Bush Starts Final Two Years In Office
By CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller.
Check the calendar.
Two years from today a new President is inaugurated.
It means that today marks the start of the final two years of the Bush presidency. And the prospects are decidedly not what he hoped they would be.
It would come as no surprise if it sapped the enthusiasm out of President Bush. But one of his top aides says that's not the case.
"It may sound counter-intuitive, but the President enters the Oval Office every morning with optimism, with a sense of duty and really motivated to do what he thinks is right for the country," says Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett.
But in a CBS News interview yesterday in his West Wing office, Bartlett concedes the political climate does not serve Mr. Bush's interests.
"Does he wish there was more support for his policies right now? Of course," Bartlett said. "But he's also learned an important lesson as President, and that is if you spend most of your time every day either second-guessing decisions you've already made, you only hinder yourself from making the decisions that lie before you."
Much of the political spotlight over the next two years will be on the race to become the next President. I asked Bartlett what role Mr. Bush intends to play in that.
"Very little, if any," he said. "That is a process in which he will not partake. I think most Americans would expect him to be focusing on the serious issues and challenges our country faces."
Could this be? President Bush intends to sit out the campaign?
"It'll be fun for the President to watch, but don't expect him to engage," said Bartlett.
At least not until the republicans choose a nominee. Since the field is wide open, and his Vice President is not seeking to move up, Bartlett says he "would not expect" Mr. Bush to declare himself for anyone until the Republican National Convention chooses its nominee in September of '08.
"I don't think most Americans want to focus on the next presidential election," Bartlett said. "They want to focus on the issues we're facing today."
So Pres. Bush intends to focus on his agenda, which he presents to Congress and the American people on Tuesday evening in his State of the Union address.
Bartlett says Mr. Bush will ask Congress to "set aside our partisan differences, focus on the big issues of the day ... and to try and unite behind some common goals."
Bartlett cites these top agenda items:
"There are some concrete objectives that we can reach common ground on and Pres. Bush will have an optimistic message to members of Congress," Bartlett said.
It goes without saying that his determination to win in Iraq remains the President's number one priority, and he will again make that case in his Tuesday speech. But Iraq won't dominate the address to the exclusion of other issues.
The top democrats in the House and Senate have already given "pre-buttal" speeches making clear their opposition to the Bush strategy to send more U.S. troops to Iraq.
"Well, it's a recent phenomenon in Washington where you don't even wait for somebody to speak before you start opposing what they're going to say," Bartlett said.
He also said the President will stick to the high road.
"President Bush will not be taking his spot on that rostrum on Tuesday night to point fingers or to lay blame," says Bartlett. "Again, I think as you peel back the rhetoric, you can actually find places where Republicans and Democrats can come together."
Bartlett says the American people expect it.
"They don't necessarily care which side of the aisle you sit on. What they do care about is that you're willing to step over that aisle and work with their colleagues to get something done on behalf of the American people."