His theme: "A Hopeful Society." [Hey it's better than a chocolate society or a fearful society.]
Overall it was a pretty vanilla speech for a President with a 42% approval rating. He defended his policies and performance. He continued to promote agressive, forceful democracy building as foreign policy. He defended domestic surveillance methods as necessary. He named terrorism, Iran and Hamas as the enemy. He remained optimistic about the economy and named China and India as competitors. He promoted energy alternatives to oil including nuclear. He promoted the same old programs he has put in place over the past few years: research, tax breaks, Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind and mentioned Social Security reform.

Near his conclusion he made a few comments about Katrina and rebuilding New Orleans:

"A hopeful society comes to the aid of fellow citizens in times of suffering and emergency -- and stays at it until they're back on their feet.  So far the federal government has committed $85 billion to the people of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans.  We're removing debris and repairing highways and rebuilding stronger levees.  We're providing business loans and housing assistance.  Yet as we meet these immediate needs, we must also address deeper challenges that existed before the storm arrived.

In New Orleans and in other places, many of our fellow citizens have felt excluded from the promise of our country.  The answer is not only temporary relief, but schools that teach every child, and job skills that bring upward mobility, and more opportunities to own a home and start a business.  As we recover from a disaster, let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity. "

The Democratic rebuttal was delivered in English by Tim Kaine, the new Governor of Virginia. Once you could get past his eybrows it was pretty interesting stuff:
His message was that the goals outlined by the administration are worthy its just the performance that is lacking. He mentioned budgets, education, health care, the war on terror, and energy. He described the administration's failings and the democratic alternative. Interesting reading. (Was the same message delivered in the Hispanic version?)