By linking a bold vision of global freedom and democracy with a more modest domestic agenda, President Bush turned his State of the Union address last night into an uplifting push for a "more hopeful" America — giving the country a much-needed pep talk and his administration a much-needed boost.

Bush tried to regain support for the war, amid rising criticism, costs and casualties.

"The U.S. will not retreat in the world, and we will never surrender to evil," Bush said. "America rejects the false comfort of isolationism."

Smartly crafted, Bush's broad theme of engagement in the name of freedom provided the context to remind us why it's important to stay the course in Iraq. Bush made clear there have been numerous successes as the U.S. takes a leadership role in bringing democracy to the world.

That theme of American leadership and the war on terror also gave Bush the opportunity to justify his use of wiretapping through a terrorist-surveillance program, as well as a call for the renewal of the Patriot Act. Both ideas face justified concerns over civil liberties that deserve a closer review in Congress.

Bush's vision of global leadership also became the context for his domestic agenda.

The importance of education was linked to the need to develop talent in math and science in order to stay competitive. That's at the heart of the president's American Competitiveness Initiative, which rightly focuses on the classroom. Among other things, it calls for the training of 70,000 high school teachers in advanced math and science.

We couldn't agree more.

On energy, the president called for reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil by 2025. That's a start, but the Energy Department's own estimate says Middle Eastern oil accounts for just a small slice of our total consumption. Perhaps the more encouraging proposal involves expanding the use of ethanol. Hawai'i is well positioned in that regard.

Bush also hit the right note in calling for a bipartisan commission on the impacts of an aging baby boomer population, with the growing strain on healthcare, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Any movement here requires bipartisan support, coming off last year's failed attempts at Social Security reform.

This year's more modest approaches include personal health savings accounts that would allow more portable and individual healthcare coverage. But at a time with America's savings rate at its lowest since the Depression, it's hard to imagine they will have much traction.

All of these proposals will, of course, require bipartisan cooperation, a rare commodity in Washington these days. But the call for a more competitive and hopeful America is one the nation needed to hear. Let's hope Congress gets the message.