Posted on 01/20/2007 1:25:09 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
(AP) WASHINGTON -- President Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday gives him a second chance to defend his new Iraq strategy to a nation soured on the war and a Congress poised to vote against the plan.
It will be the president's last major opportunity to shape America's legislative agenda before the fast-moving 2008 presidential campaign begins to drown out his message.
Bush is expected to strike a conciliatory tone on some domestic issues where he believes he can work with the first Democratic Congress in 12 years. On Iraq, he is expected to stand firm.
The nationally televised speech typically offers great political theater. This year, however, it comes just 13 days after the president's prime-time announcement of his decision to send 21,500 more U.S. troops to Iraq.
Since then, Capitol Hill -- the forum for the State of the Union address -- has grown more hostile.
Democratic support is building around a nonbinding resolution opposing Bush's plan for more troops. Some Republicans already critical of the White House's Iraq policy have embraced the idea and others are looking for ways to sign on.
Despite the political tensions, House Democrats invited Bush to speak at their annual retreat in Williamsburg, Va., on Feb. 3 and the president accepted.
"The elephant in the room is Iraq," said Ken Khachigian, a former speechwriter for Presidents Reagan and Nixon who thinks Bush should use forceful, blunt -- even combative -- rhetoric to rebut Democrats and others who criticize his war strategy.
"If I were counseling him, I'd say 'Look, you've got to face them down. You've come up with a plan. They're not giving it a chance to work," Khachigian said.
"I'd say, `If you really believe that this is the seminal battle of the early part of the 21st century, then you've got to make it clear that your position is right and theirs is wrong,"' he said.
White House officials said the State of the Union will not be a repeat of the Iraq speech on Jan. 10. They said Bush will speak broadly about the pressing challenges facing the United States at home and abroad.
"President Bush will discuss his determination to defeat the terrorists who are part of a broader extremist movement that is now doing everything it can to defeat us in Iraq," White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said.
"If the extremists prevail in Iraq, the American people will be less safe and our enemies will be emboldened and more lethal," Perino said.
Bush probably will try to link the war to the threat to America since the Sept. 11 attacks, said Bruce Riedel, a former official at the National Security Council and analyst at the liberal Brookings Institution.
"Who can be against terrorism?" Riedel asked. "Fear is a commodity that the administration has sold before, and right now they're not having much success with the public or the Congress with the arguments they've trotted out on the (troop) surge."
The costs of the war and the deficit are expected to preclude Bush from announcing expensive new programs.
On the domestic side, the president will propose a tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 for families regardless of whether they buy their own health insurance or receive medical coverage at work.
If passed by Congress, the proposal would be the first time that workers could get a tax break if they bought their own insurance. But it also would be the first time that some employer-provided health care benefits could be taxed. The first $15,000 in health benefits for a family would continue to be tax exempt for the employee, but any amount in excess of $15,000 would be subject to tax.
Health care benefits provided by companies are currently exempt from personal income and payroll taxes, no matter the amount.
He also plans to highlight immigration and urge Congress to renew the No Child Left Behind education law, preserve tax cuts, balance the budget within five years and work to make the costs of the war more transparent in the federal budget.
As in his previous State of the Union addresses, Bush probably will lament the U.S. reliance on foreign sources of energy and express support for alternative fuels. Auto industry officials expect the president to ask Congress once more for the power to change fuel economy standards for passenger cars.
The White House said Bush also will lay out his policy on global warming, but will not propose a mandate to cut greenhouse gases.
The president, who has begun rehearsing drafts of the speech, worked on his address over the weekend at the Camp David presidential retreat.
He was joined by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, national security adviser Stephen Hadley and chief of staff Joshua Bolten.
After the speech on Tuesday evening, Bush is scheduled to travel on Wednesday to Wilmington, Del., where he will talk about energy policy. On Thursday, he will discuss his health care ideas in Lee's Summit, Mo.
the tax on employer provided health benefits - is a very bad idea.
Get it ready and hand it over to Rick Santorum.
;-)
Any extra monies left over go for cheap hookers and season tickets to the WNBA.
Amnesty betrayal alert.
Some things for us to think as we listen to President Bust:
I didn't know! How could we? Did you know that 47 countries' have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?
Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?
Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 new schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been completed in Iraq?
Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating?
Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the re-established Fulbright program?
Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational? They have 5 - 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.
Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes 9 reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?
Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?
Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?
Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq? They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.
Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?
Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?
Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?
Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?
Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?
Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?
OF COURSE WE DIDN'T KNOW! WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW?
OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!
Instead of reflecting our love for our country, we get photos of flag burning incidents at Abu Ghraib and people throwing snowballs at the presidential motorcades. Tragically, the lack of accentuating the positive in Iraq serves two purposes: It is intended to undermine the world's perception of the United States thus minimizing consequent support, and it is intended to discourage American citizens.
---- Above facts are verifiable on the Department of Defense web site.
.......Pass it on! Give it a Wide Dissemination
Sorry, that should be President Bush.:-)
Crap. Where did this come from?
The spirit of bipartisanship.
But he will continue to stand firm against cancer patients who use medical marijuana.
there is another thread just on that topic running now. it's a terrible idea.
Pass it on to the who . This information is held like secrets by this administration. They are patehtic. Theeee !worst public relations bunch in the biz. The good news is held so close , i am amazed the worms at the times haven't leaked it. The majority of bushes supporters have stopped carrying water for these dopes.
Well said!
I doubt you could take five minutes with Tony Snow.
The State Of The Union is FUBAR!
This is not new. Corporations are taxed. The tax is baked into the cost, the cost goes up, the margin sits on top of that, and you're taxed again when you buy the product.
Yo pat taxes all your life, when you're dead, you're taxed again.
Pretty slick, huh? Libs think of everything when it comes to taxes.
IMOHO
A brief but perfectly accurate observation. This president not only is grossly incompetent, it has become patently clear that he, and those around him, are as corrupt a group the White House has not seen since the "Teapot Dome" era. I am not merely sad that he fooled us twice but also that I convinced others to grant him a second term. He's so serious a detriment to American society and policies that it wouldn't surprise me if the GOP doesn't see the living quarters of the White House for many, many elections. How terribly embarassing!
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