Egypt Election: Muslim Brotherhood Candidate Could Face...
This is the Democracy Now! news archive of interviews related to the annual State of the Union presidential addresses in the United States. Our archive includes interviews conducted during the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations.
-
Obama Calls for Spending Freeze, Lowering Corporate Taxes in State of the Union
President Obama delivered his second State of the Union address last night. Speaking before a newly divided Congress, Obama said the United States was in a 21st century version of the space race and in a global competition to create jobs in science and research. Obama focused much of his speech on the issue of jobs and proposed...January 26, 2011 | Story -
Consumer Advocate Joan Claybrook and Former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson Respond to State of the Union
President Obama began his second State of the Union address by paying tribute to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona but did not address the issue of gun control. He spoke about the need for clean energy but did not mention the word "climate" once in his address. He talked about the economy but never mentioned foreclosures....January 26, 2011 | Story -
Dr. Atul Gawande Compares Obama’s "Frustrating" Record on Healthcare Reform and LBJ’s Leadership in Passing Medicare
In his State of the Union address, President Obama defended his healthcare overhaul and invited Republicans to help him move forward with essential fixes to the law. We hear from Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston, staff writer at The New Yorker magazine and an associate professor at Harvard...January 26, 2011 | Story -
Harry Belafonte on Obama: "He Plays the Game that He Plays Because He Sees No Threat from Evidencing Concerns for the Poor"
We speak with legendary singer, actor, humanitarian and activist, Harry Belafonte. "I think [Obama] plays the game that he plays because he sees no threat from evidencing concerns for the poor," Belafonte says. "He sees no threat from evidencing a deeper concern for the needs of black people, as such. He feels...January 26, 2011 | Story -
Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein Respond to Obama’s First State of the Union
President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address Wednesday night. A full two-thirds of the President’s seventy-minute address was devoted to the economy, the central theme of which was job creation. We get response from MIT professor Noam Chomsky and journalist and author Naomi Klein. [includes rush transcript]January 28, 2010 | Story -
Michael Moore on Haiti, the Supreme Court Decision on Corporate Campaign Financing, and Why He Calls the Democrats "Disgusting"
Filmmaker Michael Moore joins us for a wide-ranging interview about Haiti, the Supreme Court decision on corporate campaign financing, President Obama’s first year in office, the Democrats, and much more. "[The Democrats] don’t have the guts. They don’t have the courage of their own convictions. They’re...January 26, 2010 | Story -
Kathleen Newman & Barbara Ehrenreich: Bush Has Ignored the Working Poor and Failed to Address Growing Economic Inequality
During last night’s State of the Union, President Bush pushed for Congress to approve a $150 billion economic stimulus. Newman and Ehrenreich examine how Bush’s plan fails to help most homeowners facing foreclosures and fails to expand benefits for the poor, such as unemployment insurance or food stamp allotment. [includes rush transcript]January 29, 2008 | Story -
Bush Touts Outcome of Iraq Troop "Surge," Repeats Threats Against Iran
In his final state of the union, President Bush once again defended the Iraq invasion and claimed the so-called troop surge a success. Bush also repeated his threatening rhetoric against Iran. We speak with unembedded journalist Dahr Jamail and Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar. [includes rush transcript]January 29, 2008 | Story -
Bush’s New Energy Proposals: A Break from the Past or More of the Same?
President Bush introduced proposals to cut US gasoline consumption by twenty percent over ten years and ease the country’s dependance on foreign oil. The president steered clear of calling for mandatory caps on U.S. carbon dioxide emissions and rejected calls for a commitment to stricter fuel economy rules. Award-winning New York Times science reporter Andrew Revkin analyses President Bush’s...January 24, 2007 | Story -
Bush Delivers Sixth State of The Union
President Bush delivered his sixth State of the Union address at a time when he is facing some of the lowest approval ratings of his presidency. With his address, Bush hoped to lift his political standing and give a boost to his Republican allies in Congress who will be facing tough mid-term elections in November. However, the speech was noticeable for its absence of grand proposals to address...February 01, 2006 | Story -
Gore Vidal Delivers State of the Union: "Let the Powers That Be Know There is Something Called We the People of the U.S. and all Sovereignty Rests in Us."
In advance of President Bush’s state of the union address later tonight, author Gore Vidal delivers his own traditional state of the union address. We hear Vidal speak about patriotism, the NSA domestic surveillance programs, corporate America, Presidential powers and more. [includes rush transcript]January 31, 2006 | Story -
With Exxon Making a Record $5 Million Per Hour, a Look at Bush’s Energy Policies Ahead of His State of the Union
In tonight’s State of the Union address, President Bush is expected to outline a set of energy proposals that administration officials say will address growing public anxiety over high energy costs. This will follow Exxon Mobil’s recent announcement of making the biggest annual profit ever earned by a U.S. corporation, drawing the criticism of consumer groups. We speak with Steve Kretzmann...January 31, 2006 | Story -
State of the Union 2005: Bush Pushes Aggressive Foreign Policy of "Spreading Democracy"
President Bush used his 2005 State of the Union address to reinforce his inauguration theme of spreading democracy around the world. In addition to hailing the elections in Iraq and the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Bush issued warnings to Iran and Syria. We speak with Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies. [includes rush transcript]February 03, 2005 | Story -
The New Bush Agenda: A Debate on Social Security with Paul Krugman vs. the American Enterprise Institute
President Bush devoted a large portion of his State of the Union address to his push to restructure Social Security, kicking off a campaign to advocate for the privatization of the system. We host a debate with Paul Krugman of The New York Times and Eric Engen of the American Enterprise Institute. [includes rush transcript]February 03, 2005 | Story -
DEMOCRACY NOW ! SPECIAL : Behind Bush’s State of the Union
In the third State of the Union address of his term, President Bush defended the war on Iraq, called for the renewal of the Patriot Act, praised the improving economy and called for a ban on gay marriage. We spend the hour listening to responses to Bush’s address that paint a different picture of the State of the Union.January 21, 2004 | Story -
Arundhati Roy, Hans Von Sponeck Respond to Bush’s State of the Union on Iraq
In his State of the Union address, Bush claimed if the US did not invade Iraq, "the dictator’s weapons of mass destruction programs would continue to this day." He did not acknowledge, however, that U.S. inspectors have uncovered no unconventional weapons.
A year ago at the 2003 State of the Union, Bush made the case for war by claiming that Iraq had 25,000 liters of anthrax, 38,000...January 21, 2004 | Story -
A Look at Bush’s Iraq Lies in the State of the Union and Truth-Telling In the Media
We speak with Leslie Cagan of the antiwar coalition United for Peace and Justice about Bush’s statements on Iraq. She criticizes Bush for "talking about a war but not mentioning that anybody has died in the war–either Iraqis or U.S. soldiers."
And we hear from columnist and Institute for Public Accuracy director Norman Solomon who likens the State of the Union address to the...January 21, 2004 | Story -
Bush Calls For Renewal of Patriot Act in State of the Union
Bush called for a renewal of the controversial Patriot Act saying, "key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year. The terrorist threat will not expire on that schedule." We speak with the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. [includes transcript]January 21, 2004 | Story -
No Mention of Africa in Bush’s State of the Union
We speak with TransAfrica president Bill Fletcher about why Bush did not mention Africa once in his State of the Union address as compared to last year when Africa and the issue of AIDS were a major part of his address. [includes transcript]January 21, 2004 | Story -
Bush Denounces Gay Marriage in State of the Union
Bush denounced gay marriage saying, "Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage." He also said a constitutional ban on gay marriage may be needed if "activist judges" ignored public will. We hear from a gay community activist who traveled to Canada to get legally married. [includes transcript]January 21, 2004 | Story
Job Openings
Columns
By Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan
Gen. John Allen, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, spoke Wednesday at the Pentagon, four stars on each shoulder, his chest bedecked with medals. Unlike Allen, many decorated U.S. military veterans left the streets of Chicago after the NATO summit without their medals.
Web Exclusives
In an extended interview, David Bronner, president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, discusses the history of the company, why they put sustainability and social justice ahead of profits, the organic and GMO labeling movements, the U.S. war on hemp, and why they refuse to sell out. [includes rush transcript]
Human Rights Watch’s Kenneth Roth examines why the U.S. has not pressured Bahrain to release pro-democracy activists. He also discusses Syria and the conditions in Israeli jails and courts that prompted 1,550 Palestinian prisoners to go on a hunger strike. [includes rush transcript]
