Bush makes bipartisan appeal to Democrats on key issues
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- President Bush, reaching out to some of his strongest adversaries, appealed directly to House Democrats yesterday to work with him to improve the immigration system, limit the cost of Social Security, curb the consumption of gasoline, and balance the federal budget.
Visiting the Democrats' annual retreat for the first time since 2001, the president told lawmakers there are "big things" they could accomplish by working together and sought to defuse any bad blood with self-deprecating humor.
Bush opened his public remarks with an allusion to his tendency to mispronounce the name of the rival party by calling it the Democrat Party, seen by many party activists as a calculated insult. "I appreciate you inviting the head of the Republic Party," he said to laughter.
Democrats rose to applaud Bush before and after the speech, a sign of the outwardly cordial and respectful nature of the day's session.
The Democratic representatives had a rare opportunity to directly question the president, using a private session after Bush's speech to press him on Iraq, immigration, global warming, the deficit, and the absence of references to Hurricane Katrina and veterans' issues in his State of the Union address.
While Bush asked Democrats to keep the conversation private, some people present said he gave no ground on his basic position on the war but was upfront in talking about its impact on the populace.
According to some Democrats present, Representative Susan Davis, Democrat of California, asked Bush about her concern that the military is fighting a war without the rest of the country sharing the sacrifice. Bush said he disagreed with that proposition because the war is psychologically draining for the entire nation and, according to Democrats there, said it is "sapping our souls" in some ways.
Bush also defended his plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq, saying that they would operate under new rules of engagement and that they could clear and hold troublesome areas.
One Democratic staffer present said Bush spoke favorably of some of the recommendations of the recent Baker-Hamilton commission on Iraq war policy, including turning over security duties to Iraqi troops and eventually withdrawing American troops. But he said there was too much sectarian violence to carry out such recommendations immediately.
Bush said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki would have to meet so-called "benchmarks," including providing adequate troops to help control Baghdad, but he did not discuss possible consequences if Maliki did not do so.
Despite the talk of bipartisan goodwill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was already making plans yesterday morning for symbolic showdowns with the White House on international affairs. Before Bush arrived for the gathering, she told her caucus that they would be voting on a no-confidence resolution on the president's plan to send more troops.
Pelosi told her colleagues that if it appears likely that Bush wants to take the country to war against Iran, the House would take up a bill to deny him the authority to do so, according to her spokesman, Brendan Daly.
