First impressions of the President's speech. The only worse speaker is John Kerry. Once, however, you close your eyes and listen to WHAT he says, you begin to understand that he really does have a vision of a better, less intrusive, more helpful government. Maybe not smaller. It sounds expensive, but some of it is just good common sense. How the heck can you offer people opportunity if you don't give them the educational tools to succeed? I wish, however, that Peggy Noonan had been more involved in the writing. She has a sense of the lyrical. Text of speech. Compare to Kerry's acceptance speech.

Perhaps that is the honesty of GW Bush. He isn't trying to be something he is not. Still, after 10 years of Clinton's faked "I feel your pain." brand of sincerity, I trust Bush no matter what he says.

Those protesters scare hell out of me. They are mostly women. My husband says because they can evade security easier. But it is still unnerving. Can't tell how close they got, but I started to sweat watching the motorcade drive through New York.