Bush seeks positive tone for new U.S. Congress
Source: Reuters
By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Jan 2 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, soon to announce a change in Iraq policy, will try to set a positive tone on Wednesday for dealing with the new Democratic-controlled Congress, aides said on Tuesday. As part of a New Year blitz, Bush is to meet members of his Cabinet in the morning and then make a statement in the White House Rose Garden emphasizing his domestic priorities and pledging to work with both Democrats and Republicans during the remaining two years of his presidency, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. In the evening, he will host a White House reception for a dozen Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress, and their spouses, from both the House of Representatives and Senate. It will be an informal discussion that could include some talk about Iraq, aides said. Bush will also talk about his domestic agenda in an opinion article to be published in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Democrats won control of both houses of Congress in November elections and are pressuring the president for a shift in course on Iraq. They officially take over on Thursday. Bush has been studying changes to his Iraq policy for weeks and is expected to announce his new plan as soon as next week. One option is a temporary surge in U.S. troops, perhaps as many as 35,000, to help restore stability to Baghdad. Aides insisted Bush has not made a final decision although NBC News said the president has all but made up his mind to send additional troops. Democrats are skeptical about a surge and some Republicans have qualms as well. Bush's meetings on Wednesday appeared mostly related to advancing his domestic policy. He has said he believes Democrats and Republicans can work together on issues such as changing U.S. immigration policy and the health care system. Bush's meetings come as Democrats and Republicans size each other up on Capitol Hill. After a decade of mounting political battles, members of both parties vow to seek common ground on divisive matters such as a new strategy in Iraq, upgrading health care and revamping immigration laws. But both sides seem certain to quickly resume jockeying for political position with an eye on the 2008 election. Several Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are preparing 2008 presidential runs with agendas of their own. And Republicans, long accused of being a rubber stamp for Bush, may break with the president on some fronts for their own political good. House Democrats will seek to approve a number of measures in their first 100 hours, under the leadership of new Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, such as tightening ethics rules for lawmakers and increasing the minimum wage.
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