Jumping To Conclusions

Article II, Section 3:

He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.

I thought the State of the Union spectacle had reached an all-time low in 1996, when Bill Clinton used his Constitutionally-granted podium to advocate a solution to a national emergency:

I call on Congress to pass the requirement for a V-chip in TV sets so that parents can screen out programs they believe are inappropriate for their children. When parents control what their young children see, that is not censorship; that is enabling parents to assume more personal responsibility for their children's upbringing. And I urge them to do it. The V-chip requirement is part of the important telecommunications bill now pending in this Congress. It has bipartisan support, and I urge you to pass it now.

That the president would use his precious time to discuss such a petty matter was an embarrassment.

But I think George Bush managed to top it yesterday, with his latest contribution to State of the Union history:

To help children make right choices, they need good examples. Athletics play such an important role in our society, but, unfortunately, some in professional sports are not setting much of an example. The use of performance-enhancing drugs like steroids in baseball, football, and other sports is dangerous, and it sends the wrong message -- that there are shortcuts to accomplishment, and that performance is more important than character. So tonight I call on team owners, union representatives, coaches, and players to take the lead, to send the right signal, to get tough, and to get rid of steroids now.

It gives a new meaning to the phrase "bully pulpit." The "bull" part, anyway. This dreck is what Bush wastes his time on? His speechwriters have a year to come up with a speech, and that's the best they can do? He calls on sports leagues to get rid of steroids?