WASHINGTON — President Bush warned Tuesday that the United States had become "addicted to oil," much of it coming from unstable parts of the world, and called for a 20-year national effort to develop new sources of energy to replace imported fuel.
In his annual State of the Union message, this one at the beginning of the sixth year of his presidency, Bush delivered an unapologetic defense of his national security policies, from the continuing war in Iraq to increased electronic surveillance of communications at home.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday February 02, 2006 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 64 words Type of Material: Correction
State of the Union rebuttal -- An article in Wednesday's Section A about the Democrats' rebuttal to the State of the Union address and a related caption on the front page said that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was in Hancock Park while delivering his response to President Bush. Villaraigosa spoke from the Getty House, the mayor's official residence, which is in Windsor Square.
The president also proposed a flurry of domestic initiatives -- on energy, education and healthcare -- that he said would help keep the United States competitive in the global economy.
White House aides said Bush was mindful that his standing had sagged in public opinion surveys largely because of public disquiet about the economy, healthcare and education -- issues on which most voters say they trust Democrats more than they trust the president.
In a year when Republicans in Congress face a tough campaign to maintain their control of both houses, the president sought to assure voters that he understood what one aide called their "angst."
"It's ... unsettling for the American people to grapple with the rising cost of energy, the rising cost of healthcare," White House counselor Dan Bartlett told reporters shortly before the speech. "The dynamic aspect of our economy, where jobs are constantly being created and lost ... the rising competition of global players on the economic scene, such as China and India, all give a level of angst."
In their official responses, Democrats accused Bush of "poor choices and bad management," and they called on voters to replace the Republican congressional leadership this fall.
"Over the past five years, we've gone from huge surpluses to massive deficits," Virginia's newly elected Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said. "No parent makes their child pay the mortgage. Why should we allow this administration to pass down the bill for its reckless spending to our children and grandchildren?"
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, delivering a second Democratic response in Spanish, charged: "Under this administration, 4 million people have fallen from the working class into the ranks of the poor, and the new jobs that are being created pay less than the ones we've lost." In an echo of Bush, he called for "an aggressive national strategy ... to promote America's competitiveness in the global economy."
