Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Non-partisan observation Clinton at the World Economic Forum (on C-SPAN), keeping me up past my bedtime, calling for 'not just good works, but SYSTEMATIC action' to make things work. Sorry, I don't have the exact quotes, but it was cherce. And a reminder of what it's like to have a leader who is brilliant, knowledgable and CURIOUS. 10:54:24 PM    comment []  trackback []

Partisan observation Slate: MIA in the SOU - Bush stops pretending that he cares about the environment By Timothy Noah. In a famous memo to Republican politicians about how to talk about the environment, pollster Frank Luntz warned against using the phrases 'risk assessment' and 'cost-benefit analysis,' and urged them to instead use the words, 'safer,' 'cleaner," and 'healthier.' But in President Bush's State of the Union address , the words 'cleaner' and 'healthier' were never uttered, and the word 'safer' was spoken only in the context of the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Here are some other words and phrases that did not appear in the speech: 'environment,' 'pollution,' 'natural resources,' 'global warming,' 'clean air,' 'clean water,' and 'Clear Skies,' which is what Bush calls his main initiative on air pollution. The word 'conservation' appeared once in a plea to pass the energy bill, which takes various steps to encourage more oil drilling. This in a speech where Bush found time to call for an end to steroid abuse in professional sports, an issue completely outside the realm of government at the federal, state, or local level. Apparently Karl Rove has decided that the environment isn't even worth talking about anymore. 10:45:57 PM    comment []  trackback []