Bush poised to reclaim initiative

WASHINGTON — Standing before a TelePrompTer and a small group of aides in the White House theater, President Bush began rehearsing the words that represent his best shot at uniting the country behind him as he confronts war and a stubbornly weak economy.

White House officials said Bush's State of the Union address on Tuesday night should last less than an hour. It may be a little longer than last year's 50 minutes, they said, but it will still be relatively short, given the magnitude of the issues and the challenge he faces in rallying support at home and abroad and strengthening his own political position.

"This is basically his moment to jump back into center stage and say, 'I'm the 900-pound gorilla, and I'm a man with a plan,' " said Rep. Dick Armey, the former House Republican leader, who noted that the Democratic presidential prospects had grabbed considerable public attention over the last several weeks. "He'll say, 'I know what needs to be done and I'm going to get it done.' "

The coming week may be a turning point in determining whether and when the United States will lead an invasion of Iraq, and will be another in a series that will define Bush for history.

On Monday, the U.N. weapons inspectors are to submit their report on Iraq to the Security Council. Bush's speech on Tuesday night will be followed on Wednesday by a traditional trip — this year to the electorally critical battleground of Michigan — to sell his domestic agenda. As Bush flies back and forth across the country on Wednesday, the Security Council will meet. And on Friday, he will play host to a meeting at Camp David with his staunchest international ally in confronting Iraq, Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain.

Yet no moment will be more vital for Bush than when he stands in the House chamber at 7 p.m. MST on Tuesday with a chance to sell an unfiltered version of himself to the country and the world.

Rather than focus on just guns or just butter, White House officials said, the speech will touch on three main themes: the threats from terrorism and Iraq; Bush's belief that his $670 billion tax cut proposal will help accomplish his goal of creating more jobs; and his plan to put the Medicare system on a sounder financial footing while adding coverage for prescription drugs.

But the subtext, Republicans said, will be re-establishing Bush as a leader after several months in which his standing has been reduced. The furor over Sen. Trent Lott, the difficulty the administration has had in explaining why Iraq is an immediate threat while North Korea is not, the reluctance of moderate Republicans in the Senate to back his tax plan — all, they said, have eaten away at the strength Bush exhibited in leading his party to victory in the congressional elections.