Energy, Iraq highlight agenda

[img1]President Bush stressed alternatives to foreign oil and a continuing need for Middle East peace as he went before a national audience last night for his fifth State of the Union address.

Bush said reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil was among the nation's key issues. He endorsed alternative fuels such as ethanol, and said new innovations should be a major part of any shift from foreign energy sources.

He also responded to calls for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, saying Middle East peace could not be achieved if the U.S. retreats now.

Among other issues, Bush advocated putting more education resources toward math and science programs.

[b]PROTESTORS GATHER DOWNTOWN[/b]

As President Bush's State of the Union Address was broadcast into living rooms across the country, protestors gathered in downtown Seattle, literally drowning out his words.

The activist organization The World Can't Wait sponsored protests yesterday in hundreds of U.S. cities. When the president's speech hit the airwaves at 6 p.m., the small but growing crowd erupted in noise -- despite the heavy rainfall -- sounding radios, pots and pans, and screams.

"Today is particularly aimed at the torture, spying and lies that got us into the war in Iraq," said Michael Lubrano, a staff member with the Seattle chapter of Not In Our Name.

Even though student attendance was low, Seattle Central Community College student Agnes Lovell said seeing even a few young people at these events is promising.

"We need to bring the hope back," speaker Bill Moyer said to the crowd. "It's going to take courage to make the change, but the change starts here."

Activism from UW students has fallen dramatically over past years, alumnus Richard Hart said.

"I'd hoped this would be like the protests in the '60s," he said. "I don't think most students feel personally threatened anymore, especially since there isn't a draft. I'm glad to see some students, but it's not enough."

[b]Some students skeptical of policies[/b]

A cluster of students mingled together around the large-screen TV at Ian's Domain in McCarty Hall to watch President Bush's State of the Union address last night.

Viewers ranged from self-described political enthusiasts to mildly interested students who spent much of the speech text-messaging on their cell phones. However, the room remained silent for the duration of the speech.

Sophomore Libby Matthews said she felt the speech was lacking in sincerity.

"I think his speech was riddled with half-truths and thin justifications," said Matthews. "President Bush drew a lot of attention to the fact that Iraqi elections were held, but what he failed to address is that people are still dying."

Freshman Alex Benson, who claims he was raised with Republican values, said he had mixed feelings on the President's address. While he said he agreed with much of the content, he felt it lacked in substance.

"There was merit to what he said," Benson said. "I came away feeling good about what he said, but when I think about it more, the more I question his sincerity."

As Bush described his positions on renewable energy and the need to reduce foreign oil dependency, a reaction of mild approval and applause echoed through the room.

Still, many students expressed disbelief about his fiscal responsibility.

"He didn't really say what he was going to do," said freshman Justin Vice. "He said he's going to cut taxes and lower the debt. That's amazing."

[b]Professor reacts[/b]

President Bush's words lacked the "cowboy mentality" of his 2005 address, said Matt Barreto, assistant professor of political science. He attributed Bush's "milder" demeanor to low approval ratings.

"[With] higher ratings, you can be more aggressive in promoting your policies or agenda," Barreto said. [With lower ratings] you have to be more cautious because you don't really have a majority of the country backing you."

Baretto said a partisan split was drawn early in Bush's second term, he said, largely because of the "very divisive way" Bush won the 2004 election.

Bush focused significantly less on Social Security reform this year than in 2005, when it was "almost the centerpiece of his speech," Barreto said.

"It can be seen as ... a serious step back in his ambitious agenda," Barreto said.

"Here it is a year later, and he's not able to count [Social Security reform] as a victory."

Barrato called Bush's discussion of the Iraq war, which consumed much of the speech, very general and lacking in specific details. He said the Democratic response was "fairly weak."

"[It] wasn't a very persuasive rebuttal considering there were a lot of questions left after the Bush speech," he said of Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's response. "The Democratic response did not seem to take advantage of that for a strategic speech."