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The Internet Gods chose last night, smack in the middle of the State of the Union, to crash the Prospect site, so please excuse our lack of live commentary on the speech. I had been excited about Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' official Democratic rejoinder, but her speech left me cold. It relied on feel-good platitudes over any real, specific critique of President Bush. An entire passage on S-CHIP failed to mention that Bush had vetoed the legislation, denying 10 million children health care. Is there any easier shot to take? Is there any more important domestic issue in America today? And on the war, Sebelius simply did not say it should end. Sample fuzzy-wuzzy line:
The new Democratic majority of Congress and the vast majority of Americans are ready - ready to chart a new course. If more Republicans in Congress stand with us this year, we won't have to wait for a new President to restore America's role in the world, and fight a more effective war on terror.This rhetoric felt like a time machine back to 2004. Don't we now know enough and aren't we tough enough to critique the surge happy-talk? Sebelius is expected in the coming days to endorse Barack Obama. But that hasn't stopped Obama from releasing this much, much better response speech to the SOTU. I recommend it.--Dana Goldstein
