Much rancor and mistrust remain on both sides of the aisle. Bitter tastes linger from Bush's all-out efforts in 2005 to overhaul Social Security with a plan that included personal investment accounts.

He did not promote that specific plan in his address but vowed to work with Congress to try to guarantee the solvency of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

The new Congress is moving quickly to set its own agenda. Bush's State of the Union initiatives were an effort to reassert his relevance.

Even so, "he's going to be viewed through the lens of the Iraq war no matter what," said GOP strategist Scott Reed. Reed said that the State of the Union gave Bush "an opportunity to jazz up a domestic agenda and try to get some things accomplished with the Congress."

Tuesday's address was Bush's sixth State of the Union address — and his first one delivered to a Congress fully under Democratic control.

The president's approval rating is hovering in the mid-30s.

---

Contributing: Terence Hunt of Associated Press