Daily Briefing - 1/24/07: State of the Union Edition

President Bush offered his assessment of the state of our union last night. Mixed reviews have rolled in, with typical responses from those with partisan allegiances. Public and non-partisan response, before seeing polls, seems to be somewhat positive if not skeptical.

In the conservation community, one line stuck out from the rest. At the end of the President's proposed 20/10 energy initiative, he mentioned how improving our energy policies we will address"global climate change." In my memory this is the first time President Bush has spoken a word about global warming without questioning the economic viability of solutions or simply its human-impacted existence. It is a big step for the President, but we cannot afford to spend time applauding rhetorical progression.

His statement implied that technology will save us. Technology will most likely be a guiding force in the fight against global warming, but it will take a serious committment from our leaders and citizens alike to prod innovation by fully changing our habits. Here's hoping Congress will take the President's words and turn them into formidable policy. You can prod them by going here to tell President Bush to seriously address global warming.

MW

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Daily Briefing – 1/24/07
649 days until the NEXT election… and global warming is an integral part of our nation’s agenda!

Key Issues in the News
Global Warming
- Gore celebrates two Oscar nominations for An Inconvenient Truth
- A key issue at Davos
- A taboo link, energy and taxes
- Are people like frogs?
- SF Chronicle: Cool on global warming
- Warming to global concerns together
- It’s here and its getting worse
- Bush joins the green parade
- California leaders watch Bush’s plans
- Trying to change their ways in San Diego
First 100
Washington/Legislation/Politics/People/etc.
- State of the Union: Bush pushes his Iraq plan, makes overtures to Democrats with domestic policy talk (full text)
o Also from NYT, SF Chronicle, Times Online (UK), Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, WSJ, Kansas City Star, The Australian, The Politico
o Madame Speaker
o Bipartisan Bush? Howard Kurtz isn’t so sure.
o Knee-jerk Democrats
o Seeks vast mandatory increase in alternative fuels and greater vehicle efficiency
§ Critics see too little significant change in energy policy
o Editorials: NYT, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Washington Post, The Australian
- Democratic Response: Webb offers blunt challenge, urging change in economy and Iraq
o Putting a fresh face front and center
Potential ‘08ers…
- Clinton (dynastic politics a liability), Obama and Giuliani (on the speech), Romney (conservatism questioned), Edwards (profits by playing outsider), Giuliani(failed 2000 campaign cast shadow), McCain (carving out Iraq position), Obama (he’s no Jack Kennedy, but…)
- Some contenders disagree
- Candidates offer their view
- Anything you can do, I can do…
Other News from the Media
- Robert Samuelson: Blindness on Biofuels
o May aid ethanol producers
- On snowbound plains, a grim fight to save cattle
- Ottawa vows $30 million to protect the Great Bear Rainforest
…and the Blogosphere
- Response from TomPaine and National Review
- The Fix looks at ‘08’s polling
- MYDD offers their state of the progressive movement
- DailyKos welcomes the media to the Jim Webb bandwagon
- Hotline: Winter of GOP discontent
- Grist:
o He mentions climate change… but alluded to the notion that technology will save us
§ On coal
o Hitting the tipping point on climate change?
o Paying the farm bill
Miscellaneous… or just plain weird
- Fox News and CNN spar over false Obama report
- AN “alternate version” of last night’s speech
- I can’t believe I missed this: The Daily Show SOTU Preview
- Rare sight of ancient shark
- Virgin birth of five Komodo dragons
- I guess this is one way to compete with Starbucks
Quotes O’ the Day
“America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil. These technologies will help us become better stewards of the environment -- and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change.” ~ President Bush, State of the Union

“These Presidents took the right kind of action, for the benefit of the American people and for the health of our relations around the world. Tonight we are calling on this President to take similar action, in both areas. If he does, we will join him. If he does not, we will be showing him the way.”~ Senator Jim Webb, Democratic Response