[6:13pm] Here is a list of guests for this evening.

[8:47pm] Drudge has the full text of the speech.

[8:53pm] Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called the Joint Session of Congress to order and assembling the Escort Committee.

[8:58pm] The members of the SCOTUS are making their way down the aisle. I only see about five of them.

[9:59pm] Here come the members of the Cabinet, lead by Condi Rice. Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne is the member of the Cabinet who is ceremoniously not attending.

[9:05pm] George W. Bush has been introduced...."Madam Speaker, the President of the United States."

[9:08pm] Barack Obama and Ted Kennedy are seated together. Kennedy endorsed Obama for President today.

[9:10pm] Bush: "[T]ogether, we showed the world the power and resilience of American self-government."

[9:12pm] Bush hits on the economy saying, "As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty." He recognized the concern on the "economic future" of the nation.

[9:13pm] Bush says that loading up the stimulus package is "unacceptable" and that Congress must pass it as soon as possible.

[9:14pm] Bush: "We have other work to do on taxes. Unless the Congress acts, most of the tax relief we have delivered over the past 7 years will be taken away. Some in Washington argue that letting tax relief expire is not a tax increase. Try explaining that to 116 million American taxpayers who would see their taxes rise by an average of $1,800."

[9:14pm] Bus says, "Make the tax relief permanent." That was met with applause from the Republican side of the aisle, but Democrat remained seated.

[9:16pm] Bush is hitting on wasteful spending, "American families have to balance their budgets, so should their government."

[9:17pm] When Bush starts on earmarks, CNN shows Congressman Jeff Flake with a grin on his face.

[9:17pm] Bush on earmarks: "[I]f you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, I will send it back to you with my veto. And tomorrow, I will issue an Executive Order that directs Federal agencies to ignore any future earmark that is not voted on by the Congress. If these items are truly worth funding, the Congress should debate them in the open and hold a public vote."

[9:19pm] Bush calls on Congress to make healthcare more accessible and more affordable and calls on Congress to expand consumer choice.

[9:20pm] Bush: "I have proposed ending the bias in the tax code against those who do not get their health insurance through their employer. This one reform would put private coverage within reach for millions, and I call on the Congress to pass it this year." Bush also called for Congress to expand HSA's.

[9:22pm] He asks Congress to renew NCLB to applause. The camera showed Ted Kennedy, a co-author of the bill, who looked very disinterested.

[9:24pm] Bush calls on Congress to pass trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea: "These agreements also promote America's strategic interests. The first agreement that will come before you is with Colombia, a friend of America that is confronting violence and terror and fighting drug traffickers. If we fail to pass this agreement, we will embolden the purveyors of false populism in our hemisphere. So we must come together, pass this agreement, and show our neighbors in the region that democracy leads to a better life."

[9:24pm] Bush said, and I could not agree more, "Trade brings better jobs, better choices, and better prices."

[9:26pm] The part of the speech on trade is how our foreign policy should have worked. It sounds so much better than threatening countries that pose to real threat to us.

[9:29pm] Bush calls on Congress to ban "cloning of human life."

[9:30pm] Bush calls on the Senate to give an up or down vote on judicial nominees.

[9:33pm] On entitlements: "Every Member in this chamber knows that spending on entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid is growing faster than we can afford. And we all know the painful choices ahead if America stays on this path: massive tax increases, sudden and drastic cuts in benefits, or crippling deficits. I have laid out proposals to reform these programs. Now I ask Members of Congress to offer your proposals and come up with a bipartisan solution to save these vital programs for our children and grandchildren. "

[9:35pm] Bush, speaking very firmly and passionately, said on immigration: "[W]e also need to acknowledge that we will never fully secure our border until we create a lawful way for foreign workers to come here and support our economy. This will take pressure off the border and allow law enforcement to concentrate on those who mean us harm. We must also find a sensible and humane way to deal with people here illegally. Illegal immigration is complicated, but it can be resolved."

[9:37pm] Bush invokes 9/11 and continues to push his doctrine, as well as the myth that "they" hate us for our freedoms.

[9:39pm] Bush on Afghanistan: "[W]e are adding 3,200 Marines to our forces in Afghanistan, where they will fight the terrorists and train the Afghan Army and police. Defeating the Taliban and al Qaida is critical to our security..."

[9:41pm] Bush: "Our military and civilians in Iraq are performing with courage and distinction, and they have the gratitude of our whole nation."

[9:43pm] Bush: "Ladies and gentlemen, some may deny the surge is working, but among the terrorists there is no doubt. Al Qaida is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated."

[9:45pm] Bush to soldiers: "In the fight ahead, you will have all you need to protect our nation."

[9:46pm] Bush calls on Congress to fully fund the troops currently deployed.

[9:47pm] He is urging Congress to withstand a timetable or "drawdown" of troops. Nancy Pelosi sat with her arms folded in her chair.

[9:49pm] Where is Cindy Sheehan?

[9:52pm] This is incredibly ambitious and likely unachievable: "America will do, and I will do, everything we can to help them achieve a peace agreement that defines a Palestinian state by the end of this year."

[9:53pm] Bush warns Iran: "[W]e will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf"

[9:55pm] Bush highlights some of the terror plots that have been thwarted, such as a plans to fly a plan into a building in LA and a plot to blow up plans over the ocean.

[9:56pm] He calls on Congress to renew surveillance measure to monitor "terrorist communications" and to pass "liability protection" for companies that have cooperated with the government who have "assisted in the efforts to defend" the country.

[9:58pm] Bush outlines his request for his compassionate conservative agenda.

[9:59pm] Bush: "Over the past 7 years, we have increased funding for veterans by more than 95 percent." I saw John Kerry give a standing applause for that line.

[10:00pm] I liked this line: " The secret of our strength, the miracle of America, is that our greatness lies not in our Government, but in the spirit and determination of our people."

[10:02pm] We are a Republic, Mr. Bush. Not a democracy.

[10:03pm] The final line from Bush: "So tonight, with confidence in freedom's power, and trust in the people, let us set forth to do their business. "

[10:11pm] Many thanks to Instapundit for the link.

[10:16pm] Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is giving the Democrats response.

[10:26pm] I just got off the phone with Congressman Phil Gingrey. He had a lot to say about Bush's address to the nation. Congressman Gingery said that he thought the speech was "very good. Very powerful" and that "each year [Bush] has gotten better." Gingery thought the warning to Iran was strong. He also said, "discussion of the economy was very important" and he stressed the need to make Bush's tax cuts permanent or the average American would face a tax increase of $1,800.

On some of the domestic policy initiatives, Gingrey said, "I like what he said on No Child Left Behind. We need to improve upon it, but is a good concept." Gingrey stated his support for market based healthcare by saying "the market can work." He also stated concern about a future President imposing government run healthcare, "I would be very fearful of a new president trying to enact something like that has been done in the UK."

I asked Gingery about earmarks and the President's remarks about the need to reform the process and to cut earmarks in half. Gingrey replied, "The earmark discussion was fantastic." He mentioned his legislation that would take the President's request a step further.

Many thanks to the Congressman and his staff.

[10:38pm] Congressman Hank Johnson shares his reaction over at The Hill.

[10:42pm] There is a lot of talk about the President's executive order on earmarks on Fox News. Jim Angle just asked House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) about it. He pointed out that Bush has overseen the largest increase of earmarks of any President.

[10:48pm] On Fox News just now, John McCain called earmarks an "outrageous practice" and that he fully supports the President's actions to curtail the practice.

[10:55pm] Mort Kondracke just said something that probably stings to most limited government conservatives. He said that the earmark process is more transparent under Democrats and that the number of earmarks has been cut by 25% according to Citizens Against Government Waste.

[10:59pm] Alright. I've got to go to work in the morning. Good night.