State of the Union (My Version)

State of the (Dis) Union: 2005 

Mr. Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, Members of the Supreme Court and diplomatic corps, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today our Nation lost a beloved, graceful, courageous woman who called America to its founding ideals and carried on a noble dream. Tonight we are comforted by the hope of a glad reunion with the husband who was taken from her so long ago, and we are grateful for the good life of Coretta Scott King.
*All italicized text is from the President’s State of the Union address.

I come to you today as your humble servant. All Americans deserve honorable and competent leadership. And though I have done my very best, I have not always fulfilled your expectations. But I will not apologize; I will only pledge to do better. (Applause.)

Therefore, I support for ethical reforms in Washington. We need fundamental changes. Political parties, Congress, and the White House have all been tarnished with undue influence. The American public deserves better, and I promise to do all I can to restore your trust in the federal government.

In a system of two parties, two chambers, and two elected branches, there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another – and I will do my part. Tonight the state of our Union is strong – and together we will make it stronger. (Applause.)

To maintain the strength and stability of our union, we all must work diligently to solve the problems that continue to plague this great nation. Millions are without health care, Social Security is weak, and America is too dependant on fossil fuels. We must take bold and deliberate steps to make America stronger. We must act now, before crisis makes our task more difficult. (Applause)

I need to take this opportunity to thank Sandra Day O’Connor for her 25 years of service on the Supreme Court. She was an outstanding jurist. Few Supreme Court justices have been as influential as Justice O’Connor. Her opinions respected the principle of stare decisis without recklessly abandoning the principle of equity. A grateful nation thanks you. (Applause)

Fellow citizens, we have been called to leadership in a period of consequence. We have entered a great ideological conflict we did nothing to invite. We see great changes in science and commerce that will influence all our lives. And sometimes it can seem that history is turning in a wide arc, toward an unknown shore.

Yet the destination of history is determined by human action, and every great movement of history comes to a point of choosing. Lincoln could have accepted peace at the cost of disunity and continued slavery. Martin Luther King could have stopped at Birmingham or at Selma, and achieved only half a victory over segregation. The United States could have accepted the permanent division of Europe, and been complicit in the oppression of others. Today, having come far in our own historical journey, we must decide: Will we turn back, or finish well?


My fellow Americans, we shall move this nation forward.