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Bush makes return to tackle triple threat in Washington
Crawford, Texas, Jan 06: US President George W. Bush returned to Washington yesterday to face down the triple threat of a defiant Iraq, a nuclear-ambitious North Korea and a US economy that refuses to spark.
Crawford, Texas, Jan 06: US President George W. Bush returned to Washington yesterday to face down the triple threat of a defiant Iraq, a nuclear-ambitious North Korea and a US economy that refuses to spark.
Ending a 10-day winter break of long walks and brush-clearing, Bush will swap his quiet family ranch in Texas for an intense month at the White House -- and he plans to hit the ground running.
''When the President returns, he will continue to work on his priorities for America, which include waging war on terrorism, defending our homeland and strengthening America's economy,'' White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.
The month culminates with a United Nations assessment of Iraq's weapons programs and the President's keynote state of the Union address. But Bush, who has canceled a January trip to Africa to focus on key policies, aims first to tackle the economy with stimulus initiatives worth up to 600 billion dollars.
He is scheduled to meet with his Cabinet Monday as he hammers out the details of a plan he will unveil a day later that is centered on tax cuts beyond those enacted in 2001.
Political analysts say Bush's re-election ambitions could hinge on his economic performance and democrats are ratcheting up criticism of rising unemployment and falling stock values.
His father, former President George Bush, failed to win a second term mainly because of a sagging economy, despite prosecuting the 1991 Gulf war that was heralded a success.
Bush is also on the offensive on the military front, overseeing an intensifying troop buildup around Iraq.
Bureau Report
Ending a 10-day winter break of long walks and brush-clearing, Bush will swap his quiet family ranch in Texas for an intense month at the White House -- and he plans to hit the ground running.
''When the President returns, he will continue to work on his priorities for America, which include waging war on terrorism, defending our homeland and strengthening America's economy,'' White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said.
The month culminates with a United Nations assessment of Iraq's weapons programs and the President's keynote state of the Union address. But Bush, who has canceled a January trip to Africa to focus on key policies, aims first to tackle the economy with stimulus initiatives worth up to 600 billion dollars.
He is scheduled to meet with his Cabinet Monday as he hammers out the details of a plan he will unveil a day later that is centered on tax cuts beyond those enacted in 2001.
Political analysts say Bush's re-election ambitions could hinge on his economic performance and democrats are ratcheting up criticism of rising unemployment and falling stock values.
His father, former President George Bush, failed to win a second term mainly because of a sagging economy, despite prosecuting the 1991 Gulf war that was heralded a success.
Bush is also on the offensive on the military front, overseeing an intensifying troop buildup around Iraq.
Bureau Report