WSJ's Henninger: "[U]ngracious" Democrats "sat on their hands" during State of the Union

Summary: Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor Daniel Henninger claimed that Democrats were "very ungracious" during President Bush's January 31 State of the Union address for "refusing to applaud anything this president said." In fact, the Democrats applauded more than a dozen times during Bush's speech.

During the February 4 broadcast of Fox News' The Journal Editorial Report, Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor Daniel Henninger claimed that Democrats were "very ungracious" during President Bush's January 31 State of the Union address for "refusing to applaud anything this president said," with the exception of one instance, adding that they "simply sat on their hands." In fact, the Democrats applauded more than a dozen times during the State of the Union address.

Henninger's claim echoed an assertion made by NBC's Katie Couric, who said that Democrats "really applauded" only when Bush mentioned his failed Social Security plan. But far from sitting "on their hands," the Democrats gave standing ovations when Bush began the address by eulogizing Coretta Scott King; when he recognized the family of Marine Staff Sgt. Dan Clay, who was killed in Iraq; when he called for bipartisan support for the "war on terror"; and when he asked Congress "to put aside partisan politics and work together" in resolving the financial challenges facing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. In total, Democrats applauded Bush at least 15 times during the approximately 50-minute-long address.

From the February 4 broadcast of Fox News' The Journal Editorial Report, with host and Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul A. Gigot:

HENNINGER: I thought the more telling thing, though, was the Republicans -- the Democrats refusing to applaud anything this president said, other than that [Bush's mention of his failed attempt at Social Security overhaul], in the State of the Union. I thought it was very ungracious.

GIGOT: You mean the Democrats?

HENNINGER: The Democrats, yeah.

GIGOT: Yeah.

HENNINGER: They simply sat on their hands, and people noticed that.

—J.M.