They'll be watching Bush's speech tonight -- closely
6:36 PM Mon, Jan 28, 2008 | Permalink
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In his final State of the Union speech, President Bush tonight will ask Congress to swiftly pass $150 million in economic stimulus funds, urge no tax increases, talk about tougher borders and immigration, and stress that some level of troops should remain in Iraq, citing statistics of what he says is decreased violence there. The president will also pledge to veto any budget appropriations bill Congress sends him unless various congressional earmarks -- sometimes called "pork" -- are hacked in half. That goes for both number, and cost of, earmarks. It is one part of what the president's speech will say is the goal of balancing the budget by 2012 -- years after Bush has left office. Video: Projo.com will stream the State of the Union, scheduled to start at 9 p.m., and the Democratic response, live tonight, and offer a survey for your reaction. But don't wait for the speech and the talking heads: Read for yourself about what the president is expected to prioritize here. Many Rhode Islanders will watch the address on television. But at least four others will watch from the halls of Congress -- and not just the state's congressional delegation. -- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney Bank Rhode Island president and chief executive officer Merrill W. Sherman is Sen. Jack Reed's special guest tonight. She spearheaded the creation of the bank in 1996, has been head of two other New England banks, and, before that, practiced law with a major Providence firm. Mike Tracy, a cancer survivor from East Providence's Riverside section, is slated to be a guest of U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island. According to Whitehouse's office, Tracy suffered from a misdiagnosed case of squamous cell carcinoma on his foot, and his cancer therefore went untreated for years. He was told his leg would have to be amputated to prevent the cancer's spreading. After he got a second opinion at a Boston hospital, his final diagnosis had to be delayed several weeks so his complete records could be moved from Providence, the release said. “A mistaken diagnosis changed my life forever. Paper medical records meant I had to wait in limbo -- knowing my life was in danger -- while my chart was transferred from one hospital to another. Nobody should have to go through an experience like this,” Tracy said in the statement released last week. “We need to fix the health care system.” Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee, a Democrat, will be a guest of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, watching the speech from the House Gallery. “Mayor McKee epitomizes the plight of mayors across the country facing diminishing resources from the state and federal governments, as well as the challenges innate in running a municipality,” Kennedy said in a statement last week. “He is quickly becoming known in national circles as an innovator and strategic thinker, particularly in the area of education.” McKee stated he looks forward to the trip “and the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues that are having an impact on the state of Rhode Island." U.S. Rep. James Langevin's guest at the State of the Union will be Anne Nolan, president of Crossroads Rhode Island. Nolan joined Crossroads in 2000. Formerly Travelers Aid, Crossroads, under Nolan’s leadership, has opened a headquarters on Broad Street overlooking Route 95, including a state-of-the-art medical clinic, and launched Operation First Step, an emergency assessment shelter to the newly homeless. 
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