State of the Union: Juggling Priorities

W A S H I N G T O N, Jan. 29 -- President Bush will give his first State of the Union address tonight, hoping that the force of his words in the midst of a war will connect the mood of the country to his domestic agenda.

But the president, in laying out his priorities for the coming year, will not present a detailed plan on how to accomplish his goals. And while he will shy away from phrases that irritate Democrats, he won't delve into the debate about how to reconcile a shrinking budget with expanded plans to spend.

Tonight, the president will do what the bully pulpit of the president allows: he will try and set the agenda, set the stage and claim the mantle of leadership. All clichés, but all true, and all because of the importance projected into the State of the Union. The annual address to Congress is just as much about artistic appeals to the public as it is about presenting policy.

The White House said that the address would last approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Officials expect numerous breaks for applause and ovations.

Framed by the events of Sept. 11, expectations are high for a strong performance by the president. This is his third speech to Congress—and his first real State of the Union address.

According to a senior White House official, the president will do a morning and evening practice run for his speech. The same White House official said that during a Saturday practice at Camp David parts of the speech were not reading well and had to be worked on.

Three Halves

This year, according to administration officials, the White House has divided the speech into three parts. First, Bush will emphasize national security. He'll probably begin with a reference to Sept. 11, and then recount the successes of the war in Afghanistan. He will use the narrative to set up the first major theme of his address: the U.S. must devote the necessary resources to defeat terror in all its casts.

And then the president will talk about the homeland. He'll call on Congress to turn attention to the infrastructure of domestic security, mention the heroism and ongoing needs of firefighters, police officers and medical workers.

With the image of sacrifice and the home front in the minds of legislators and the public, the president will move to economic security.