State of the Union '06 - On Corruption & Ethics ...

Clearly, we would have liked to have heard more on the issue of ethics and accountability in government. This didn't happen. And we wonder if this is due to this President's famous habit of removing himself from reality or if he has been advised that its best to ignore this issue and place it so far at the bottom of this speech that it becomes a footnote. The problem here is that the State of the Union in 2006 is centered around the state of ethical standards in government.

A hopeful society expects elected officials to uphold the public trust. Honorable people in both parties are working on reforms to strengthen the ethical standards of Washington - and I support your efforts. Each of us has made a pledge to be worthy of public responsibility - and that is a pledge we must never forget, never dismiss, and never betray.

A preachy and scripted paragraph on corruption inside the Beltway is as good as it will get. And since the President gives Congress a slap on the wrist for heinous unethical conduct (that, we assure, goes much deeper than just Abramoff), expect obligatory window dressing that does little in the way of serious reform.