For the final time last night, President Bush stood up and addressed both chambers of Congress in his seventh and final State of the Union address. He looked strong, and sounded sure. And, for the most part, those were justified.

If there was one overriding theme in the address, regardless of the issue about which the president was speaking, it was trust and empowerment. And I will point that theme out as I critique the president’s address.

President Bush started out by recapping some of the challenges our great nation has faced in the seven years during which he has been our Commander-in-Chief. He said, “our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens.” And he assured us that history will show that the government, and the country, reacted with purpose.

On the trust front, the president impressed upon his audience the importance of trusting in the “abilities of free peoples to make wise decisions.” He said, “we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy,” a theme he has hammered for many years.

He then touted a record 52 straight months of adding American jobs to the market, but cautioned that job growth was slowing. The president noted that, “At kitchen tables across our country, there is a concern about our economic future.”

To address this concern, he spoke of a growth package “that includes tax relief for individuals and families and incentives for business investment,” saying it is a good agreement that will “keep our economy growing and our people working.” He then admonished Congress to pass it as soon as possible. It was shown in the Reagan-era, and again since Bush has been in office, that “trickle-down economics” works. When companies pay less taxes, they are more able to expand. When individuals pay less taxes, they are more free to boost the economy through spending.

The president noted that, unless made permanent, most of the tax relief seen over the past seven years will “soon be taken away.” He also pointed out that some in Congress (my bet is he meant mostly Democrats) don’t think of letting tax cuts expire as raising taxes. He went on to say, “Try explaining that to 116 million American taxpayers who would see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800.” This set the stage for the line of the night, which I will qoute in its entirety:

“Others have said they would personally be happy to pay higher taxes. I welcome their enthusiasm. I'm pleased to report that the IRS accepts both checks and money orders.” He got a thunderous standing ovation for that one. And I personally couldn’t help being reminded of all those Hollywood types who threatened to either move to another country or commit suicide if Bush were elected; they didn’t do that, and I’ll bet they don’t send back part of their refund check either! President Bush also assured Congress that any bill raising taxes would be swiftly vetoed.

The president said that next week, “I'll send you a budget that terminates or substantially reduces 151 wasteful or bloated programs, totaling more than $18 billion. The budget that I will submit will keep America on track for a surplus in 2012.” Again hitting the trust issue, he said Americans need to be able to trust Congress to spend tax dollars wisely.

Hammering away at the trust issue, Mr. Bush said that congressional earmarks undermine Americans’ trust in government, and he pledged to veto any “appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half.” He also went a step farther, saying that, “And tomorrow, I will issue an executive order that directs federal agencies to ignore any future earmark that is not voted on by Congress. If these items are truly worth funding, Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote.”

I have to give the president great props here. For far too long, pork barrel spending has been greasing the palms of too many crooked politicians. This should prove to be somewhat of another “check” in our system of checks and balances. I hope it is an executive order that will stand in the future, no matter who our next president is (did someone say Mitt Romney?).

President Bush then moved on to the housing situation. He said that “we must trust (there’s that word again) Americans with the responsibility of homeownership and empower them to weather turbulent times in the housing market.” He then asked Congress to “reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, modernize the Federal Housing Administration, and allow state housing agencies to issue tax-free bonds to help homeowners refinance their mortgages.”

The word trust then moved to the issue of healthcare. Mr. Bush stated that we must trust patients and doctors to make medical decisions. He said our common goal is better affordability and accessibility to healthcare for all Americans, and that the “best way to achieve that goal is by expanding consumer choice, not government control.”

Mr. Right Opinion doubts that the liberals were very happy with that illustrious goal. It kind of gets in their way of socialized, communized healthcare. But we have to remember here what Winston Churchill said, “You don't make the poor richer by making the rich poorer.”

Now, for those Americans who have retired, or who simply cannot work due to disability, I say they have a birthright to healthcare. However, to those who can work, but are just too lazy, too drunk, or too uneducated to do it, they need to find a way to improve those situations and become a part of the solution, not the problem.

We have seen time and again in this country that goods and commodities (such as healthcare) are helped by the forces of the markets. If people are free to choose their doctors, and doctors are free to practice without the fear of frivolous, unimaginable lawsuits, I think we would see a situation where not only would the cost of healthcare diminish, but the quality of healthcare would improve dramatically.

Speaking on education, the president said that “we must trust students to learn if given the chance, and empower parents to demand results from our schools” (Are you getting the ‘trust and empowerment’ theme yet?) And he is, of course, correct in saying that the only chance our children have to achieve their dreams is through a decent education. Although I would go one step further and say that it is through a great, not decent, education. In my mind, decent evokes thoughts of mediocrity. And for my children, and my country, mediocrity will not suffice.

The president then went on to show how No Child Left Behind has lifted scores in standardized testing, saying that, “Last year, fourth and eighth graders achieved the highest math scores on record. Reading scores are on the rise. African American and Hispanic students posted all-time highs.” M.R.O. (Mr. Right Opinion) says that this is obvious proof that when reasonable minds come together, such as Bush and Kennedy did on NCLB, great things can be accomplished.

He then spoke of helping schools which do not “measure up.” His basic plan calls for a $300 million “Pell Grants for Kids” program to fund faith-based and other non-public schools. This is modeled after Washington D.C.’s “D.C. opportunity scholarship which has brought new hope to more than 2,600 of D.C.’s poorest kids. M.R.O. thinks it sounds like a good plan. I know it’s a worn out cliché, but the children truly are our future. Now, just throwing money at a problem doesn’t make it go away any more than ignoring it would. We need to see tangible results…and fast!

The president then brought his message of “trust and empowerment” to trade, saying, “we must trust American workers to compete with anyone in the world and empower them by opening up new markets overseas.” He then basically said that the U.S. is working to break down trade barriers wherever possible by trying to open up new markets by passing free trade agreements.

Mr. Bush then moved on to talk about future energy security. To accomplish that, he said, “we must trust in the creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs and empower them to pioneer a new generation of clean energy technology.” Again, trust and empower. I really like this theme, because when the government stays out of it, the American people are a creative force like no other.

Some ideas the president suggested were funding “new technologies that can generate coal power while capturing carbon emissions. (Applause.) Let us increase the use of renewable power and emissions-free nuclear power. (Applause.) Let us continue investing in advanced battery technology and renewable fuels to power the cars and trucks of the future. (Applause.) Let us create a new international clean technology fund, which will help developing nations like India and China make greater use of clean energy sources. And let us complete an international agreement that has the potential to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.” And yes, I did borrow from the White House transcript for my quotes. The transcript, by the way, is available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/01/20080128-13.html.

However, while the president did push for agreements on emissions, he was very careful about how he did it. The last emissions agreement we were urged to sign placed an undue burden on the United States to control emissions while letting other countries have lower standards. Not this time. The president said, “This agreement will be effective only if it includes commitments by every major economy and gives none a free ride.”

On science and engineering, Bush said, “To keep America competitive into the future, we must trust in the skill of our scientists and engineers and empower them to pursue the breakthroughs of tomorrow.” He essentially asked Congress to “double federal support for critical basic research in the physical sciences and ensure America remains the most dynamic nation on Earth.” Now, I have to admit that Science and Engineering are not my specialty, so I’ll trust the president has been well advised on this initiative.

The president said we must trust “medical researchers and empower them to discover new treatments while respecting moral boundaries.” He then alluded to the discovery last year that skin cells could be transformed into a state where they act like embryonic stem cells, thus nullifying the need to kill unborn babies to advance stem cell research (my wording there at the end).

Said the president, “So we're expanding funding for this type of ethical medical research…And so I call on Congress to pass legislation that bans unethical practices such as the buying, selling, patenting, or cloning of human life.” I have always loved that in this president. He respects Human life-especially that of the unborn. A man is nothing if he changes his convictions just because they are not popular with the masses!

Mr. Bush touched on matters of Justices and Judges. He said, we must trust in the wisdom of our founders and empower judges who understand that the Constitution means what it says.” He then called on Congress to give an up or down vote to judges whom he has appointed. I think that’s a reasonable request. Come on you Democrat controlled Congress, you, get off your collective duff and do your job!

President Bush said that “we must trust in the good heart of the American people and empower them to serve their neighbors in need.” He then asked Congress to extend Charitable Choice to help assure “equal treatment of faith-based organizations when they compete for federal funds.”

Next, the president extended our nation’s highest hopes and best wishes to “the armies of compassion” struggling for a new day in the Gulf Coast, obviously referring to Hurricane Katrina victims. He then said that, “tonight I'm pleased to announce that in April we will host this year's North American Summit of Canada, Mexico, and the United States in the great city of New Orleans.”

Then the president got down to the real nitty gritty. Entitlement funding and Immigration. While some of the “post-game” analysts acted like Mr. Bush’s concern about entitlement spending was something new, he has been trying to prod Congress for years to come up with a plan to shore up Social Security. Did they? NO! In fact, they went around gloating about how they defeated the president’s plan to save Social Security. I guess they figure they’re set for life, so to hell with us common folk.

President Bush put it as simply as he could, so that even the Democrats could comprehend it: “We all know the painful choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases, sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, or crippling deficits. I've laid out proposals to reform these programs. Now I ask members of Congress to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save these vital programs for our children and our grandchildren.” Dems, it looks like it’s time for you to pick up the ball and run with it. Come on, give us SOME KIND OF PLAN!

And finally, Immigration. This is a hot topic which will NOT be going away until the broken system is fixed. Any type of amnesty such as McCain-Kennedy, or even the president’s guest-worker program will not work. Though I absolutely loved and respected Ronald Reagan, his amnesty bill of 1986 has shown that amnesty of illegals only begets more illegals. The president mentioned a few programs he has unveiled, which were designed to placate the no amnesty hardliners. Other than that, he really had nothing new here.

The president then pushed into foreign policy mode. He said that “We trust that people, when given the chance, will choose a future of freedom and peace.” And we have seen demonstrations of that in places like Georgia, the Ukraine, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. And who can forget the ink-stained fingers and smiling faces on Iraqi’s when they held their first election? Freedom is certainly a powerful force.

The president essentially spent the rest of his speech talking about the War on Terror; particularly Iraq and Afghanistan. He spoke of the effectiveness of the troop surge in Iraq, and the fact that, since that surge, “high profile terrorist attacks are down, civilian deaths are down, sectarian killings are down,” and that over the past year, “we've captured or killed thousands of extremists in Iraq, including hundreds of key al Qaeda leaders and operatives.” There is no doubt in Mr. R.O.’s opinion that the surge is turning out incredibly good results.

There was also some good news for military families with loved ones bravely fighting in Iraq: “Today, because of the progress just described, we are implementing a policy of "return on success," and the surge forces we sent to Iraq are beginning to come home.”

Mr. Bush also said that, “American troops are shifting from leading operations, to partnering with Iraqi forces, and, eventually, to a protective overwatch mission. As part of this transition, one Army brigade combat team and one Marine Expeditionary Unit have already come home and will not be replaced. In the coming months, four additional brigades and two Marine battalions will follow suit. Taken together, this means more than 20,000 of our troops are coming home.” What welcome news for our servicemen and women, but also for their families. Maybe we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, though a long, dark tunnel it has been.

The president then spoke of diplomatic efforts to bring the three factions within Iraq together. This is a must if we are ever to leave that country with any hope for peace.

President Bush spoke then of bringing peace to the Holy Lands. I know he has high hopes of brining Israelis and Palestinians together, I know he has worked hard toward that goal, and I hope it is attainable. I just don’t feel very good about the whole mess over there. And I certainly don’t want to see the U.S. in a situation where it is pressuring Israel to give up its holiest territories.

Other than the previously mentioned material, about the only matter of real import was his discussion of Iran. He said that, “Iran's rulers oppress a good and talented people. And wherever freedom advances in the Middle East, it seems the Iranian regime is there to oppose it.”

He did have a stern message to the leaders of Iran: “Our message to the leaders of Iran is also clear: Verifiably suspend your nuclear enrichment, so negotiations can begin. And to rejoin the community of nations, come clean about your nuclear intentions and past actions, stop your oppression at home, cease your support for terror abroad. But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops. We will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf.”

All in all, I give the president two thumbs up on this State of the Union Address. His domestic agenda is strong and valid. More self-reliance on the part of the people, and less reliance on the government. Better schools for our kids, and more faith-based initiatives for our most needy. Less taxes, and an overhaul of our Social Security system. My only real point of contention is on immigration, but hopefully President Romney will resolve that.