State of the Union 2005 | Wednesday, February 2, 2005

WAND encourages "active listening" as an act of patriotism

Our current insecurity at home and the tumultuous state of the world beckons every citizen to listen carefully as President Bush addresses Congress, the nation and world this Wednesday night. This is a high-stakes speech, as it comes right after his inaugural address and in the face of enormous deficits at home and bloodshed in Iraq.

But more important than the speaker Wednesday night will be you, the listener. President Bush will be setting the stage for spending his "political capital." What we hear will inform us -- about what he plans to do, and about what we can do. So pull up a chair and take notes. If our Union is to be an inspiration for freedom, we should know how that is going to come to pass, and how we can make it happen.

WAND is providing a State of the Union Listening Guide to facilitate this process. The Guide consists of a series of handy charts, which are easy to print out and fill in. The charts highlight specific topics to listen for, along with spaces for taking notes and recording conclusions. If possible, please make copies of the completed Guide to mail to the President and members of Congress. Addresses are listed at the bottom.

The 2005 State of the Union address is a great opportunity for meaningful action. When you tune in to the President's speech, take care to listen up. It's a vitally important task, an exercise of our responsibility as citizens, an act of patriotism.

U.S. ROLE IN THE WORLD *Will the U.S. work cooperatively with other nations or go it alone?*
INDICATIONS IN THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH THAT THE U.S. WILL WORK COOPERATIVELY	INDICATIONS OF GOING IT ALONE

MY CONCLUSIONS:

IRAQ
KEY QUESTIONS	THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS	MY OWN OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
What is the plan for ending the war/occupation and bringing our troops home?
What is the future of our military in Iraq? Will we have bases? Will the newly elected Iraqi government have command and control?
What are the plans for maintaining security after our withdrawal? What are the plans for rebuilding the country? What are the plans to involve other countries?
What is the financial cost?
What are the human costs?
What is the relationship of the U.S. to our partners in the war?
What is the result of the Iraqi elections?
Other significant points:

FREEDOM FOR OTHER COUNTRIES
KEY QUESTIONS	THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS	MY OWN OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
The war on terrorism started in Afghanistan; what did the president say about the war there?
What did he say about Iran?
What did he say about U.S. involvement in Israel and Palestine?
Did the President mention the crisis in the Sudan?
What did he say about negotiating with North Korea?

SECURITY
KEY QUESTIONS	THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS	MY OWN OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
What did he say about Homeland Security priorities? (note: The vast majority of funding for homeland security comes from state & local governments and from federal agencies outside the Department of Defense.)
Did the President claim he is deploying missile defense?
Did the President speak to the Non Proliferation Treaty at the UN in May regarding reducing nuclear weapons?
Did the President say he is dedicated to holding firm on the Pentagon cuts he proposed in cold war weapons systems earlier this year?

FEDERAL BUDGET PRIORITIES
SPENDING CATEGORY	SPECIFIC INITIATIVES DESCRIBED BY THE PRESIDENT	SPECIFIC FUNDING LEVELS MENTIONED BY THE PRESIDENT
Education
Medicare / Medicaid
Social Security
Housing
Welfare Assistance/ Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Jobs/employment
The Pentagon (note: Pentagon spending in the current year is approximately $400 billion + war appropriations.)
CONCLUSION / COMMENTS: Do the President's budget priorities reflect your needs and values?

THE ECONOMY
KEY TOPICS	THE PRESIDENT'S REMARKS	MY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
Tax Cuts
The Deficit
Jobs
Other

THE ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY POLICIES OUTLINED BY THE PRESIDENT	ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED

CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
BUSH ADMINISTRATION POLICIES	MY OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE
What did the President say about replacing a Supreme Court Judge and Roe vs. Wade (the case allowing legal choice for a woman whether or not to have an abortion)?	Do I agree with the President's position?

Good work.

Next step: Take a moment to makes copies of your document and send them out. We can build a better world.

To contact President George Bush	Telephone: White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111 Fax: 202-456-2461 Email: president@whitehouse.gov Mail: President George W. Bush, The White House, Washington, DC 20500
To contact your Congresspeople	Telephone: Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 800-839-5276 Email: Find your senators and representatives here. Mail: Sen. ________, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510 Rep. ________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515

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