Speech drops hints on campaign strategy
WASHINGTON -- Timed to divert attention from the Democratic nominating contest, the address President Bush delivered last night provided some clues about his own reelection strategy -- with less emphasis on the "compassionate conservative" message of his last campaign and a robust defense of his most controversial decisions over the last three years.
After the dramatic finish to the Iowa caucuses the night before, White House advisers were eager for Bush to reclaim the spotlight and promote the issues Democrats have used as a punching bag on the campaign trail -- the Patriot Act, the Leave No Child Behind act, a newly signed prescription drug benefit for Medicare. Not surprisingly, he also defended the war in Iraq, once the central issue on the Democratic side.
But after watching an unusually crowded field of Democrats tangle aggressively for months, Bush used the regal setting of the House chamber to convey an image of strength, civility, and hope -- one of his last remaining chances to appear above the fray before the campaign intensifies.
Bush even used the word "momentum" in its grandest sense -- after months of talk about political momentum for the candidates on the other side. "The cause we serve is right, because it is the cause of all mankind," Bush said. "The momentum of freedom in our world is unmistakable."
Still, Bush raised topics that clearly played to his conservative base, most notably gay marriage, which is likely to surpass abortion as the most controversial domestic issue of the campaign. He called on the nation to "defend the sanctity of marriage," signaling his willingness to support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and clearly announcing his intention to use the culturally divisive topic to fight the eventual Democratic nominee.
Republicans believe gay marriage would be an especially potent weapon against Howard Dean, who signed Vermont's civil unions law as governor, and against Senator John F. Kerry, whose home state of Massachusetts is now ground zero for the fight over whether homosexual marriages should be legal. Though both Dean and Kerry oppose legalizing gay marriage, Republicans contend there is little distinction between civil unions and gay marriages -- and will seek to blur any distinction between the two, especially in conservative-leaning states, during the campaign.
After the conservative uproar over the swelling federal budget deficit that flared in response to his announcement of plans for a new generation of manned space flight, Bush avoided rolling out any massively expensive initiatives. He sought to strike a fiscally responsible note by saying his next budget would seek to rein in discretionary spending. And in a nation split over domestic issues, Bush talked at length about the economy and employment, issues that polls suggest voters would like to see Bush handle better.
With the sudden shift in the political landscape after the Dean collapse in Iowa the night before, Bush no longer seemed so sure to face an easy fight over national security. In fact, he now faces an increasing chance of running against Kerry or retired General Wesley K. Clark, both Vietnam veterans, or Senator John Edwards, who like Kerry voted to authorize the war in Iraq.
But with most of the Democratic contenders saying the president has isolated the United States with his doctrine of preemption, Bush clearly felt the need to fight back. He came close to mocking his critics for saying the war in Iraq had not been internationalized, and for seeking approval from other countries before taking action to defend the United States.
"Some critics have said our duties in Iraq must be internationalized," Bush said. "This particular criticism is hard to explain to our partners in Britain, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Italy, Spain, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, El Salvador, and the 17 other countries that have committed troops to Iraq."
He added: "America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people."
Bush officials are finally beginning to concede that the president is campaigning for reelection. He travels to three key states today in a campaign-style swing, and his operatives have flooded Iowa and New Hampshire to make the Republican presence felt as the Democratic debate rages.
