The State Of The Union Address Bush should give in 2002.

• Author: Reed, Bruce

THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY

EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY JANUARY 21, 2002 9:00 PM EST

STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION

THE CAPITOL

THE PRESIDENT: MR. SPEAKER, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, FELLOW AMERICANS: FOUR MONTHS AGO, I CAME BEFORE YOU IN THIS CHAMBER TO SOOTHE A FRIGHTENED NATION IN THE EARLY HOURS OF A NEW, UNCERTAIN CENTURY. OUR HEARTS STILL ACHE, AND OUR FISTS ARE STILL RAISED. BUT TONIGHT, AMERICA'S CAUSE, AND GOOD'S TRIUMPH, ARE SECURE. MY FELLOW CITIZENS, THE STATE OF OUR UNION IS STRONG -- ALMOST AS STRONG AS MY APPROVAL RATINGS.

THE ATTACKS ON OUR NATION CHANGED ALL OF US. WE PRAY MORE AND BICKER LESS, WORRY MORE AND EARN LESS, DRINK MORE AND TRAVEL LESS. BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED MORE THAN YOUR PRESIDENT. TONIGHT, I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A NEW MAN, READY TO BUILD A NEW NATION.

OUR FIRST TASK IS TO FINISH THE JOB WE STARTED IN AFGHANISTAN, AND ROOT TERROR FROM ITS CAVE IN HEARTS AND NATIONS AROUND THE GLOBE. OUR ENEMIES MUST NEVER MISUNDERESTIMATE US AGAIN.

A YEAR AGO, I THOUGHT THE TALIBAN WAS A ROCK BAND. IT FADED SO FAST, IT MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN.

IN THE WORDS OF FLEETWOOD MAC, DON'T STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT TERROR. NOW IT'S TIME FOR AL QAEDA TO GO THE WAY OF AL D'AMATO, SO THAT YEARS WILL GO BY AND NO ONE WILL REMEMBER WHETHER IT'S STILL WITH US.

THIS IS THE LAST OF 48 STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSES THAT SENATOR STROM THURMOND WILL BE PRESENT TO HEAR. I CAN THINK OF NO BETTER WAY TO HONOR HIS MEMORY THAN FOR US TO AGREE UPON A NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SHOULDN'T EXPECT CIVIL RIGHTS ANY TIME SOON. THE TERRORISTS SHOULD HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT OUR RESOLVE, AND NO ILLUSION ABOUT WHOM THEY'RE DEALING WITH. AS WE SAID DURING THE FLORIDA RECOUNT, WE WILL BRING OUR ENEMIES TO JUSTICE, OR WE WILL BRING JUSTICE TO OUR ENEMIES; WE WIN EITHER WAY.

IN THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE U.S. MILITARY AGAIN HAS SHOWN THAT WE CAN BEAT ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. I KNOW THAT THROUGHOUT MY CAMPAIGN, YOU HEARD ME SAY THAT THE LAST ADMINISTRATION HAD HOLLOWED OUT OUR MILITARY AND RUN OUR FORCES INTO THE GROUND. I'M GLAD OUR FIGHTING MEN TOOK THOSE WORDS IN THE SPIRIT I INTENDED, AS A PEP TALK LIKE THE ONE I GAVE THE U.S. RYDER CUP TEAM.

NO BEARD COULD SPARE AFGHANISTAN THE STING OF FREEDOM'S TERRIBLE SWIFT SWORD. NOW IT'S IRAQ'S TURN TO FEEL JUSTICE'S COLD SHOULDER. I LOVE MY PARENTS DEARLY, BUT MY MOTHER COULDN'T COOK AND MY FATHER DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FINISH THE JOB. TONIGHT, LET US SAY TO SADDAM HUSSEIN: 43 IS NOT YOUR...