Bush lays out a modest agenda for his final year as president
Aaron Geiger
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News
WASHINGTON-President Bush on Monday used his final State of the Union address to launch what the White House called "a sprint to the finish," but his modest agenda made it clear that his dismal political standing and a wary Democratic Congress prohibit grand ambitions for his final year in office.
The address seemed aimed more at what presidential advisers called "realistic" goals for the year than trying to establish a lasting Bush legacy.
Though he remained insistent that his Iraq policy is working well-saying, according to speech excerpts released in advance, that "the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago"-he barely mentioned other initiatives that were the centerpieces of his earlier annual addresses, notably overhauls of immigration and Social Security, which both failed.
Instead, Bush talked of what may be possible in his final year in office. He voiced special pride in the $150 billion economic stimulus plan that he and congressional leaders forged last week.
And he offered more humble initiatives, such as urging the ratification of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, new help for military families and $300 million in scholarships for poor children to help them attend private and faith-based schools or out-of-area public schools.
This was a gentler, more accommodating president, one signaling that he was still wounded from the bruising fights he endured last year with the Democratic Congress.
"In this election year," the president said, according to speech excerpts released in advance, "let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time."
Bush gave a sober assessment of the country's economy, acknowledging that "at kitchen tables across the country, there is concern about our economic future. In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth."
The address seemed aimed more at what presidential advisers called "realistic" goals for the year than trying to establish a lasting Bush legacy.
Though he remained insistent that his Iraq policy is working well-saying, according to speech excerpts released in advance, that "the American and Iraqi surges have achieved results few of us could have imagined just one year ago"-he barely mentioned other initiatives that were the centerpieces of his earlier annual addresses, notably overhauls of immigration and Social Security, which both failed.
Instead, Bush talked of what may be possible in his final year in office. He voiced special pride in the $150 billion economic stimulus plan that he and congressional leaders forged last week.
And he offered more humble initiatives, such as urging the ratification of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement, new help for military families and $300 million in scholarships for poor children to help them attend private and faith-based schools or out-of-area public schools.
This was a gentler, more accommodating president, one signaling that he was still wounded from the bruising fights he endured last year with the Democratic Congress.
"In this election year," the president said, according to speech excerpts released in advance, "let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. And let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time."
Bush gave a sober assessment of the country's economy, acknowledging that "at kitchen tables across the country, there is concern about our economic future. In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth."
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