U.S. President George W. Bush delivered his 50-minute State of the Union address on Tuesday night, drawing praise from many Republicans and criticism from many Democrats.
Some students even watched the address for class credit. Students in Professor Joel Bloom’s Introduction to U.S. Politics class improvised, watching the speech through a donated laptop computer after realizing they did not have access to a cable television connection or TV reception.
Bush’s main topics included the fight against terrorism and conflicts in Iraq and North Korea, human cloning, partial-birth abortion and foreign aid to Africa.
The president said terrorism and states that sponsor it — such as Iraq and North Korea — pose threats to the United States, but individual countries need to be treated differently. He stated his opposition to all human cloning and partial-birth abortion and, in a move that surprised many Republicans, proposed $450 million for a mentoring program, $600 million to fight drug abuse and $15 billion in aid to Africa.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Eugene, said the address was little more than political rhetoric.
“The reality is that the Bush
administration’s agenda will do little to address the immediate needs of most Americans,” he said in a statement. “Americans aren’t threatened by the weapons that Saddam Hussein may or may not possess; they’re menaced by the lack of available jobs and expired unemployment benefits.”
But Rep. Greg Walden, the lone Republican U.S. representative from Oregon, said he was pleased with Bush’s message, adding that the president’s issues “reflect the highest priorities of the American people.”
College Democrats Co-Chairmen Mike Linman and Eric Bailey said they did not believe Bush would follow through on his promises.
“His words were encouraging, but his record is contrary (to what he said),” Bailey said. “He talks of combating HIV, but he cut birth control.”
College Republicans Chairman Jarrett White said he thinks Bush laid out a strong course for the U.S. in 2003. He also defended the president’s plans for the Middle East.
“If it’s just about oil, we would have taken the oil fields in Desert Storm … and there wouldn’t have been an issue now,” White said
Professor Bloom said he was surprised by the bipartisan nature of Bush’s speech.
“He’s definitely reaching out to Democrats to some extent by putting in money for drug treatment and rehabilitation,” Bloom said. “It’s good to see him doing some of that — not just punishment, but trying to help some people.”
The professor added that it’s too early to tell whether the president will act on his promises.
“How much of that will actually happen — who knows,” he said, adding that he predicts Bush’s approval rating will increase by 10 percent to 15 percent as a result.

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