President Basking in Victories

Buoyed by several big wins in Congress this week, President Bush on Friday proclaimed he is demonstrating that “a new tone, a clear agenda and active leadership can bring significant progress to the nation’s capital.”

On the eve of departing for his ranch near Crawford, Texas, for the rest of August, Bush delivered a brief, self-congratulatory speech in the Rose Garden, with Vice President Dick Cheney at his side and a beaming Cabinet arrayed behind him.

“We’re ending deadlock and drift,” the president said as he recited a list of accomplishments, topped by passage of the sweeping tax cut in the spring.

Left unmentioned by Bush were the difficult days that followed, as his administration struggled to regain momentum after Democrats took control of the Senate and even the Republican House rebuffed him on a series of environmental issues.

And comments Friday by Democratic congressional leaders underscored that, while the tax cut became law, on several other fronts Bush’s claim to have moved Washington beyond the politics of stalemate may be premature.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), referring to the House’s passage Thursday night of the version of a patients’ rights bill preferred by Bush, said, “The president had a victory last night. But I think it was a Pyrrhic victory.”

Daschle and other Democrats reiterated their strong opposition to the constraints the House bill would place on lawsuits against health insurance plans. A Democrat-backed bill passed in June, while similar in many ways to the House bill, would give patients much broader legal rights. And the dispute on this key issue makes it uncertain if a final patients’ rights bill will emerge.

Still, Bush is leaving town on a high note, in part because he changed tactics in dealing with Congress: Instead of trying to win votes simply through charm, he twisted arms and resorted to a tough sell.

The result was key victories earlier this week in the House not only on the patients’ rights legislation but also for his controversial energy plan. And Bush received more good news Friday as the Senate reversed itself on a farm aid package in the face of his threatened veto.

Led by Daschle, the Senate was pushing for aid totaling $7.5 billion. But shortly before breaking for their summer recess, senators bowed to Bush’s will and accepted the House’s $5.5-billion version of the measure.

“The gun was held to our heads and the White House refused to compromise,” said Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

As approved, the bill included $176.6 million for California farmers; the broader bill would have provided $229.3 million. Looking ahead, Bush said Friday that upon returning to Washington he intends to launch a personal crusade emphasizing community spirit and family values.

“I’ll be proposing creative ways to tackle some of the toughest problems in our society,” he said, offering a sneak preview.

The plan, known as “Communities of Character,” calls for Bush to offer suggestions on matters ranging from school safety and civic involvement to teen pregnancy and gang prevention.

In comments that echoed the “compassionate conservative” theme of his 2000 campaign, Bush said, “We must take the side of parents trying to raise responsible, motivated and moral children. We must help disadvantaged Americans find opportunity in ownership and the tools to succeed in our free economy. We must show that our welcoming society values the ideals and contributions of immigrants. We must challenge Americans to be citizens, not spectators, in the renewal of their neighborhoods and their cities.”

Today, Bush is scheduled to undergo his first physical as president at the Naval Hospital in nearby Bethesda, Md. He then plans to leave for Texas for his 1,600-acre Prairie Chapel Ranch just outside of Crawford, a sun-baked crossroads town near Waco.

In addition to reviewing the highlights of his first 6 1/2 months in office, Bush took note of the challenges awaiting him and Congress later this year. “There’s much more to do,” he acknowledged. “In September, the second stage of our work begins.”

Along with the difficult negotiations that await concerning the patients’ rights legislation, a variety of compromises remain to be worked out on an education reform bill that is on Bush’s priority list.

Also, portions of the House-adopted energy bill, such as expanded oil drilling in Alaska’s wilderness, face strong opposition in the Senate. And Bush’s faith-based initiative to direct more federal funds to religious organizations for social services could end up stalled in the Senate.

Looming over these issues is a shrinking budget surplus that virtually ensures a contentious appropriation process as lawmakers and the president haggle over spending priorities.

Anticipating projections by government analysts in a few weeks that the budget surplus will be far smaller than previously predicted, Bush sought Friday to cast the most favorable light on the issue. “We’re on our way to the second-largest surplus in history,” he said.

But with an eye toward the spending battles ahead, Bush warned that “Congress must live within the generous limits of our budget. Irresponsible spending is a threat to our economy and a threat to the essential functions of our government. . . . The Congress, through its budget resolution, has given its word on spending. So far, Congress has kept its word. And it must continue to do so.”

Although Bush intends to keep a lighter-than-usual schedule until Labor Day weekend, senior White House officials termed his stay in Texas a “working vacation.”

He will continue to receive his daily (except Sundays) national security briefings. Also on Bush’s calendar are some short trips around the country; plans call for stops in Colorado, New Mexico, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

He also will ponder several major decisions. Chief among them are a new immigration policy and whether to allow federal funding for stem cell research. White House aides have hinted that Bush will announce his funding decision concerning the controversial research issue before month’s end.

Almost immediately upon returning to Washington, Bush will host Mexican President Vicente Fox, the first foreign leader to meet with Bush for a state visit.