The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 1/29/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Associated Press Vice President Dick Cheney watches as President Bush delivers his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, Monday, on Capitol Hill in Washington.

In the last national address he will give as president, George W. Bush pleaded for Congress to continue working with his administration to implement better fiscal policy and stay the course in Iraq.

Riding a wave of excitement from Democrats over what was Bush's last State of the Union Address, the seven-year commander-in-chief implored Congress not to stray from his controversial brand of fiscal, social and foreign policy, which he praised as having put a better face on American politics.

"He did what you'd do and what I'd do as a last shot (saying) 'I did a good job … I was tough and resolute,'" said CSU political science professor John Straayer after the speech, which Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) praised as "the last time George Bush will give a State of the Union" earlier that day.

Much of the speech was spent emphasizing the success of Bush's Iraq troop surge earlier this year, which military officials reported has greatly reduced sectarian violence in the Middle East and said his administration would stay the course until it was safe to withdraw troops.

"Al Qaeda is on the run in Iraq, and this enemy will be defeated," Bush said. "Any further drawdown will be based on our progress in Iraq and the recommendations of our commanders."

Bill Chaloupka, a CSU political science professor, said after the speech that the address must have been "painful" for Bush, who had to propagate one of the most infamous administrations in the history of America and encourage Americans to continue supporting what many see as failed policy.

"The last State of the Union speech for a two-term president is a tricky thing," Chaloupka said. "He's got a lot of books to read, a lot of movies to watch, and he won't spend too much time thinking about this election … it's not gonna be much fun for George W. Bush."

Bush told the people what to expect this year fiscally from his administration, urging Congress to follow through on its commitment to implement a $150 billion stimulus plan as a last ditch effort to save the economy, which is teetering on recession after a series of stock market dives this month.

Continued...

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