"The State of the Union is a matter of perception.  Every American has their own assessment rooted firmly in their point of view.  The view from my Congressional district, and many others around this nation, is of a country at crossroads. 

            "We hear the call to spread liberty around the world, but do not see proportionate sacrifices by our sons and daughters, neighbors and friends. 

            "We clearly heard the President's call to arms against Iraq and his resounding "mission completed," but a deaf ear has been turned to our calls for an exit strategy.  

            "We hear the urgency to privatize Social Security, but hear nothing about how we protect our most vulnerable citizens, the disabled, and surviving children.  

            "We hear of the need to extend tax cuts for the wealthy, but nothing about the 4.3 million Americans that have been pushed into poverty or the additional 4.5 million Americans that lost their health insurance in the last four years. 

            "We hear the promise of No Child Left Behind, but nothing is said about adequate funding for its implementation.  We hear support for additional college funding, but not a sound about making a college more affordable. 

            "We hear our constituents long for the days when Democrats employed fiscal restraint, balanced the budget and created surpluses, but they stand in silence while deficits grow greater and our national debt careens out of control. 

            "We hear pronouncements of a healthy economy, but there is silence as one million private sector jobs have been lost over the past four years and median household incomes fall for three consecutive years. 

            "Despite our challenges, residents of my Congressional district remain hopeful their elected leaders will work together in our nation's best interest.  Democrats stand ready to address the challenges before us if we are properly included in the process.  With a bipartisan spirit and a willingness to work hard, we can improve the State of the Union for Americans of all points of view."

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