Alas, I'm feeling under-the-weather, so I won't be attending the debate-watching party at Roots Brewery. Instead, I've curled up at home and am going to do a state of the union liveblog. I'm watching the events unfold on CNN (I don't get MSNBC with my cable package), and burgers are waiting to be cooked. I don't have any beer since I'm not feeling well, but if I get desperate I have some Clear Creek brandy in the freezer.

I'll keep this updated as things go, offering my thoughts on the President's policy, audience reaction, who's-who in the audience, and other interesting asides. It'll all happen below the fold here! Here we go...

[5:40] Nothing yet. Bush's on his way to the Capitol and Wolf Blitzer's interviewing a leathery, over-tanned Mitt Romney on the economy. Man, he looks gross. Too much campaigning in tanning booths will do that to you.

[5:42] Great shot dichotomy on CNN. On one side of the screen we have the strange-looking Romney, alone on a beach boardwalk with palm trees and this one security guard pacing back-and-forth. On the other we have a natural, radiant Barack Obama working the room in DC. Although it's not intentional, CNN has painted an excellent portrait of this election season.

[5:44] There's Ron Wyden! And Hillary flanked by Joe Biden. Blitzer says that this is the time for people "to get back together." Oh, and Gordon Smith, all smiles as usual. Well, he won't be come November.

[5:50] Barack is sitting with Teddy Kennedy. Big endorsement that was. I still believe in the power of the Kennedys, at least among the tried-and-true liberals, so I think this really helps him. I was going to say more, but my buzz was killed by a shot of a sneering Dick Cheney. Gross.

[5:52] Now Wolf's looking really bronzed. Did he self-tan over the commercial break? He has Huckabee on, who implodes us as "sane, peace-loving" people to "fight islamofascism." Right. Also, he dropped the term "Axis of Opportunity" with respect to our place in the world to do good. That just sounds strange to me.

[5:55] Nice shot of Speaker Nancy Pelosi standing next to Cheney on the pedestal. Such a dichotomy; it's striking to see them standing next to each other.

[5:58] He'll be speaking for 45 minutes, the pundits say. I figure to be numb by about 10 minutes through, so if I drop off, I apologize in advance. I'll be sure to wake up for Gov. Sebelius' rebuttal.

[6:00] "This is our government at its best," when people from all sides come together to "pat each other on the back" says one of the CNN commentators. Silly, I know. And, it turns out that Dirk Kempthorne is out for safety purposes. So, if the screen goes white and the Capitol goes up in flames, we'll be waking up to the Kempthorne administration.

[6:05] Here he comes, with his train comprising both sides' leadership (minus Pelosi). The applause is relatively subdued. Hillary's not clapping, at least not when I first saw her. Oh, wait, there she goes. I guess even hideous leaders get token applause.

[6:10] His winks are so lecherous! He's winked maybe 10 or 12 times since he entered. Now Pelosi introduces him again, and everyone applauds. Again. So much pomp and circumstance.

[6:13] Egads, his voice is so grating. "We faced hard decisions about peace and war" and "these issues called for vigorous debate, and we answered the call" and "we were sent to Washington to carry out the people's business." Lies sully your words, Sir. He also stresses cooperation, which is funny in its irony. The best guide is the "collective wisdom of ordinary citizens." By that logic, we should be out of Iraq by now. This evening's off to a strange start. And now he's blabbing on the economy, and the recent stimulus package. Don't "load up the bill" with pork, he says. Gee, I didn't realize relief for the poor is pork.

[6:18] Uh oh, tax cuts again. Democrats aren't pleased. Ah ha, I see: max his tax relief permanent, in light of the stimulus package. Just under 1/2 of the room is clapping vigorously. He also promises to veto any tax increasing legislation. "We need to earn their trust by spending their tax money wisely," he says of the American people. Iraq war, anyone?

[6:20] Lots of earnark talk. This is the first, main focus of the speech. Not healthcare. Not Iraq. Earmarks. Sure, pork is excessive, but it's not the biggest problem facing our nation. But, you know, gotta credit him for trying. Oh, here's him on healthcare. We must trust patients and doctors, sharing the common goal to make it more accessible for all Americans. And here's the courtesy shot of Clinton. And he also notes we shouldn't expand government control. Of course.

[6:26] He blabbed about NCLB (No Child Left Behind) for a while. And the Democrats really looked pissed. Wait, hold on. He also talked about a new "Pell Grants for Kids" program that's glorified school vouchers, getting them into parochial schools. Rather than keep them in "failing public schools." Hideous. Why not just let the buildings collapse, while you're at it?

[6:31] Onto energy. Ah, he wants more nuclear power, which has Rep. Charles Rangel laughing. "Let us complete an international agreement... to slow/stop the release of greenhouse gases." How about the Kyoto Protocol? What a hypocrite! He's all for "confronting climate change?" I'd say wait for a Democrat to be in the White House. I'm beginning to sense a theme here: say one thing, do another. Oh, and he still hates stem cell research. Just FYI. It's one of those "divisive debates of the past." But he also doesn't want human clones. That's normal enough, I suppose.

[6:39] That one half of the room that's always standing to clap must be getting tired by now. The Supreme Court Justices don't ever seem to clap or stand, though, so they're the lucky ones. But now he's talking about liberty, and images both for and against. Lots of ghastly talk after several poignant images. "Evil men who despite freedom, despite America, and aim to subject millions," and asserts we will "deliver justice to our enemies" in the "defining ideological struggle of the 21st century." We are "spreading the hope of freedom."

[6:47] Is there really a point trying to rebut his half-truths and over-reaches? His legacy is locked in, and I'm just tired of hearing him speak. Especially now, when he's going on and on about Iraq...

[6:55] When he says anything close to how his "generation" has "left behind" something for the future, it rings hollow. If he said "mess" it would be one thing, but he said something along the lines of "legacy" I believe. Same thing. And there he goes, rattling the saber at Iran again. Is this over yet?

[6:56] Count Bush in favor of retroactive immunity for telecom companies (again) in FISA. Nice. Way to violate the law and try to get away with it. That's probably this President's biggest hallmark, huh? His general abhorrence of constitutionality just makes to sigh and shake your head-- but also knuckle down for a fight.

[7:03] He's done. Finally. I'm thankful that this is the final time that we'll have to listen to him mince partisan words with a smile.

[7:08] And now the pundits spin away the evening while we wait for the rebuttal.

[7:17] Here she comes. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, who is planning to endorse Sen. Obama in the next few days. Live from Topeka. She's offering a post-partisan, "American" response. She wants a real stimulus package, not a band-aid. She also blasts the President over his SCHIP vetoes. I like this theme: asking the President to "join us" on positions where the American people (and even Congress) are watching Bush stand in the way of change or vital reform. Nice way to couch it within terms of having our greatest generations in front of us; they need us to stand firm, join together, and end this partisan BS.

[7:26] All done! What a surreal evening: bookended by election politics, with a by-the-books Bush speech, and more of the same. At least he was relatively subdued tonight. What are your thoughts on this, the last Bush state of the union? I'm just glad it's over, and that, as Gov. Sebelius said, we can wake up tomorrow and get to work on change.