TMCnet News
Bush says U.S. is in Iraq 'to win'(Houston Chronicle (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Feb. 1--WASHINGTON -- In a steely reinforcement of his vision for a continuing battle against tyranny, President Bush warned Iran to halt its pursuit of nuclear weapons and declared about the war in Iraq, "We are in this fight to win." On a domestic issue tied to foreign relations in the Middle East and elsewhere, Bush, a former West Texas oilman, labeled the country "addicted to oil" and called for replacing more than 75 percent of Middle Eastern oil imports by 2025. "We seek the end of tyranny in our world," Bush said. "Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism. In reality, the future security of America depends on it." On Tuesday, in his sixth State of the Union address, which came after the roughest political year of his presidency, Bush gave no quarter to those calling for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq. He also denounced what he called the perversion of Islam by determined terrorists. On the national front, he also laid out a modest agenda of health care and education initiatives. The 52-minute speech was a pivotal moment for Bush as he works to reclaim the political agenda and reverse his slide in public opinion polls, which place him lower than any post-World War II president at the start of his sixth year in office, with the exception of Richard Nixon. Also, Republicans are looking to drive the national discussion of issues as a way of holding onto their congressional majority in the 2006 elections. Democrats counter In the Democratic response to Bush's speech, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said of Bush's agenda, "We can do better." "Tonight we heard the president again call to make his tax policies permanent, despite his administration's failure to manage our staggering national debt," Kaine said. "No parent makes their child pay the mortgage. Why should we allow this administration to pass down the bill for its reckless spending to our children and grandchildren?" With the elections nine months away, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 51 percent of people asked prefer the direction Democrats in Congress would take the country, while 35 percent favor Bush's direction. With a federal budget deficit near $337 billion, Bush may face extreme limits on the kinds of new programs he can roll out to bring moderates and independent voters back into his column. The president played to his political strengths in the speech, highlighting foreign policy and the war on terror, where Americans have given him relatively strong marks for leadership. "The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions, and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons," Bush said. "America will continue to rally the world to confront these threats." Asks for open minds On issues foreign and domestic, Bush called for a rejection of isolationism and protectionism, saying American security and prosperity demand open minds. "We hear claims that immigrants are somehow bad for the economy," Bush said, "even though this economy could not function without them." In a nod to continuing efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, Bush noted the $85 billion committed for redevelopment and said the larger effort must address problems in the region that existed before the storm, including poverty, education and other social woes. "As we recover from a disaster, let us also work for the day when all Americans are protected by justice, equal in hope, and rich in opportunity," he said. Fittingly, he paid tribute to Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She died early Tuesday. The president touched briefly on a laundry list of issues, defending a formerly secret National Security Agency spying program, calling on Congress to pass the U.S. Patriot Act and immigration reform. He repeated a call to make his tax cuts permanent. He announced plans to form a new, bipartisan commission to tackle Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. In an unintended laugh-line, Bush noted that Congress last year failed to act on his Social Security reform package. His pronouncement caused many Democrats in the chamber who had opposed his plan to stand and enthusiastically applaud that failure. Alternative energy sources Acknowledging a central anxiety for many middle class and working class Americans, Bush called for a series of health care reforms aimed at bolstering consumer-driven health care. Bush continued his push for expansion of alternative sources of energy, including nuclear power, solar and wind energies, and so-called "clean coal." He vowed to fund additional research into the use of corn, wood chips, switch grass and other materials for fuel alternatives. In a speech otherwise short on the sort of soaring rhetoric that has framed his initiatives in the past, Bush touched on what he called "a quiet transformation" in America, where a "revolution of conscience" is setting a new course. Bush and key members of his Cabinet will spend the rest of the week traveling to promote the themes and initiatives in the speech. After stops in Tennessee, Minnesota and Albuquerque, Bush will be in Dallas on Friday visiting a school and discussing his education plans. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, called Bush's health care plans "old solutions." "I don't think health savings accounts work," Green said. "We need bolder solutions, we need to deal with the uninsured, and not just the poor but those who are working who still can't afford health insurance." Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, said Bush's initiatives directly confront the issues he hears from constituents. "I think a Texas family must have written that speech, because those priorities are just what I hear at home -- on health care, securing our borders and recruiting more teachers," Brady said. Samantha Levine contributed to this report. |