The So Quoted condensed versions

Wherein I find something useful to do with MS Word


Because this is my thing, I guess...

SOTU autosummarized to 10%:

Spreading opportunity and hope in America also requires public schools that give children the knowledge and character they need in life. We must increase funds for students who struggle and make sure these children get the special help they need. The No Child Left Behind Act has worked for America’s children, and I ask Congress to reauthorize this good law.

And so tonight, I propose two new initiatives to help more Americans afford their own insurance. First, I propose a standard tax deduction for health insurance that will be like the standard tax deduction for dependents. Single Americans with health insurance will pay no income or payroll taxes on $7,500 of their income. States that make basic private health insurance available to all their citizens should receive federal funds to help them provide this coverage to the poor and the sick. We need to help small businesses through association health plans.

Extending hope and opportunity in our country requires an immigration system worthy of America, with laws that are fair and borders that are secure. Extending hope and opportunity depends on a stable supply of energy that keeps America’s economy running and America’s environment clean. For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil. Tonight, I ask Congress to join me in pursuing a great goal. From the start, America and our allies have protected our people by staying on the offense. For the terrorists, life since 9/11 has never been the same.

We broke up a Southeast Asian terrorist cell grooming operatives for attacks inside the United States. We uncovered an Al Qaeda cell developing anthrax to be used in attacks against America. By killing and terrorizing Americans, they want to force our country to retreat from the world and abandon the cause of liberty. The great question of our day is whether America will help men and women in the Middle East to build free societies and share in the rights of all humanity. In 2005, the people of Afghanistan defied the terrorists and elected a democratic legislature. We’re carrying out a new strategy in Iraq: a plan that demands more from Iraq’s elected government and gives our forces in Iraq the reinforcements they need to complete their mission. Our goal is a democratic Iraq that upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of its people, provides them security and is an ally in the war on terror.

The people of Iraq want to live in peace, and now it’s time for their government to act. Iraq’s leaders have committed themselves to a series of benchmarks to achieve reconciliation: to share oil revenues among all of Iraq’s citizens, to put the wealth of Iraq into the rebuilding of Iraq, to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation’s civic life, to hold local elections and to take responsibility for security in every Iraqi province. If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides. For America, this is a nightmare scenario. We’ll show our enemies abroad that we’re united in the goal of victory.

In Iraq, multinational forces are operating under a mandate from the United Nations. We’re working with Jordan and Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and the gulf states to increase support for Iraq’s government. Julie represents the great enterprising spirit of America.

Democratic response autosummarized to 10%:

The second regards our foreign policy ¬ how we might bring the war in Iraq to a proper conclusion that will also allow us to continue to fight the war against international terrorism, and to address other strategic concerns that our country faces around the world.
When I graduated from college, the average corporate CEO made 20 times what the average worker did; today, it's nearly 400 times. Wages and salaries for our workers are at all-time lows as a percentage of national wealth, even though the productivity of American workers is the highest in the world. With respect to foreign policy, this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years. My son has joined the tradition, now serving as an infantry Marine in Iraq.
The President took us into this war recklessly. The war's costs to our nation have been staggering. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. "When comes the end?" asked the General who had commanded our forces in Europe during World War Two.