Let’s Do Away with the State of the Union Address!
Nowhere in the US Constitution does it state that the President of the United States must go to the Congress, once a year, and make a speech on the “State of the Union”. Nowhere. As a matter of fact, it could be mailed in and the constitutional process would have been fulfilled. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be done once a year. The Constitution says: “from time to time.”
Let’s take a look at just what the US Constitution really says about the State of the Union Report:
The President shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Article II, Sec. 3, U.S. Constitution
See, once again we have created a spectacle where none was ever intended by the forefathers.
In 1801 When President Thomas Jefferson decided it was time to let the Congress know how things were going, he did not make a speech. In fact he mailed it in, or sent it by courier, to both houses of the Congress. Some newspapers of the day printed excerpts from it in their publications. And that was it! Now catch this, for 112 years the State of the Union Report was sent in written form to the Congress and no speeches were made. (Oh, Happy Day!)
Wouldn’t you know it? Woodrow Wilson started the “speechifying” again in 1913, when he insisted on delivering his “report” in the form of a speech before both houses of Congress… and we have been suffering through those things ever since! President George Washington still holds the record for the shortest State of the Union or, The President’s Annual Report, at only 833 words. That was in 1790. I don’t think we ever have to worry about that record being broken!
The State of the Union was broadcast for the first time in 1923. The president was Calvin Coolidge. The term “State of the Union” was first used, by FDR, in 1935. Harry Truman took to the TV screens, for the first time, for his State of the Union Address in 1947.
The Address has been in December or January… except for six times, since 1934, when the speech was given in February.
As you can see the history of the speech is much more interesting that the content of the speeches themselves!
The State of the Union Address now has become a spectacle and should be ended.
I call upon President Bush to mail his in, next January, and be done with it!
Longstreet
8 comments:
Shoot, as what a memeber of what is supposed to be a free country I want one 26 time a year. That's right every two weeks, and if you are failing, lying, breaking the law, etc. You are fired! I get evaluated every week where I work... (get paid). And yes pay day is evaluation day, if you aren't doing your job, it could be your last one. Why do we not have such say over people who supposedly work for us? Why should we fear the government spying on us? Hey those clowns should be afraid of us, or at least respect us enough to actually do their job. I guess that being free is only lip service from the conservatives in this nation. "uh As long as I gut my guin, my troock and my seestor, I mean my wiafe, it can't get any freer, oh yuh don't forget and the couch in the front yarud on cindar blocks."
We DO have an evaluation of our President. It's called Election Day.
This actually makes a lot of sense from Bush's perspective. He's mailed in his entire Presidency, so why not the State of the Union as well...
Yeah but every 4 years is too long, especially for a Republican president!
You guys have no idea the damage you are doing the democrat party, do you?
The Right Wing keeps setting traps for you and ya'll just keep right on jumping into them. I've never seen anyting like it! I love it!
Hey Boatman:
I thought I was the only one who noticed that!
That dumb ole boy from Texas is so dumb he just keeps right on tricking those intelligent democrats into doing really dumb things, and when those dumb things, they do, backfires on them, they can't figure it out.
For a dumb ole southern boy he sure does run rings around those elite intellectuals, don't he? HAHA!
For a dumb ole southern boy he sure does run rings around those elite intellectuals, don't he? HAHA!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I don't want to debate him, although I would have to remove my brain so it would be fair. I want to punch him in the mouth for lying!
Ok, Folks. If you want to debate, do so. But, I will not tolerate personal attacks.
Posting priveledges on IoF can be yanked.
Keep it civil!
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