SoTU: this that & t'other

U.S. Constitution, Article II, section 3:

He [the President} shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient...

(It's been a while since I've included a reference to the Constitution - this seems an appropriate time!)

Now for a little commentary. I'll start with candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (who commented before the speech was given!):

In Clinton's estimation, Bush "has never understood is that the State of the Union is not about a speech in Washington. It is about the lives of the American people who feel they are moving toward the American dream."
[Clinton: Bush Has Lost Touch With Public
By MIKE GLOVER – AP
28 Jan 2008]

Finally, someone else has noticed! For W, all that matters is the speech. Once he says it, it's real - whatever 'it' might be. This magical thinking charaterizes W's Administration!

... and what did W say? Well, he said lots of stuff. Among his claims to fame is our great success in Afghanistan:

In Afghanistan, America, our 25 NATO allies, and 15 partner nations are helping the Afghan people defend their freedom and rebuild their country. Thanks to the courage of these military and civilian personnel, a nation that was once a safe haven for al Qaeda is now a young democracy where boys and girls are going to school, new roads and hospitals are being built, and people are looking to the future with new hope.
[President Bush Delivers State of the Union Address
Chamber of the United States House of Representatives
United States Capitol
28 Jan 2008]

. Sounds pretty good... till the sad truth asserts itself:

Study: Afghanistan could fail as a state
By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer
29 Jan 2008
WASHINGTON - Afghanistan risks sliding into a failed state and becoming the "forgotten war" because of deteriorating international support and a growing violent insurgency, according to an independent study.

The assessment, co-chaired by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones and former U.N. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, serves as a warning to the Bush administration at a time military and congressional officials are debating how best to juggle stretched warfighting resources.
[emphasis added]

Oh, well... how 'bout them Cubs!

Stop the madness!