WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2008
Bush Speech To Offer Few New Ideas
Last State Of The Union Address Will Be Modest As President Bows To Shrinking Influence
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President Bush tells reporters that he and leaders of the Democratic-led Congress have agreed to work together on an economic stimulus package to boost the sagging U.S. economy, in the White House press briefing room, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008. (AP Photo /J. Scott Applewhite)
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Photos Presidency In Photos Images from President George W. Bush's many trips, functions and ceremonial events.
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Photo Essay Peace Seeker President Bush in Mideast trying to revive peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Mr. Bush's strategy reflects what he is up against: little time left in office, confrontational relations with a Democratic Congress and a diminishing role on the national stage.
White House aides say there is not much point in using Monday's speech to unveil grand ideas sure to go nowhere.
"It's just not realistic," acknowledged White House press secretary Dana Perino on Thursday.
The economy will be a dominant theme in the annual speech, offering Mr. Bush one more chance to reassure a jittery nation that better days are ahead. He will start off with domestic matters and then move into foreign policy in a speech to run about 45 minutes, roughly in keeping with the length of his past addresses.
Barring a last-second change, this State of the Union will be about unfinished business - meaning items that Mr. Bush considers both vital and doable. The White House promises at least some new items, but nothing enormous.
There's not much panache in rehash. But the White House line is that important ideas don't lose value just because they haven't been enacted.
Mr. Bush will ask Congress to make permanent the tax cuts that are set to expire in 2010. He will prod Congress to extend a law allowing surveillance on suspected terrorists, renew his education law and approve free-trade pacts with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
He is also likely to recycle ideas on alternative energy, affordable health care and housing reform.
Mr. Bush's inclination is to go for the kind of change that would last a generation or beyond, the equivalent of a home run. But not this time.
"There's a bunch of singles and doubles you can get done in the last year," said Grover Norquist, a conservative strategist with ties to the White House. "If you ask for more and you don't get it done, then you fail. So why not ask for things that are accomplishable? It's the last year, not the first year."
Just in time, House leaders and Mr. Bush have reached a deal to put money in people's pockets and pump up the economy. Mr. Bush could use his speech to nudge it along and hail a rare bipartisan partnership.
Shifting to foreign affairs, the president will promote the U.S.-backed Middle East peace effort and his administration's efforts to fight disease and hunger.
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On Iraq, Mr. Bush is expected to tout security improvements and restate that more U.S. troops will come home only as conditions merit. Given the military progress there and the Democrats' inability to force a change in strategy in 2007, he is in a different position this time around.After hearing the president's speech Monday night, Americans will be more convinced than ever that it's time for a change.
Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy"A year ago, he was in a very precarious situation when he announced the surge (of U.S. troops.) There were about 15 people in America who supported him," said Peter Wehner, a former Bush adviser who is a senior fellow at The Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington. "Now there's an overwhelming consensus that that's been successful. So he's got a story to tell there."
This speech, however, will not be a retrospective on the seven years of Mr. Bush's presidency. He is no fan of looking back.
His mission is to chart a course for what's left and remind people that, yes, he's still here and engaged. He was written off as a lame duck last year but then used his veto authority with great success, staying relevant and forcing changes in legislation.
Inside the White House, Mr. Bush's advisers know the obstacles.
The legislative calendar is considered even shorter this election year. And despite a sudden interest in cooperation on the economic boost, Mr. Bush and the Democratic Congress are at odds on most matters.
"I predict that after hearing the president's speech Monday night, Americans will be more convinced than ever that it's time for a change," said Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
Attention is fleeting. Within a matter of weeks, Republican Party voters will likely choose a new face for their party ahead of the November presidential election. Even those who pay modest attention to politics are interested in whom the next president will be. Mere hours after Mr. Bush's speech, the media focus will be on Tuesday's Florida primary.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bush remains down in the polls.
In an Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month, only 34 percent of those surveyed said they approve of the job he is doing. That's low for a president and about where Mr. Bush has been since fall 2006.
Yet the State of the Union always commands some public attention, maybe more so now because of the widespread economic concerns.
It is perhaps Mr. Bush's last good chance to frame the debate. In the East Wing of the White House, he is going through practice runs of his speech in the family theater.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 87 CommentsWhat is Bush playing a frickin'' baseball game? Sorry guys, the game''s been called on account of brain - as in lack of.
Posted by b-easy63 at 12:46 AM : Jan 26, 2008
And yet there are people out in America who are crowing about how great it is that the government is going to give them a rebate. They''re not giving us anything. It''s all going on the Taxpayer credit card and we''ll have to repay it, as you say, with interest. I''d rather if they were going to do this that they put into extended unemployment benefits so at least it''d be going to those who really need it. Besides when my check gets here I''m signing it over to the Democratic Party to help vote these lying neocons out of office.
Posted by homespunlady at 08:28 AM : Jan 26, 2008
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One only has to look above. The title of this thread says it all. Nothing further to add. His state of the union speech will amount to "Let them eat cake."
Regarding the stimulus, I don''t see the hurry. It''s January. The checks will be in the mail in May.
This administration isn''t eve CLOSE to being bright enough to think about anybody or anything but themselves.
It included a reference to an original article of the day that is well worth reading:
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,738193,00.html
Posted by SgtRDS at 03:50 PM : Jan 25, 2008
sort of like in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, where "Sparky" finds out Eddie can''t give Christmas to his kids. so the Griswolds offer to do it and in the middle of all that borrowing, Eddie tells "Sparky" to get something real nice for himself from Eddie and his wife. Real nice when people use OUR money to give us something we never asked for and make us pay it all back with interest and stupid azz people just accept it.
In the upcoming State of the Union, we will see the Axis of Morons: Bush-Rice-Cheney, putting on airs, but silently, groveling at the Senate to pass incentives and tax cuts.
If you vote for me, I will pass a Tax Cut. Do not think about your country. Come''on, muncho dinero $$$ into your pocket :-))
When the NeoConversatives were in full control of congress beside the white house, 2 questions:
1) Why didn''''t they lowered the taxes to zero, nada period?
2) Why, didn''''t they make the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 permanent?
Any brave soul out there with an answer?
What I love most about the NeoConservatives policies is that the rich gets richer, the poor gets poorer, meaning more poverty. The more poverty we have, the more nobody will listen to the NeoConservatives. In other countries, they call it ''''viva la revolution''''. All revolutions around the world have been because of increase poverty.
NeoConservatives are idiots because they shoot themselves between the eyes by not distributing wealth instead of concentrating it around a few (friends).
Posted by veteran71 at 03:51 PM : Jan 25, 2008
It does seem to be his Base Behavioural Level (I''m sure he heard the phrase the last time he was in the psychiatric hospital) when he can''t think of anything logical to say. Then he starts calling people "moonbats", which makes no sense as an insult because there is no such thing as a moonbat. I mean has anyone ever seen anything in nature resembling a moonbat? He might as well try to insult people by calling them a sundog or a dawncow or some other such hallucinationagentic creature. He''s having visions. A sure sign of mental illness if ever there. Oh and don''t get me started on his urine/bedwetting fetish!
The only idea the NeoConservatives have is ''''Tax Cuts''''. A very temptatious idea for us idiots.
Posted by lovegetpeace at 03:35 PM : Jan 25, 2008
I agree, on the surface running on tax cuts is very tempting indeed. However they never explain that by tax cuts they mean they''ll throw the poor and middle-class a small fish so they can say they cut taxes on everyone, while at the same time by comparison they hand out a gourmet meal to their rich friends and themselves. Besides it''s not like cutting taxes and running up a deficit means that they''ll have to pay any money back themselves, No, they put it all on The American Taxpayer Credit Card and we''re the ones who''ll get the bill while their money is sitting in off-shore accounts. Bush''s tax cuts were the second biggest scr*ewing the American people have ever gotten, second only to the rape of our treasury via his war for profit in the Middle-East.
The only idea the NeoConservatives have is ''Tax Cuts''. A very temptatious idea for us idiots.
I wonder why they did''t cut the taxes to zero period when they were in control of congress beside the white house not too long ago. I wonder why they did not make the Bush Tax Cuts of 2001 and 2004 permanent at least when they were in full control.
Our prospects for victory are more than favorable. It is in general a thankless task to play the prophet in such a critical time. However, the Republican leadership has never faced coming events with such sovereign calm as it does now.
What should I say at the end of this almost concluded stormy year to thank the whole nation for its devotion, hard work, loyalty and sacrifice, for its bravery, its contribution of wealth and blood?
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See all 87 Comments