Abstract

Home Truths

The author calls upon the Democratic presidential candidates to refute the arguments U.S. president George W. Bush makes in his State of the Union address. The day after Democrats begin the process of selecting George W. Bush's challenger in what could be the most critical election of our time, the President will use his bully pulpit to present his well-spun version of the truth about America's political and economic health. The scheduling of Bush's fourth State of the Union address for the might after the Iowa caucuses serves as a reminder that every time a President addresses the nation in an election year, it's a campaign speech. The one safe bet is that the "facts" Bush presents this year will bear as little resemblance to reality as his assertion in last year's speech that "Year after year, Saddam Hussein has gone to elaborate lengths, spent enormous sums, taken great risks to build and keep weapons of mass destruction." Even as the death toll and the chaos in Iraq continue, so has the evidence that Bush's statement was not only untrue but known to be untrue. Bush is certain to be even less truthful when he starts talking about the economy. The Democratic party's presidential nominee must not only note Bush's missteps but argue persuasively--and with passion--that Bush's fascination with pre-emptive war and tax cuts for the rich, and his lack of interest in job creation, healthcare reform and a real education agenda, have damaged the physical and economic security of America.