The House Chambers and The East Room

Yesterday evening at the State House and at the White House, Governor Deval Patrick and President George W. Bush presented their respective speeches. Both politicians seemed to be engaged in damage control. Governor Patrick began first and after detailing a few successes, delivered harsh news on the state's economy, saying that all Massachusetts citizens should expect to feel the realities of our present fiscal decline. What captured me most was his very calm, assuaging, almost sweet tone of voice, similar to the way a mother would speak to reassure her skeptical child. The Governor delivered the bad news in such a way that one might be fooled into thinking he had something good to share. The fact is the state budget looks bleak and telling children they will no longer be able to study art or music in school because the government was not able to make cuts elsewhere is not reassuring, regardless how that is said.

President George W. Bush, with the hope of establishing at least a lukewarm legacy, used his prime-time spot to try to convince the American public he was a successful President. Early on in his speech he talked about September 11th, a time when Americans rallied behind him. He mentioned areas he considers successes (Iraq and Afghanistan) and emphasized that his decisions were based with the country's best interest in mind. That I believe. What is so sad is that although he was striving to do the right things for our country, he did not surround himself with people with understanding and intelligence. President Bush did not wish to hear disagreements. He wanted support for his ideas, which were misguided and poorly analyzed. True, he did what he thought was right, but what he thought was right was catastrophically wrong.

I offer articles from today's (Jan. 16) Telegram & Gazette and Boston Globe about the State-of-the-State and President George W. Bush's Farewell Address.

In The Telegram: "Governor warning of more cutbacks" by John J. Monahan, p.A1
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090116/NEWS/901160686/1116/NEWSREWIND

In The Boston Globe: "Patrick gently warns of layoffs; urges ethics cleanup" by Matt Viser and Frank Phillips, p.B1
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/01/16/not_the_time_to_lose_either_our_will_or_our_way/

In The Telegram: "Bush's farewell upbeat, hopeful" by Deb Riechmann, p.A3
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090116/NEWS/901160512

In The Boston Globe: "In farewell, Bush says his years made nation safer" by Joseph Williams, p.A2
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/01/16/in_farewell_bush_says_his_years_made_nation_safer/