Bush delivers fifth State of the Union address

Scripps Howard Foundation Wire\nWASHINGTON -- President Bush laid out Tuesday night his optimistic ideas of how the United States should fill its role as a global power and announced proposals for programs to make Americans more "competitive" in a global economy. \nBush's State of the Union address was also an attempt to refocus his presidency after a year of setbacks. Bush wants to do this by reinforcing his policies in Iraq, reauthorizing the Patriot Act and finding alternative energy sources for American homes and automobiles. \nBush presented a stern defense of the war in Iraq, stating the United States has helped Iraqis build an inclusive government and helped with reconstruction efforts so that government can fight corruption. \nBush called on Congress to re-authorize the Patriot Act and defended his decision to start a covert domestic spying program by citing the authority from the Constitution and from statutes. \n"This terrorist surveillance program has helped prevent terrorist attacks," he said. "If there are people inside our country who are talking with al-Qaida, we want to know about it -- because we will not sit back and wait to be hit again."\nThis statement drew a cheer and round of applause from the Republicans but skeptical looks from most Democrats. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, laughed at the comment. \nBush also had stern warnings for two rising global threats. He told the Palestinian government, with a new Hamas majority, that it must "recognize Israel, disarm, reject terrorism and work for lasting peace." \nBush also made remarks on Iran, which were directed at the world. \n"The Iranian government is defying the world with its nuclear ambitions and the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons," Bush said, followed by a standing ovation. \nBush also announced the creation of a bi-partisan commission to study the impact of how the Baby Boom generation retirements will affect Social Secuity, Medicare and Medicaid. "We need to put aside partisan politics, work together and get this problem solved," Bush said, followed by a roar of support from both sides of the aisle.\nBush announced the Advanced Energy Initiative, which proposes a 22 percent increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, hopefully reaching breakthroughs in "zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies and clean, safe nuclear energy."\nBush also discussed how Americans are going to fuel their automobiles by looking for solutions in ethanol. \n"Breakthroughs on this and other new technologies will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025 ... making our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past," Bush said.\nSen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., said in a statement Bush's address focuses on important improvements in the economy, healthcare and education.\n"Critical to U.S. economic and national security is taking significant steps to decrease our dependence on foreign oil," Lugar said in the statement. "My work this year will focus on what steps we might take to accelerate the development of new, homegrown sources of energy and become more efficient consumers of energy"