Washington Post says this will "probably" be Bush's last State of the Union

[Ichingcarpenter]

For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war.


Today, the president is getting little credit for improved security in Iraq, as the public increasingly focuses on a struggling U.S. economy.
That is the problem Bush faces as he prepares to deliver his seventh and
....... 'probably' ...... final State of the Union address tonight. …



WTF?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/01/27/ST2008012702356.html?hpid=topnews

[monmouth]

1. It sure as hell better be, his two daughters are giving up a night to be there...lol..n/t

[Diane R]

2. I caught that, too. I hope they don't have inside info that he is cancelling the '08 election.

[dysfunctional press]

3. the constitution doesn't specify that the sotu be a once a year deal...

it says "from time to time" or something to that effect. it's just become tradition to do it the way they do now- once a year at the end of january or thereabouts. but if situations dictated, he could do another one any time.

[MissWaverly]

10. there should be a law that you have to poll above 35%

to give one.

[Kutjara]

4. Don't worry, it will be.

When he declares martial law and suspends the elections next November, he'll dispense with the SOTU speech as well. Why bother with the window-dressing of democracy any more, once the cat's really out of the bag?

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Well the next president should be sworn in

on January 20th of next year, and quite frankly my fear is that they will find a way to stay in power

If they do, don't expect a state of the union. SOTU's will become quaint memories with the rest of the Constitution

And yes, I know some folks here think this is paranoid thinking... you do NOT build the amount of power they have to leave it behind. I guess that is the historian in me talking...

[gateley]

8. "...you do NOT build the amount of power they have to leave it behind."

Sobering thought.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. And by juve I do hope I am wrong!

:-)

[swoop]

14. You don't really believe that?

I thinks a little extreme. There's no need for fearmongering.

[MonkeyFunk]

16. yes

and she's not the only one. The chicken little brigade here is, sadly, pretty large.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. History... if you read some you will see why I wrote what I wrote

You COULD start with Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire... start with the death of the Republic.

Perhaps the death of Athenian Democracy could be a good example

In modern times you could literally start with any of the dictartorships of the 20th century... or perhaps just read Wolf's The End of America, nice summary

[Nostradammit]

6. Heard the exact same phrase on "NPR" just a few minutes ago

I started yelling at the radio again.

It's designed to freak us out a little.

[MonkeyFunk]

11. no

it's designed to be accurate.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. Still a scary thought no matter what the facts are.

Any speech he gives,
I say, OK, WTF now are you gonna lie about now and F*ck up.

I hope its the last speech he ever gives except his farewell speech or
his final speech pleading to the the bench before the Hague.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. Is Bush about to add his own signing statement to the U.S. Constitution?

He already seems to have been doing it to our laws at regular intervals throughout his Presidency.

[enlightenment]

12. Like the poster above said -

the Constitution already "allows" the President to deliver a SOTU once, multiple times, or really not at all. The President may also convene and close Congress if he deems it necessary - under extraordinary circumstances.

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

17. That section wasn't the one that was troubling me

I was referring to Article 2, Section 1, particularly the provision in the Constitution that states the President shall "be elected".

[enlightenment]

26. Ah. My apologies; now I understand.

Could you expand on that a bit? Not the Article, per se, but why it concerns you.

[MonkeyFunk]

9. some presidents do an outgoing

SOTU, but usually not in person - in written form.

Some don't.

And has been pointed out above, the constitution doesn't require a SOTU once a year, or in January. He could deliver another if he so wanted, either in person or in writing.

So yes, it's PROBABLY his last SOTU.

[Canuckistanian]

13. That's interesting

Thanks for the info.

[KatyaR]

15. AAHHHHHH!!

:wow:

I just heard that on Rachel Maddow's show--I nearly wrecked the car.

God forbid . . . .

[dkofos]

20. Leave it the M$M to spin a statement like that

[dsc]

22. He would actually be entitled to give on

in January of next year. Given his abundance of arrogance I wouldn't put it past him but he will likely stick with a farewell address.

[Jed Dilligan]

23. If there was a massive disaster, I mean much bigger than 9/11

wouldn't he give one about a month thereafter?

[DemBones DemBones]

24. No suggestions, please. nt

[zbdent]

25. "probably"???

Hmm ... does the Washington Post have the exclusive contract with President-For-Life Bush? I mean, after the "terrorist attack" which will forestall the elections "temporarily" ...