by John M. Curtis
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Copyright January 24, 2007
All Rights Reserved.

iverting attention away from the mess in Iraq, President George W. Bush did his level best to refocus the debate onto unrealistic domestic priorities. Instead of admitting mistakes, discussing solutions and changing directions, Bush threw some old bones to Capitol Hill's new Democratic majority, inviting consensus on healthcare, Medicare, Social Security, immigration reform, energy and even climate change. Bush oozed charm with the House's new Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), warmly greeting her as “Madam Speaker,” despite her vehement opposition to virtually all of Bush's policies, except immigration reform. Looking tentative at first, Bush, whose approval ratings have dipped to around 25-28%, proved he's still capable to charming his audience, especially Republicans who applauded at Bush's eclectic menu of tempting distractions.

      Bush took no responsibility for trashing GOP aspirations by imposing an unpopular war and watching Republican fortunes go down the drain. He showed no signs of abandoning his suicide mission in Iraq, urging Congress to support his last ditch salvage operation, requesting 21,500 more troops. With less than two years left in office, Bush prefers to go down swinging, letting GOP-friendly historians blame Iraq's failure on Democrats or spineless Republicans. Most of Bush's Party applauded but quietly wished he'd change his mind and find an exit strategy. “Our citizens don't much care which side of the aisle we sit on, as long as we're willing t cross that aisle when there is work to be done,” said Bush, ignoring resounding public sentiment expressed on Nov. 7, telling him to find a way out of Iraq. It's hard to sell, persuade, convince and close with approval ratings under 30%.

      No one disagrees with decreasing dependence on foreign oil. Bush urged congress to cut gasoline consumption by 20% over the next 10 years, ramping up corn-based ethanol production and improving fuel efficiency standards. This is the same president who gave the oil industry a blank check to fleece the public at the pumps, keeping gasoline prices at historic highs. Talking about alternative fuels or exciting new technologies to extract ethanol from “weeds” make good headlines but doesn't admit how the White House encouraged the oil industry to buy cheap foreign imports to maximize profits. When crude oil prices tumbled, the industry restrained refiners from increasing gasoline supplies to maintain high prices. No one—other than insiders at ExxonMobil or in the White House—knows the bargain oil prices promised by Baghdad to publicly traded oil companies.

      Bush offered tax breaks as the fix to the nation's healthcare crisis. Offering deductions of $7,500 for individuals or $15,000 for families, Bush sees fixing the tax code as the best answer to the nation's 47 million uninsured. While he'd like to see the American worker take more responsibility, Bush's offered no fix for how individuals get shafted in the insurance market. Only group plans get unconditional acceptance and offer full benefits. While there's nothing wrong with empowering individuals, only group plans give the kind of coverage workers need. Tax breaks won't help families get insurance for preexisting medical conditions excluded from coverage. Instead of thinking through the issues, Bush preferred to shift attention away from Iraq, offering a hodgepodge of domestic bromides. Nowhere was this more obvious than fixing Social Security and Medicare.

      Watching Bush, one could only wonder what his approval ratings would be like without Iraq. Without Sept. 11, Bush would have never enjoyed the popularity of a wartime president, consumed with national security. While he started off on the right foot going to Afghanistan, his detour in Iraq tanked his ratings and sabotaged the Republican Party. Had Bush stayed out Iraq, or found a way out, he would probably enjoy at least 50% approval. “On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of the battle,” Bush said, appealing for more support and refusing to admit defeat. Bush talks about the catastrophic consequences of failure, implying Iraq will fall into Osama Bin Laden's hands. For this Bush offers no proof only his theory that extremists in Iraq will eventually plot attacks on U.S. soil. More conjecture while U.S. troops die.

      Bush's State-of-the-Union speech proved that the White House spin machine still operates on all cylinders. He did a masterful job of diverting attention onto hot-button domestic issues and away from a costly war with no end in sight. “They don't have a plan,” said Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), a former Vietnam vet, delivering the Democratic response, concerned that adding 21,500 more troops will only add to U.S. casualties. “The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought, said Webb. “We need a new direction.” Spending more cash, borrowing more time and adding more troops “provides the best chance of success,” Bush told the joint session of Congress. Unwilling to throw in the towel, it's clear that real change in Iraq won't come until Bush leaves office. No matter what the costs, he plans to grind it out and continue the fight.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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