Political Forecast

It came as a surprise (to me, at least) to remember that the State of the Union address is tomorrow night. There has been little to no coverage, little to no discussion, little to no effort. In the lead up to the President’s recent announcement on Iraq a few weeks ago, this country’s political apparatus was concerned, mainly, with the question of whether the President grasped the same reality that was apparent to nearly everyone else.

John McCain was on the first half of Meet the Press yesterday and looked tired. While the senator may be old, its apparent the burden of the war has aged him. Ted Kennedy, Russert’s second guest, was similarly muted, quiet. I don’t think we can blame either man. The war has aged all of us. There are protests - a major march in DC this weekend, events surrounding the anniversary of the war, a renewed examination of the anti-war policies of Dr. Martin Luther King on his birthday. However, for the majority of us, even for the majority of politicians, we seem to lack even the energy to argue, even the energy to disagree. I confess I am as guilty as anyone of skimming past the news stories on Iraq.

I have pled many times publically and privately, in this space and in others, for a greater diversity of thought and direction in this administration and in this country. I fear I have only one plea left. I hope desperately that I am wrong.

I will watch the State of the Union, probably in the background while I type an English paper. I will watch the Democratic rebuttal by Sen. Jim Webb, hopeful that one of the last truly passionate politicians in this country has some to share with me. I plea with either of them, with both of them, to offer some kind of hope. I plea for some thought beyond stay or go. I plea for some action beyond rhetoric gone five years stale. I plea for peace. And I plea for the energy to carry it out. Most importantly, I plea and I pray for the men and women involved in this conflict who don’t have the luxury to be exhausted.