Previewing George Bush's State of the Union speech on Sunday's "Good Morning America," ABC correspondent John Donvan delivered a condescending, dismissive look at the President's past SOTU addresses. After showing a 2005 clip of Bush touting tax cuts for everyone, Donvan derided the cuts, saying they "came true, most of all, for wealthier Americans..." He also added that "out went balanced budgets and surpluses."
While inter-cutting clips of Bush talking about Saddam Hussein, Donvan snidely observed, "And the weapons he said justified going to war-- [State of the Union clip] --well, they were never found." Donvan also willfully ignored the successful troop surge in Iraq and stuck to the pessimistic outlook of the war. In between a clip of Bush talking about how Iraq's success would inspire democracy in the region, the ABC journalist spun, "And the great hopes for the sacrifice made--[State of the Union clip] --those were disappointed hopes."
Donvan did, however, offer one condescending, back-handed compliment. He seemed to indicate that the President accomplished very little in the past seven years and highlighted a familiar phrase. The segment featured a montage of Bush repeatedly saying, "The state of our union is strong," or some variation. Donvan patronizingly added, "But say this for this President, on this podium, on this occasion, despite disappointments, he always managed to say in a way that says he meant it--[montage of Bush claiming a strong State of the Union]" Donvan condescendingly closed by adding, "Listen this week, then, when despite all, surely, he will say it one last time."
A transcript of the segment, which aired at 8:13am on January 27, follows:
KATE SNOW: President Bush is set to make his final State of the Union Address tomorrow night. With less than a year left in his second term, the President goes into this one with a slowing economy, an ongoing war in Iraq, and an approval rating that has gone down to 32 percent. ABC's John Donvan takes a look back at President Bush's last seven years.
JOHN DONVAN: The State of the Union Address, last year's entry. But let's dial back in time, because you can do that in television. And what we see is not just a president reverse aging, but also if we start at his first address in this venue, it was 2001, how he defined America back then.
PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH: A balanced budget, big surpluses, a country at peace with its neighbors.
DONVAN: Less than one year later, however, this was the new reality.
BUSH: Our nation is at war.
DONVAN: And over time, the language would go to this.
BUSH: An axis of evil arming to threaten the peace of the world.
DONVAN: And out went balanced budgets and surpluses. Yet one thing that did not change, a promise.
BUSH: Everyone who pays income taxes will get relief.
DONVAN: Which came true, most of all for wealthier Americans, though his plan to privatize Social Security--
BUSH: And best of all, the money in the account is yours, and the government can never take it away.
DONVAN: Well, that never happened. And the weapons he said justified going to war--
BUSH: Saddam Hussein has gone to elaborate lengths, spent enormous sums, taken great risk to build and keep weapons of mass destruction.
DONVAN: Well, they were never found. And the great hopes for the sacrifice made--
BUSH: The victory of freedom in Iraq will strengthen a new ally in the war on terror, inspire democratic reformers from Damascus to Tehran--
DONVAN: --.those were disappointed hopes. But say this for this President on this podium on this occasion, despite disappointments, he always managed to say in a way that says he meant it--
BUSH [Montage of Bush saying the same phrase throughout various State of the Union addresses]: Our union is strong-- The state of our union is confident and strong-- It's confident and strong-- The state of our union is strong-- The state of our union is strong.
DONVAN: Listen this week then, when despite all, surely, he will say it one last time. For "Good Morning America," John Donvan.
—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center.
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Read the FBI's lips, jackass
January 29, 2008 - 21:20 ET by ThisnThatThe FBI man who interviewed Sadaam spoke out on 60 minutes Sunday, and made the following observation: Sadamm said he was waiting for the world to not pay attention to him, and he was going to re-constitute his program of WMDs.
Re-constitute, Donvan, means START AGAIN. This means Sadaam actually possessed WMDs. What about this don't you understand, and why in the world are you suppressing this information?
Jackass.
___________________________________
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it is in English, thank a Soldier. - My barber
"The segment featured a
January 29, 2008 - 21:32 ET by Chris Norman"The segment featured a montage of Bush repeatedly saying, "The state of our union is strong." Yes, those are the kind of inspiring and reassuring words a leader speaks. It's the Democrats - as the depressers in chief, who repeatedly say the nation is falling apart and everything's going to hell in a handbasket.
Bush said it like he meant
January 29, 2008 - 21:32 ET by BlazerBush said it like he meant it because it's true. Expecting Good Mourning Amerika or any other MSM outlet to report the truth requires "the willing suspension of disbelief".
Good news for America = Bad news for liberal's
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious. "
- Ben Kenobi on Liberals, and the MSM.
" The Cake is a lie."
There is one issue with this
January 29, 2008 - 21:50 ET by Evil CapitalistThere is one issue with this state of the union... It should have been delivered in 2002.
Same old, recycled arguments
January 29, 2008 - 21:51 ET by SchnikeysSame old, recycled arguments from the liberals at Good Morning America, presented only for the purpose of informing their viewership that they're biased.
Thank heavens
January 29, 2008 - 22:03 ET by DEVILDOCMOMThank heavens I do not listen to these programs. I truly believe I would throw my laptop thru the TV. My husband and son still look at me oddly when I shout? Yell? Converse? with the TV. The ignorance and total disregard of the facts of the talking heads is so frustrating to me. I am so glad I am able to log on to sites such as this one and “speak” with y’all. (I am from southern AZ J). My husband and son share my viewpoint, I am just more vocal.
Donvan needs to visit Syria
January 29, 2008 - 22:20 ET by Lame CherryDonvan needs to visit Syria where the Israeli's with American technical support just blew up a North Korean nuclear reactor.
What that has to do with Saddam's missing weapons has to do with Syria was acquiring nuclear weapons to protect it's.........or Saddam's biological weapons which Saddam gave to his fellow Ba'athists to hide.
Donvan on his tour might like to visit Sudan where Saddam's pilots dropped his chemical weapons on Christians there at Darfur. The evidence is in the graves of the murdered there.
Donvan might even check DOD tracking records about a little flight which originated out of Iraq carrying Saddam's one lone nuclear heavy atomic bomb. Should be pretty easy as the DOD keeps records on that stuff.
Donvan might even like to do deep Indian Ocean scans for about 2 ship loads which the Russians dumped there of Saddam's chemical weapons.
Probably easier though for Donvan and Katie Snow to just bitch.....they should though look for the evidence soon as President Bush has been cleaning it up quite well..........well except for that 1.77 tons of weapons grade uranium he flew into White Sands which socialist French commies refined for Saddam in money Marc Rich laundered to pay for it.
That though would take reporting.
*HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS