I’m blogging these impressions live, so forgive any typos:

• What you see on CSPAN but not on the major networks: Cheney welcoming all the key dignitaries by name, and asking the escorts to leave the chamber and prepare for the entrance of the CIC.

• They now welcome the First Lady to her seat, and the acting Dean of the diplomatic corps … again, pomp and circumstance we don’t see on NBC.

• Colin Powell enters his last SOTU as SecState …

• Notice that Tom Ridge’s tie does NOT match our current threat level (he’s wearing burgundy)

• THE CAMPAIGN HAS BEGUN … Bush hugs a baby during his walk down the aisle …

• Our troops are good … our workers are good … tax cut is good … drug benefit is good …

• The main message of the overture: Don’t turn back now. (My observation … we’re strong, leave it to the Dems to say we are weak)

• The Patriot Act is “essential” … we need to renew … “the terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule.”

• “The people of Iraq are free” … and the US “enforced” the demands of the UN

• Lybia is because we backed diplomacy with force

• And Iran should keep their promises, too

• “The terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States, and war is what they got.”

• “For all who love peace …. the world without Saddam Hussein’s regime is a safer place.”

• “America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.”

• “Expect a higher standards from our friend” in the Mid-East … (does this mean Pakistan?)

• On the economy, same message as with Nat. Secuirty … things are strong and getting better (Observation: Leave the negative message to the Dems … let them tell you things are weak.)

• We need to stick with No Child, and provide more support to higher ed

• Create personal retirement accounts

• My budget will do everything I want while limiting the growth in descretionary spending to less than 4% … we can cut the deficit in half over the next five years.

• Health Savings Account is good … and “any attempt to limit the choice of our seniors … will meet my veto.”

• Please pass Association Health Plans.

• Please give Americans a refundable tax credit that they can use to buy insurance … and lets computerize health records while we’re at it.

• A second shot at frivolous lawsuits … needless lawsuits are bad (again)

• People who buy catastrophic coverage as part of the health savings accounts should be able to deduct 100% of the premiums from their taxes.

• “A government run health care system is the wrong prescription.”

• (Uhhh … did not expect to type this) Steroiods are bad, and should be banned

• Marraige … (it sounds like he’s saying we need to protect it via the constitutional process)

• We need to help faith-based charities … and prisoners who have been released from prison … Bush proposes a 4-year, $300 million prisoner Re-Entry Initiative

• Read the full text to understand this: Yes Ashley, there is a US Army …

Hope this was useful … overall, it should reflect the argumentative flow of the speech. I’ve already posted the full text of the address above this entry, and thanks for reading the Post.