on NBC the Olympic Winter Games begin Friday and one week on NBC [Music] on NBC News the State of the Union Address live from Washington here is Brian Williams and good evening from Capitol Hill in just a few moments we'll hear the familiar call of the sergeant-at-arms Mr Speaker the president of the United States and then to Great cheering and sustained Applause in one of the rituals of American politics President George W bush will slowly make his way down the aisle of the house chamber where
he tonight will address the nation on the State of the Union beyond the backdrop in the chamber there is the very real backdrop of a Nation at War there is a raging debate over the tactics used in that war there are questions about energy in this the first state of the union since hurricane Katrina exposed cracks in American society and while the president can point to today's Victory the confirmation of now speaker Justice Samuel Alito of the Supreme Court who were about to see enter the chambe
r along with that victory tonight there are other issues like the economy and Health Care looming large tonight as we watch members of the Supreme Court four of them expected to attend tonight four of the nine we'll be joined throughout here tonight of course by our NBC news correspondents and analysts all of them led by the man at my side in the studios tonight our Washington bureau chief moderator of Meet the Press Tim Russert and Tim a year ago this president said he had to spend his politica
l Capital as he steps behind the lectern tonight what's left in that bank account a Republicans will acknowledge Brian not much he spent a lot on Social Security reform that went nowhere he lost a lot in Katrina for the lack of response in Iraq the great uncertainty so much political Capital invested in that war Brian and we still don't know how it's going to turn out the president is in his sixth year six years have not been good the presidents Nixon impeachment Clinton impeachment and and and
Ronald Reagan Iran Contra this President is determined to spend his final three years trying to lift the mood of the country by his own admission we live in anxious and unsettled times as we speak tonight as we watch members of his cabinet entering the chamber tonight it's it's hard to believe that the bush presidency is down to roughly give or take a thousand days and he'll try so mightily hard to avoid that uh lame duck label uh what can he do to differentiate these remarks he's at 39 in the p
olls he realizes he cannot give a laundry list an agenda of legislative items this is much more of a philosophical Call to Arms stay with me on Iraq whether you are for the war against the war we cannot cut and run now this is the view that he's trying to put forward Democrats are going to say Mr President we've tried to reach out we can do some things in your final three years but it can't just be your way we have to work together the president seems to be saying tonight all right let's work to
gether let's change this tone that seems to be the secret to unlocking this this poison atmosphere of Brian that exists in Washington can either side step forward and be willing to compromise and to try to achieve some good in difficult areas like the environment like education like Social Security like Health Care it is a real challenge for both major political parties as we're talking about the achievements of the Bush presidency there there is a picture of at least two of them four members as
we said of the U.S Supreme Court attending tonight there of course are no rules saying that any of them should attend Justice Breyer tries to he's a former Senate staffer with a great love for the institution but in that one picture there you had the new chief justice Bush appointee Chief Justice John Roberts and the brand newly minted associate Justice of the Supreme Court Samuel Alito the vote of the vice Pres president was not needed it was not a squeaker on the hill today as it turned out o
f course Justice Thomas appointed by the current president's father and Justice Breyer a Clinton appointee Tim of course changing the Supreme Court is uh second it's been said to declaring war among the great powers of the presidency and already the Bush Administration can sit back with some satisfaction that they have put their appointees on this court an issue so important to the bush conservative base in the presidential election of 2000 and 2004. George W bush said I will put a conservative
imprint on that court and he has done that he is changing that Court probably for the next 20 or 30 years and he hopes that the personalities of the two men that he has put on the court are such that they can bring over some of those more moderate members where to the conservative side as we look at a proud product of the state of New Jersey judge Samuel Alito taking a long good look is his first State of the Union Address The Joint Chiefs of Staff military brass just behind him General Peter pa
ce of the Marine Corps and we are told President Bush you see the closed French doors there in the rear of the chamber is in the small holding room just beyond those doors and as soon as members of the cabinet you see Secretary chertoff of Homeland Security talking with Congressman Elliot Engel of New York as soon as members of the cabinet clear the the central aisle we will have the introduction of the president to again the the Applause that is expected and has never been withheld from any Pre
sident we we love political rituals in this the entry is always bipartisan after that you have to earn the Applause of either party and Brian you're exactly right about President Bush he is very punctual he has told people repeatedly that he was the kind of guy that would show up for an airplane 30 minutes early and so he arrives at these events early every president has its own clock George W bushes is different than Bill Clinton's they have their strengths they have their weaknesses it is uh w
ritten only that the president shall report on the state of the union and nowhere is it written that it must be done in person for a long time it was not uh it's been said many times the tradition was uh revived by President Woodrow Wilson uh and uh though television audiences have been declining in recent years there's a lot of competition for viewers eyeballs out there it is still a chance for a president to make his case uh what is now called free media in prime time uh those of you wondering
the Democratic response will follow tonight after the president's remarks have concluded someone obviously checking through the doors to see if everyone is uh seated and ready for the announcement of the president and it's undiluted time Brian there's no reporters asking those pesky questions it's his Rostrum this is my microphone I'm Mr and Mrs America tonight you're going to hear my version my view of our country our state of the union States [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign s we
were talking about as the president surrounded by the leadership both parties makes his way down the aisle uh on your right every year we talk about how Congressman Elliot Engel Democrat of the Bronx manages to get to the aisle and he has done himself proud again this year that's him greeting the president this very moment and this this walk can take varying lengths of time averages about five minutes we should tell you one news item tonight that Cindy Sheehan the woman who whose son was killed
in Iraq who protested much of this summer outside the bush Ranch near Waco Texas was to be the invited guest of congresswoman Lynn Woolsey of California a Democrat and she apparently has been arrested and taken off the premises of Capitol Hill tonight we'll learn more about that I'm sure as the hours go by the president's reading his chief justice as secretary of state Secretary of Defense uh David Gregory you have a few moments here uh before the president gets up to the Rostrum our chief Whit
e House correspondent in your view to add to Tim's words how will this speech differ from the years past what I think is so important Brian is that the president has always made the case that the war in Iraq was tied to the attacks on 9 11. I think the president will try to go beyond that tonight and argue that America is at war with radical Islam and that we are past the midline in that conflict and that even though debate goes forward about retreating that we have gone too far to turn back now
and I think that's going to be a consistent theme tonight copies of the speech to the vice president Speaker of the House Dennis hastert [Applause] let's take a little of this in [Applause] [Music] [Music] everybody members of Congress have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States [Applause] [Music] [Music] Mr Speaker vice president Cheney members of Congress members of the Supreme Court and Diplomatic Corps distinguished guests and fello
w citizens today our nation lost a beloved graceful courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who has taken so long ago and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta Scott King [Music] every time I'm invited to this Rostrum I'm humbled by the privilege and mindful of the history we've seen together we have gathered under this Capital dome in moments of national mourning and Na
tional Achievement we have served America through one of the most consequential periods of our history and it has been my honor to serve with you in a system of two parties two Chambers and two elected branches there will always be differences and debate but even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger to confront the great issues before us we must act in a spirit of Good Will and respect for one another and I will do my part toni
ght the state of our Union is strong and together we will make it stronger [Applause] in this decisive year you and I will make choices that determine both the future and the character of our country we will choose to act confidently in pursuing the enemies of freedom or Retreat from our duties in the hope of an easier life we will choose to build our prosperity by Leading the world economy or shut ourselves off from trade and opportunity in a complex and challenging time the road of isolationis
m and protectionism may seem Broad and inviting yet it ends in danger and decline the only way to protect our people the only way to secure the peace the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership so the United States of America will continue to lead [Applause] thank you abroad our nation is committed to an historic long-term goal we seek the end of tyranny in our world some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism in reality the future security of America depends on it on September the
11th 2001 we found that problems originating in a failed and oppressive state seven thousand miles away could bring murder and destruction to our country dictatorships shelter terrorists and feed resentment and radicalism and seek weapons of mass destruction democracies replace resentment with hope respect the rights of their citizens and their neighbors and join the fight against Terror every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer so we will act boldly in Freedom's cause far
from being a hopeless dream the advance of freedom is the great story of our time in 1945 there were about two dozen lonely democracies in the world today there are 122. and we're writing a new chapter in the story of self-government with women lining up to vote in Afghanistan and millions of Iraqis marking their Liberty with purple ink and men and women from Lebanon to Egypt debating the rights of individuals and the necessity of freedom at the start of 2006 more than half the people of our wor
ld live in democratic nations and we do not forget the other half in places like Syria and Burma Zimbabwe North Korea and Iran because the demands of justice and the Peace of this World require their freedom as well [Applause] no one can deny the success of freedom but some men rage and fight against it and one of the main sources of reaction in opposition is radical Islam the perversion by a few of a noble faith into an ideology of Terror and death terrorists like Bin Laden are serious about ma
ss murder and all of us must take their declared intentions seriously they seek to impose a heartless system of totalitarian control throughout the Middle East and arm themselves with weapons of mass murder their aim is to seize power in Iraq and use it as a safe haven to launch attacks against America and the world lacking the military strength to challenge us directly the terrorists have chosen the weapon of fear when they murder children at a school in beslin or blow up commuters in London or
behead of bound captive the terrorists hope these Horrors will break our will allowing the violent to inherit the earth but they have miscalculated we love our freedom and we will fight to keep it [Music] [Applause] [Music] in a time of testing we cannot find security by abandoning our commitments and retreating within our borders if we were to leave these vicious vicious attackers alone they would not leave us alone they would simply move the battlefield to our own Shores there is no peace and
retreat and there is no honor in retreat by allowing radical Islam to work its will by Leading an assaulted world to fend for itself we would signal to all that we no longer believe in our own ideals or even in our own courage but our enemies and our friends can be certain the United States will not Retreat from the world and we will never surrender to evil [Applause] [Music] America rejects the false comfort of isolationism we are the nation that saved Liberty in Europe and liberated death cam
ps and help raise up democracies and face down and evil empire once again we accept the call of History to deliver the oppressed and move this world toward peace we remain on the offensive Against Terror Networks we have killed or captured many of their leaders and for the others their day will come we remain on the offensive in Afghanistan we're a fine president in a National Assembly or fighting Terror while building the institutions of a new democracy we're on the offensive in Iraq with a cle
ar plan for victory first we're helping Iraqis build an inclusive government so that all resentments will be eased and the Insurgency will be marginalized second we're continuing reconstruction efforts and helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption and build a modern economy so all Iraqis can experience the benefits of freedom and third we're striking terrorist targets while we train Iraqi forces that are increasingly capable of defeating the enemy Iraqis are showing their courage every da
y and we are proud to be their allies in the cause of freedom [Music] our work in Iraq is difficult because our enemy is brutal but that brutality has not stopped the dramatic progress of a new democracy in less than three years the nation has gone from dictatorship to Liberation to sovereignty to a constitution to national elections at the same time our Coalition has been Relentless in shutting off terrorist infiltration clearing out Insurgent strongholds and turning over territory to Iraqi Sec
urity Forces I am confident in our plan for victory I am confident in the will of the Iraqi people I am confident in the skill and spirit of our military fellow citizens we are in this fight to win and we are winning [Applause] [Music] the road of Victory is the road that will take our troops home as we make progress on the ground and Iraqi forces increasingly Take the Lead we should be able to further decrease our troop levels but those decisions will be made by our military Commanders not by p
oliticians in Washington D.C [Applause] [Music] our Coalition has learned from our experience in Iraq we've adjusted our military tactics and changed our approach to reconstruction along the way we have benefited from responsible criticism and counsel offered by members of Congress of both parties in the coming year I will continue to reach out and seek your good advice yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anythin
g but failure hindsight alone is not wisdom and second guessing is not a strategy [Music] with so much in the balance those of us in public office have a duty to speak with candor a sudden withdrawal of our forces from Iraq would abandon our Iraqi allies to death in prison would put men like Bin Laden and zarkawi in charge of a strategic country and show that a pledge from America means little members of Congress however we feel about the decisions and debates of the past our nation has only one
option we must keep our word defeat our enemies and stand behind the American Military in this vital mission [Applause] [Music] our men and women in uniform are making sacrifices and showing a sense of Duty stronger than all fear they know what it's like to fight house to house in a maze of streets to wear heavy gear in the desert heat to see a comrade killed by a roadside bomb and those who know the costs also know the stakes Marine Staff Sergeant Dan clay was killed last month fighting in Fal
lujah he left behind a letter to his family but his words could just as well be addressed to every American here's what Dan wrote I know what honor is it has been an honor to protect and serve all of you I faced death with a secure knowledge that you would not have to never falter don't hesitate to honor and support those of us who have the honor of protecting that which is worth protecting Staff Sergeant Dan Clay's wife Lisa and his mom and dad Sarah Joe and Bud are with us this evening welcome
[Music] thank you [Music] our nation is grateful to the Fallen who live in the memory of our country we're grateful to all who volunteer to wear our nation's uniform and as we honor our brave troops let us never forget the sacrifices of America's military families [Applause] [Music] our offensive Against Terror involves more than military action ultimately the only way to defeat the terrorists is to defeat their dark vision of hatred and fear by offering the hopeful alternative of political fre
edom and peaceful change so the United States of America supports democratic reform across the broader Middle East elections are vital but they are only the beginning raising up a democracy requires the rule of law on protection of minorities and strong accountable institutions that last longer than a single vote the great people of Egypt have voted in a multi-party presidential election and now their government should open Paths of peaceful opposition that will reduce the appeal of radicalism t
he Palestinian people have voted in elections and now the leaders of Hamas must recognize Israel disarm reject terrorism and work for lasting peace [Music] Saudi Arabia has taken the first steps of Reform now it can offer its people a better future by pressing forward with those efforts democracies in the Middle East will not look like our own because they will reflect the traditions of their own citizens yet Liberty is the future of every nation in the Middle East because Liberty is the right a
nd hope of all Humanity [Applause] [Music] true of Iran a nation now held hostage by a small clerical Elite that is isolating and repressing its people the regime in that country sponsors terrorists in the Palestinian territories and in Lebanon and that must come to an end [Applause] the Iranian government Define the world Ambitions and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons [Applause] America will continue to Rally the world to confront these threats
tonight let me speak directly to the citizens of Iran America respects you and we respect your country we respect your right to choose your own future and win your own freedom and our nation hopes one day to be the closest of friends with a free and Democratic Iran [Applause] [Music] to overcome dangers in our world we must also take the offensive by encouraging economic process economic progress in fighting disease and spreading hope in Hopeless lands isolationism would not only tie our hands
in fighting enemies it would keep us from helping our friends in desperate need we show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the god-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV AIDS or an infant with malaria or a refugee fleeing genocide or a young girl sold into slavery we also show compassion abroad because region is overwhelmed by poverty corruption and despair are sources of terrorism and organized crime and human trafficking and the drug trade in recent years you and I have tak
en unprecedented action to fight AIDS in malaria expand the education of girls and reward developing nations that are moving forward with economic and political reform for people everywhere the United States is a partner for a better life shortchanging these efforts would increase the suffering and Chaos of our world undercut our long-term security and dull the conscience of our country I urge members of Congress to serve the interests of America by showing the compassion of America our country
must also remain on the offensive against terrorism here at home the enemy has not lost the desire or capability to attack us fortunately this nation has superb Professionals in law enforcement intelligence the military and Homeland Security these men and women are dedicating their lives protecting us all and they deserve our support and our thanks [Applause] [Music] they also deserve the same tools they already used to fight drug trafficking and organize crime so I ask you to reauthorize the Pa
triot Act [Applause] it is said that prior to the Attacks of September the 11th our government failed to connect the dots of the conspiracy we now know that two of the hijackers in the United States placed telephone calls to Al-Qaeda operatives overseas but we did not know about their plans until it was too late so to prevent another attack based on Authority given to me by the Constitution by Statute I have authorized a tarant surveillance program to aggressively pursue the international Commun
ications of suspected Al-Qaeda operatives and Affiliates to and from America previous presidents have used the same constitutional Authority I have and federal courts have approved the use of that Authority appropriate members of Congress have been kept informed the terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks it remains essential to the security of America if there are people inside our country who are talking with Al Qaeda we want to know about it because we will not sit
back and wait to be hit again [Applause] [Music] thank you [Music] in all these areas from the disruption of Terror networks to victory in Iraq to the spread of freedom and hope and troubled regions we need the support of our friends and allies to draw that support we must always be clear in our principles and willing to act the only alternative to American leadership is a dramatically more dangerous and anxious world yet we also choose to lead because it is a privilege to serve the values that
gave us birth American leaders from Roosevelt to Truman to Kennedy to Reagan rejected isolation and retreat because they knew that America is always more secure when freedom is on the March our own generation is in a Long war against a determined enemy a war that will be fought by presidents of both parties who will need steady bipartisan support from the Congress and tonight I ask for yours together let us protect our country support the men and women who defend us and Lead this world toward f
reedom [Applause] [Music] here at home America also has a great opportunity we will build the prosperity of our country by strengthening our economic leadership in the world our economy is healthy and vigorous and growing faster than other major industrialized nations in the last two and a half years America has created 4.6 million new jobs more than Japan and the European Union combined even in the face of higher energy prices and natural disasters the American people have turned in an economic
performance that is the Envy of the world the American economy is preeminent but we cannot afford to be complacent in a dynamic World economy we are seeing new competitors like China and India and this creates uncertainty which makes it easier to feed people's fears so we're seeing some old Temptations return protectionists want to escape competition pretending that we can keep our high standard of living while Walling off our economy others say that the government needs to take a larger role i
n directing the economy centralizing more power in Washington and increasing taxes we hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy even though this economy could not function without them [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] all these are forms of economic retreat and they lead in the same direction toward a stagnant and second-rate economy tonight I will set out a better path an agenda for a nation that competes with confidence an agenda that will raise standards of living and g
enerate new jobs Americans should not fear our economic future because we intend to shape it keeping America competitive begins with keeping our economy growing and our economy grows when Americans have more of their own money to spend save and invest in the last five years the tax relief you pass has left 880 billion dollars in the hands of American workers investors small businesses and Families and they have used it to help produce more than four years of uninterrupted economic growth [Applau
se] [Music] yet the tax relief is set to expire in the next few years if we do nothing American families will face a massive tax increase they do not expect and will not welcome because America needs more than a temporary expansion we need more than temporary tax relief I urge the Congress to act responsibly and make the tax cuts permanent [Music] thank you [Music] keeping American competitive requires us to be good stewards of tax dollars every year in my presidency we've reduced the growth of
non-security discretionary spending and last year you passed bills that cut this spending this year my budget will cut it again and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities by passing these reforms we will save the American taxpayer another 14 billion dollars next year and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. [Applause] [Music] I am pleased that members of Congress are working on earmark reform because the federal b
udget has too many special interest projects and we can tackle this problem together if you pass the line item veto [Music] [Applause] [Music] we must also confront the larger challenge of mandatory spending or entitlements this year the first of about 78 million baby boomers turns Baby Boomers turned 60 including two of my dad's favorite people me and President Clinton this Milestone is more in a personal crisis National challenge the retirement of the baby boom generation will put unprecedente
d strains on the federal government by 2030 spending for Social Security Medicare and Medicaid alone will be almost 60 percent of the entire federal budget and that will present future congresses with impossible choices staggering tax increases immense deficits or deep Cuts in every category of spending Congress did not act last year on my proposal to save Social Security [Applause] [Applause] Rising costs of entitlements is not as a problem that is not going away [Applause] [Music] and every ye
ar we fail to act the situation gets worse so tonight I ask you to join me in creating a commission to examine the full impact of baby boom retirements on Social Security Medicare and Medicaid this commission should include members of Congress of both parties and offer bipartisan Solutions we need to put aside partisan politics and work together and get this problem solved [Applause] thank you [Applause] [Applause] keeping America competitive requires us to open more markets for all that America
ns make and grow one out of every five factory jobs in America is related to global trade and we want people everywhere to buy American with open markets in a Level Playing Field no one can out produce or out-compete the American worker [Applause] keeping America competitive requires an immigration system that upholds our laws reflects our values and serves the interests of our economy our nation needs orderly and secure borders [Applause] to meet this goal we must have stronger immigration enfo
rcement and Border Protection [Applause] [Music] and we must have a rational Humane guest worker program that rejects amnesty allows temporary jobs for people who seek them legally and reduces smuggling and crime at the border [Applause] keeping America competitive requires Affordable Health Care [Applause] [Music] our government has a responsibility to provide health care for the poor and the elderly and we are meeting that responsibility for all Americans for all Americans we must confront the
rising cost of care strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and help people afford the insurance coverage they need we will make wider use of electronic records and other health information technology to help control costs and reduce dangerous medical errors we will strengthen health savings accounts making sure individuals and small business employees can buy insurance with the same advantages that people working for big businesses now get [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] we will do mo
re to make this coverage portable so workers can switch jobs without having to worry about losing their health insurance foreign because lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice leaving women in nearly 1500 American counties without a single OB GYN I asked the Congress to pass medical liability reform this year [Applause] [Music] [Applause] keeping America competitive requires affordable energy and here we have a serious problem America is addicted to oil which is often imported fr
om unstable parts of the world the best way to break this addiction is through technology since 2001 we have spent nearly 10 billion dollars to develop cleaner cheaper and more reliable alternative energy sources and we are on the threshold of incredible advances so tonight I announce the Advanced Energy initiative a 22 percent increase in Clean Energy Research at the department of energy to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas to change how we power our homes and offices we will invest mor
e in zero emission coal-fired plants revolutionary solar and wind Technologies and Clean safe nuclear energy [Applause] [Music] you must also change how we power our automobiles we'll increase our research in battery back better batteries for hybrid and electric cars and in pollution-free cars that run on hydrogen we'll also fund additional research and Cutting Edge methods of producing ethanol not just from corn but from wood chips and stalks or switch grass our goal is to make this new kind of
ethanol practical and competitive within six years [Music] breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025. by applying by applying the talent and Technology of America this country can dramatically improve our environment move Beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern Oil a thing of the past [Applause] [Music] and to keep America competitive on
e commitment is necessary above all we must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity our greatest advantage in the world has always been our educated hard-working ambitious people and we're going to keep that edge tonight I announced an American competitiveness initiative to encourage Innovation throughout our economy and to give our nation's children a firm grounding in math and science [Applause] first I propose to double the federal commitment to the most critical basic resea
rch programs in the physical sciences over the next 10 years this funding will support the work of America's most creative minds as they explore promising areas such as nanotechnology and super Computing and alternative energy sources second I propose to make permanent the research and development tax credit to encourage Boulder private sector initiative and Technology with more research in both the public and private sectors we will improve our quality of life and ensure that America will lead
the world in opportunity and Innovation for decades to come thank you third we need to encourage children to take more math and science and to make sure those courses are rigorous enough to compete with other nations we made a good start in the early grades with the No Child Left Behind Act which is Raising standards and lifting test scores across our country tonight I propose to train 70 000 High School teachers to lead advanced placement courses in math and science bring thirty thousand Math a
nd Science professionals to teach in classrooms and give early help to students who struggle with math so they have a better chance at good high-wage jobs if we ensure that America's children succeed in life they will ensure that America succeeds in the world preparing our nation to compete in the world is a goal that all of us can share I urge you to support the American competitiveness initiative and together we will show the world what the American people can achieve America is a great force
for freedom and prosperity yet our greatness is not measured in power or luxuries but by who we are and how we treat one another so we strive to be a compassionate decent hopeful Society in recent years America has become a more hopeful Nation violent crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the 1970s welfare cases have dropped by more than half over the past decade drug use among youth is down 19 since 2001. there are fewer abortions in America than at any point in the last three de
cades and the number of children born to teenage mothers has been falling for a dozen years in a row [Applause] these gains are evidence of a quiet transformation a revolution of conscience in which a rising generation is finding that a life of personal responsibility is a life of fulfillment government has played a role wise policies such as welfare reform drug education and support for abstinence and adoption have made a difference in the character of our country and everyone here tonight Demo
crat and Republican has a right to be proud of this record [Applause] [Music] yet many Americans especially parents still have deep concerns about the direction of our culture and the health of our most basic institutions they're concerned about unethical conduct by public officials and discouraged by activist courts that try to redefine marriage they worry about children in our society who need direction in love and about fellow citizens still displaced by natural disaster and about suffering c
aused by treatable diseases as we look at these challenges we must never give in to the belief that America is in Decline or that our culture is doomed to unravel the American people know better than that we have proven the pessimist wrong before and we will do it again [Applause] a vocal Society depends on courts that deliver Equal justice under the law the Supreme Court now has two superb new members of new members on his bench Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sam Alito [Applause] [Music
] I thank the senate for confirming both of them I will continue to nominate men and women who understand that judges must be Servants of the law and not legislate From the Bench [Applause] today marks the official retirement of a very special American for 24 years of faithful service to our nation the United States is grateful to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor [Applause] [Music] the hopeful Society has institutions of science and medicine that do not cut ethical corners and that recognize the mass
less value of every life tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research human cloning in all its forms creating or implanting embryos for experiments creating human animal hybrids and buying selling or patenting human embryos human life is a gift from our creator and that gift should never be discarded devalued or put up for sale [Music] [Applause] a hopeful Society expects elected officials to uphold the public Trust [Applause] people in both par
ties are working on reforms to strengthen the ethical standards of Washington I support your efforts each of us has made a pledge to be worthy of public responsibility and that is a pledge we must never forget never dismiss and never betray as we renew the promise of our institutions let us also show the character of America in our compassion and care for one another a hopeful Society gives special attention to children who who lack Direction in love through the helping America's youth initiativ
e we're encouraging caring adults to get involved in the life of a child and this good work is being led by our first lady Laura Bush [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] this year we will add resources to encourage young people to stay in school so more of America's youth can raise their sights and achieve their dreams a hopeful Society comes to the aid of fellow citizens in times of suffering and emergency and stays at it until they're back on their feet so far the federal government has comm
itted 85 billion dollars to the people of the Gulf Coast in New Orleans we're removing debris and repairing highways and rebuilding stronger levees we're providing business loans and housing assistance yet as we meet these immediate needs we must also address deeper challenges that existed before the storm arrived in New Orleans and in other places many of our fellow citizens have felt excluded from the promise of our country the answer is not only temporary relief but schools that teach every c
hild and job skills that bring upward mobility and more opportunities to own a home and start a business as we recover from a disaster let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by Justice equal in Hope and rich in opportunity [Applause] a hopeful Society acts boldly to fight diseases like HIV AIDS which can be prevented and treated and defeated more than a million Americans live with HIV and half of all age cases occur among African Americans I asked Congress to reform and re
authorize the Ryan White act and provide new funding to States so we end the waiting list for AIDS medicines in America [Applause] [Music] we will also lead a nationwide effort working closely with African-American churches and faith-based groups to deliver rapid HIV tests to millions and the stigma of AIDS and come closer to the day when there are no new infections in America [Applause] fellow citizens we've been called to leadership in a period of consequence we've entered a great ideological
conflict we did nothing to invite we see great changes in science and commerce that will influence all our lives sometimes it can seem that history is turning in a wide Arc toward an unknown Shore yet the destination of history is determined by Human Action in every great movement of History comes to a point of choosing Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma and achieved only half a victory o
ver segregation the United States could could have accepted the permanent division of Europe and been complicit in the oppression of others today having come far in our own historical Journey we must decide will we turn back or Finish Well before history is written down in books it is written in Courage like Americans before us we will show that courage and we will finish well we will lead Freedom's advance we will compete and Excel in the global economy we will renew the defining moral commitme
nts of this land and so we move forward optimistic about our country faithful to its cause and confident of the victories to come may God bless America foreign 51 minutes from start to finish President George W bush at times emotional at times combative but then again so was the chamber he faced tonight and Tim Russert while the president spoke you were noting what the camera shot was clearly showing the Deep division in the chamber a gulf Brian between these two parties the half the the audienc
e would stand the other would sit the president said you didn't enact my Social Security reforms and the Democrats stood up and applauded even on the Warner Rock foreign policy initiatives the Democrats and Republicans were saying to the country into the world we just plain disagree on every fundamental issue that's confronting this country chip Reed covers Congress for us and he is on the hill tonight and Chip if you're the leadership up there a lot of initiatives in the president's speech toni
ght what do you take up to bring forward what does he have the capital to get through I tell you it's really tough Brian there is very little that he can get through he went through a recitation of the issues that he would like to get through immigration Health Care with these health savings accounts medical liability reform Patriot Act extension all of those things we've heard about before and the chances of those getting through here are very much up in the air right now partly because the Dem
ocrats and the Republicans as you mentioned are so divided right now and there is such a bitter politic going on right here but also because the Republicans themselves are in disarray especially in the house where they no longer have Tom DeLay and in foreign affairs Andrea Mitchell our chief Foreign Affairs correspondent standing by Andrea how was the debate moved in terms of new positions uh perhaps conciliatory Language by the president tonight he was not at all conciliatory on either Iraq on
electronic surveillance he certainly seemed to reach out to the people of Iran the administration Condoleezza Rice returning from London today believes that there's an opportunity to try to divide the Iranian people from their government but there's no real evidence of that most experts do not believe that that is happening and as far as the military Vision he's simply saying that we have to succeed we have to continue we can't Retreat Democrats would support that but certainly disagree over the
tactics of the war David Gregory chief White House correspondent for NBC News covers the president day in and day out as we look at the president with Barack Obama Senator Landrieu of Louisiana uh David what do you think will uh will be remembered longest on the Hill from from the president's appearance tonight well I was struck by by a mix of conciliation and confrontation on the one hand he takes on Democrats saying that second guessing is not a strategy and on the other hand he really appeal
s to both parties saying look this war we're in is a war for the ages really it goes well beyond me future presidents of both parties are going to be engaged and we have to find a way to come together the question is whether it's too far into his presidency for that kind of message to really take hold as Tim Russert noted there is a gulf between these two parties on these very important matters and Tim it's also been noted the President is known to be very frustrated at what he sees as a a large
part of the population in the in the country and in that chamber tonight that doesn't uh seem to agree with his message that this is a nation at War he's expressed frustration over and over on that he has critics have responded by saying well if that's the case Mr President ask people for sacrifice Democrats have pointed out as the first war we've been involved in where the president hasn't raised the revenues or the taxes in order to pay for it the deficits have gotten bigger I think one of th
e things that was most dramatic to me Brian is the president walked in to the hall tonight flanked escorted by the Congressional leadership it was that same leadership he said had been informed about the domestic eavesdropping and they of course will say that they did not all know know all the details this is going to be an issue that's going to play out not only in this legislative body but I think in the courts all the way to the Supreme Court and how that Court decides whether or not the pres
ident had the Authority for domestic surveillance will have an enormous impact on the bush presidency not only in his final two or three years but I think in the history books and David Gregory the quote was if there are people inside our country who are talking with Al Qaeda we want to know about it because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again how high is confidence at the White House that they are on the right uh winning side of this issue as it's debated I I think that quote says it
all about how the White House views this not as a controversy in our own polling Bears this out it's much more of a debate inside Washington than it is around the country the president thinks that this is something that can be used to his advantage to his party's advantage in this midterm election year I think you're going to hear that lie we are not going to sit back and wait to be hit again over and over again as this debate plays out I think this is the central defining aspect of how the pres
ident views his presidency that he's simply totally changed by 9 11 and that he had to use tactics necessary to save American lives the President is known as we said to uh to be saddened by the uh divided tone in Washington Campbell Brown is uh really at the the center of the fight between the two parties Statuary Hall and the capitol is where both sides uh go to uh really spin the news media step in front of the cameras give their view of the president's remarks just concluded and Campbell I im
agine you are now surrounded by both sides that's right Brian the members of Congress are pouring into Statuary Hall to start giving their Spin and what they thought of the speech tonight we've been getting stacks of email already no major surprises because I think going to Tim's earlier point the lines are so clearly drawn the only thing we've heard that I think makes this very different from previous state of the unions is the extent to which the White House has been lobbying their own allies
in advance of this speech in in past state of the unions they were pretty much guaranteed Republican cheerleading after the president's speech not this year Republicans are too concerned about the president's poll numbers the midterm elections conservatives voicing concerns about the president's policy on Iran on spending so there was a lot of advanced lobbying leading up to the speech to try to make sure their own people stayed on the reservation uh and uh Tim uh the issue of the war addressed
head-on uh by the president but again we heard we saw and heard the division in the chamber on that subject especially we sure did and the president saying no matter what you may have thought about the war and the debate leading up to it Now's the Time to come together but the Democrats many in the room who are very supportive of John murtha a congressman who spoke out about withdrawing troops or variations of his position are insisting that there be a a timetable laid out or set forth they beli
eve that the president will draw down troops significantly in 2006 Congressman Martha has said it'll be it'll happen by November of 2006 for the midterm elections a lot of suspicions on both sides as to how the war of Iraq will play out and what decisions we made which are cast as military decisions but in fact Maybe political Decisions by both sides as uh now the Speaker of the House brings the chamber to the house will now be in order the in order to send them all home in effect David Gregory
you'll recall the president started slipping into his uh his speeches in the early part of the winter uh admissions that uh there had been an adjustment in war planning admissions that they had responded to criticism he said tonight yet there is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure hindsight alone is not wisdom the president said and second guessing is not a strategy so going back and and putting people on
notice well I think that's right I think you heard at other portions of the speech for the first time really the president acknowledging that war critics have effectively changed and influenced the policy the president talking about adjustments being made in strategy uh in Iraq but you still see the president trying to Define I think critics would say the terms of the debate sort of how to disagree uh with him on matters of the war and it goes to the larger point of him saying look we've crosse
d too far into the process now to question the fundamentals of how we got there we now have to agree that we're too far in to turn back now and and we have to stay the course David Gregory on the White House lawn and when we come back we'll be delivering you the uh the Democratic party response and for a lot of Americans it will be the first time they hear from the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine will also be talking to the majority leader of the U.S Senate and in add
ition to Bill Frist we'll be talking to the junior Democratic senator from the state of Illinois Barack Obama when NBC News live coverage of the president's State of the Union Address continues tomorrow on Today Tom Brokaw and Tim russer a reality check on what the president said and how the Democrats responded the morning after on The Today Show my Kroger now there's a new way to save more when you go grocery announcing the grand opening of a newly remodeled Kroger store in Nashville low prices
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penalties or Rooms To Go Great Furniture big savings no money down no minimum purchase no interest and no payments until January 2008. hey good choice the FBI wants your help and they're offering cash details at 10. we are back we're going to be hearing as we said from Senators Bill Frist and Barack Obama and get their reaction to the president's State of the Union Address tonight but first it is about to be time for the Democratic response delivered by the governor of Virginia Democrat Tim Kai
ne and Tim Russert who's with us tell the people of the United States who may not be familiar with this new governor of Virginia who he is and why he's been selected by the party he was Virginia's lieutenant governor who served under Governor Mark Warner of Virginia who's probably going to run for president Mark Warner is but Tim Kaine is someone who was a Democrat who won in a red State a Republican state like Virginia and he did it by talking about his values his Catholicism his faith working
as a quasi missionary if you will in Central America and Democrats have been captivated by that notion that he was able to connect with white middle-class rural voters by saying you may disagree with me but this is who I am as a person also Brian it was an Administration Mark Warner and Tim Kaine that raised taxes in Virginia in order to balance the budget and were able to persuade Republican legislators to join with them so it's also that bipartisan approach so Democrats in Congress say well we
haven't been able to have a response or or beat bush with one of us let's reach out to a governor who's had success in a Republican state we're preparing now to be switched to the feed that will bring us the Democratic response here now Governor Tim Kaine my fellow Americans good evening I'm Tim Kaine the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia and it's an honor tonight to give the Democratic response to President Bush on behalf of my Commonwealth my fellow Democratic Governors and the Democra
tic Party I worked as a missionary when I was a young man and I learned to measure my life by the difference I can make in someone else's life Coretta Scott King embodied that value and tonight as a nation we mourn her passing our faith and values teach us that there's no higher calling than serving others our federal government should serve the American people but that mission is frustrated by this administration's poor choices and bad management families in the Gulf Coast see that as they wait
to rebuild their lives Americans who lose their jobs see that as they look to rebuild their careers and our soldiers in Iraq see that as they try to rebuild a nation As Americans we do great things when we work together some of our leaders in Washington seem to have forgotten that I want to offer some good news tonight there is a better way in Virginia and other states we're moving ahead by focusing on service competent management and results it's it's all about bringing people together to find
Common Sense solutions to our common problems that's how we in Virginia earn the ranking of America's best managed state you know no matter what political philosophy you hold or what state you call home you have a right to expect that your government can deliver results when there's a crime or fire you expect that police and firefighters have the tools to respond when there's a natural disaster you expect a well-managed response when you send your children to school you expect them to be prepar
ed for success and you have a right to expect government to be fiscally responsible pay the bills and live within its means tonight we heard the president again call to make his tax policies permanent despite his administration's failure to manage our staggering national debt over the past five years we've gone from huge surpluses to massive deficits now no parent makes their child pay to pay the mortgage bill why should we allow this Administration to pass down the bill for its Reckless spendin
g to our children and grandchildren there's a better way two years ago in Virginia Democrats and Republicans worked together to reform our budget by focusing on results we were able to keep the budget balance preserve our strong credit rating and protect the essential services that families rely on Education Health Care law enforcement States all across this country are doing this right now as the federal government Falls further and further into debt think about what's occurring in education th
e administration's No Child Left Behind Act is wreaking havoc on local school districts despite the insistence of Democrats in Congress that the program should be funded as promised the Administration has opposed full funding and is refusing to let States try Innovative alternatives now the Republican leadership in Washington is actually cutting billions of dollars from the student loan programs that serve Working Families helping to get their children through college there's a better way last y
ear Governors from across the country worked together in a bipartisan fashion to reform the senior year of high school to make it serve our students better many states are working to make high quality pre-kindergarten accessible to every family Congressional Democrats have a plan to educate a hundred thousand new Engineers scientists and mathematicians in the next four years and in Virginia Democrats and Republicans alike work together to make record investments in education the results more acc
redited schools better student test scores look what's happening to Health Care skyrocketing costs are hurting small businesses and pushing millions of working Americans into the ranks of the uninsured the White House has made efforts to cut Medicaid funds for our most vulnerable citizens our seniors were promised that the new federal Medicare drug plan would make it easier and cheaper to obtain their medication instead many have fallen victim to the program's poor planning they find getting the
ir medicine to be more complex more expensive and less reliable There's A Better Way Health Care reforms have to focus on making the system serve consumers better many states following the lead of Illinois have set up simple ways to help seniors purchase safe American-made prescription drugs from other countries at a fraction of the price they would pay here and the administration actually fought against that Democratic effort in Virginia we've worked to provide health insurance coverage for nea
rly 140 000 children who weren't covered four years ago and Republicans and Democrats alike have come together to fight the administration's efforts to slash Medicaid and push more costs onto the states the president called again tonight for our commitment to win the war on terror and to support our troops every American Embraces those goals we can we must defeat Those Who attack and kill innocent people while the images of the World Trade Center are seared in the minds of all Americans so too a
re the memories of those who died on sacred ground here in Virginia in the attack on the Pentagon our commitment to winning the war on terror compels us to ask this question are the president's policies the best way to win this war we now know that the American people were given inaccurate information about reasons for invading Iraq we now know that our troops in Iraq we're not given the best body armor or the best intelligence we now know the administration wants to cut tens of thousands of tro
ops from the Army Reserves in the National Guard at the very time that we're facing new and dangerous threats and we now know that the administration wants to further reduce military and Veterans Benefits There's A Better Way working together we have to give our troops the tools they need to win the war on terror and we can do it without sacrificing the Liberty that we've sent our troops abroad to defend our support has to begin here at home that's why we in Virginia Democrats and Republicans ha
ve reformed and enhanced our Department of Veterans Services to help our veterans and their family members access the federal benefits that they've earned and we're working to provide State re-enlistment bonuses to honor those Virginians who stay in service to Commonwealth and Country when it comes to energy Americans are using more than ever paying more for it and are more dependent on the Middle East than ever before there's a better way last summer I joined Democrats in Washington and other s
tates and called on oil companies to share in our sacrifice and return some of their record-breaking excess profits Democrats at both the state and National levels are leading the way on energy reforms calling for greater public Investments for alternative Advanced Energy Energy Technologies these investments will promote energy Independence boost the nation's economy create jobs and strengthen National Security the failure of the federal government to implement and enforce a rational immigratio
n policy has resulted in a confusing Patchwork of state and local efforts of course we should welcome those who seek to lawfully join and contribute to our American family and we must but at the same time we have to ensure that our homeland defense efforts begin with consistent Federal action to protect our borders the administration is falling behind in other critical areas preserving the environment keeping our workplaces safe protecting Family Farms keeping jobs in America our communities are
then left to deal with the challenges and the consequences of these Federal failures without a reliable partner but we managed to find a better way the better way is to focus on service it's about measuring what we do in terms of Real Results for real people it's not about partisanship or political spin it's about protecting the rights endowed by our creator fulfilling the principle of equality set out in the Declaration of Independence and ensuring that the light of Liberty Shines on every Ame
rican if we want to replace the division that's gripping our nation's capital we need a change Democrats are leading that reform effort working to restore honesty and openness to our government working to replace a culture of partisanship and cronyism with an ethic of service and results our greatest need is for America to heal its partisan wounds and become one people you know those are words that Thomas Jefferson expressed after he was elected president and they ring is true today as they did
in 1800. tonight we pray earnestly and humbly for that healing and for the day when service returns again as the better way to a new National politics we ask all Americans to join us in that effort because together America can do better thank you for listening and God bless the United States of America the Democratic party response tonight to the president's State of the Union addressed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine and with that we want to get some reaction
from two ends of the U.S Senate to what we heard from the president tonight for that we are joined by Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee the Senate Majority Leader and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois gentlemen thank you both for being with us and Senator Frist you're in charge of the calendar down there what uh what initiatives that you heard tonight will you bring forward on a realistic wish list well you know that's exactly what I was doing as I was sitting there listening to the real aspiration
al themes of of leadership and competition and Innovation to solve so many problems but secretly I was kind of writing down saying now what do I need to be doing over the next 11 months with my colleague Barack Obama and others things like a medical liability addressing the frivolous lawsuits in this country responding hopefully in the very near future to this bipartisan commission that the president suggests to attack what I believe is the greatest physical challenge that we have over the next
30 years and that is entitlement spending in health care which the president did uh I think very well in elevating on the national agenda very specifically the health savings accounts expansion accounts you can own you can take with you the portability addressing the affordability of costs through taking Insurance across lines focusing on Information Technology electronic records to get the waste Fraud and Abuse out of the system those are a number of the very specific bills that he put out ther
e for us that we will be legislating on this year and yet senator for all the goals you saw as clearly as we did the Deep divide you could have drawn a line down the center of the chamber tonight that has to be disheartening you know it is is Brian but what is interesting and even in in Tim kaine's Democratic response there and in the President right up front calling for bipartisanship uh in an environment here which at the legislative level is very partisan a lot of bickering a lot of obstructi
on a lot of you know not a willingness to move forward maybe just maybe on both sides of the aisle there will be much more of the working together which it will take in which we really need in this time of Terror a war on terror entitlement spending that's out of control Senator Frist thank you and Senator Obama by our count six sentences in the speech and outgrowth of Hurricane Katrina given all that people say it revealed about American society is that enough for you what didn't you hear well
you know two-thirds of the American people think that the country is moving in the wrong direction and I think the president identified some of the issues people are concerned about they don't feel comfortable with a Health Care system that doesn't provide enough coverage and costs too much they're concerned about energy Independence they're concerned about educating their kids to compete in the 21st century unfortunately although the president had some ideas that I think we can work together on
a bipartisan basis you didn't see the sort of bold approaches that would ask America to meet these challenges uh together and and so in that sense I think a lot of Americans watching are thinking uh can't we do better than what we heard from the president and yet Senator where does that start your side of the aisle as we noted at least once Rose in sarcastic Applause to the president it's it's deeply divided well you know I think that the president has the bully pulpit I think Democrats have an
obligation to work with the president if he comes forward with the kinds of bold initiatives that would really make a difference in people's lives and Health Care is a great example if we can not only look at health savings accounts that are going to provide help to people who already have money and can save but we're also thinking about programs like have been initiated in my home state where we're providing health insurance to all children or in Massachusetts we're a republican Governor has c
alled for mandatory insurance and pooling to reduce costs and expand coverage if we take those big approaches then I think we can make a difference Senator Obama our thanks to you and Tim Russert it leaves us to ask you what gets passed this year the one thing I think will happen Brian is lobbying reform because both sides need it the Democrats want to show that they're cleaning up Washington the Republicans want to show that they are participants on that and and don't want to be tagged with tha
t kind of image and everything else Brian I think has pushed to the sidelines with bitter partisan bickering and the war in Iraq goes on and the events on the ground cannot be controlled by either house of Congress or either party and we saw it all unfold tonight Tim Russert thanks thanks to all our correspondence and contributors continued coverage tomorrow morning on today all night tonight on MSNBC and tomorrow evening on NBC Nightly News that's it for tonight for now from Washington foreign
[Music] due to NBC News
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