"Congress is really bad at directing foreign policy, and no one is going to successfully use the A-bomb of defunding a policy initiative."

They could raise the top tax rate 2% every month until we're out of Iraq. And raise it 10% if Bush does anything rash about Iran.

The nuclear funding option:

All funding for defense department suplimentals will come from a tax on imported oil and natural gas.

Less substantive, but I bet anyone that, before this week, the words "Dikembe Mutombo" and "State of the Union" were never uttered in the same breath -- unless of course one said:

"Hey! I couldn't watch Dikembe block all those shots last night because I had to watch [Clinton or Bush] deliver the state of the union"

And, was the NYC Subway Hero Wesley Autrey really saying "you the man! you the man!" during his standing ovation? Hmm...

"Man, Dikembe Mutombo blocks shots like GWBush blocks Democratic led bills pushed through Congress"

Wesley Autrey was the hightlight of the State of the Union Address. And that tells you a lot about how soon this speech will be forgotten... like right now. I just forgot it.

Highlight of the night was actually the democratic response. That 10 minute rebuttal is always completely forgettable, and this year it was delivered by the guy from my state who is supposed to be an awful campaigner and and awful speaker -- Jim Webb. But tonight Webb was very clear and very forceful. Webb says something like, "we will follow you and work with you if you adopt responsible policies. If you don't, we are going to offer a clear alternative." As important, he linked the substance of his foreign policy claims to his own service in Vietnam and the sacrafices of his father in Berlin airlift and his son in Iraq. Very powerful and persuasive.

What, no comment on the Democratic response?

See above.

Hey, the Iraq war funds itself, just ask supergenius Wolfowitz (sp?)

Between this year's and last year's SOTUs I'm just amazed at despite the fact that the president must be capable of hiring the most educated speech writers out there, he still ends what should be his biggest speech of every year like a junior high school report. Yes those people were all very good and deserve recognition, but what have they got to do with policy and statecraft?

"both houses of Congress controlled by Congress"

Because having them controlled by the Supreme Court would be really difficult. Seriously, please fix this typo.

Dantheman:

I thought the "Congress controlled by Congress" phrase was a great comment on the way Frist and Hastert were owned by the Mayberry Machiavellis in the White House and both Houses in turn were owned by "majorities of the majority" (ie minorities) dominated by those two Rovian robots.

That Jim Webb is a liar...he was not in Cambodia on christmas of 1968(he was on east side of the river not the west).
So I simply tuned him out! Who is he to question the guy I believe is our dear heroic wartime leader. He is half the patriot/expert the draft dodging, awol, college cheerleader and his 5 deferment sidekick are!!!

Out of curiosity, what's Congress' approval rating?

When asked who should lead on Iraq, somewhere north of 50% say congress...mid 20% for "heroic wartime leader"!