Clean Energy In the News

Gary Martin
Express-News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — President Bush delivered his first State of the Union address to a Democrat-controlled Congress on Tuesday, defending his Iraq policies to detractors and selling his plan to Americans skeptical of the war.

"On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle," Bush said. "So let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory."

On domestic issues, Bush called for immigration reform that goes beyond border security, and tax code changes to make health care more affordable.

But the focus Tuesday night was Iraq.

"Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq, and I ask you to give it a chance to work," Bush said.

The president warned that the consequences of failure in Iraq would embolden extremists, terrorists and Iran — Iraq's neighbor and a country the U.S. accuses of seeking a nuclear weapon.

"America must not fail in Iraq," Bush said. "The consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching."

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., delivering the Democratic response, said: "The president took us into this war recklessly.

"The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought, nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction," said Webb, a Vietnam veteran and former Navy secretary under President Reagan.

The somber tone of the speech, and opposition to his Iraq plan — some of it coming from members of his own party — led to more muted applause than in previous years, when Republicans controlled both houses of Congress.

Bush, speaking to a joint session of Congress, congratulated the Democratic majority, and noted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's achievement in breaking the marble ceiling for women in politics.

Joining in the jubilant mood of Democrats were guests of Pelosi, D-Calif., who included former Speakers Jim Wright, D-Fort Worth, and Tom Foley, D-Wash.

Sitting with first lady Laura Bush were Dikembe Mutombo, the Houston Rockets center cited by the president for building a hospital in his native Congo.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, praised Bush for calling for 92,000 more Army and Marine Corps troops over five years.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, backed Bush's plan for Iraq, despite divisions within the GOP over a troop surge and a timetable for withdrawal.

Bush spent a significant portion of the speech on Iraq, but he also discussed domestic policy, urging Congress to reform immigration law to include not only border enforcement but also a guest worker program.

"We need to resolve the status of illegal immigrants who are already in our country, without animosity and without amnesty," Bush said.

The president said employers must be held accountable for the people they hire, but he called for political middle ground, allowing the 12 million in this country illegally to pay fines and penalties, learn English and work legally before being considered for legalized status.

Conservatives quickly panned Bush's immigration proposal.

"A massive new guest worker program hurts American workers," said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, which oversees immigration reform.

Smith said the plan "would be rewarding lawbreakers with the greatest honor our country can bestow — citizenship."

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, said the plan was "the same old pig — albeit one with a slightly new shade of lipstick."

The president also received mixed reaction for an energy proposal that would increase use of alternative fuels and cut U.S. consumption of gasoline by 20 percent by the year 2017.

"For too long our nation has been dependent on foreign oil," Bush said. "And this dependence leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes, and to terrorists."

The plan calls for stepping up domestic oil production, which has been met with opposition by environmental groups, which favor strict emissions regulations.

"The president's proposals for energy security have loopholes big enough to drive a Hummer through," said Luke Metzger, Environment Texas director in Austin.

The speech was broadcast nationally, where a CBS News poll showed that more than 64 percent of adults disapprove of Bush's overall job performance, and 72 percent disapprove of his performance on Iraq.

Bush defended his plans in Iraq, which calls for an increase of 21,500 troops, and a jump in U.S. combat brigades from 15 to 20. He said he weighed the options with military commanders.

"In the end, I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success," Bush said.

But Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., House Armed Services Committee chairman, said the escalation of troops in Iraq "may reduce America's ability to respond to other contingencies that threaten our national security."

Democrats have opposed the president's plan since it was first unveiled two weeks ago.

"What he has is an open-ended proposition and commitment of American troops," said Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio. "I think we are making the situation worse."

Texas Republicans backed the president's Iraq plans.

"All of this talk of gloom and doom hurts mission success, and it does stifle troop morale," said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, a Vietnam veteran and ex-prisoner of war.

Some Republicans also joined Democrats in opposition to domestic policy issues, such as a health care initiative, which would change the tax code to provide deductions of up to $7,500 for individuals and $15,000 on families for coverage plans.

Democrats called it a tax boost on middle class families, whose company-paid health care benefits would become taxable income. Others argued it would cause employers to stop offering plans.

"I don't think that is going to go anywhere," said Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio. "I would hope that he would come up with something more realistic."

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gmartin@express-news.net