Trump's Address
 
President Trump's State of the Union address last night was one for the history books.  As he often does, this president brought his unique flare to a staid Washington tradition, and left his critics seething and his supporters cheering. 
 
The president declared that "the years of economic decay are over" and that "we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny."  There is much I could cover, but I will try to provide just a brief overview in case you missed it.

• On the economy, the president touted robust economic growth and record low unemployment for women and minorities.  He noted recently renegotiated trade deals with China, Mexico and Canada, which many critics said couldn't be done.  And he declared America's manufacturing renaissance and rising wages to be a "blue collar boom."

• On values, President Trump defended the sanctity of life by pointing to one of his invited guests, Ellie Schneider.  Noting that Ellie was "one of the earliest premature babies ever to survive," Trump declared that "every human life is a sacred gift from God," and he again called on Congress to ban late-term abortions performed on unborn children like Ellie.

• The president also promoted school choice, vowed to protect the Second Amendment and religious liberty, and he hailed the confirmation of nearly 190 new federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.

• On foreign policy, the president championed the rebuilding of our military.  He declared that "America's enemies are on the run," and he cited the demise of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian terrorist chief Qassem Soleimani.

• On immigration, one of the president's signature issues, Trump noted that 500 miles of new border wall will soon be completed, and he slammed the so-called "sanctuary city policies" supported by many progressive politicians.  He declared, "The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans, not criminal aliens."   

In other memorable moments, the president promoted a 100 year-old Tuskegee Airman (Congratulations, General McGee!), honored Rush Limbaugh and welcomed home Sgt. Townsend Williams from Afghanistan.
 
If you missed the State of the Union address, you can watch it here.
 
 
 
The Left's Difficult Day
 
The political left did not have a good day yesterday.  First, progressives proved unable to count votes in Iowa.  Then, they proved themselves unable of observing the most basic levels of decorum and tradition.
 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi broke tradition by refusing to recite the standard opening at State of the Union addresses introducing the president to the Congress and the country. 
She refused to say that it was her "high privilege and distinct honor" to introduce the president. 
 
As the president's speech went on, it became clear that many progressives were loath to applaud anything the president had to say.  And it was really obvious when it came to the president's guests.
 
Ronald Reagan started the tradition of the honoring individual Americans at the State of the Union by highlighting their accomplishments and contributions to our country, and how they benefitted from his policies. 
 
Every president since has continued that practice, as President Trump did last night.  Yet, some liberals even refused to stand for these heroes.  Others only stood up to walk out.
 
But the final act of sheer defiance occurred at the end when Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore up the president's speech.  It was a shocking moment.  Immediately following the address, the speaker called the president's speech, "dirty."  Today, she said it was "a pack of lies."
 
Remember Joe Wilson?  He was the GOP backbencher who was roundly condemned for a brief outburst during one of Obama's State of the Union addresses.  He apologized to President Obama, but nevertheless was formally reprimanded by the full House. 
 
Newt Gingrich thinks Pelosi should be censured.  I think she should at least get the same punishment that Joe Wilson got, but I'm not holding my breath.
 
 
 
The Results, Sort Of
 
Late yesterday afternoon, the Iowa Democrat Party released some of the caucus results.  The partial results, which are still subject to change, show former Mayor Pete Buttigieg narrowly leading Senator Bernie Sanders, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden in fourth place, only a few hundred votes ahead of Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
 
Why the state party chose to release partial figures and not just wait for a complete, final tally is anyone's guess, and no one is really happy about it.  But everyone agrees that Joe Biden is in trouble.
 
By the way, the failed app may be the least of the left's troubles.  Commentators are noting that turnout for Monday's caucuses was much lower than expected, leading many to suggest that progressives may have a serious "enthusiasm gap."