PINOCCHIO BUSH WILL BE REAL ENTERTAINING TONITE. HE'L PRETEND HE REALLY CARES ABOUT THE PEOPLE,HE'LL MENTION 9-11, SECURITY, THREATS,NEED TO SPY ON US AND GET THIS,HOW WE NEED TO BE NOT SO DEPENDABLE ON OIL(hahah).
IT'S FUN WATCHING HIM LIE.
A PRO AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME
A REAL MASTER OF HIS CRAFT.





Bush speech to tackle kitchen table concerns

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 Posted: 2027 GMT (0427 HKT)

President Bush's approval ratings have been at 43 percent since mid-December, according to some polls.


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, President Bush will say that "Americans always win when America leads," a White House spokesman said, offering up an optimistic agenda for the nation's challenges.

"He'll talk at length about leadership in our country -- what it means, why it's important to our security, and why it is critically important to maintain our economic leadership in the world," said Dan Bartlett, counselor to the president.

At a Cabinet meeting Monday, Bush said Americans can expect to hear him tackle issues such as health care, energy and education.

Bush spent much of Tuesday refining the speech, which begins at 9 p.m. ET.

He was upbeat when he spoke about the address after the Cabinet meeting.

"I'm looking forward to speaking to the country," he said. "We've got a lot to be proud of. We've got a lot of work to do."

But Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said that the president has failed to become a "uniter," as he pledged after his first election victory five years ago.

"It's almost Orwellian: Everything that he's done is just the opposite of what he has said," the Nevada Democrat told CNN on Tuesday. TRUTH!!!

Reid pointed out that Bush has never vetoed a bill approved by the GOP-controlled Congress.

"We bring issues forward," he said. "It's just that the Republicans are a unitary government."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush's address will center around four new proposals, but he declined to disclose details.

However, aides said Bush will propose long-term plans to promote alternative energy sources and take on an issue his critics say he has largely ignored for five years -- the rising cost of health care.

Among the items Bush will put forward, they said, are plans to expand tax deductions for medical expenses and allowing people to put more money in tax-deductible health savings accounts, a longstanding conservative idea.

"Big companies have all the big tax advantages and breaks to provide health care," Bartlett said Monday. "But if you are mom and pop, they don't enjoy those same types of advantages, and they should." HAHAHAHA,THESE GUYS ARE PROFESSIONAL LIARS

According to administration officials familiar with the president's speech, Bush also will touch on international issues, including the war in Iraq.

Officials said Bush will cite familiar themes, pointing to successful elections, a burgeoning Iraqi security force and the need for U.S. troops to stay until their mission is complete.

Bush also will praise the other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council for their stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions. He will express his support for the Iranian people but threaten Tehran with international isolation.

Rough year

The speech comes after a rough year for the president.

Support for the war in Iraq dropped as insurgent attacks increased and American casualties climbed. A criminal investigation into the 2003 leak of a CIA agent's identity reached the White House, resulting in the indictment of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

The administration's response to Hurricane Katrina was heavily criticized, fueling a slump in his approval ratings. And the signature issue of last year's State of the Union -- a wide-ranging overhaul of Social Security -- bombed in the polls, leading Bush largely to abandon the plan.

CNN/USA Today/Gallup polls have placed Bush's approval rating at 43 percent since mid-December.

David Gergen, a former adviser to presidents of both parties, said Bush is heading into Tuesday's speech with much to prove to the American public.

"Despite the strength of the economy, most people are feeling pressed," Gergen said. "And despite the president's upbeat view toward Iraq, most people are feeling it's not going well. So I think the danger is that he overstates his optimism, that he's not in touch with these underlying currents."

In addition, Republican control of Congress will be at stake in November's midterm elections. Democrats have been using the scandal surrounding high-powered lobbyist Jack Abramoff, an associate of several top GOP figures, to hammer at what they call a "culture of corruption" on Capitol Hill.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday that the GOP needed to show voters the country is headed in the right direction.

"It is very important that the president thematically shows where we're going in terms of the vision and an agenda," the Tennessee Republican said. "And then I and my colleagues in the legislative body need to be able to follow and deliver meaningful solutions to the real challenges of the American people."

Bush also will continue his calls for Congress to renew the USA Patriot Act and make permanent the 2001 tax cuts, which McClellan said have built the foundation of an economic recovery.

McClellan argued that those tax cuts have brought in more revenue, and he blamed the rising federal deficit -- currently projected at $337 billion -- on "out-of-control spending" by Congress.

Reid expressed a different view Monday.

"The president squandered the strongest economy in the history of this country with reckless spending and irresponsible tax breaks for special interests and multimillionaires," he said.

CNN's Dana Bash and Suzanne Malveaux contributed to this report.