Envisioning "If you sprinkle when you tinkle..."

State of the Union drinking games are being prepped all over the nerdy poly-sci/news junkie map today. Dubya gets a 5th Shot at the Big House. If we're to believe all the pre-speech bunk flooding the zone, healthcare will be the Bushies' new "reform" (wink, wink) issue. Healthcare. The Bushies. Yep, that's their new plan to get the public's attention away from Iraq. I just heard an economist eviscerate the early-release plan details. Think private health insurance becoming an increased tax shelter with crazy-high deductibles. Which also make the plans hopelessly expensive for very sick people. If you liked Social Security privitization from the Bushies, you're going to love their insurance fixes. Oh, and the Medicare prescription drug plan's going down in flames as we speak. I expect that Karl Rove is taking some time off from his own defense to personally stage-manage some town halls in important Congressional districts over the next 10 months. And I'm sure those Dems still in Congress are reving up their whines and groupthinkin' a slightly watered-down response. But at least they've got some experience with this hydra-headed monster. Healthcare reform. It didn't work in '93, it sure as shite ain't working in '06.

More importantly with regard to the SOTU, the DC gossip mill I'm sure is abuzz with leaks about Laura's box seats of "heroes". I'd also like to know about the "swag". Probably just beef jerky and Depends. Still, hard to believe that the whole showcase only began with Reagan in '82 inviting that crazy heroic dude who'd jumped into the Potomac to save a drowning flight attendant from an especially memorable plane crash. But then again, that guy's name was (is?) Lenny Skutnik. Having a Lenny is poetry that just writes itself. Reagan could spot that kind of poetry immediately, even as he tilted toward completely crazy. Dubya hasn't seen poetry since the bathroom walls in his old "irresponsible youth" time in bars and both kinds of clubs (country and strip). So tonite I expect some injured American soldiers, someone connected with Corretta Scott King (who passed away today), a country singer, 3 pharmaceutical industry executives, a seeing-eye cockerspaniel that defied the odds, someone's hooker date, and a copier repair guy who got lost and just tried to roll with it.

I'll be tracking the word usage tonite and getting ready for a full SOTU run-down tomorrow morning. Hope you take the opportunity to improve your own health policy as a result of not needing to watch - I got your back. Rock on.