Lynn C. Woolsey: “last night this House was host to the President for his final State of the Union address. Like all past Presidential…”

“last night this House was host to the President for his final State of the Union address. Like all past Presidential speeches in this Chamber, it was historic. But this time it may have been historic because of what it did not achieve and what it left unfinished. Forget all of the unfulfilled commitments on education, health care, environmental conservation, employment, energy efficiency, worker protections and immigration. Let's just look at the record on foreign policy. The state of that union? Dismal. Upon taking office in 2001, this administration promised a new kind of international engagement, one based on partnerships and regional alliances. We didn't exactly get what we bargained for, unfortunately. And the recent administration tour through the Middle East just about summed it up. Remember those children's books, ``Where's Waldo?'' We had a case of ``Where's W?'' Let's start our tour in Israel and the Palestinian-controlled lands. After nearly two terms of ignoring the real crisis in the region, the administration tried to make a last-ditch effort at a peace agreement: first by hosting a summit, one that wasn't expected to achieve anything, and then by a visit to the region. No ideals were outlined, no real road map was sketched out. To be generous, it was a half-hearted effort. It greatly saddens me, Mr. Speaker, that such an important opportunity was squandered. The Israeli and Palestinian people deserve more.…”