Andy On The State Of The Union

Andy Rooney Shares Some Thoughts About The President's Speech

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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When the president - any president we have - speaks to all of us, I try not to miss it on television, so I've seen a lot of speeches by a lot of presidents. I listened to President Bush the other night.

I have a clear opinion of which of our recent presidents gave the best speeches and which gave the worst but I'm not going to tell you because I don't want to make anyone mad. Some presidents, of course, have been good speakers but I didn’t like what they said.

President Bush has made seven State of the Union speeches now. He looks pretty good giving a speech, I think.

President Bush didn't used to wear anything in his buttonhole. In the last six years though, he's had an American flag there. A lot of men wear the flag, particularly politicians running for office. You'd think that the people who make men’s suits might make a suit for politicians with the American flag already built into it.

I wish President Bush would stop mispronouncing the word "nuclear” when he speaks.

He always calls it "nucular". "Free of nucular weapons…"…to acquire nucular weapons…to clean, safe nucular power." It makes you wonder how he graduated from Yale.

Wouldn't you think that Laura or one of the doormen at The White House would point out to him that the word is "nuclear", not nucular?

It always seems to me that a president should write the words he speaks himself but of course none of our presidents do. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address may have been the last Presidential address actually written by a President.

President Bush certainly doesn't write his speeches. Does this sound like George W. Bush: "Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are commitments of conscience and so it is our duty to keep them permanently sound."

The president certainly edits the speech he's given but no matter how much a president rewrites or rehearses what someone else has written; you can always hear the phrases that aren’t really his. They sound written.

Presidents are always saying "Let us."

"Let us do that."

I always say to myself "Who me?"

If the president is going to read what someone else has written, I think the writer's by-line ought to be shown on screen at the end.

The words spoken by the president were not necessarily his except for "nucular."

[whelmed29]

I submit that GWB has told the truth and will continue to do so - he has been seeking to ensure our safety from nucular weapons not nuclear weapons.

[myopinion2u-2009]

While I'm still logged on... I would also like to address those who've made reference to the "brainwashed masses" who "deserve" what we're getting because WE elected this president in the first place... I BEG TO DIFFER!!

The MASSES were not BRAINWASHED until AFTER his first "election," when GWB confused us all with his "Weapons of Mass Discussion"... the only weapons actually discovered, which have since cost us thousands of American lives and destroyed too many American (and Iraqi) families... Before the "election" the MASSES were NOT brainwashed... It is (or should be) a well-known fact that MOST of us voted for would-be president Al Gore... "Gee-Dubya" objected to the final ballot tally and demanded a recount, after making a statement to the press about how his BROTHER had GUARANTEED that he would "win" the state of Florida, of which he (Jeb Bush) was the governor...

Do we, the masses, really DESERVE this fate? Or were we just BUSHWHACKED??!!

[myopinion2u-2009]

RE: comments posted by ANTIQUES6 (and others) regarding Andy's use of the word "DO"... "Before you criticize... people who live in glass houses..." you should clear the film from your own glass house and re-check your homework! The word "DO" is entirely appropriate when used in this context. Think about it! Multiple presidents DO; a singular president DOES... "Presidents does" makes no sense at all!If this is the best criticism of Our Andy that you can come up with, then he's in pretty good shape!

What he said PUBLICLY about Mr. Bush's incorrect pronounciation of the word "nuclear" is something MILLIONS of us have been saying privately for YEARS... (see comment posted below by "VGONYEA"... I couldn't have said it better, myself!) I, for one, APPLAUD him for speaking out about it! GOOD FOR YOU, ANDY! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

[awawro]

Andy, we can always count on you to bring out the truth in a most subtle way to make us think. Poor president Bs.
He was a heavy drinker in his youth, damaging his brain cells during his formative years. We should have compassion for him trying to run the most powerful country in the world with only half a brain. Not only does he have trouble speaking, but he's not operating with a full deck!

[antietam11]

This format is a testament to our freedom. My fear is that because of the fallout from this war, presidents of either party will be reluctant to intervene in future events that need our help. Already seeing this with Darfur. I believe there were significant mistakes made in the beginning and during this intervention in Iraq. It is the sole issue creating so much angst with Bush haters. The emotion so evident reveals a loss of discernment. There are consequences to staying in Iraq and leaving. The middle east has been and will continue to be a political and national security issue for every president until we separate ourselves from the oil requirement our economy has. A nuclear middle east could potentially have devastating effects on our way of life and our children's future. I wish we could have a civil discussion on the real issues and avoid the name calling and trash talk.

[antiques6]

Dear Andy, Before you criticized the President's pronunciation of "nuclear", perhaps you should have proof read your speech on Sunday. "It always seems to me that a president should write the words he speaks himself but of course none of our presidents do." "None" is singular, "of the presidents" a prepositional phrase, therefore "does" is the correct verb. People who live in glass houses..... Jane Bennett

[tejasdemo]

Bush is the best reason I have heard yet for skipping college and just going to work. He speaks like an idiot and his decision making is that of a 3 year old.....A mean 3 year old.

What,exactly, did he study in college anyway ?

[hillaryin08]

HILLARY 2003: There is a very easy way to prevent anyone from being put into harm's way, that is for Saddam Hussein to disarm. And I have absolutely no belief that he will. I have to say that this is something I've followed for more than a decade. If he were serious about disarming, he would have been much more forthcoming. I ended up voting for the resolution after carefully reviewing the information, intelligence that I had available, talking with people whose opinions I trusted, tried to discount the political or other factors that I didn't believe should be in any way a part of this decision. I would love to agree with you, but I can't based on my own understanding and assessment of the situation.

HILLARY: With respect to whose responsibility it is to disarm Saddam Hussein, I just do not believe that, given the attitudes of many people in the world community today, that there would be a willingness to take on very difficult problems, were it not for the United States leadership, and I'm talking specifically about what had to be done in Bosnia and Kosovo where my husband could not get a Security Council resolution to save the Kosovar Albanians from ethnic cleansing. And we did it alone as the United States, and we had to do it alone. And so I see it somewhat differently. So forgive me for my experience and perspective.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rOjmDsPg_s

[bluestardad]

Make the Congress and the Administration define who the enemy is in Iraq. The Neocons cannot tell you who we are sending our troops to fight. It is a sure bet that the Chicken Hawks are not going to go fight. Saudis are aiding the Sunnis and Iran is aiding the Shiites and the 12 former members of Saddam%u2019s regime are running scared hiding in caves! So how do we tell our troops to fire upon? Why is America even there? 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_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[mgpm-2009]

It's weird to me how Barbara Bush and Laura Bush are all into literacy and Bush Jr. can't speak. "Decider." Very strange indeed.

[doktordan]

Andy, the standard you apply to one should apply to all. President Bush doesn't pronounce nuclear correctly, and you question his degree from Yale. Perhaps you recall that Jimmy Carter had the identical problem - always saying "nucular". I and others have often thought of him as one of the most intelligent presidents of the 20th century, but perhaps we should reassess that based on your criteria.

[vgonyea]

Andy,

You are a hero! FINALLY someone said something about President Bush's mispronunciation of the word "nuclear". He is the leader of the free world for crying out loud and NUCLEAR is a pretty important word! As for your theory that no one has brought this to his attention, I speculate that either the people around him are too afraid to correct him, or he just doesn't care how ignorant it makes him sound he's going to do it his way. Thank you Andy!

[vgonyea]

Andy,

You are a hero! FINALLY someone said something about President Bush's mispronunciation of the word "nuclear". He is the leader of the free world for crying out loud and NUCLEAR is a pretty important word! As for your theory that no one has brought this to his attention, I speculate that either the people around him are too afraid to correct him, or he just doesn't care how ignorant it makes him sound he's going to do it his way. Thank you Andy!

[jeffwho-2009]

shrub boy and all his cronies including dear ole "dad" are FASCISTS , especially ole wormtongue Cheney .i can't wait for the felonies to be uncovered , follow them and praise them you poor befuddled brainwashed masses . we know your price a few measly taxcuts and you sell your soul to the devil . head for the Mall in youir SUV"s while the rest of the world hopes you choke.tsk tsk tsk

[j3thgfr]

Why would you expect him to pronounce "nuclear" correctly? He doesn't even pronounce the name of the letter "W" correctly. {"dubya" instead of "double u".)

[wnorris46]

Andy made some insightful comments about how the presidents need to be very precise in their diction during speeches, especially with President Bush's pronounication of 'nuclear.' Andy also commented that all the presidents have speech writers because"none of them do it." Well, Andy, as a matter of grammar, the proper and correct form of your statement should have been: "None of them does it." Beware of the glass house!

Walter Norris
307 Wesley Avenue
National Park, NJ 08063
[phone]

[rufusmin]

Well, let's face it, Andy. People just don't appreciate curmudgeons any more. It's sad because curmudgeons are my favorite people and maybe their disappearance will indicate that this is no longer a free country. I think the people who are bashing you for your satirical commentary are threatened because you have touched a nerve and they don't like what they are learning about THEMSELVES. So, all I have to say to these humorless persons is NYAH NYAH NYAH YA NYAH NYAH. If the shoe fits, wear it.

[rufusmin]

dpale5: Andy's eyebrows are an act of nature. I think people's pronunciation is something they can get a handle on if they want to. No wonder the president attempted to get a "No Child Left Behind" program going. He must be aware that he is a product of education in this country!!!

[rufusmin]

Hey jcurious. It's not maynaise. It's MANNAYSE. Anyway in Central PA it is.

[mick7744]

I had long since realized that with sufficient funding, you could buy the office of President of the United States, but it took George W. Bush to convince me that a degree could be purchased from Yale.

Say it ain't so...