Bush's Final State of the Union Address

President Bush addressed the nation’s twin anxieties, the war in Iraq and the slowing economy, in his final State of the Union Monday, before offering a modest agenda of new initiatives for his last year in office. The President spent the longest section of his optimistic 53-minute speech touting the success of the military surge in Iraq and chiding those who had doubted the plan a year ago. “High profile terrorist attacks are down, civilian deaths are down and sectarian killings are down,” he said. “Al-Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated.”

The line drew sustained applause in the House chamber, one of 70 times roars from one or both sides of the aisle interrupted Bush’s address. Presidential candidates and Democratic senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama often watched stone-faced as Republicans cheered. Obama sat next to Sen. Edward Kennedy, who endorsed Obama’s campaign Monday despite a plea from former President Bill Clinton to remain neutral. Senators Obama and Clinton did not interact during the address. The third sitting senator running for president, Republican John McCain, who is locked in a close race with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, remained in Florida to campaign for today’s Primary.

Bush, who has promised to “sprint to the finish” of his term, said the government has “unfinished business…and the American people expect us to get it done.” On the economy, the president acknowledged the country is in “a period of uncertainty,” and that “growth is slowing.” He urged the Democratic-controlled Congress to pass the $150 billion bi-partisan economic stimulus package hammered out in the wake of last week’s stock-market downturn “as soon as possible.” He asked Congress to extend his first-term tax cuts. Bush also pledged to veto appropriations bills if Congress did not halve the number of earmarks, the special projects inserted into spending bills.