 |
|
In State of the Union, Bush to begin framing legacy
Monday's address is expected to highlight improvements in Iraq, but not reforms for immigration or Social Security.
By Peter Grier | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the January 28, 2008 edition
Page 1 of 2
WASHINGTON - On Monday evening, President Bush will stand before a joint session of Congress and give a speech about the state of the Union – and perhaps about the state of his place in history, as well.
This doesn't mean that Mr. Bush's final State of the Union address will be a nostalgia-fest of retrospection. Bush, like his father before him, famously is averse to dwelling on the past.
But he's unlikely to unveil bold new initiatives, say experts, given his low approval ratings and the lack of time left in his term. At best Bush might push items already in the legislative pipeline, such as a revised No Child Left Behind education law, while claiming progress in Iraq and the war on terror – the most consequential events of his administration.
"Given his political situation, the task is to make the best case for his legacy rather than to set an ambitious agenda for his last year," says Thomas Mann, senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
Administration officials insist that Bush's speech will be focused on the future. Twelve months is enough time to get some things done in politics, and Bush has often expressed a desire to "sprint to the finish," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino on Jan. 25.
Bush will highlight items of unfinished business that he believes should be priorities for the Democratic congressional leadership, said Ms. Perino.
These include the economic stimulus package, an item on which Bush has reached a quick accord with House Democrats, and updated warrantless eavesdropping legislation, a bill that's been the subject of heated partisan fights.
Bush will also mention some actions that he can take without congressional approval, via executive orders or other administrative action, spokeswoman Perino said.
President Bill Clinton often promoted such small-bore steps as a means of appearing dynamic despite facing a Congress controlled by the political opposition.
Notably absent from the speech will be the unveiling of new initiatives on immigration or Social Security reform, or similar big problems. Perino blamed the likelihood of congressional inaction for this omission – not waning political strength or the shortness of Bush's remaining time in the Oval Office.
On foreign affairs, Bush will highlight recent successes in Iraq, according to White House officials, and talk about the fact that US troops levels there will soon start to decline. He'll discuss the Middle East peace process and the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation, and work in mentions of US aid in the fight against global hunger and disease.
RSS feed
