Bush Can't Change Topics
This analysis was written by CBSNews.com Senior Political Editor Vaughn Ververs
Despite the administration's emphasis on issues such as health care, energy policy, education and immigration, the war in Iraq continued to cast the biggest shadow over President Bush's sixth State of the Union address. In front of a Democratic Congress and a nation increasingly frustrated with his handling of the war, the president attempted to shift at least some attention toward a domestic agenda — and retain his relevancy for the final two years of his presidency.
In the days leading up to the speech, the White House sought to emphasize the new health care proposal it contained, a plan to reduce the nation's gasoline consumption and other areas related to hearth and home. In his speech, the president attempted to issue a call for bipartisanship on these issues, telling Congress, "our citizens don't much care which side of the aisle we sit on — as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done."
That's a popular theme in today's divided government, but one that's easier to talk about than to implement while the war continues to hang like a fog over everything else. Attempts at broadening the national conversation are unlikely to burn through the haze, leaving this president occupying a lonely place in today's political discussion.
The latest CBS News poll, released Monday, shows that the war is by far seen as the most important issue facing the country — and strong majorities are pessimistic about it. Just 29 percent of respondents support the president's plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq, while 50 percent support blocking funding for the surge. Add to that the 75 percent who say the war is going badly for the United States and the 62 percent who don't believe there will ever be peace in that country and it adds up to a pretty bleak outlook for the president.
Not surprisingly, the war was the dominant theme of the Democratic response, delivered by newly-elected Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia. A star of last year's midterm elections for the party, Webb stumped for office in a pair of his son's military combat boots and made them the image of his campaign. He delivered his party's response as his son, Jimmy, sat stationed in Iraq and left little doubt of where Democrats stand. "The President took us into this war recklessly," Webb said, adding, "we are now, as a nation, held hostage to the predictable — and predicted — disarray that has followed."
The sentiment of the response sends a clear message, but also highlights some of the pressures within the party about how far to go in opposing the war. Polls show most Americans, especially Democrats, favor some kind of withdrawal, but there isn't a clear consensus on how best to accomplish it — immediate withdrawal, a slower pullback or stopping funding altogether. The party's course of action may not be clear yet, but the Democrats' opposition to the war has solidified.
Sen. Hillary Clinton, who just announced the start of her presidential bid, best exemplifies the tensions which exist within her party. Criticized for being too supportive of the president's course in the past, Clinton has become increasingly critical of the war and more supportive of efforts to change the president's course. Still, her past support is something that will continue to be an issue in the campaign as candidates compete for the core party supporters who are its most staunch opponents.
While Iraq has roiled Democrats almost since it began in 2003, the stakes now are highest and divisions most sharp among Republicans. Opposition to Mr. Bush's approach is growing within the GOP caucus on the Hill. Sen. John Warner, one of the party's wise men on foreign policy and military affairs, has introduced a resolution opposing the president's troop increase — one of the clearest signals yet of the growing dissatisfaction within Mr. Bush's own political family.
The split already threatens to damage the party in future elections. At the presidential level, Sen. John McCain, once viewed as one of the strongest GOP hopefuls, has become vulnerable on the issue of Iraq. McCain has long favored sending more troops and has become the principle supporter of Bush's proposal. But McCain has been equally critical of the administration, telling a political Web site on Tuesday that the war had been "terribly mishandled."
Within the chamber sat 33 senators and an entire House of Representatives facing re-election in two years for whom last November's losses loom large. Republicans, still smarting from the loss of their majority, face difficult terrain as long as the war continues and unless the nation's support unexpectedly turns around. The president's continued push to send more troops to Iraq isn't likely to make it any easier for his party, and a renewed focus on domestic issues won't take the war off of the nation's mind. Even as President Bush's remaining time in office ticks away, it's clear that the war in Iraq will continue to impact our politics long after he's gone.