I’m with Ramesh as I have long disliked the spectacle of the State of the Union address (as have quite a few NR folks) and would be glad to see it go, or at least diminished. But I think that Nancy Pelosi’s stated reasons — “security concerns” due to the strain on resources because of the shut down — are kind of lame. Politically — and philosophically — it would have been better if she gave no excuse or explanation at all, beyond perhaps saying it would be inappropriate during a shutdown.
Indeed, from my vantage point it’s counter-productive because she’s conceding that the SOTU is some grand spectacle requiring massive federal security arrangements and coordination. Congress is the supreme branch of government. The State of the Union is a progress report to the bosses. Let the bosses act that way.