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Update 6:15am Eastern 2/8. President Bush will undoubtedly get a kind reaction to his speech this morning at CPAC, but there’s widespread unhappiness with Bush among Republicans. The latest AP/Ipsos poll shows it:
It’s almost as if people can barely stand the thought of President Bush and Congress anymore. Bush reached his lowest approval rating in The Associated Press-Ipsos poll on Friday as only 30 percent said they like the job he is doing, including an all-time low in his support by Republicans. Congress’ approval fell to just 22 percent, equaling its poorest grade in the survey. Both marks dropped by 4 percentage points since early January…Bush’s acceptance by his own party is at bottom in the AP-Ipsos poll. Just 61 percent of Republicans gave Bush positive reviews; his previous low was 65 percent last month. Only 28 percent of them expressed strong approval. About one in 10 Democrats and three in 10 independents gave Bush positive marks.
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8:12pm Eastern 2/7. President Bush speaks bright and early tomorrow at CPAC — 7:15am — in order to get down to the tornado zone in Tennessee.
The White House just e-mailed a preview of his remarks. Here you go. I’ll let you react and leave my commentary for after he’s delivered the speech in the morning:
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release February 7, 2008
EXCERPTS FROM THE PRESIDENT’S REMARKS TO THE 35th CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTION CONFERENCE
As Prepared for Delivery
On our philosophy:
“…[W]e have seen vigorous debates in this country on nearly every conceivable issue: matters affecting prosperity at home and peace abroad. Our views are grounded in timeless truths. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. We believe our culture benefits from a diversity of faith, a respect for values, and the guidance of a higher power. We believe in personal responsibility. We believe in the universality of freedom. We believe our Nation has the right to defend itself – even if others sometimes disagree. And we believe America remains a force for good in the world.”
“Over the past seven years, we engaged the opposition with a clear and consistent philosophy.”
On applying our philosophy to the economy:
“We applied our philosophy on issues relating to our economic prosperity. When I took office, we inherited a recession – and we took decisive action. We were guided by this principle: the best way to help our economy grow is to leave money in the hands of those responsible for our prosperity: the American people. With your support, we passed one of the largest tax cuts in American history – and then we cut taxes again…Our critics wanted a different approach. They believed the best way to help the economy was to keep tax dollars in Washington and expand the size and scope of the federal government.”
“…[T]he tax cuts we passed contributed to a record 52 months of job creation. They helped produce strong economic growth – and the increased revenues from that growth have put us on track to a balanced budget by 2012. Here’s the bottom line: tax relief works. Now we must act decisively again. We are in a period of economic uncertainty. We are working with Congress to pass a short-term economic growth package, and I thank Members of Congress for their efforts on this legislation. This bill reflects our principles. It is pro-growth. It is robust. And it will get money into the hands of American workers and businesses.”
“On matters relating to our economy, our record is clear. You and I succeeded in cutting taxes. We are reducing wasteful spending. On these issues, both sides have made their case. The results are in. And they are proving us right.”
On applying our philosophy to moral issues:
“We applied our philosophy to questions affecting the moral fabric of our Nation. We believe that all human life is precious and deserves to be protected. In 2001, I had a grave decision to make on the question of embryonic stem cell research. I believed we could empower scientists and researchers to discover cures for terrible diseases – without crossing a moral line. So I authorized research on existing stem cell lines, and stood against any effort to use federal tax dollars to support the destruction of human life. Our critics had a different view. They thought our defense of life was short-sighted and harmful.”
“Then last November, scientists announced a landmark achievement. They found a way to reprogram adult skin cells to act like embryonic stem cells. This discovery has the potential to end the divisive debate over stem cell research. And it will allow us to expand the frontiers of medicine, while maintaining a culture of life.”
“When I took office, our society was also grappling with a troubling rate of drug use among our children…So in 2002, I set our country on an ambitious goal: to cut drug use among young people by 25 percent over five years. Critics didn’t think that was possible.”
“We stood our ground. We worked with international partners to interdict drugs into our country. We increased funds for drug treatment programs. We helped move drug addicts from a culture of victimization to a culture of responsibility. And we got results. Since I took office, the overall use of illicit drugs by young people has dropped by 24 percent…
On matters relating to America’s moral compass, we defended human life. We promoted strong families. We confronted the crippling cycle of drug dependency. We challenged the critics…Both sides made their case. The results are in. And they are proving us right.”
On applying our philosophy to national security:
“We have also applied our philosophy to issues of national security. Six-and-a-half years ago, our country faced the worst attack in our history. I understood immediately that we would have to act boldly to protect the American people. So we have gone on the offense – and stayed on the offense – against the extremists. We recognize that this is a war, not just a matter of law-enforcement. And we recognize that we are engaged in the decisive ideological struggle of our time.”
“Critics had a different view. One commentator said most Afghans would oppose an American invasion and fight the foreign occupiers.”
“We stood our ground – and we have seen the results…The Taliban was driven from power. The Afghan people braved threats of violence to elect a new president and a new parliament. Roads and hospitals are being built. Girls who were once forbidden to learn now go to school. America … our 25 NATO allies … and 15 partner nations are helping the Afghan people secure their country. And the Taliban, al Qaeda, and their allies are on the run. Afghanistan has a long road ahead, but they have a future that offers promise and hope. By standing with the Afghan people, we are helping millions claim their liberty. And we are working to ensure that Afghanistan will never again be a safe haven for those who want to attack America.”
“The war against America’s enemies also brought us to Iraq… Because we acted, 25 million Iraqis are free. We have seen them go to the polls and elect a representative government. We have also seen an enemy determined to roll back this progress through horrific acts of violence designed to pit Iraqis against one another. One year ago, things were not going well in that country…So we reviewed our strategy – and changed course. I sent reinforcements into the country in a dramatic policy shift that has become known as ‘the surge.’”
“Our critics had a different view. They looked at rising violence in Iraq and declared the war was lost. Some concluded the surge had failed before it had even fully begun…We stood our ground – and we are seeing the results…The progress in Iraq is fragile and there are tough days ahead. Yet even the enemy recognizes that they are on the wrong side of events. They are disheartened. They are demoralized. And they will be defeated.”
“As we fight the enemy overseas, we must also take measures to protect America. We must give our intelligence officials the tools they need to uncover terrorist plots and prevent new attacks. One of the most important tools is the ability to monitor terrorist communications. We need to know who the terrorists are talking to … what they are saying … and what they are planning. So Congress passed the Protect America Act. This law modernized an outdated surveillance law and closed dangerous gaps in our intelligence. Critics had a different view. One liberal interest group called the law “an end run around the Constitution.” Others falsely claimed law-enforcement officials wanted to ‘spy on Americans.’”
“We countered these critics – and stood our ground. Our ability to monitor the communications of terrorists overseas has helped us gain crucial intelligence on terrorist cells, and helped keep our country safe. The Protect America Act is working. The problem is that Congress set the law to expire one week from tomorrow – though the threat posed by al Qaeda will not end next week. Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in efforts to defend America. The time for temporary fixes has ended. Congress must pass this law – and they must pass it now.
“On matters of war and peace, we have taken the fight to our enemies abroad and are defending our people here at home. We are standing with new partners in Afghanistan and Iraq to help them build free nations. We refused to yield when the going got tough. And when the history of our actions is written, it will show that we were right.”
On the year ahead:
“I look forward to working with you this year. My energy is up, my spirit is high, and I intend to finish strong. In the meantime, we will elect a new President. We have had good debates and soon we will have a nominee who will carry the conservative banner into this election and beyond. The stakes in November are high. Prosperity and peace are in the balance. So with confidence in our vision and faith in our values, let us go forward … fight for victory … and keep the White House in 2008.”


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