Bush defends Iraq plan during State of Union

Facing a major political showdown over his strategy, Bush said in his State of the Union address that ?the consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching.? Democrats ? and even some Republicans ? scoffed at his policy.

?They don?t have a plan,? said freshman Sen. Jim Webb, picked by the Democrats to deliver their response to Bush. ?What they have put on the table is more a tactical adjustment.? Webb, a former Vietnam veteran, opposed Bush?s invasion of Iraq.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, also took issue with Bush. ?I can?t tell you what the path to success is, but it?s not what the president has put on the table.?

In his address, Bush sought to revive his troubled presidency with proposals to expand health insurance coverage and slash gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years. But the war was issue No. 1.

Bush was hampered by his lowest approval ratings in polls as he prepared to speak before the first Democratic House and Senate in 12 years.

?Congress has changed but our responsibilities have not,? the president said. ?We are not the first to come here with government divided and uncertainty in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences and achieve big things for the American people.?

Bush said he had reviewed his Iraq decision with military commanders and had considered every possible approach. ?In the end I chose this course of action because it provides the best chance of success,? he said. ?Many in this chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq ? because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching.?

Despite widespread opposition to his policies, Bush said that ?both parties and both branches should work in close consultation.?

The war in Iraq ? nearly four years old with more than 3,060 U.S. deaths ? remains the top issue in the polls and dominates Washington?s political debate. The president?s speech came just three days after 25 U.S. troops were killed, the deadliest day in two years for the U.S. military in Iraq.

The administration sought to make Bush’s energy initiatives ? in particular a 20 percent cut in gasoline usage by 2017 ? an eye-catching centerpiece of his address.

?It is in our vital interest to diversify America?s energy supply, and the way forward is through technology,? Bush said.

The cut would be achieved primarily through a sharp escalation in the amount of ethanol and other alternative fuels that the government mandates must be blended into the fuel supply. The rest would come from raising fuel economy standards for passenger cars, a plan that Bush has proposed in the past but failed to win from Congress.

The other major initiative in Bush?s speech called for making employer-financed health care benefits taxable income after a deduction of $15,000 for families and $7,500 for individuals. The White House said 80 percent of workers with health insurance through their jobs would see a tax cut as a result of the change. But about 20 percent would see a tax increase ? those workers whose health insurance cost more than the standard deduction.