Speech pleases Utah congressional delegates

WASHINGTON — President Bush's call for bipartisanship in Tuesday's night State of the Union address resonated with Utah's congressional delegation, who saw it as the means to accomplish everything else he called for in the speech.

While foreign policy in Iraq, Iran and other countries dominated the first portion of the speech, Bush laid out new ideas and policies for energy, education, economic development, health care and reform for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The delegation agreed these are not problems that will be solved overnight, but they noticed a theme throughout the speech that working across the aisle can make a difference.

"As he said, there will always be differences in debates, but he reached out in a way that I think will be difficult for any Democrats to resist," said Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah. Bennett said it was a "very unusual" speech for a State of the Union address.

"It was more like an inaugural address calling America to follow his leadership as we face the challenges," Bennett said. "This was a call to Americans to follow their leader and deal with the challenges, and he was very direct in outlining what those challenges were, both at home and abroad and in the future." Bennett said he liked when Bush faced the Democratic side of the chamber and said future presidents will face difficulties if there is no cooperation.

"It's the basic Bush optimism, there is nothing too difficult for Americans to accomplish," he said.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, liked Bush's call for cleaner fuel and more energy independence and also said the call for Democrats and Republicans to work together is important.

"We need to work together. We need to get past this animosity, these animosities that have developed. My goal here is to try to work with our friends on the other side, but I've got to admit they don't reach out very often," Hatch said.

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, was disappointed he did not hear anything on nuclear waste reprocessing or waste disposal when the president called for a push in nuclear power but that overall the speech was right on target.

"He is right on message for what is right for this country," Bishop said. Bishop said that "bi means two," so the call to work together must be followed by both sides.

"One side cannot be bipartisan," Bishop said.