
enforcement needs this vital legislation to protect our citizens. You need to
renew the Patriot Act. (Applause.)

America is on the offensive against the terrorists who started this war.
Last March, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, a mastermind of September the 11th, awoke
to find himself in the custody of U.S. and Pakistani authorities. Last August
the 11th brought the capture of the terrorist Hambali, who was a key player in
the attack in Indonesia that killed over 200 people. We’re tracking al Qaeda
around the world, and nearly two-thirds of their known leaders have now been
captured or killed. Thousands of very skilled and determined military personnel
are on the manhunt, going after the remaining killers who hide in cities and
caves, and one by one, we will bring these terrorists to justice. (Applause.)

As part of the offensive against terror, we are also confronting the regimes
that harbor and support terrorists, and could supply them with nuclear,
chemical or biological weapons. The United States and our allies are
determined: We refuse to live in the shadow of this ultimate danger.
(Applause.)

The first to see our determination were the Taliban, who made Afghanistan
the primary training base of al Qaeda killers. As of this month, that country
has a new constitution, guaranteeing free elections and full participation by
women. Businesses are opening, health care centers are being established, and
the boys and girls of Afghanistan are back in school. With the help from the
new Afghan army, our coalition is leading aggressive raids against the
surviving members of the Taliban and al Qaeda. The men and women of Afghanistan
are building a nation that is free and proud and fighting terror — and America
is honored to be their friend. (Applause.)

Since we last met in this chamber, combat forces of the United States, Great
Britain, Australia, Poland and other countries enforced the demands of the
United Nations, ended the rule of Saddam Hussein, and the people of Iraq are
free. (Applause.)

Having broken the Baathist regime, we face a remnant of violent Saddam
supporters. Men who ran away from our troops in battle are now dispersed and
attack from the shadows. These killers, joined by foreign terrorists, are a
serious, continuing danger. Yet we’re making progress against them. The once
all-powerful ruler of Iraq was found in a hole, and now sits in a prison cell.
(Applause.) Of the top 55 officials of the former regime, we have captured or
killed 45. Our forces are on the offensive, leading over 1,600 patrols a day
and conducting an average of 180 raids a week. We are dealing with these thugs
in Iraq, just as surely as we dealt with Saddam Hussein’s evil regime.
(Applause.)

The work of building a new Iraq is hard, and it is right. And America has
always been willing to do what it takes for what is right. Last January, Iraq’s
only law was the whim of one brutal man. Today our coalition is working with
the Iraqi Governing Council to draft a basic law, with a bill of rights. We’re working
with Iraqis and the United Nations to prepare for a transition to full Iraqi
sovereignty by the end of June.

As democracy takes hold in Iraq, the enemies of freedom will do all in their
power to spread violence and fear. They are trying to shake the will of our
country and our friends, but the United States of America will never be
intimidated by thugs and assassins. (Applause.) The killers will fail, and the
Iraqi people will live in freedom. (Applause.)

Month by month, Iraqis are assuming more responsibility for their own
security and their own future. And tonight we are honored to welcome one of
Iraq’s most respected leaders: the current President of the Iraqi Governing
Council, Adnan Pachachi.

Sir, America stands with you and the Iraqi people as you build a free and
peaceful nation. (Applause.)

Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the
better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and
dismantle all of his regime’s weapons of mass destruction programs, including a
uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Colonel Qadhafi correctly
judged that his country would be better off and far more secure without weapons
of mass murder. (Applause.)

Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and Great
Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not.
And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible,
and no one can now doubt the word of America. (Applause.)

Different threats require different strategies. Along with nations in the
region, we’re insisting that North Korea eliminate its nuclear program. America
and the international community are demanding that Iran meet its commitments
and not develop nuclear weapons. America is committed to keeping the world’s
most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous regimes.
(Applause.)

When I came to this rostrum on September the 20th, 2001, I brought the
police shield of a fallen officer, my reminder of lives that ended, and a task
that does not end. I gave to you and to all Americans my complete commitment to
securing our country and defeating our enemies. And this pledge, given by one,
has been kept by many.

You in the Congress have provided the resources for our defense, and cast
the difficult votes of war and peace. Our closest allies have been unwavering.
America’s intelligence personnel and diplomats have been skilled and tireless.
And the men and women of the American military — they have taken the hardest duty.
We’ve seen their skill and their courage in armored charges and midnight raids,
and lonely hours on faithful watch. We have seen the joy when they return, and
felt the sorrow when one is lost. I’ve had the honor of meeting our servicemen
and women at many posts, from the deck of a carrier in the Pacific to a mess
hall in Baghdad.

Many of our troops are listening tonight. And I want you and your families
to know: America is proud of you. And my administration, and this Congress,
will give you the resources you need to fight and win the war on terror.
(Applause.)

I know that some people question if America is really in a war at all. They
view terrorism more as a crime, a problem to be solved mainly with law
enforcement and indictments. After the World Trade Center was first attacked in
1993, some of the guilty were indicted and tried and convicted, and sent to
prison. But the matter was not settled. The terrorists were still training and
plotting in other nations, and drawing up more ambitious plans. After the chaos
and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with
legal papers. The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United
States, and war is what they got. (Applause.)

Some in this chamber, and in our country, did not support the liberation of
Iraq. Objections to war often come from principled motives. But let us be
candid about the consequences of leaving Saddam Hussein in power. We’re seeking
all the facts. Already, the Kay Report identified dozens of weapons of mass
destruction-related program activities and significant amounts of equipment
that Iraq concealed from the United Nations. Had we failed to act, the
dictatator’s weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day.
Had we failed to act, Security Council resolutions on Iraq would have been
revealed as empty threats, weakening the United Nations and encouraging
defiance by dictators around the world. Iraq’s torture chambers would still be
filled with victims, terrified and innocent. The killing fields of Iraq –
where hundreds of thousands of men and women and children vanished into the
sands — would still be known only to the killers. For all who love freedom and
peace, the world without Saddam Hussein’s regime is a better and safer place. (Applause.)

Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized. This
particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain, Australia,
Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands — (applause) — Norway,
El Salvador, and the 17 other countries that have committed troops to Iraq.
(Applause.) As we debate at home, we must never ignore the vital contributions
of our international partners, or dismiss their sacrifices.

From the beginning, America has sought international support for our
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and we have gained much support. There is a
difference, however, between leading a coalition of many nations, and
submitting to the objections of a few. America will never seek a permission
slip to defend the security of our country. (Applause.)

We also hear doubts that democracy is a realistic goal for the greater
Middle East, where freedom is rare. Yet it is mistaken, and condescending, to
assume that whole cultures and great religions are incompatible with liberty
and self-government. I believe that God has planted in every human heart the
desire to live in freedom. And even when that desire is crushed by tyranny for
decades, it will rise again. (Applause.)

As long as the Middle East remains a place of tyranny and despair and anger,
it will continue to produce men and movements that threaten the safety of
America and our friends. So America is pursuing a forward strategy of freedom
in the greater Middle East. We will challenge the enemies of reform, confront
the allies of terror, and expect a higher standard from our friend. To cut
through the barriers of hateful propaganda, the Voice of America and other
broadcast services are expanding their programming in Arabic and Persian — and
soon, a new television service will begin providing reliable news and
information across the region. I will send you a proposal to double the budget
of the National Endowment for Democracy, and to focus its new work on the
development of free elections, and free markets, free press, and free labor
unions in the Middle East. And above all, we will finish the historic work of
democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, so those nations can light the way for others,
and help transform a troubled part of the world. (Applause.)

America is a nation with a mission, and that mission comes from our most
basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim
is a democratic peace — a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every
man and woman. America acts in this cause with friends and allies at our side,
yet we understand our special calling: This great republic will lead the cause
of freedom. (Applause.)

In the last three years, adversity has also revealed the fundamental
strengths of the American economy. We have come through recession, and
terrorist attack, and corporate scandals, and the uncertainties of war. And
because you acted to stimulate our economy with tax relief, this economy is
strong, and growing stronger. (Applause.)

You have doubled the child tax credit from $500 to $1,000, reduced the
marriage penalty, begun to phase out the death tax, reduced taxes on capital gains
and stock dividends, cut taxes on small businesses, and you have lowered taxes
for every American who pays income taxes.

Americans took those dollars and put them to work, driving this economy
forward. The pace of economic growth in the third quarter of 2003 was the
fastest in nearly 20 years; new home construction, the highest in almost 20
years; home ownership rates, the highest ever. Manufacturing activity is
increasing. Inflation is low. Interest rates are low. Exports are growing.
Productivity is high, and jobs are on the rise. (Applause.)

These numbers confirm that the American people are using their money far
better than government would have — and you were right to return it.
(Applause.)

America’s growing economy is also a changing economy. As technology
transforms the way almost every job is done, America becomes more productive,
and workers need new skills. Much of our job growth will be found in
high-skilled fields like health care and biotechnology. So we must respond by
helping more Americans gain the skills to find good jobs in our new economy.

All skills begin with the basics of reading and math, which are supposed to
be learned in the early grades of our schools. Yet for too long, for too many
children, those skills were never mastered. By passing the No Child Left Behind
Act, you have made the expectation of literacy the law of our country. We’re
providing more funding for our schools — a 36-percent increase since 2001.
We’re requiring higher standards. We are regularly testing every child on the
fundamentals. We are reporting results to parents, and making sure they have
better options when schools are not performing. We are making progress toward
excellence for every child in America. (Applause.)

But the status quo always has defenders. Some want to undermine the No Child
Left Behind Act by weakening standards and accountability. Yet the results we
require are really a matter of common sense: We expect third graders to read
and do math at the third grade level — and that’s not asking too much. Testing
is the only way to identify and help students who are falling behind. This
nation will not go back to the days of simply shuffling children along from
grade to grade without them learning the basics. I refuse to give up on any
child — and the No Child Left Behind Act is opening the door of opportunity to
all of America’s children. (Applause.)

At the same time, we must ensure that older students and adults can gain the
skills they need to find work now. Many of the fastest growing occupations
require strong math and science preparation, and training beyond the high
school level. So tonight, I propose a series of measures called Jobs for the
21st Century. This program will provide extra help to middle and high school
students who fall behind in reading and math, expand advanced placement
programs in low-income schools, invite math and science professionals from the
private sector to teach part-time in our high schools. I propose larger Pell
grants for students who prepare for college with demanding courses in high
school. (Applause.) I propose increasing our support for America’s fine
community colleges, so they can — (applause.) I do so, so they can train
workers for industries that are creating the most new jobs. By all these
actions, we’ll help more and more Americans to join in the growing prosperity
of our country. Job training is important, and so is job creation.

We must continue to pursue an aggressive, pro-growth economic agenda.
(Applause.) Congress has some unfinished business on the issue of taxes. The
tax reductions you passed are set to expire. Unless you act — (applause) –
unless you act — unless you act, the unfair tax on marriage will go back up.
Unless you act, millions of families will be charged $300 more in federal taxes
for every child. Unless you act, small businesses will pay higher taxes. Unless
you act, the death tax will eventually come back to life. Unless you act,
Americans face a tax increase. What Congress has given, the Congress should not
take away. For the sake of job growth, the tax cuts you passed should be
permanent. (Applause.)

Our agenda for jobs and growth must help small business owners and employees
with relief from needless federal regulation, and protect them from junk and
frivolous lawsuits. (Applause.)

Consumers and businesses need reliable supplies of energy to make our
economy run — so I urge you to pass legislation to modernize our electricity
system, promote conservation, and make America less dependent on foreign
sources of energy. (Applause.)

My administration is promoting free and fair trade to open up new markets
for America’s entrepreneurs and manufacturers and farmers — to create jobs for
American workers. Younger workers should have the opportunity to build a nest
egg by saving part of their Social Security taxes in a personal retirement
account. (Applause.) We should make the Social Security system a source of
ownership for the American people. (Applause.) And we should limit the burden
of government on this economy by acting as good stewards of taxpayers’ dollars.
(Applause.)

In two weeks, I will send you a budget that funds the war, protects the
homeland, and meets important domestic needs, while limiting the growth in
discretionary spending to less than 4 percent. (Applause.) This will require
that Congress focus on priorities, cut wasteful spending, and be wise with the
people’s money. By doing so, we can cut the deficit in half over the next five
years. (Applause.)

Tonight, I also ask you to reform our immigration laws so they reflect our
values and benefit our economy. I propose a new temporary worker program to
match willing foreign workers with willing employers when no Americans can be
found to fill the job. This reform will be good for our economy because
employers will find needed workers in an honest and orderly system. A temporary
worker program will help protect our homeland, allowing Border Patrol and law
enforcement to focus on true threats to our national security.

I oppose amnesty, because it would encourage further illegal immigration,
and unfairly reward those who break our laws. My temporary worker program will
preserve the citizenship path for those who respect the law, while bringing
millions of hardworking men and women out from the shadows of American life.
(Applause.)

Our nation’s health care system, like our economy, is also in a time of
change. Amazing medical technologies are improving and saving lives. This
dramatic progress has brought its own challenge, in the rising costs of medical
care and health insurance. Members of Congress, we must work together to help
control those costs and extend the benefits of modern medicine throughout our
country. (Applause.)

Meeting these goals requires bipartisan effort, and two months ago, you
showed the way. By strengthening Medicare and adding a prescription drug
benefit, you kept a basic commitment to our seniors: You are giving them the
modern medicine they deserve. (Applause.)

Starting this year, under the law you passed, seniors can choose to receive
a drug discount card, saving them 10 to 25 percent off the retail price of most
prescription drugs — and millions of low-income seniors can get an additional
$600 to buy medicine. Beginning next year, seniors will have new coverage for
preventive screenings against diabetes and heart disease, and seniors just
entering Medicare can receive wellness exams.

In January of 2006, seniors can get prescription drug coverage under
Medicare. For a monthly premium of about $35, most seniors who do not have that
coverage today can expect to see their drug bills cut roughly in half. Under
this reform, senior citizens will be able to keep their Medicare just as it is,
or they can choose a Medicare plan that fits them best — just as you, as
members of Congress, can choose an insurance plan that meets your needs. And
starting this year, millions of Americans will be able to save money tax-free
for their medical expenses in a health savings account. (Applause.)

I signed this measure proudly, and any attempt to limit the choices of our
seniors, or to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare, will
meet my veto. (Applause.)

On the critical issue of health care, our goal is to ensure that Americans
can choose and afford private health care coverage that best fits their
individual needs. To make insurance more affordable, Congress must act to
address rapidly rising health care costs. Small businesses should be able to
band together and negotiate for lower insurance rates, so they can cover more
workers with health insurance. I urge you to pass association health plans.
(Applause.) I ask you to give lower-income Americans a refundable tax credit
that would allow millions to buy their own basic health insurance. (Applause.)

By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes,
reduce costs, and improve care. To protect the doctor-patient relationship, and
keep good doctors doing good work, we must eliminate wasteful and frivolous
medical lawsuits. (Applause.) And tonight I propose that individuals who buy
catastrophic health care coverage, as part of our new health savings accounts,
be allowed to deduct 100 percent of the premiums from their taxes. (Applause.)

A government-run health care system is the wrong prescription. (Applause.)
By keeping costs under control, expanding access, and helping more Americans
afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private medicine that makes
America’s health care the best in the world. (Applause.)

We are living in a time of great change — in our world, in our economy, in
science and medicine. Yet some things endure — courage and compassion,
reverence and integrity, respect for differences of faith and race. The values
we try to live by never change. And they are instilled in us by fundamental
institutions, such as families and schools and religious congregations. These
institutions, these unseen pillars of civilization, must remain strong in
America, and we will defend them. We must stand with our families to help them
raise healthy, responsible children. When it comes to helping children make
right choices, there is work for all of us to do.

One of the worst decisions our children can make is to gamble their lives
and futures on drugs. Our government is helping parents confront this problem
with aggressive education, treatment, and law enforcement. Drug use in high
school has declined by 11 percent over the last two years. Four hundred
thousand fewer young people are using illegal drugs than in the year 2001.
(Applause.) In my budget, I proposed new funding to continue our aggressive,
community-based strategy to reduce demand for illegal drugs. Drug testing in
our schools has proven to be an effective part of this effort. So tonight I
proposed an additional $23 million for schools that want to use drug testing as
a tool to save children’s lives. The aim here is not to punish children, but to
send them this message: We love you, and we don’t want to lose you. (Applause.)

To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play
such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional
sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing
drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and
it sends the wrong message — that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and
that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team
owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send
the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now. (Applause.)

To encourage right choices, we must be willing to confront the dangers young
people face — even when they’re difficult to talk about. Each year, about 3
million teenagers contract sexually-transmitted diseases that can harm them, or
kill them, or prevent them from ever becoming parents. In my budget, I propose
a grassroots campaign to help inform families about these medical risks. We
will double federal funding for abstinence programs, so schools can teach this
fact of life: Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid
sexually-transmitted diseases. (Applause.)

Decisions children now make can affect their health and character for the
rest of their lives. All of us — parents and schools and government — must
work together to counter the negative influence of the culture, and to send the
right messages to our children.

A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we
should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most
fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization. Congress has already
taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in
1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under federal law as
a union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine
marriage for other states.

Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order,
without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On
an issue of such great consequence, the people’s voice must be heard. If judges
insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative
left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend
the sanctity of marriage. (Applause.)

The outcome of this debate is important — and so is the way we conduct it.
The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each
individual has dignity and value in God’s sight. (Applause.)

It’s also important to strengthen our communities by unleashing the
compassion of America’s religious institutions. Religious charities of every
creed are doing some of the most vital work in our country — mentoring
children, feeding the hungry, taking the hand of the lonely. Yet government has
often denied social service grants and contracts to these groups, just because
they have a cross or a Star of David or a crescent on the wall. By executive
order, I have opened billions of dollars in grant money to competition that
includes faith-based charities. Tonight I ask you to codify this into law, so
people of faith can know that the law will never discriminate against them
again. (Applause.)

In the past, we’ve worked together to bring mentors to children of
prisoners, and provide treatment for the addicted, and help for the homeless.
Tonight I ask you to consider another group of Americans in need of help. This
year, some 600,000 inmates will be released from prison back into society. We
know from long experience that if they can’t find work, or a home, or help,
they are much more likely to commit crime and return to prison. So tonight, I
propose a four-year, $300 million prisoner re-entry initiative to expand job
training and placement services, to provide transitional housing, and to help
newly released prisoners get mentoring, including from faith-based groups.
(Applause.) America is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the
prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life. (Applause.)

For all Americans, the last three years have brought tests we did not ask
for, and achievements shared by all. By our actions, we have shown what kind of
nation we are. In grief, we have found the grace to go on. In challenge, we
rediscovered the courage and daring of a free people. In victory, we have shown
the noble aims and good heart of America. And having come this far, we sense
that we live in a time set apart.

I’ve been witness to the character of the people of America, who have shown
calm in times of danger, compassion for one another, and toughness for the long
haul. All of us have been partners in a great enterprise. And even some of the
youngest understand that we are living in historic times. Last month a girl in
Lincoln, Rhode Island, sent me a letter. It began, “Dear George W. Bush. If
there’s anything you know, I, Ashley Pearson, age 10, can do to help anyone,
please send me a letter and tell me what I can do to save our country.”
She added this P.S.: “If you can send a letter to the troops, please put,
‘Ashley Pearson believes in you.’” (Applause.)

Tonight, Ashley, your message to our troops has just been conveyed. And,
yes, you have some duties yourself. Study hard in school, listen to your mom or
dad, help someone in need, and when you and your friends see a man or woman in
uniform, say, “thank you.” (Applause.) And, Ashley, while you do your
part, all of us here in this great chamber will do our best to keep you and the
rest of America safe and free. (Applause.)

My fellow citizens, we now move forward, with confidence and faith. Our nation
is strong and steadfast. The cause we serve is right, because it is the cause
of all mankind. The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable — and it
is not carried forward by our power alone. We can trust in that greater power
who guides the unfolding of the years. And in all that is to come, we can know
that His purposes are just and true.

May God continue to bless America. (Applause.) END 10:05 P.M. EST

Folks,

 

I
respect the work that MoveOn does, so I had to respond to their request and
forward this to my list. They have prepared an ad critical of the Medicare bill
that was pushed through Congress (with bribes and a shoehorn and a very
long lever) at the end of December.

–C

—–Original Message—–
From: Eli Pariser, MoveOn Voter Fund
[mailto:moveon-help@list.moveon.org]
Sent: Tuesday, January 20, 2004 10:19 AM
Subject: The State of the Union in 30 Seconds

Today we’re launching a 30-second ad that will counter Bush’s State of the Union spin on Medicare. We know the ad makes a big impact on the people who see it. Can you help us get it in front of millions of Americans?

Dear MoveOn
member,

A year ago, President Bush
told the nation that “The British government has learned that Saddam
Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.” It
wasn’t true, of course, but it did serve as a critical piece of the spin
campaign that led the country into war.

Tonight, in preparation for
the upcoming election, the President is again getting ready to tell the nation
something that simply isn’t true. According to news reports, the President will
declare victory in the fight to provide the nation’s elderly and disabled with
health care. He’ll point to the Medicare bill that he and Congressional
Republicans pushed through Congress. But there’s one small problem: the
Medicare bill won’t help Medicare, and it won’t help seniors. In fact, it’s
designed to do the program in.

That’s why we’ve prepared a
30-second alternative version of tonight’s speech which exposes how the
nation’s drug companies backed and bought this bill. We’ve asked one of the
country’s most respected polling firms to test the ad, and we know it makes an
enormous impact on the people who see it. But we’ll need your help to get it
out there. If you can help us reach our $10 million goal, we’ll put up a $1.7
million buy and make sure millions of Americans in swing states know the real
deal.

You can watch the ad and
contribute by credit card or check at:
https://www.moveonvoterfund.org/donate/sotu.html?id=2275-3402348-.32IOa7fkWAQll2OQok7mg

As the ad opens, we see a
series of photos from previous State of the Union addresses, cut quickly
together to resemble a movie. We hear the voice of someone who sounds like
George Bush. “My fellow Americans,” he says, “My Medicare bill
has real drug benefits…but not for you. For my contributors at the big drug
companies. My bill actually forbids Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices…so
you’ll probably have to pay more for your prescriptions than you do now; and
you won’t be able to get cheaper prescriptions from Canada.”

One thing that President
Bush probably won’t mention in his speech tonight is how the bill came to pass.
In the House, the vote was extremely tight: even some Republicans knew they
couldn’t justify the bill to their home districts. So, House Leaders held the
vote open for three hours in the dead of night while they twisted the arms of
the last few hold-outs. Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI), a retiring Congressman whose
son will run for his seat, was one of them. Here’s how the Associated Press
reported the events that followed:

“On the House floor,
[Rep.] Nick Smith was told business interests would give his son $100,000 in
return for his father’s vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House
members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress. After
Nick Smith voted no and the bill passed, [Rep.] Duke Cunningham of California
and other Republicans taunted him that his son was dead meat.”

Bribing House members on
the House floor is, of course, a felony, and Rep. Smith has confirmed that this
account is accurate. No special investigation has been launched. The bribers
are still at large.

The story, in the end, is
pretty simple: drug companies and insurance companies gave millions of dollars
to push through legislation. The bill will greatly increase their profits while
pulling the rug out from under our seniors. President Bush is trying to spin that
huge sell-out as a benefit to the American people. And we won’t let him.

Sincerely,
–Adam, Carrie, Eli, James, Joan, Laura, Noah, Peter, Wes, and Zack
  The MoveOn.org Team
  January 20th, 2003

P.S. We’ve added a few
resources below that give more details on the Medicare sell-out and tonight’s
speech in general.

The Campaign for America’s
Future’s Medicare Fact Sheet:
http://www.moveonvoterfund.org/ourfuture-medicare.html

Rep. Sherrod Brown’s
editorial on the Medicare arm-twisting:
http://www.moveon.org/r?481

Leaders Nancy Pelosi and
Tom Daschle’s State of the Union Pre-Buttal:
http://democrats.senate.gov/%7Edpc/releases/2004116B38.html

The Center for American
Progress’s “State of the Union Viewer’s Guide”:
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=22520