Analysis: Bush calls for action in State of the Union

WASHINGTON -- Not gone yet, President Bush Monday night tried to remind a nation captivated by the next presidential election that he still has nearly a year left in office and has work to do.

Ignoring signs that his policies have been repudiated -- his job approval numbers are at nearly the lowest of his presidency, there's a sour mood about the country's direction and even Republican presidential candidates say Washington is broken -- he urged Democrats and Republicans in Congress to roll up their sleeves and get to work.

Bush seemed to forget the poisonous, partisan atmosphere in Washington. Put electioneering aside and finish economic stimulus package, global trade pacts, education reform and support for veterans, he said. And he adamantly held to his position that, while tough fighting is ahead in Iraq, the war is in the country's vital interest and is proceeding well.

"We will not rest until this enemy has been defeated," he declared. "We must do the difficult work today, so that years from now people will look back and say that this generation rose to the moment, prevailed in a tough fight, and left behind a more hopeful region and a safer America."

Bush likes to say he'll sprint to the finish line, but the White House knows time is short. Nothing likely will be accomplished after July 4 and even that date may be optimistic.

In many ways, Bush's final State of the Union address was a political speech in a campaign year. He's not on the ballot anywhere, but George W. Bush wants to help shape the national conversation and Republican ideology. He sketched a political philosophy that melded populism with small-government Republicanism and international interventionism.

He proposed tweaks in many policy areas but no major initiatives. Instead, seven years after he brought his compassionate conservative philosophy to Washington, Bush returned to the idea of a benign government helping people cope at home.

"To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy," he said.

About half the hour-long speech was devoted to domestic issues and half to foreign affairs.

He portrayed the United States as a "force for hope in the world," a positive force for freedom, democracy and humanitarian causes ranging from fighting global poverty and hunger to diseases in the developing world.

He pledged to continue negotiations in the Middle East and to do everything he can to achieve a peace agreement between that defines a Palestinian state by the end of the year.

"The time has come for a Holy Land where a democratic Israel and a democratic Palestine live side-by-side in peace," he said.

In just about every domestic area, the president urged ingenuity and responsibility. You fix it -- but government can help.

He wants to trust the "creative genius of American researchers and entrepreneurs" to figure out clean technology.

He said he'd propose eliminating or reducing 151 wasteful federal programs. He will halve the number of "earmarks," pet spending projects of members of Congress. This will bring down the number to about 5,500, the White House said.

He even proposed to empower foreign farmers by purchasing food for foreign aid from farmers overseas.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of Americans tell pollsters the country is on the wrong track. About 65 percent say the economy is getting worse. The people don't trust Bush to do the job they elected him to do -- his job approval ratings are in the 30s.

The speech's political undertone was not unexpected. Gillespie told reporters the president is "very much in demand on the fundraising front." He and Vice President Cheney both have been "vigorously raising money for the party and the future Republican nominee."

Gillespie said Bush has fundraisers this week and he'll continue to campaign throughout the year.

Monday night, though, Bush asked Congress to join him in showing people that "Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time."

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