Bush to deliver State of Union address tonight

Scripps Howard Foundation Wire\nWASHINGTON -- President George W. Bush will attempt to get his presidency back on track tonight after coming off what some have called his worst year yet as president. He will also attempt the even bigger task of laying out a platform for the midterm elections. \nIn 2005 Bush had a secret domestic spying program outed, a relief effort for Hurricane Katrina fail, one of his advisers indicted in the CIA leak investigation and an attempt to overhaul Social Security stall -- all leading to the lowest approval ratings of his presidency. \nMost recent national polls show the president's approval ratings at 41 to 43 percent, including an ABC News/Washington Post poll published Monday that had his rating at 42 percent. \nBush said at a Jan. 24 news conference that his State of the Union speech will lay out an "optimistic agenda." The speech will address renewing the Patriot Act, continuing to protect the American people and asking Congress to make his tax cuts permanent.\n"I will talk about initiatives to make sure our health care and education and energy recognizes the realities of the world in which we live today and anticipates the problems of the world tomorrow so that we can remain competitive," Bush said.\nDemocrats and Republicans have weighed in on what the President should or shouldn't say to the enormous prime-time audience. \nIU professors are no exception.\nMichael Wagner, an associate instructor in political science who specializes in American politics and public policy, said this speech is a kickoff for the 2006 midterm campaign. He added that Bush needs to come up with some plans he can accomplish in the next couple of months so his party can maintain the tag of the reform party, which Wagner said is how Republicans gained control of the House in 1994. \n"If I was him, I wouldn't be shooting for large, strategic issues because a lot of the trouble the party has had is going to come out during the campaign," Wagner said. "He would be making a mistake to say he is still going after Social Security or some other large initiative."\nMichael Wolf, assistant professor of political science at IU--Purdue University Fort Wayne, said there is a lot of unease in Washington concerning scandals, and this speech is a chance for the president to "hit the reset button and get back to where he was last year" after his second term inauguration. \n"Most importantly, he needs to come out and define the domestic spying program not just to the public, but to Republicans in Congress so they can stand up and defend the program if they choose to," Wolf said. "It's very key in that point in order to keep his own people on board." \nThe stakes for Bush are not as high as in years past, Wagner said. However, it is an important speech for Bush's ratings. \n"Most presidents leave office less popular than when they enter. The exception in modern polling era is Clinton," Wagner said. "(Bush) is going to be able to need to show improvement in Iraq or legislation that he has helped get through that the public supports or three or four things that he or members of the Republican Party can rattle off in campaign speeches when they are running for re-election this year"