With President Bush only two days away from delivering his 2006 State of the Union (SOTU) address, the Democrats and their progressive allies have mobilized to offer both critiques of and alternatives to the latest installment of this failed presidency.
The Center for American Progress has organized its ThinkProgress State of the Union Extravaganza to provide analysis and reaction to the President before, during and after the address. A pre-SOTU webcast in conjunction with Air America's Majority Report begins at 8:00 EST on Tuesday, with live blogging beginning at 9:00. The Center's John Podesta will be joined by bloggers Atrios (Duncan Black) and Kos (Markos Zuniga) Tuesday evening.
At a Tuesday morning press conference to be held at DNC headquarters, the Congressional Progressive Caucus is teaming up with The Nation magazine and the Institute for Policy Studies to unveil its "Alternative State of the Union." Members of the CPC, led by Representatives Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey, will be joined by The Nation editor Katrina Vanden Heuvel and IPS's John Cavanaugh. A set of Democratic proposals on issues from health care and Iraq to budget policy and intelligence reform is also featured in this issue of The Nation. (Note that with a Democratic take-over of the House in November, Caucus members would take over 10 committee chairmanships.)
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is offering alternatives of its own. In the "misery loves company department," the DNC is organizing Bush SOTU Watch Parties all over the country. And during the address, Democratic members of Congress will be providing live reactions at the DCCC's Stakeholder blog.
To prepare for Tuesday's onslaught, here are President Bush's past State of the Union speeches.