Like An Old Dutch Uncle

Another cause of hopelessness is addiction to drugs. Addiction crowds out friendship, ambition, moral conviction, and reduces all the richness of life to a single destructive desire.

As a government, we are fighting illegal drugs by cutting off supplies, and reducing demand through anti-drug education programs. Yet for those already addicted, the fight against drugs is a fight for their own lives.

Too many Americans in search of treatment cannot get it. So tonight I propose a new 600 million dollar program to help an additional 300,000 Americans receive treatment over the next three years.

I expect at least $100 million of that will get used up by Noelle Bush alone, but I'm happy to see the President keeping it all in the family. And more heartened that the speech contained no new proposals for drug interdiction, prosecution or other escalation. Go, George, Go!

Full transcript of the SOTU here.

Full transcript of Governor Locke's rebuttal here.