News

War drums drown domestic issues

By Ray Hafner
Senior Staff Writer

Calling the state of the union "strong," President George Bush revisited the famed "axis of evil" and made his intentions for war clear, with or without a coalition, as he positioned the United States to be the sole defender "of all mankind."

"Whenever action is necessary, whenever action is required, I will defend the security and freedom of the American people," he said.

Bush pressed the United Nations to support their own resolutions in dealing with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and rattled off a list of instances when the dictator has attempted to foil weapons inspectors. 

By citing old weapons inspectorsi reports that said Saddam had a vast arsenal of various chemical weapons, the message to America was clear: Iraq presents a real threat, and America should be willing to act alone. 

Bush said Secretary of State Colin Powell would speak to the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 5 and present further evidence of Saddamis transgression. He pledged that if the dictator did not disarm America would lead a coalition to remove him.

Bush took North Koreais recently announced intention to restart its nuclear weapons programs to be a lesson that the United States must not allow another dictator to acquire nuclear weapons.

North Koreais recent announcements were meant to stir fear and thereby seek concessions, Bush said. The president labeled that blackmail. Only through peace and by turning away from nuclear weapons could North Korea ever hope to find success and respect, he said.

Iran also returned as a character in this yearis speech when Bush criticized the current theocracy and offered support for citizens speaking out for liberty and possessing "aspirations to live in freedom."

Bush did not start the war rhetoric at the front of his speech but instead began by addressing the sluggish economy.

"We must have an economy that grows fast enough to employ every man and woman who seeks a job," he said. "The best and fairest way to make sure Americans have that money is not to tax it away in the first place."

Bush promised immediate relief and proposed speeding up tax cuts planned for 2004 and i06 and making them permanent as part of his economic stimulus plan. Bush also touted his plan to excise taxes on dividend earnings.

Low taxes and more investment will be the key to stimulating the economy and creating jobs, he said. 

Healthcare was one of Bushis other focus points as he asked for $400 billion to reform and strengthen Medicare so that patients would have free choice in their coverage.

He also requested an end to "excessive litigation" in the medical industry so doctors could afford malpractice insurance. "No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit," he said.

Capitalizing on a normally Democratic issue, Bush offered up two environmental initiatives. The first would cut air pollution from power plants by 70 percent over 15 years he said, and the other would protect forests from fires.

"Progress for the environment will be in technology and innovation," he said before announcing $1.2 billion to develop hydrogen-powered cars. "So the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen and pollution free," he said.

This would allow the United States to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy, he said.

The African AIDS crisis was put at center stage by the announcement of a $15 billion aid package to pay for medicine in Africa and the Caribbean. Drug treatment can now cost as little as $300 per year, he said.

"Our calling as a blessed country is to make the world better," Bush said. Thirty million people in Africa have AIDS or HIV, but only 50,000 are medicated, he said.

Without mentioning Osama bin Laden, Bush turned attention back to the War on Terror and said, with determination in his voice, "we are winning."

More than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested around the world, Bush said. "Many others have met a different fate. Iill put it this way: theyire no longer a problem."

Gov. Gary Locke of Washington delivered the Democratic response and offered a Democratic plan for dealing with the same issues. 

"Let us never lose sight of who attacked us (on 9/11)," he said, singling out Osama bin Laden, who has proved elusive to the Bush administration.

Locke said the Democrats supported Bush in his efforts to build a coalition to oust Saddam, but urged him to "stay the course" and not to act alone.

The harshest criticism came over economic issues. Locke cited the governmentis budget surplus two years ago and the fact that today the government runs on a deficit that will reach a $1 trillion in the next three years.

More than 100,000 jobs were lost in just December and Bushis "irresponsible" tax cut will do nothing to replace the job machine of the 1990s, Locke said.

Locke offered a Democratic plan that would give middle class families $100 billion in tax relief.
 

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