The State of the Union as reported by ABC News

I watched the State of the Union address on the ABC network. As soon as President Bush was done, Charlie Gibson and Elizabeth Vargas gave their initial reactions. This is a key moment, given that the viewing audience is primed to hear those first insights...those first "words of wisdom" from the people the networks pay such high salaries to and feature so prominently.

So, what were Gibson and Vargas's initial coments? They started talking about how President Bush had "reached out to the Democrats". But these weren't your standard, professional comments. Gibson and Vargas's voices were, to me, in complete "isn't Bush great?" fan-mode. They talked about how many times he reached out to the Democrats. Honestly, I expected them to say "You know, if Congress remains a divided place, it will have to be the Democrats' fault. After all, President Bush wants so badly to work with them now."

The lack of professionalism they displayed had me wondering if I was watching Fox News. Actually, the real thought that went through my head was "I guess the people at ABC News feel they have to be nice to Bush or else Bob Woodruff won't get the care he needs from those Army doctors." I know, it's a sick thought...but I felt pretty sick watching two network anchors sounding like fans who had just gotten Bush's autograph.

For the record, here's the only place in the president's speech where I see him talking in a way that fits the "reaching out to the Democrats" subject. It came at the beginning of his speech:

"In a system of two parties, two chambers and two elected branches, there will always be differences and debate. But even tough debates can be conducted in a civil tone, and our differences cannot be allowed to harden into anger. To confront the great issues before us, we must act in a spirit of good will and respect for one another, and I will do my part. Tonight the state of our union is strong, and together we will make it stronger."

If anyone can find other places in the text where he specifically talked about reaching out to the Democrats, please let me know. Funny, how something said so close to the beginning of the speech would stick in Gibson and Vargas's minds so strongly. Hmmm...