Platitudes, empty promises, unrealistic goals, vague threats and folksy, down-home pleas for hope in the face of mounting hopelessness — ah, yes — another year, another State of the Union address.

While President Bush, who delivered Tuesday's address, was more reserved and even-keeled than the aggressive, blustery incarnation from past years, the improvement is far from remarkable.

On some domestic issues, he made efforts to meet the Democrats halfway. His vow to "fix" Medicare and Medicaid and to "save" Social Security, for instance, were small causes for celebration. While he was vague as to how, precisely, he would remedy the situation, his declaration to "save" Social Security sounds like he has taken steps away from his previous plans to privatize (read: utterly destroy) it.

Also, his call to Congress to step up and curb the practice of earmarks — attaching special interest items and financial concessions to bills, or grafting them onto bills through committee reports — is definitely a step in the right direction. For too long, this corrupt practice has been occurring in Congress. Considering the practice went relatively unchecked in the previous, Republican-controlled Congress, the timing of his stand against the practice seems to be aimed right at Democrats.

On other domestic matters, however, he remains woefully resolute.

Take, for instance, his insistence on supporting No Child Left Behind, the underdeveloped and detrimental program designed to turn out high math, science and reading scores. While test scores in these areas may very well have gone up, schools now find themselves under increasing pressure to top their previous scores, lest they lose funding. When schools stop teaching a well-rounded curriculum, and instead focus most of their attention on standardized test preparation, something is very wrong with the educational system.

It was matters of foreign policy, however, that suffered most from Bush's refusal to budge. His stubborn refusal to admit Iraq has been an unmitigated failure from the start and to begin to withdraw our troops is appalling.

"Give it a chance" was his cry for our foreign policy. It makes one wonder precisely how many chances the public needs to give the war in Iraq. Over the course of four years, the American people have already given it too many chances.

It needs to end. Now.

Bush remains inflexible on the issues that matter most, especially Iraq. He plans to divert vital money to issues that matter least, such as doubling the size of the Border Patrol.

Some of his goals, such as reducing gasoline usage by 20 percent in 10 years (albeit only a small step) and eliminating the federal deficit in five years without raising taxes, sound good on paper, but it is doubtful Bush will achieve these goals in two years.

All Bush proved with his State of the Union address is that the union hasn't improved since 2003.

We are still a nation in peril, and in the waning years of his administration, Bush will do nothing to move America out of harm's way.

The state of the union is strong?

Not until 2009.