President George W. Bush opened his reelection bid Tuesday night
along largely partisan lines as he defended the war in Iraq, pushed
for further tax cuts, and nearly endorsed a constitutional ban on
gay marriage.
Calling the state of the union “confident and
strong,” Bush said the country was committed to the war in
Iraq, even though U.S. forces there face heavy guerrilla
resistance.
“We have not come through tragedy and trial and war only
to falter and leave our work unfinished,” he said.
Cautioning against possible future terrorist attacks, Bush urged
lawmakers to extend certain provisions of the Patriot Act, a
federal law broadening governmental powers to track suspected
terrorists.
“Our law enforcement needs this vital legislation to
protect our citizens,” he said. “You need to renew the
Patriot Act.”
Some activists and Democrats have said the Patriot Act infringes
upon civil liberties and may give the government too much leeway to
fight terrorism domestically.
That Bush mentioned the Patriot Act early in his speech was
surprising and a move most likely tailored to appeal to a
conservative voting base, said Joel Aberbach, a UCLA political
science professor.
“It was a very unusual way to start such a speech, and it
was very noticeable,” he said.
Bush only made passing reference to North Korea and Iran
““Â the two nations lumped into the “Axis of
Evil” along with Iraq two years ago ““ saying only that
“different threats require different strategies.”
And he was vague about whether Iraq possessed weapons of mass
destruction ““ one of the administration’s key reasons
for going to war and one of its key embarrassments as no such
weapons have been found.
Instead, Bush focused on the “hundreds and thousands of
men, women and children” who had suffered under the regime of
former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
“For all who love freedom and peace, the world without
Saddam Hussein is a better place,” he said.
Michael Mann, a UCLA professor who specializes in U.S. foreign
policy, said Bush didn’t break much new ground with
international relations, which may reflect the many who perceive
the war in Iraq to have stalled.
“(Bush) is a little aware of the criticism. There was no
great optimism, and it was a little defensive,” he said.
California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, criticized
Bush’s “racial doctrine of preemptive war” during
the Democratic response, saying the country should pursue greater
international support in Iraq.
“America should be a light to the world, not a
missile,” she said.
Domestically, Bush drew parallels between education and the
economy, saying an educated American work force was needed to
handle jobs in advanced fields like biotechnology.
Accordingly, Bush proposed increasing Pell Grant funding,
increasing funding to community colleges, and helping more lower-
and middle-income high school students reach higher education.
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., criticized Bush on
education, especially higher education, where he said average
college tuition has increased by $600.
“America’s schools are holding up their end of the
bargain, but the president is not holding up his,” he
said.
And in a surprise move, Bush suggested a constitutional
amendment might be necessary to protect what he called “the
sanctity of marriage,” especially in light of a recent court
decision in Massachusetts recognizing gay marriage as
constitutional.
“If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the
people, the only alternative left to the people would be the
constitutional process,” he said.
Bush also urged Congress to codify his tax reductions, cut
spending, and push for immigration reform allowing guest workers to
be employed in American businesses and potentially earn
citizenship.
The speech was marked by occasions of bipartisan bickering, as
Democrats cut loose with smatters of applause when Bush mentioned
the sunset provisions in the Patriot Act and later when he said
certain tax cuts would soon expire. The president appeared to be
surprised and distracted when applause followed his mention of the
Patriot Act’s expiration.
Republicans countered with cheers and applause when Bush urged
lawmakers to approve extensions to both the Patriot Act and the tax
cuts. Also, at times when Bush talked of Iraq and his domestic
policies, Republicans gave him standing ovations while the
Democrats remained largely silent.
Such a bipartisan divide probably was indicative that Bush was
seeking to build support among Republicans in preparation for the
November election, Aberbach said.
“On the one side (Bush) meant to energize the Republican
base, and he didn’t give much quarter to his
opponents,” he said.
Conspicuously absent from Bush’s speech was any mention of
Osama bin Laden, who Bush believes masterminded the terrorist
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“He doesn’t want to mention him because then he
brings to everyone’s attention that we haven’t caught
him,” Mann said.
Though Bush touched on many controversial subjects, Aberbach
said he was direct and unwavering when he outlined his
policies.
“His own positions on most of these things were very firm
and very clearly stated,” he said. “There wasn’t
a lot of nuance.”
With reports from Ari Bloomekatz, Bruin
Contributor.