SOTU Reactions?

Text of the speech is available here.
Any reactions to President Bush's State of the Union address? What about the Democratic response by freshman Senator Jim Webb?

Any guess as to how many people watched Veronica Mars on Channel 11 instead?

One area I was surprised to find little meat was health care.

To counter the escalating costs and difficulties related to modern health insurance, the President proposes monkeying with taxes. The White House released a rather murky explanation of the proposal on Monday. In essence, those who receive health insurance as a benefit from their employer will find it taxed. Others will receive a subsidy in the form of a tax deduction.

The tax deductions may provide savings for some, but may also channel people towards the high deductible, low-premium policies that provide little beyond "disaster" policies.

Those whose low incomes push them in the direction of these policies often don't have the cash to cover co-pays. Others who do have the income may merely take the deduction and pocket the difference.

It's not the disaster you have to worry about, its the nickel-and-dime things that undercut the foundation of good heath. They can lead to long-term problems that quickly outstrip most individuals coverage.

The proposal offers a national variation on the Romney and Schwarzenegger plans which subsidizes private health insurance for low-income state residents. However, instead of spreading the costs to doctors, health insurers and hospitals, individuals who get health insurance from their employer as a benefit will find a new tax.

Given that approximately 46 million people are uninsured in the U.S. and millions more go without at some point due to changes in their lives, a more substantial plan might be in the works.