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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas A Watson who wrote (349044)	1/28/2003 3:17:27 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

2003 State of the Union Bush Address to Focus on 'Peace' and 'Prosperity' By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, January 28, 2003; 1:35 PM URL:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55143-2003Jan28.html President Bush, giving a sneak preview of tonight's State of the Union address, said this morning that his themes will include peace and prosperity, both of which appear to be eluding his administration. Bush, speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting, said he hopes to "rally the American people to some great causes" when he speaks to a joint session of Congress at 9:01 p.m. He will travel to the heavily guarded Capitol at a time when more troops are abroad than any time since the Persian Gulf War of 1991, as the buildup continues for a possible invasion of Iraq -- now considered all but inevitable by White House officials. "I'll talk about our deep desire for peace -- peace not only here at home, but peace in troubled regions of the world," Bush said. "I'll talk about our plan to spread prosperity throughout America. I'll talk about the need to have a health care system that is modern and sensitive to the needs of our seniors. I'll talk about a lot of issues." Officials said Bush will offer a fresh account of what he considers efforts by Iraq to thwart United Nations weapons inspectors, but the officials said Bush will not give Saddam Hussein a final deadline. Despite the detailed criticism of Iraqi non-cooperation in yesterday's report by United Nations weapons inspectors, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush "has not made a determination about whether we should or should not go to war." "The president and others will have more to say as time unfolds," Fleischer said. "The president tonight will discuss the serious threat that Saddam Hussein presents to the world. The president will not make any type of declaration of war tonight." Fleischer said Bush will offer "a statement of purpose" about how to preserve peace. "Peace will be preserved if Saddam Hussein disarms," Fleischer said. "Then the statement of purpose the president will make continues: If he doesn't disarm, we will lead a coalition to disarm him. There remain additional steps with the public beyond that in the event that the president comes to the conclusion that war does become necessary or that war is more likely. I think people will judge the president and this administration on those further steps before they take final judgment about whether or not they agree with the president." Between 50 and 60 Republican lobbyists and activists are scheduled to receive a White House briefing on the speech this afternoon from senior adviser Karl Rove and communications director Dan Bartlett. The briefing will be in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, and officials said it was part of an outreach effort that includes key supporters and opinion leaders. Bush met this morning with two newspaper columnists, then was scheduled to eat lunch with 11 anchors of network evening news and Sunday shows. Aides said the speech took 42 minutes at Bush's last rehearsal and will be divided between domestic and security issues. Bush is speaking after a parade of polls that show creeping resistance to an immediate attack on Iraq and rising worry about his competence in managing the economy. The budget deficit is ballooning and unemployment has risen, while consumer confidence and business investment have fallen. White House officials see tonight as a crucial chance for Bush to reconnect with the public and regain his footing internationally as he begins making the closing arguments to allies about joining a coalition to unseat Hussein. Bush, intent on showing he is attending as diligently to close-to-home concerns as he is to dangers abroad, will begin the speech with the domestic issues. The biggest new proposal in the speech is his plan to fundamentally change Medicare by offering prescription drug coverage to senior citizens through managed-care plans. As aides described the speech, Bush will urge members of both parties to pass his $670 billion dividend tax cut. He will contend that his energy plan, including oil drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, would be an engine for job growth, and will mention his commitment to the environment. Bush also will include a section on what aides call his "compassion agenda," including his proposal for the reauthorization of the federal welfare law with an even heavier emphasis on work. Bush plans to announce that the budget he releases on Monday will include more money for mentors for middle-school students and the children of prisoners. An expansion of his faith-based initiative would provide vouchers to people seeking drug or alcohol treatment, allowing them choose services provided by religious charities. Turning to security, Bush plans to remind viewers that many of the victories in the war on terrorism are unseen, and he will give updates on his plans for each of the three countries that he branded the "axis of evil" last year -- Iraq, Iran and North Korea. Bush will argue that the nation is safer than a year ago because of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, which he originally opposed. Washington Gov. Gary Locke, chairman of the Democratic Governors' Association, will deliver his party's formal response tonight. Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) and his House counterpart, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), provided what was billed as a "prebuttal" on Monday, with each of them using the phrase "credibility gap" to accuse Bush of failing to follow through on promises. Daschle said, "The state of our union today is anxious." Fleischer harshly attacked the Democrats' advance criticism. "The day before the State of the Union is a time for both parties to lend an ear. It's not a time for one party to turn its back," Fleischer said. "Those remarks were disappointing, because they represented a party that's turned its back instead of lending an ear." © 2003 The Washington Post Company