The honor of uttering the historic words "Madam Speaker" before President Bush's entry into the House chamber fell to South Boston native Barry K. Sullivan , a longtime employee in the House Democratic cloakroom. Sullivan came to the House in 1980, appointed by then-House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr. of Cambridge, and has been the Democratic cloakroom manager since 1987. Though the announcements usually fall to the sergeant-at-arms, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- the first woman to hold the top office -- split the honor between Sullivan, who said "Madam Speaker," and Sergeant-at-Arms Wilson Livingood , who announced "the president of the United States."

President Bush went out of his way to recognize the unprecedented nature of a female speaker, and Pelosi was no less cognizant of her turn in the spotlight. Seated behind Bush's left shoulder -- and directly in the television camera shots -- Pelosi kept her lips pursed and seemed to set the tone for her Democratic colleagues throughout the speech. She led Democratic applause when Bush called for bipartisanship in solving problems, and leaped to her feet at his call for a balanced budget and expanded health coverage. But she stared out over silent Democrats when the president talked about medical-malpractice reform and his push to send more troops to Iraq.

Fox's appearance sends message

Michael J. Fox marked something of a return to politics last night by appearing in the House chamber for the president's speech. Fox did no interviews or other public events, but the "Family Ties" actor's message was clear in part because of who invited him: Representative James R. Langevin , a Rhode Island Democrat who is the only paraplegic in Congress and is a passionate advocate for stem cell research. Fox, who has Parkinson's disease, appeared in a series of campaign advertisements last fall on behalf of Democratic candidates who support expanding stem cell research.

'08 hopefuls wait; Kerry wasn't buying

Also on hand was an unusually large number of legislators -- nearly a dozen -- who hope to deliver the State of the Union themselves in a few years. Among those in attendance who are eyeing Bush's job in 2008, or considering a White House run, were Republican Senators John McCain of Arizona , Sam Brownback of Kansas , and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska . Other presidential hopefuls were Democratic Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York , Barack Obama of Illinois , Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut , Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware , and the 2004 nominee, John F. Kerry of Massachusetts . Other lawmakers who have announced or are expected to soon: Republican Representative Duncan Hunter of California and Representative Dennis J. Kucinich, a 2004 Democratic candidate.

Kerry, sitting prominently in one of the first rows and in full view of Bush, his 2004 rival, appeared to have little patience for the president's rhetoric. On two occasions he made no effort to hide his disdain for Bush's policies. When the president hailed his administration's efforts to reduce US reliance on crude oil, Kerry, arms folded, shook his head. When Bush made a pitch for addressing global climate change -- an issue traditionally pushed by Democrats -- Kerry also wasn't buying. Just as the president finished, Kerry stood up and headed for the exit, dispensing with the traditional closing applause.