To the Point

Diplomacy, Partisanship and the State of the Union

President Bush kicked off his re-election campaign last night with a ringing defense of the war in Iraq and a warning to Congress that failure to make his tax cuts permanent will amount to an increase in taxes. It was an aggressive political statement, delivered with confidence, but almost all the applause came from the Republican side of the House chamber. Democrats say he needs a reality check. What did the President say about the State of the Union, and what did he leave out? We hear from political observers, supporters and critics, including a former communications director for the Republican National Committee and speechwriters for former Presidents Clinton, Reagan and Bush, Sr. Making News: Democrats Block Spending Bill After threatening to filibuster the $820 billion spending package the House passed last year, Senate Democrats conceded today it-s only a matter of time. David Hawkings, senior editor at Congressional Quarterly, which covers Capitol Hill, says President Bush's State of the Union address last night suggests he'll adopt a "do no harm approach," demanding little of Congress in the coming year. Reporter's Notebook: International Reaction to State of the Union Any State of the Union speech is watched and listened to around the world, especially by those involved in public affairs. This President has invaded and occupied an Arab country and his actions have defied the wishes of traditional allies. We get reaction to last night-s address from Rami Khouri of the Daily Star, an English-language newspaper, distributed throughout the Arab world, and Mary Dejevsky of Britain's Independent.