Bush advances little new ground; Cheney dozes, ogles Speaker Pelosi; President reprimands Justices Roberts and Alito for not applauding.WASHINGTON - President Bush trod startling little new ground in his State of the Union address last night. Three events, however, livened up an otherwise moribund affair.
While the President was outlining his technology initiative to end America's dependence on foreign oil, the head of dozing Vice President Cheney slumped over into the lap of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Bush, pausing mid-sentence to acknowledge a wave of tittering, glanced behind him and quipped, "Where's my camera when I need it?" Cheney awakened to the roar of laughter that greeted the line. The Vice President's office later explained that Mr. Cheney is taking a special medication for an alleged tennis elbow that "makes him drool and that forces his head involuntarily to droop, sometimes into the laps of persons next to him."
Midway through the speech, the President stopped and called for a "drink break -- for Republicans only." (Pictured above.)
The other unplanned moment occurred when an obviously disgusted Bush chided the four Supreme Court members in attendance for not joining Congress in applauding the speech. The President singled out Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito. "You know, both you guys are new to this thing, but already you're acting like the rest of those clowns [Supreme Court Justices]. You sit there stone-faced, like you don't get what I'm saying up here. These are the jokes, man! Show some damn life, and remember who put you there."
Following the President's speech, Howard Stern delivered the Democrats rebuttal, but most of Stern's statement was censored.
