By Dave Andrusko

Please send your thoughts and comments to daveandrusko@gmail.com.  Thank you. If you'd like, follow me on http://twitter.com/daveha.

Did you have a chance to watch the State of the Union address last night? If you did, I hope you took the opportunity to stick around to listen to the Republican response.

Pro-abortion President Barack Obama

Frankly, I could only watch President Obama's remarks intermittently. The speech was just awful: repetitive, redundant, unimaginative, and uninspiring. Hard to miss how many senators and representatives were stifling yawns.

You could label the address a "laundry list" of items but that would unfair to laundry lists.

Out of duty, I read the transcript this morning. It was even worse than watching the remarks delivered live.

By contrast, newly-inaugurated Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was very sharp and, blessedly, much, much briefer. Speaking with passion and conviction on behalf of Republicans, McDonnell showed why he won a convincing victory last November and why pro-lifers are among his biggest fans.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room was, of course, the whoa-how-did-THIS-happen? election of Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Each day it becomes more evident just how much the unexpected election of the 41st Senate Republican has altered the political landscape.

President Obama reiterated his continued support for health care "reform." What form reform that will take--or how it will be presented--is a matter of ferocious debate and endless speculation.

As Americans we have a multiplicity of views on various components of the House and Senate plans. But as single-issue pro-lifers our concern is to excise any language that promotes abortion or threatens rationing. As always be sure to regularly visit http://nrlactioncenter.com and http://powellcenterformedicalethics.blogspot.com so you know the latest.

And as I mentioned yesterday, even more than usual, pro-abortionists will be sneaky. If they can't get pro-abortion health care "reform" in the front door, they'll try the backdoor, the attic, or the cellar.

Pro-Life President Ronald Reagan

I'd like to end with an excerpt from Ronald Reagan's final State of the Union address, delivered January 25, 1988. The contrast with the drivel last night could not be more stark.
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"Well, now we come to a family issue that we must have the courage to confront. Tonight, I call America--a good nation, a moral people--to charitable but realistic consideration of the terrible cost of abortion on demand. To those who say this violates a woman's right to control of her own body: Can they deny that now medical evidence confirms the unborn child is a living human being entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Let us unite as a nation and protect the unborn with legislation that would stop all Federal funding for abortion and with a human life amendment making, of course, an exception where the unborn child threatens the life of the mother. Our Judeo-Christian tradition recognizes the right of taking a life in self-defense. But with that one exception, let us look to those others in our land who cry out for children to adopt. I pledge to you tonight I will work to remove barriers to adoption and extend full sharing in family life to millions of Americans so that children who need homes can be welcomed to families who want them and love them."
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Take a moment to read the full address at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=36035.  I promise you it will make your day.

And if you have any comments or observations, please write to me at daveandrusko@gmail.com.