My must read of the day is "The political exhibitionism of the State of the Union," by George Will in the Washington Post:
The Constitution’s mild requirement has become a tiresome exercise in political exhibitionism, the most execrable ceremony in the nation’s civic liturgy, regardless of which party’s president is abusing it. You worship bipartisanship? There is not a dime’s worth of difference between the ways the parties try to milk partisan advantage from this made-for-television political pep rally. […]
Justice Antonin Scalia no longer attends what he calls "cheerleading sessions." Justice Clarence Thomas, who says "there’s a lot that you don’t hear on TV — the catcalls, the whooping and hollering and under-the-breath comments," will not be there Tuesday night. Will Roberts attend? No justices or senior military officers should stoop to being props at these puerile spectacles.
In 2009, President Barack Obama appeared before a Joint Session of Congress and pledged that he would focus his attention on jobs and the economy. It was widely touted as a "pivot" to the economy. The same rhetoric came during his 2010 State of the Union.
The pivot never actually happened; instead it has become a promise made at least nineteen times over the course of his presidency. It was made five times just last year.
Each of President Obama’s addresses has been void of substance and made the same tired promises.
I still think it’s worth watching, but the State of the Union is a show for every president. It’s a partisan wish list, and even the simplest declarations made by the president rarely seem to happen.
I’m glad Scalia won’t be attending. The entire court should refuse to attend, because their presence serves no other purpose than "being props," as Will put it.