Quiet please

What's the deal with the Congress repeatedly interrupting President Bush's State of the Union speech last night with wild applause? They always do that -- no matter how inappropriate, no matter the president. But why? This guy is probably the worst president ever -- his popularity is in the toilet, the country has lost a lot of credibility, the executive branch is undermining the Bill of Rights, the economy is falling apart -- so what's the thing? And the speech? Things are great in Iraq, the economy is strong, the country needs more tax cuts. What, exactly, is the disconnect here? The Congress interrupted Bush's speech 70 times with applause. Perhaps the assembled lawmakers were not applauding the speech at all, but were clapping because they appreciate the fancy joint chamber, the fancy furniture, the government-paid cars, the $5,000 suits they get to wear. Fine tailors all around. Do you think they're getting paid too much? This is the guy who devoted the 2003 State of the Union speech to Saddam Hussein and Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and took the country to war on false pretenses. Applause? Maybe they're happy, ecstatic even -- like most of the country -- that it's almost over.