Breaking with past, Bush defensive in policy speech

By Mike McCarthy Feb 1, 2006, 13:56 GMT

Washington - US President George W. Bush's State of the Union speech showed him more defensive than in the past, a stark contrast to the forceful statements and broad initiatives of previous years.

Bush appealed to Americans Tuesday night to stay the course in Iraq, warned against 'isolationism' and was unwavering on his decisions aimed at protecting the United States, even though they have come under growing criticism since his last speech a year ago.

Still, the mood was different from when Bush used the momentum of solid job approval ratings to advocate bold policies to spread democracy around the world, aggressively fight terrorism, overhaul the nation's pension plan and deal with the 'Axis of Evil', a phrase he used in 2002 to describe Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

This year, Americans saw a president facing the growing unpopularity of the war in Iraq, unease about the economy and allegations of unethical behaviour within his administration and Republican party.

Bush even proposed steps to wean the US off its dependence on foreign oil - a position usually advocated by opposition Democrats.

He called for a more civil debate among those who disagreed with the war in Iraq, while not proposing any new domestic policies that could provoke a backlash from the opposition Democrats.

His speech came 10 months before US voters head to the polls for congressional elections that could dramatically alter the final years of his presidency.

Bush has little to gain from taking positions that could further embolden Democrats, who see an opportunity to unseat Republicans from control in both houses of Congress.

Touching on a familiar theme, Bush warned about the dangers of an early withdrawal from Iraq, saying it would surrender control of the country to terrorists like Osama bin Laden and lashed out at critics for politicizing the war.

'There is a difference between responsible criticism that aims for success, and defeatism that refuses to acknowledge anything but failure,' Bush said. 'Hindsight alone is not wisdom. And second- guessing is not a strategy.'

Noticeably played down in this year's speech was Bush's effort to overhaul the national pension plan, known as Social Security. Last year, the topic featured prominently in his address, but Republicans joined Democrats in opposing Bush's initiative.

Bush took a more modest approach this year, proposing a commission to examine how the next generation of retirees will affect government social programmes.

Instead, he zeroed in on energy, calling America's oil dependency a 'serious problem' that needs to be addressed by funding new technology to better develop solar, wind and nuclear energy.

'America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world,' he said.

But for his rhetorical high points, Bush stuck with themes that traditionally have brought him success with voters: foreign policy and national security.

He again responded to criticism over his authorization of the super-secretive National Security Agency to monitor telephone lines to intercept terrorist communications, which has angered civil- liberties activists and prompted Democrats to call for an investigation into whether US law was broken.

'If there are people inside our country who are talking with al- Qaeda, we want to know about it because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again,' he said.

Bush doggedly reiterated many of last year's points on the need to spread democracy as a tool for combating terrorism, touting elections in Iraq and the Palestinian territories as well as signs of democratic change in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

He stuck to his conviction that promoting democracy worldwide will make the world a safer place.

'We seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some dismiss that goal as misguided idealism,' Bush said. 'In reality, the future security of America depends on it.'