EDITORIAL
Bush address puts U.S., world on notice
| • | Full text of the State of the Union address |
President George Bush, at popularity's peak, delivered a steely message of wartime resolve last night that called the nation to sacrifice both at home and abroad.
Bush all but declared war on the nations of Iran, North Korea and particularly Iraq, at least insofar as those nations support or promote terrorism or threaten the domestic security of the United States.
That declaration is a natural extension of what the president has been saying all along: that the war on terrorism will be drawn-out, broad-based and pursued wherever and whenever necessary.
The president drew huge cheers from both Democrats and Republicans as he declared this country's resolve to pursue terrorism and its supporters. It is unclear, however, whether that enthusiastic support will continue once the human and economic costs of what he proposes become more clear.
America is still suffering from the events of Sept. 11, and there's no doubt that Bush has a vast reservoir of support for his efforts to find and punish those responsible for that suffering. But can he successfully tap that well of emotion in a way that will sustain a war against other nations rather than against a generic "evil"? That is a test of leadership still to come.
Bush was convincing in his outline of the values that America stands for and will fight to promote and protect anywhere in the world. He was less convincing in his insistence that the goal is not the spread of particularly American values, but rather of universal values.
If he indeed intends to pursue an active war against terrorism in nations such as North Korea, Iran or Iraq, he will need broad international cooperation. That won't come if the task is presented as America's way or else. In short, the president's "nonnegotiable" values cannot be ours alone.
On the domestic front, Bush sketched out a broad and certainly popular agenda of action that should receive solid bipartisan support, if not on the details, then at least on the goals. Quality schools, jobs for all who want them, extended benefits for those out of work, security for the elderly and tough new behavior standards for corporate America are goals that the entire nation can, and should, support.
In some ways, this was a classic guns-and-butter speech. Our president has committed us to an extended war abroad and a massive effort at rebuilding economic security at home. The moment is his; for the sake of our future, we can only trust he is up to it.
