Comments on: Andy On The State Of The Union

Andy Rooney Shares Some Thoughts About The President's Speech

[jhorn10121]

Mr. Rooney, is this phrase really YOURS?

"It always seems to me that a president should write the words he speaks himself but of course none of our presidents do."
Of course, it should have said, "none . . . DOES".
Be careful and humble when criticizing others...I expect as much (or more) from a journalist and editor as from a President!

[ancientromer]

Had you been paying attention these last seven years you would have understood that George W. Bush%u2019s 7th State of the Union Address contained many of the ideals and concepts he has espoused throughout his Presidency.

Given that %u201Cthe buck stops%u201D at his desk President Bush of course acted prudently by having his ideas put into words by professional speechwriters. None too subtly Andy you suggested the crafting of the speech by others meant the President, left to his own resources, was incapable of forming the thoughts in his speech.

However, for you and others who make a living obsessing on irrelevancies, in that speech were thoughts and ideas that President Bush has developed from thousands of briefing sessions, hundreds of Cabinet meetings, numerous meetings with leaders of other nations, and perhaps thousands of personal consultations with Republicans and Democrats, experts in numerous fields of international and military affairs, economics and domestic policy.

But you elected to ignore substance and focus instead on %u201Cnukular%u201D. Further, your bias precluded noting that Jimmy Carter also assaulted the airwaves with his repeated use of %u201Cnukular%u201D. In either case, Andy, did it matter?

[pkv888]

It's totally UNclear to me why anyone would say nucUlar. It makes no sense as the word comes from nucleus; ergo: nuclear. We're not talkin' cellUlar here! Thanks Andy.

[scully42]

Mr. Rooney- I know that you hate everything about Pres. Bush, but you might remember ( or actually, at your age, it is a plus that you remember anything at all ) that former Pres. Jimmy Carter, a graduate of the US Naval Academy, that served on a new-cular submarine, also pronounced the word new-cular. I know this is hard to believe, but there are people in the South and South West that pronounce words differently than you "perfect liberals" in New York

[ljayres]

You always make me laugh. And thank you, thank you, thank you for your point tonight about the pronunciation of nuclear. I don't know how this ever got started, but I've been annoyed for years by hearing people say 'nucular'. Some posters here think it's trivial to pick on President Bush for this error, but it's an important word for an important world issue and our country's leaders, at least, should be pronouncing it correctly. It's just one small example of the slow deterioration of proper grammar, spelling and punctuation in our language. More people should be complaining about this destructive trend. Kudos to Andy.

[jcurious-2009]

Andy %u2013

You are a blessing in the skies that a lot of us take for granite. Some peoples thinks you would make a good cannidate for Presdent yoursef.

Maybe I should mine my own bidness, but I would like to aks you a question about our current physical policy. Irregardless of weather you was Publican or Democrat, I run acrossed an expecially interesting story in the libary.

It says that come Febuary, one way or thuther, the guvmint is gonna git some duck tape on the cost of the I-rak war for Amerca afore it makes us all perspire.

Good luck, I says. It wadn%u2019t like we was all supposably drinking expressos and whereing fancy jewlry all the time, excetera, excetera, and could afford to give them polticians a blanket check whenever they aksed us. Sose, Andy, is their any excape?

Cause the thing is, is that for all intensive purposes, sometimes bob wire just kent stop the calvary. Or is my way of looking at it just misinterpretating the fax and or maybe just a mute point that perculates through our doggy dog world like sherbert on a maynaise sanwitch, which I like maynaise sanwitches, and stuff like that?

Thank you.

[dshore95]

Thank God a public figure finally said something about this. Andy hit the nail on the HEAD, spot on.

Andy, you're my HERO!!

[michaelh1714]

Andy...I'm even older than you are (imagine that), and I lived in Washington when the governor was Albert D. Rossalini. He was a pretty fair governor overall, though his nickname was "Taxallini".

Anyway, to the point. Whenever he spoke about the state, he always called it "Washton", leaving out totally the "ing".

At ease. Mispronouncing words in endemic. Even media folks do it.

[lvtolol]

important- hah! see- haven't I lost credibility already?

[michaelh1714]

I don't particularly disagree with your assessment of the President's speech-giving abilities, and I've always enjoyed your segment of 60 minutes...but...

I think you're lowering yourself by deliberately belittling him (ie "nucular")

Stick to substance. You're far better at that.

[southpolee]

Andy,

I liked the old fashioned days (and I am not even old yet) when everyone did not spend so much time picking everyone apart including our President.
Since we are on the subject, your own news anchor Katie Couric seldom prounounces any word ending in "ing" with anything but the "een" sound. It drives me nuts; "good morneen" etc. Maybe you could drop a hint and see if she can change and I will work on President Bush. They each have many good qualities too. Thank you for your help. Les

[lvtolol]

I have never posted a comment on-line about a television show or really anything but I felt compelled tonight because I was yelling in agreement at the tv screen- I have said those exact words countless times regarding how irritating it is that our President is not able to correctly pronounce a word he uses so often (nuclear)- doesn't anyone tell him he's saying it wrong? does he even care? and the fact that he managed to graduate from Yale still amazes me-Just like when there are typos in an importnat document and the author's credibility instantly falls, the same holds true for me and our President every time he opens his mouth. I really think a President of the United States of America should have the basics down-I think they should have to pass an exam of some kind- comparable to that of the Iowa tests years ago maybe-

[dpale5]

If Laura Bush or a staff member should tell George how to say Nuclear, than why doesn't your wife or staff member tell you to trim your eyebrows. They are equally as offensive.

[lizardale]

I always look forward to Mr. Rooney's segment on 60 Minutes, and tonight was no exception. The "nuclear" comment had me rolling! Loved it and I hope he keeps it up!

[bluestardad]

Media
Quit covering these animals in the Middle East and let them butcher themselves off camera. We have spent 50 years of time blood and money trying to civilize them to western standards and it does not work. Do they own your Job or what? Quit Covering them!

OK here is your chance, don%u2019t just set in front of your computer and complain spouting meaningless rants of sludge, do something about it! This is the contact address for your Senator! Send them a message of your opinion. All Class Two Senators are up for Reelection in 2008. Be respectful even if they do not deserve it because their office does! http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_in
formation/senators_cfm.cfm

[jn122736]

I enjoyed your article Mr. Rooney.

It would appear that some folks forget or just don%u2019t realize most of your comments (at the end of these %u201C60 minutes%u201D programs) are lighthearted satire.

It is getting harder to find anything good to say about President Bush but he has exhibited a better attitude toward criticism of his speech than a lot of his supporters. ---He may have gotten a chuckle from your comment if he read.

[jjrosenf]

Hello Andy,
Finally, a TRULY patriotic American who realizes and has the spine to state the OBVIOUS (obvious to anyone with a brain cell.....about 60 % of Americans)......We have an unequivocal IDIOT in the White House, who has been an absolute DISASTER on EVERY issue....and viewed by the world to be a terrorist.
Bush is an IDIOT elected by a nation of IDIOTS. No additional evidence needed to validate the dire need for education in this country.
You get the leadership you deserve.
Any criticism you receive, just consider the source-----another idiot.
Thank You,
John

[labaer1]

Mr. Rooney....Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Once again, you nailed it! This president has got to go down in history as the most illiterate president ever. It truely frightens me when he attempts to speak about nuclear weapons, and yet he cannot even pronounce the word correctly.
We are all in trouble!

[kathy854]

Thank you for your comments on that awful mispronounciation of nuclear that we have had to endure for years with "G.W."
Perhaps someone has corrected him, but he doesn't seem like the type to take correction or advice (from anyone).
Kathy in Renss'ville

[sillyferret]

Wow! that was great tonight! I always watch Andy and tonight he said exactely the same thing i ranted and raved about as i watched the state of the union.......keep up the good work Mr. Rooney. Molly DeLapp in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, N.M.