8:09pm: Texan Dan Bartlett, who recently stepped down from his job as adviser to the president, is joining ABC as a commentator tonight.

"I think you're looking at a president who's going to enjoy every moment," said Bartlett.

FUN FACT: ABC is reporting this is the first time Bush has had both his twin daughters in attendance for the State of the Union.

8:12pm: Let's start the clock to see how long this S of the U goes. It's estimated to be 45 minutes long.

8:13pm: Oooh, President Bush drops the line "a charge to keep". Isn't that the title of his book?

8:14pm: I wonder if Bush and Cheney planned to coordinate their ties. (Cheney in a magenta looking color, Bush in a bright azul.)

8:15pm: Bush is acknowledging problems with our economy in the short run, "We can all see that growth is slowing," he says.

8:16pm: House Minority Leader John Boehner looks more orange than ever before. This shade of skin comes to mind.

8:17pm: Okay, here's the first "divided room" shot. The president calls for making his tax cuts permanent, only half the room stands up.

8:19pm: Now Bush is targeting earmarks, announcing he's issuing an executive order for federal agencies not to fund any earmarks that aren't voted on by congress. Here we have the full room standing, including a quick shot of Obama applauding.

8:22pm: Obama is shown just sitting there when Bush proposes expanding private healthcare coverage instead of more "government control".

8:23pm: Todd Gillman at the DMN figured out who the designated survivor is tonight. It's Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. Former governor of Idaho.

8:24pm: A nice shot of Obama and Kennedy sitting next to each other not clapping when Bush says we need to expand the No Child Left Behind Act, which Kennedy helped push through.

8:25pm: It's always interesting to see how the Democrats follow Speaker Pelosi's lead when it comes to applause. It's like an adult version of "Simon Says".

8:27pm: "Embolden the purveyors of false populism in our hemisphere". Say that six times fast.

8:28pm: Bush seems to be striking a more moderate tone with these proposals right now, about reducing our dependence on oil, using innovation to develop clean technology, coming out in favor of carbon capture, and employment assistance for people who lose their jobs to global trade... i.e. the millworkers out there.

8:30pm: I was trying to keep up an applause count but it's basically gotten off track because I'm trying to do about four things at once. We'll have to use the AP or someone else's applause count tonight.

Clinton's sitting next to Joe Biden. Is he gonna endorse her soon?

FUN FACT: So far 17 sitting US senators have endorsed a candidate for president, ten of them for Clinton, seven of them for Obama.

8:32pm: Bush makes reference to the groundbreaking news that scientists found a way to make adult skin cells work like embryonic stem cells. Harvard researchers made this discovery the same day as Japanese researchers, I believe. Or at least it was announced the same day.

8:34pm: Ah, Senator Mary Landrieu, D-Louisiana, also chooses a bright red power suit.

8:36pm: Man, this speech has gone on thirty minutes and I've only now received my first "LIE DETECTOR TEXT MESSAGE" from the DNC. Here's the message:
Bush: We share a common goal - making health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans.
Reality: He vetoed healthcare for 10 million kids, twice.

8:38pm: Bush quickly talks about two of his proposals which were rejected by Congress -- reforming social security and comprehensive immigration reform.

8:40pm: "We will deliver justice to our enemies". Pelosi looks up from her program quickly to stand up and applause for that line.

8:43pm: Pelosi's stillg staring down into her lap, I'm guessing that's where she has secretly snuck a copy of the latest Us Weekly magazine into her program thing.

8:45pm: Oh lookie it's US Rep Michael McCaul, R-TX 10, whose district includes parts of Austin.

8:46pm: The focus is now on Iraq and how the surge is working. "There is no doubt. Al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq and this enemy will be defeated." Lots of cheers from the crowd, the Dems all join the Republicans in standing, but they sit down much faster.

8:50pm: Nothing new here, Bush implores Congress not to draw down troops in Iraq too quickly or else the violence will get worse and the progress will get erased. "It is in our vital interest that we succeed," said Bush. "A free Iraq will be a friend to America and a source of stability in a dangerous part of the world."
Pelosi can't be bothered to look up, she's just reading her little book thing now.

8:55pm: Memories of the 2003 State of the Union. Back then, it was Iraq getting "significant quantities of uranium" from Niger that could build nuclear bombs. Now he says Iran is "seeking uranium".

8:57pm: Oh, here we go, the President pushes for an expansion of FISA, which is supposed to expire on February 1st. Congressional Democrats and moderate Republicans have been delaying passage of an extension because they want more time to consider amendments that they say would better protect Americans' privacy.

FUN FACT: You know FISA because of the controversy of the administration's okay of domestic wiretapping under FISA.

9:02pm: I think Senator John Kerry is sitting next to Senator Barbara Mikulski. When they both stand up, Kerry towers over her so much that I think he looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger to her Danny DeVito from the movie Twins.

9:05pm: Another "truth" text message: "Bush on Iraq -- The truth is Bush's endless war in Iraq is not only costing American lives, but also $11 billion a month.

Instead of a "State of the Union is..." line, Bush says "The State of the Union will remain strong".

WHOA, the speech ends right there. That's a total of 53 minutes.