| January 29, 2008 |
| The Buffalo News |
By Jerry Zremski
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- President Bush, delivering his last State of the Union address, Monday acknowledged concern about a wobbly economy and a prolonged war while voicing confidence that both will turn out well in the end -- so long as Congress does the right thing.
Appearing before a joint session of Congress and a national television audience, Bush urged Congress to pass a stimulus package to stabilize the economy and counseled patience on the Iraq War.
"From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we have made good progress," Bush said. "Yet we have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done."
In a 50-minute speech, Bush -- in the last year of his second term and with his approval ratings near their all-time lows -- made no bold proposals. Instead, before a Congress led by Democrats, the Republican president advocated bipartisanship.
"In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them," Bush said. "And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time."
Bush focused first on the economy, urging Congress to finalize its work on a $150 billion stimulus package, a mix of tax rebates and other incentives on which the House will vote today. The Senate is working on its own expanded package.
"The temptation will be to load up the bill" with additional items, Bush said. "That would delay it or derail it, and neither option is acceptable."
Bush said that while the economy is fundamentally healthy, growth clearly is slowing, making the stimulus package necessary.
The package, he said, was just one step in ensuring longterm economic growth. He also emphasized the importance of reauthorizing the tax cuts Congress had passed during his first year in office, which are set to expire in 2010.
Noting that some in Washington do not consider the expiration of those tax breaks as a tax increase, Bush begged to differ, noting that such a move would raise taxes on 116 million Americans by an average of $1,800.
While keeping taxes low, the government also must keep the lid on federal spending, Bush said. To that end, he announced a crackdown on "earmarks" -- pork-barrel spending items popular with lawmakers.
"If you send me an appropriations bill that does not cut the number and cost of earmarks in half, I will send it back to you with my veto," he said.
Bush again asked for patience and support on the Iraq War.
"We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America," he said.
A year after a new "surge" policy added U.S. troops to the fight in Iraq, Bush noted that violence there has dropped dramatically, meaning that 20,000 troops now can come home.
"While the enemy is still dangerous and more work remains, the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago," he said.
At the same time, he stressed that further troop reductions would have to be based on conditions in Iraq and the recommendations of commanders. Quoting Gen. David Petraeus, the American commander in Iraq, Bush warned Congress that a hasty troop withdrawal could lead to the disintegration of Iraq's security forces, increased violence and a resurgence of al-Qaida in Iraq.
As he has for years, Bush portrayed Iraq as a part of the larger war on terror, which he called "the defining ideological struggle of the 21st century."
Maintaining that free people will reject terror and tyranny, he said: "That is why the terrorists are fighting to deny this choice to people in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Palestinian territories. And that is why, for the security of America and the peace of the world, we are spreading the hope of freedom."
Bush also touched on many of the hardy perennials in his legislative seed packet, such as medical savings accounts, tort reform and immigration reform, none of which has found fertile ground in the Democratic Congress.
Looking out at the lawmakers before him, Bush saw two of the main contenders in the fight to succeed him: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.
"Tonight President Bush claimed that the state of our union is strong," Clinton said. "And we can all debate that. But what is not up for debate is that for too many American families, the true state of their lives is one of economic anxiety and uncertainty."
"Tonight was President Bush's last State of the Union, and I do not believe history will judge his administration kindly," Obama said. "But I also believe the failures of the last seven years stem not just from any single policy, but from a broken politics in Washington."
Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate who was campaigning in Florida for today's primary, praised Bush's "efforts to reduce earmarks and their influence on federal government spending."
jzremski@buffnews.com
Newstex ID: KRTB-0019-22603693
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