The Under The Sea Governor's Inaugural Wrap-Up

First off, The Dress. You know, it's not as bad as it sounded - if I were to see it on Penelope Cruz or Cameron Diaz. I still say it's not the most flattering dress for a woman in her mid-50's and the picture shows why. At least, if you are a woman of a certain age, the couple of problems this dress is causing Anita Perry jump right out at you. The color, I actually like. If you are going to do pink, do this pink and not Shelley pink. But, it was the Perry's night, what with winning with 39% of the vote and all, so yay! I hope she had fun in that dress I wouldn't be caught dead in.

Now, consider the matter of Perry's inaugural address. Where to start. Let me just dive right in. Excerpts with commentary:

As we gather today, there is great reason for optimism in Texas. We have a record budget surplus, jobs are at an all-time high, children’s test scores are improving, home and medical insurance costs are decreasing, school finance is out of the courts and school property tax rates are on the way down. (He obviously needs medical help. He thinks he is being sworn in as the governor of some other state. Maybe a New England state.)

Here's the "I may be asked to be VP, so I gotta cover global issues" part of the speech:

We are now in an era of great global anxiety. Two conflicts on Israel’s border, and one in Iraq, threaten the stability of the entire Middle East, as well as the safety of America’s bravest men and women. Our greatest threat is no longer a Cold War enemy that advances a Godless ideology, but fanatics that kill the innocent and themselves in the name of a Higher Power. Rogue states and terror cells have made nuclear proliferation a greater threat, and leaders in Europe and Latin America have risen to power and popularity based on anti-American appeals.

We face not only a war on terror, but a war on drugs that brings violence to our border and carnage to millions of American families. (WAR! He'll be the War VP.)

Leaving war behind, let's move on to diseases, of which there are no shortages (unlike money for Texas state parks):

The 21st Century has begun with no shortage of human suffering. New treatments for the American victims of AIDS have seemingly insulated us from rampant suffering on two continents: Asia and Africa.

And an even more insidious disease, human hatred, has claimed many more lives, infecting tribes, ethnic groups and nations that commit genocide in places like the Sudan while much of the world stands idly by.

Here's where he rejects the TX GOP official stand on immigration. Perry will be the Immigration VP. Read this and ask yourself, is he trying to get on the Democratic ticket as VP? Maybe with Hillary? I mean, really:

We are both a nation of laws and immigrants; the former protect us, the latter enrich us.
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I believe we can secure the border without compromising our economy, and we can implement a guest worker program without compromising our security.

Illegal immigration drains the resources of our schools, our hospitals and our law enforcement agencies. But I do not believe it is realistic to deport 12 million people already here illegally. We have to understand why millions of people come here, and why many more have died trying, it is for something as basic as the freedom to find a job and feed their families.

I know illegal immigration and border security are polarizing issues. To those on both sides of the issue, I simply make one request based on the words of the prophet Isaiah: “come now, and let us reason together.” Let us choose to sit down together and be a part of the solution rather than a source of division.

I start from this premise: we must secure the border with manpower, not unmanned walls. We must have a guest-worker program that recognizes the economic contributions of foreign workers and the desperate conditions that bring them here. And we must oppose amnesty because those who come here illegally should not be able to receive citizenship ahead of those who migrate here legally.

Continuing on, channeling LBJ, RFK and MLK, Jr.:

There are no black, white, Asian or Hispanic dreams. Take away what’s on the outside, and you see a common thread on the inside, the human desire to live a life of meaning, purpose and fulfillment.
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I believe hatreds that are centuries old can be extinguished by one courageous generation. If hatred is something that can be taught, then so can the greatest attributes of any society: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” As the Apostle Paul wrote, “against such there is no law.”
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The "I just visited the LBJ Library here in Austin for the first time" part of the speech:

And I also believe no great society can be built, or maintained, if we cultivate in our children the vanity of self rather than the virtue of selflessness.
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As a society, we have a responsibility to those who languish in poverty, to empower them with the tools needed to live a life of self-sufficiency. We have a responsibility to the most vulnerable among us, the young and the aged, those who are sick and those who live with disabilities, and that is to protect them, nurture them and empower them to overcome all obstacles. And we have a responsibility to future generations, to leave them a world that is safe, an environment that is healthy, an economy that is strong and a government that is honest (Ethics Reform! Oh, goody! I wanna see results.)
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Purpose Driven Life part of speech:

Over the last 30 years, because of the grace of God, I have learned my purpose. It is not to build a majority political party, nor to hold power for the sake of holding power, it is to build a Texas of limitless possibility. And it starts with our children.

Channeling John Lenin part of speech:

Imagine the possibilities in a Texas where every child is educated, every graduate has access to a good job, every life deemed precious.

Imagine the possibilities in a Texas blind to color, class and ethnicity, where no one is invalidated because of their heritage, but valued because of their humanity.

Imagine the possibilities in a Texas where every man, woman and child is able to put behind the past, to grab hold of their promise, to press on to be who they were created to be.

Bridge to nowhere part of speech because this ain't happening:

We have our differences. But, we cannot bridge those differences as long as we live in the past. Reconciliation requires forgiveness and a forward-looking spirit.

"I live in a Texas where Craddick is not Speaker of the House" part of speech:

Texas is better off when Republicans and Democrats work together. Our potential is too vast to be spoiled by a politics leavened with partisanship. There is so much we must do together.

Together, we must work to make our border more secure and our neighborhoods safer.

Together, we must find solutions to the high rate of the uninsured and to the high cost of health insurance.

Together, we must commit to excellence in higher education as it prepares the workforce of the future.

Together, we must ensure that property tax relief is not only substantial, but long-lasting.

Together, we must pass budget reforms that protect the taxpayers.

And together, we must engage in a debate and a dialogue characterized by civility and consensus.
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The world is watching. Once again, let’s show them what it means to live with one another, to love one another and to be Texans.

There you have it. Let's hold hands, sing Kum Bah Yah, and divert our eyes from what is not getting done in the Texas Legislature this session.