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Talk of the Town

VIEW UPDATE

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President Bush's Final State of the Union Address:'Earmark' Reform & The Economy: 7pm(cst)
Sunday, Jan 27, 2008 9:01pm

WASHINGTON, D.C. (By: Tom Pace, Executive Editor, "Talk of the Town") 1-28-08
Will Americans embrace President George W. Bush's final State of the Union Address? With less than a year left in the Oval Office, it's reported the President will speak about "unprecedented changes" in the way lawmakers 'earmark' money for special projects in their districts. The President is also expected to discuss his economic stimulus package being considered by Congress.

The speech, at 7pm (cst) Monday, January 28th, is reported to be 42 minutes long, according to CNN.

One senior administration official said the president will try to build on last week's initial agreement with Democrats on a $150 billion stimulus plan by invoking a "spirit of bipartisanship that we can use to make other deals" in the future.

"His address will advocate his philosophy of trusting Americans, empowering them to make good and wise decisions, especially when it comes to keeping more of their hard-earned money, rather than sending it to Washington," White House spokesperson, Donna Perino, said.

Much of the rest of the speech will focus on things Bush already has asked Congress to pass -- an overhaul of federal laws governing electronic surveillance, permanent extensions of his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts and free trade agreements with Colombia and Peru, Perino and other administration officials said.

Even then, parties acknowledge finding common ground on many of these issues will be difficult in a divisive presidential election year.

Bush's previous annual speeches to Congress have been dominated by big projects -- invading Iraq, developing alternative fuels, the partial privatization of Social Security and the expansion of Medicare to cover prescription drugs. Interactive: Bush's message over the years »

Senior administration officials say the theme of this year's address will be "Trust and Empower" -- giving the American people more say in their own lives instead of turning it over to officials in Washington. The theme echoes what Bush has said throughout his presidency about keeping taxes low and lessening federal spending.

"His address will advocate his philosophy of trusting Americans, empowering them to make good and wise decisions, especially when it comes to keeping more of their hard-earned money, rather than sending it to Washington," Perino said.

Bush first floated the theme during an Oval Office meeting in April, and aides say it was fleshed out a bit over the Thanksgiving break. The president's speech writers provided him an actual outline around December 1.