We’ll have reaction and statements from 2008 candidates following the president’s address.

You can watch it live online from C-SPAN around 9.

Update: Hot Air has some terrific commentary and reaction to the speech.

Now for a little 2008 candidate reaction from the Mercury News:

Still, his campaign staff said the president’s speech allowed Vilsack to draw a sharp contrast with Bush on health care. Iowa is one of only two states in the country to reduce the number of people without health insurance, his aides said.

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on the other hand, gave his views after the speech on ABC, CNN and MSNBC. He is expected to make the rounds of the morning talk shows Wednesday morning, aides said.

His message was straightforward: Watch what Bush does, not just what he says.

“The American people have been waiting for leadership commensurate to the challenges we face, and they’ll be watching to see if bold rhetoric is followed by bold action in the months to come,” Obama said in a statement released after the speech.

Former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., spent two hours after Bush’s speech talking to Chris Matthews, Anderson Cooper, Hannity and Colmes, Larry King, and Joe Scarborough, on various cable networks.

On Wednesday, he planned to run an advertisement in Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, asking members of Congress to stop Bush from stepping up the war in Iraq. The ad includes the names of some of the 80,000 people who have signed an Edwards’ petition against the war.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., similarly put his emphasis on the Iraq war, and his legislation to cap troop levels there.

“I remain steadfastly opposed to the president’s plan for Iraq, sending thousands more of our nation’s men and women into harm’s way in a country in the midst of a civil war,” he said.

Statement from John Edwards:

President Bush’s address tonight was heavy on rhetoric, but light on everything else. The American people said they wanted change and what they got was more of the same — small ideas that won’t make a difference in the lives of working Americans.

They said they wanted straight talk and a vision for the future, what they got was a rationalization for the failed policies of the past.

The next President will have to do more than just undo this President’s mistakes — the next President must offer a vision for fundamental change that will transform America and ensure our greatness in the 21st century.

There’s more fluff on his site if you wish to check it out here.

More reaction as it comes in tomorrow.

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