The State Of The Union Is?

Undoubtedly, it depends on whom you ask. Perhaps more important, it should be noted that the address is a message from the President to Congress. Frequently it outlines the Commander-in-Chief’s legislative agenda, and makes no pretense of actually depicting, describing, or otherwise characterizing the State of the Union.

Two Hundred Eighteen years, and approximately three weeks ago, January 8, 1790, the original George W. delivered the first State of the Union address. Two days ago, present-day George W. delivered his 8th and final State of the Union address.

Though codified, and Ritualistic, the practice has evolved over time, but not in a straight-line trajectory. For quite some time, the address was called the President’s Annual Message to Congress. While a report such as this is required by the United States Constitution, there is no requirement that the speech take place annually, though it typically does.

According to the Constitution, “He shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." (Article II, Section 3). No comment on the pronoun!

There are many key points highlighting the history of the State of the Union address. A dozen are included below:

· 1790 – George Washington delivered the first State of the Union address January 8, 1790 in New York City, provisional United States Capital
· 1801 – Thomas Jefferson discontinued the personal delivery of the State of the Union address. (He thought it was to monarchical, similar to the Speech from the Throne)
· 1913 – Woodrow Wilson re-established the personal delivery of the State of the Union address
· 1923 – Calvin Coolidge delivered the first radio broadcast of the State of the Union address
· 1935 – Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the phrase State of the Union address
· 1947 – Harry S. Truman delivered the first televised State of the Union address
· 1965 – Lyndon Johnson delivered the first evening State of the Union address
· 1966 – The provision to present the televised broadcast of the response by the Party opposing the President was initiated
· 1981 – Jimmy Carter was the last President to send the State of the Union address to Congress in writing. (Given the daunting nature of media pressure, and the corollary preponderance of media savvy politicians, that will likely never occur again)
· 1986 – Ronald Reagan became the first President to postpone the delivery of a State of the Union address. After being made aware of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, President Ronald Reagan delayed his message for one week.
· 1997 – Bill Clinton became the first President to deliver a State of the Union address made available on the World Wide Web
· 1999 – Bill Clinton delivered the State of the Union address during the middle of his impeachment trial

In an earlier passage, I noted the address is codified and Ritualistic. An example of the ceremonial nature of the State of the Union address, and the pomp and circumstance that surround it, is the rousing standing ovation that greets the President. The cheering is ceremonial, and is for the Office of the Presidency, not the individual. The ovation is patriotic applause, and is given regardless of political party.

All things considered, it would appear the State of the Union is good! Do not get me wrong; it could always be better. But let’s be real. As Americans, we reside in a bubble that would make Michael Jackson proud.

Despite living in a world where millions are ravaged by disease, hunger, political and economic strife, where ecological and environmental concerns abound, where nuclear threats, and rumors of nuclear threats are daily news-fare, we are at leisure to casually observe (or not…that’s freedom) as our highest elected leaders serially genuflect to whomever happens to be “the Man Behind the Curtain,” our very own Wizard of Oz. My apologies to Victor Fleming, and L. Frank Baum.

That’s enough, I am done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com, or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_Address

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_State_of_the_Union_Address

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080128-13.html

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/politics/uwire/main3767800.shtml

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2008/2008-01-28-01.asp

http://www.c-span.org/executive/stateoftheunion.asp

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/29/opinion/main3764776.shtml

Simply Super

For fans of the NFL, the Super Bowl will be played Sunday, evening, February 3, 2008. The copious, relentless, and highly anticipated ad campaigns have already been set in place, with over 30 minutes of spots scheduled. However, for serious political enthusiasts and junkies, the Super Bowl of politics unfolds two days later, Super Tuesday, February 5th.

On that day, 24 States will conduct primaries or caucuses for one or both parties. This will be the largest Super Tuesday in history, and 52% of Democratic delegates, and 41% of Republican delegates will be awarded. Of the 24 States, 2 are Red State elections (Republican), 3 are Blue State elections (Democratic), and 19 States are both.

As the electoral process unfolds, and we stand13 days until Super Tuesday, a number of things are beginning to shift, fall into place, or become clear. The sifting that always occurs is happening. You know, separating the pretenders from the contenders.

Just this week, Republican, former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson withdrew from the race. Thompson, who finished 3rd in last week’s South Carolina Republican primary had apparently seen enough to make the call to quit. Reports say he felt it was important to do well, if not win in South Carolina. Failing to win or place did not meet his self-imposed litmus test.

Several others already made the same decision, including Republicans Sam Brownback, senior Senator from Kansas, Jim Gilmore, former Virginia Governor, Representatives Duncan Hunter of California, and Tom Tancredo of Colorado, and Tommy Thompson, former Governor of Wisconsin. Sources have indicated that some Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, staff members have been foregoing pay checks due to lack of funding.

On the Democratic side, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico has already withdrawn. Richardson, who is Hispanic, added to the diversity of the Democratic slate of hopefuls.

In addition to the fallout and shortening of the bench that inevitably occurs due to lack of money, or primary wins, there has also been an anticipated increase in hostilities, especially among the Democratic contenders. This has been especially true of Senators Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, the two candidates who have won primaries to date.

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, in 3rd place among Democratic contenders, has usually opted to sit out the fights. When taking sides, he has usually supported Obama, possibly in an effort to derail Clinton, in hopes of creating an Obama-Edwards match-up, which Edwards probably believes he would win.

Yes, things are beginning to heat up. There are more twists, turns, and subplots than a Soap Opera…with more certain to come. The race card has also made an appearance in the Campaign, with Senator Clinton’s comments on the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Lyndon Johnson on one side, and Charlotte Bobcats' owner, Bob Johnson’s unstealth-like attack on Senator Obama, presumably on Senator Clinton’s behalf, on the other. As Sir Walter Scott said, in Marmion, “Oh! What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”

That’s enough for this week. I am done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com, or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/

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http://www.forbes.com/2008/01/11/primary-clinton-mccain-biz-cx_0114oxfordworld.html

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iNxTApa2sQRu0Xx99P3jt2bEXw7gD8UB3SB00

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http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/01/clinton_explains_last_night.php

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/19/AR2008011903187.html?hpid=topnews

http://www.mysuncoast.com/Global/story.asp?S=7753817&nav=menu577_2_1

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/01/22/politics/fromtheroad/entry3736622.shtml

“Clone: It’s What’s For Dinner!”

With a nod to the popular National ad campaign to encourage Americans to eat more beef, we must consider the possibility that the next iteration of the ads may promote cloned beef…or pork, or goat for your next evening meal. Won't that be special?

In a recent development, a Rick Weiss story in Tuesday’s Washington Post indicates a long, and long-awaited final report from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concludes that foods from healthy cloned animals and their offspring are as safe to eat as those from ordinary animals. This news effectively removes the final U.S. regulatory barrier to marketing meat and milk from cloned cattle, pigs, and goats. Bon appetit mon amis!

The FDA recognizes that a majority of American consumers are wary of food from clones, and further that cloning could undermine the wholesome image of American meat and milk. To counter these concerns, the still unreleased 968-page report devotes hundreds of pages of raw data to showing how its conclusions were reached. The report, the FDA’s risk assessment on cloned animals, termed a “final risk assessment,” finds no evidence to support opponents’ concerns that food from clones may harbor hidden risks.

It is not surprising that while human health risks or the lack thereof pose major concerns, they are not the only issues related to the discussion. As with the broader topic of cloning in general, there are moral, religious, and ethical concerns. The FDA’s response to these collateral concerns is the risk assessment is “strictly a science-based evaluation,” and the Agency is not authorized to consider these matters.

The decision to determine clones safe to eat will not result in them appearing in local grocers immediately. At this point, the number of clones is few, and their value high, too high to slaughter and sell for food. The FDA also want to enlist public reaction as a component to determine how quickly cloned food is available in the market place.

Due to all these reasons and more, it could still take years to see cloned goods as a staple at the corner store. Imperfections in the technology still exist. This means many attempts end in birth defects. The current frequency of live normal births appears to be low. Obviously this will affect availability as well as marketability.

In summary, the siren has sounded. Cloned food will become a part of a not too distant future reality. For many, vegans, and those who have adopted organic food diets, for example, the cloned food discussion will amount to mere background noise. Others who harbor those aforementioned moral, religious, and ethical concerns may also eschew the food, if not the debate. But there will be a segment of the population for whom cloned food will represent a viable dietary option. Are you among them?

The research indicates when all goes well; a healthy clone is merely a genetic twin to its non-clone counterpart. However, at this time in the evolution of cloning, the science is simply not reliable enough to consistently provide viable options for eating. But get ready; that time is coming.

That’s it; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/, or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science/64b99082cc73d010vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

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1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Undoubtedly, the White House occupies one of the most famous and widely known property addresses in the world. Five days, one series of State Caucuses, and one State Primary into the 2008 pre-Election ritual, what do we know about the contenders to be the next quadrennial resident of the White House?

Well for starters, put the Champagne on ice, and sit back and relax. It is going to be a while. At least it is going to be a while longer, before a winner is declared, in either Party.

Conventional wisdom has consistently held that the Republican Party Primaries would need to play themselves out before a prevailing candidate emerged. Conversely, on the Democratic side, both voters and media seemed caught up in post-Iowa euphoria. Projections abounded, portending an Obama victory in New Hampshire, and subsequently, Michigan, and South Carolina. A Grand Slam of this magnitude would certainly have put Senator Obama in the enviable position of clear front runner, if not girding him with an insurmountable lead.

Even some Conservative politicians and pundits have managed to find a voice with which to praise Obama, and note something special is going on down in the trenches of Democratic Party, and indeed, on the landscape of American politics in general. Now the question remains, does this amount to a genuine epiphany, or is it merely faint praise, borne of the hope that democrats and Obama will do what republicans failed to do in 1992, and 1996…derail the Clinton Machine? At first blush, my reaction is, if you have to ask…

Prognostications aside, four races to date have produced four different winners. Of course the stakes rise as the process continues to unfold. As typically happens in these instances, when the stakes rise, so does hostility; civility declines. Inter-Campaign sparring is a regular occurrence, as each campaign is forced, or at least elects to turn up the heat by focusing somewhat less on its own strengths, and more on others’ weaknesses.

On the Republican side, a gentleman who has according to published estimates invested more than $20 million of his own fortune has yet to register a victory. After two opportunities, Republican voters awarded the Iowa victory to folksy Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas Governor, and the New Hampshire victory to septuagenarian, John McCain, senior Arizona Senator.

The Democratic side tapped upstart, and newly media-proclaimed “Darling of the Primary Season,” Barack Obama, junior Senator from Illinois, for the win in Iowa. Last night, front-runner in waiting, Hillary Rodham Clinton, junior Senator from New York, and former First Lady, broke through with a come from behind victory over Senator Obama. This latter result outcome is being called a stunning upset by some. I am not so sure that's accurate. While I have yet to hear it referenced, it's clear the "Bradley effect" may be in play in this instance. You make the call.

Just under 10 days into the New Year, with just over ten months before the election of a new Commander-in-Chief of the United States, the thing that is most clear about the looming electoral process is, very little has been settled at this point. For the political junkies among you, this is an exciting time.

If early developments offer any indication of what is to come, and I believe they do, this election will harbor historic implications. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Senator Clinton, or Senator Obama, will be the Democratic nominee for President; a woman or a black man. Just let that marinate for a moment!

Back in August, my initial blog post discussed Senator Obama’s position of discounting experience, and instead touting the virtue of change. After nearly 5 months, little has changed. Senator Clinton is attempting to leverage experience, while Senator Obama is attempting to promote and advance the concept of change and out-of-the-box, or more pointedly, out-of-the-Beltway thinking. It appears these will be two of the key themes of the Democratic nomination process.

The Republican front men will each artfully express his unique brand of conservatism, and how this differs from that of the others. Positions on Iraq, fiscal policy, Homeland Security, and sub-prime lending will all get an airing.

Both sides will try to fully vet the party’s position over the course of the Primary Season. But in spite of all the parsing, rest assured, the best stuff will be saved for the end game, when the sides re-group, and the candidates for President and Vice- President face off against each other.

Then the gloves will come off. Are you ready?

That is it for me; holla!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/ , or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


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Happy New Year: 2007; The Year In Review!

A little over 4 months ago, I entered the world of blogdom. As we close out yet another holiday, I am taking a pause to look back at the summary of blogs I have written. Twenty-something posts later I believe I have consistently delivered on my commitment and desire to engage, entertain, and inform.

As was the case with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I anticipate most readers will embrace the tendency to extend their leisure-time activities, while many others will concentrate on returning to the rigors of work. Based on the reality associated with those choices, I have decided to borrow from another tried-and-true, time-honored, formulaic response to Holiday Scheduling. This week, I devised a Best Of/Top 10 List of the items I posted in 2007.

In the spirit of full disclosure, it is important to note, there is nothing scientific or objective about the list. Quite the contrary, it is simply the enumeration and ordering of the posts, based on my view of the significance and/or impact of the stories. Why do it this way? Because membership has its privileges and ownership (my blog) is the ultimate membership!

Below are the 10 stories, I chose and the order I placed them, from number 10 to number 1, the top story. Feel free to scroll down and review any or all of the posts, including those not on this list. As always, I appreciate your interest and love to hear your thoughts about the stories, and/or my views.

I hope that you have had an extraordinary Holiday season, that you had a fantastic New Year’s Day celebration/observance, and that 2008 will be a phenomenal year for you.

That’s it for me; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/ , or by Googling thesphinxofcharlotte. A new post is published each Wednesday.


10. Whatever Happened To…? (8/24/07)
9. Et Tu Marion: The Rise and Fall of a Track Star (10/17/07)
8. Will Michael Vick Ever Play Again in the NFL? (8/22/07)
7. Rising Like the Phoenix; But You Knew He Would! (11/28/07)
6. Obama Plays the Experience Card (8/20/07)*
5. Jena 6 Does Not Add Up – (8/29/07)
4. Countdown to Election ’08 (12/1/07)
3. Is The Foundation Crumbling? (9/19/07)
2. Total Loss; Nothing Lasts Forever, R.I.P. (12/19/07)
1. The Blame Game (10/24/07)