WASHINGTON – President Bush on Tuesday night warned against “retreating within our borders” in the face of setbacks in Iraq, and outlined a litany of domestic initiatives to make the United States more competitive overseas in a State of the Union address designed to rejuvenate his troubled presidency.
Bush, a onetime Texas oil industry executive, declared that “America is addicted to oil” and vowed to push for alternative energy sources to allow the United States to replace three-quarters of the petroleum now imported from the Middle East by 2025. He also vowed to steer $136 billion over 10 years to scientific research and education while working to reduce health costs.
But after a year of setbacks at home and abroad that have dragged his approval ratings to historic lows, Bush offered no far-reaching proposals to match the scale of the Social Security revision plan that proved so unpopular on Capitol Hill last year that it died without even being introduced. Many of the ideas sprinkled through Bush’s 51-minute speech were repackaged versions of proposals he has supported for years.
Bound by rising deficits exacerbated by the war in Iraq and the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, Bush framed the collection of proposals as a collective renewal of American strength in the world. He again dismissed calls to pull troops out of Iraq and cast those supporters as advocates for retreat from the responsibilities of the world’s lone superpower.
“In a complex and challenging time, the road of isolationism and protectionism may seem broad and inviting, yet it ends in danger and decline,” Bush said. “The only way to protect our people, the only way to secure the peace, the only way to control our destiny is by our leadership, so the United States of America will continue to lead.”
The opposition to the war also played out shortly before Bush arrived, when peace activist Cindy Sheehan, invited to the address by a Democratic House member, was arrested after demonstrating inside the House of Representatives gallery, which is prohibited. She was wearing a T-shirt that, according to a supporter, gave the number of U.S. war dead and asked, “How many more?”
In their official response after the speech, Democrats rejected Bush’s arguments and mocked his proposals as little more than warmed-over rejects from past State of the Union addresses. For the response, they tapped their newest star, Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine, who was elected in November and inaugurated 18 days ago.
“If we want to replace the division that grips our nation’s capital, we need a change,” Kaine said. “Democrats are leading that reform effort, working to restore honesty and openness to our government, working to replace a culture of partisanship and cronyism with an ethic of service and results.”
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