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Speech may set Bush's legacy

History's view of his presidency and the war in Iraq could ride on what he says.

By TIMES WIRES
Published January 10, 2007

WASHINGTON - President Bush is about to take a gamble that could make or break his presidency.

He spent hours Tuesday practicing in front of cameras, preparing to make his case for increasing the U.S. military commitment in Iraq in a prime-time address to the nation at 9 tonight, even as congressional Democrats readied legislation aimed at blocking any increase in the number of troops.

His nationally televised speech, and the reaction to it, will determine the next step in Iraq, test his relations with the new Democratic-led Congress and set the tone for his final two years in office. Some analysts say it could increase pressure for withdrawal if the solutions Bush offers don't bring quick results.

White House aides acknowledge the president faces a skeptical audience.

Members of Congress who met with Bush said he appears to understand that, after years of upbeat speeches and positive assessments that belied a lack of progress inside the country, his credibility is on the line.

"In terms of tough moments in his presidency, this is it," said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., one of about a dozen House members who met with the president and his top advisers for more than an hour Tuesday afternoon.

Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores, said he still wanted to hear more from Bush.

"I'm anxious to hear the speech," he said, "because I think there's going to be a lot more in the speech than he told us today."

Lawmakers who have met with Bush this week say he intends to ask for about 20,000 additional troops to shift the strategy in Iraq toward ending sectarian violence and increasing security on the ground for Iraqi civilians in restive areas. According to the lawmakers, the troubled Iraqi government has agreed to meet benchmarks of political progress as a condition of the troop increase.

Supporters say a decrease in violence will foster political reconciliation between Iraqi factions. Detractors contend a "surge" in troops is just another term for "escalation."

Even before Bush spells out his long-awaited "new way forward" in Iraq, leaders of the new Democratic-controlled Congress escalated their pre-emptive political attacks Tuesday, asserting their right to hold the president accountable for the rationale behind any new deployment of U.S. troops.

"President Bush should not be permitted to escalate the war further and send an even larger number of our troops into harm's way, without a clear and specific new authorization from Congress," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

Kennedy was careful Tuesday to insist that he and other Democrats do not plan to cut off funding for troops currently in Iraq.

In the Senate and House, Democrats introduced legislation proposing that no additional troops be deployed or money spent on "escalation" of the war without prior congressional approval.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he intends to bring at least a nonbinding resolution to the Senate floor next week to permit Democrats and Republicans to vote against a troop increase. A similar measure is planned in the House.

The president will deliver this speech from the basement Map Room of the White House, which served as the situation room for former President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II.

While the setting is rife with symbolism for the president's commitment to a global war against terrorism, much is riding on his ability to rally public support for his assertion that Iraq is the central front of that war today and that it is worthy of an accelerated campaign by U.S. forces - all points that aides said he will stress in his speech.

Polls indicate his plan to send more troops to Iraq may be a tough sell. A Gallup/USA Today poll released Tuesday showed that 61 percent of respondents oppose the idea.

Though the speech will be Iraq-specific, by proposing something contrary to the majority of public opinion Bush runs the risk of potentially losing credibility on other major issues.

But experts say Bush is protected by the upside of low approval ratings.

"His popularity is pretty low now," said presidential historian John Geer of Vanderbilt University. "It's not likely to go a lot lower."

[Last modified January 10, 2007, 01:11:26]