Whatever you want to call it, only 356 more days of Bush

Seven years ago, an energetic, jocular, new President George W. Bush gave his debut speech before a joint session of Congress.

"We're off to a good start," a playful Bush said in 2001. Noting he was presiding over a country at peace, Bush promised to unify the nation, set a new tone of bipartisan civility and respect, pay off the national debt (but not too fast), and make sure $1.6 trillion of the budget surplus went back to us taxpayers.

Mission accomplished?

Well, with an approval rating of 31 percent, George "The War President" Bush has united us on the issue of his popularity. (That loyal 31 percent won't abandon Bush unless he marries a man and performs an abortion while burning a flag.)

With Democratic Sens. Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama already having made passionate speeches Monday, and Republicans' attention on Florida, a State of the Union from a lame duck president can't compete, even with all the pomp and tradition. Monday night, a gray-haired, 61-year-old President Bush gave the last of what he once referred to as "my State of the (pause) my State of the Union (pause) or State (pause) my speech to the nation, whatever you want to call it."

It's been a long seven years.

I read about Bush-bashing parties where disgruntled Americans got together to watch Monday's speech and rejoice in the fact that it was the last State of the Union he'll deliver. Critical of Bush from Day One and speculating in a 2003 column that he might be the "worst president ever," I would have enjoyed such a soiree.

But among some suburban folks in that camp, the sentiment was that people couldn't stomach watching another Bush State of the Union even if it was his last.

"It's amazing to me that anyone can endure the sound of his voice for that long," says Bush critic Kate Hutchinson of Palatine.

After watching the speech, Karen Wagner of Rolling Meadows accuses Bush of taking credit for things beyond his control, making new promises on top of old ones that weren't kept, and using fear as a tool to get what he wants.

"He used the threat of terrorism to insist that Congress renew the FISA legislation, including immunity for those telecoms who illegally monitored American communications," Wagner says. "This is a Constitutional issue. By supporting such legislation, George W. Bush is once again showing the contempt he has for our citizens and the protections of our Constitution and Bill of Rights."

Some people didn't bother hearing what Bush said this time around.

"People I know are so disgusted, they aren't watching," explained peace activist Hal Snyder of Arlington Heights. "They're hunkering down for the next round of layoffs or trying to figure out how to end the war, stop torture, save the environment, or reform our health care system in spite of our government."

Layoffs? "In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth," Bush told us Monday, vowing to "ensure America remains the most dynamic nation on Earth."

End the war? Reminding us again that "we are engaged in the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century," Bush spoke of progress and proclaimed that "al-Qaida is on the run." But in guaranteeing victory, the president stopped short of telling us we've turned the corner or truly accomplished the mission.

If you watched "Gossip Girl Revealed" last night instead of the State of the Union, don't feel left out. Bush told us the same thing about the economy and the war/wars in his 2007 State of the Union, and in 2006 and 2005 and 2004 and so on, always assuring us the State of the Union is "strong."

"The State of the Union? Which state? Which union? Where is the union that could have been formed between the states that Bush carefully, colorfully and politically painted red and blue?" bemoans frequent Bush critic James Cook of Streamwood. "How can he say we have union when he has brought our destructive, divisive political pot to a boiling point scalding all ordinary Americans? He has, unwittingly and unfortunately, become our master chef and he's all but cooked our goose with Dick Cheney's recipes."

People who are tired of Bush, are really, really tired of Bush. They're counting down the 356 days left in the Bush reign.

"In the end, we will be judged not only by what we say or how we say it," Bush said in his first speech before Congress, "we will be judged by what we're able to accomplish."

Judging from the mood of the country this time around, I'd say the State of the Union is that most Americans are very excited about the prospect of having some new president to give this speech next January.