President Again Pitches His Plan to Trim Taxes

President Bush, telling Americans on Wednesday that they are safer now that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq has been dismantled, for the second day in a row touted his efforts to bolster the U.S. economy.

In a speech at a Boeing Co. plant that manufactures fighter jets, Bush remained unwilling to declare victory in Iraq, saying: “Our work is not done.” Nor did he mention the ongoing search by coalition forces for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. But, he stressed, other key goals had been accomplished.

Exuding a sense of vindication, Bush said: “Thanks to the courage and the might of our military, the American people are more secure. Thanks to the courage and might of our military, the Iraqi people are now free.”

In discussing the U.S. economy, the president was less upbeat.

“Too many of our fellow Americans are looking for work, and that bothers me,” Bush said.

Rather than offer any initiatives, however, the president noted that he had sent Congress a “jobs and growth” package that relies on tax cuts to revitalize the economy.

Summarizing his economic policy, Bush said: “It starts with letting you keep more of your money.”

The plan Bush unveiled earlier this year called for tax cuts totaling more than $725 billion over 11 years. But on Tuesday, in remarks at the White House, he all but conceded that congressional opposition makes it likely he will have to settle for less.

Bush and House Republican leaders now are pushing for a reduction of at least $550 billion. But even that amount may be unattainable; in the closely divided Senate, any tax cut higher than $350 billion will be tough to pass.

The president’s comments spotlighted his emerging efforts to harness his wartime popularity and use it to revitalize his domestic agenda. But his speech’s quick pivot from the economy to a focus on the war with Iraq and the global fight against terrorism underscored what public opinion polls show -- that his record on national security issues is his strong suit.

Democrats sought Wednesday to return attention to the domestic front, reiterating their criticism that Bush’s tax cut plan is skewed to the affluent. Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, who represents a St. Louis-based district and is seeking his party’s 2004 presidential nomination, characterized the president’s proposal as “unaffordable, unsustainable and deeply unfair.”

“After two short years [in office], he has taken us right back to the broken policies of the past,” Gephardt said.

Before leaving Washington for the Midwest, Bush signed the $79-billion supplemental appropriations bill that Congress passed last week. It provides initial funding for the war and its aftermath. It also includes almost $3 billion in aid for the struggling airline industry, spending that the White House opposed.

Some Democrats took note of that position in reacting to Bush’s speech.

“It is amazing that after fighting against aid for Boeing workers, the president is showing up at their doorstep to praise them,” said one of them, Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who sponsored a provision in the war-spending bill to extend unemployment benefits another 26 weeks for aviation workers. “While they certainly deserve recognition for their work, they also deserve our support.”

The unemployment rate for the airline industry is three times the national average.

Chicago-based Boeing is the world’s largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jets and military aircraft, with a total workforce of nearly 165,000 in 46 states and 70 countries. But the company has slashed 30,000 jobs, and it said it would eliminate an additional 5,000 positions soon -- mostly in the commercial airplane group. About 250 workers at the 13,000-employee plant in St. Louis recently received layoff notices, officials said.

The workers who gathered to hear Bush gave him a rousing welcome. And the president at times seemed ebullient. After finishing his remarks, as he prepared to get down from the stage to shake hands with some workers, he uncharacteristically blew a kiss to a group off to one side.

In his speech, Bush lavishly praised defense workers and the state-of-the-art weapons they produce: “We’ve applied the new powers of technology ... to strike an enemy force with speed and incredible precision.”

More than ever, he said, that precision “is protecting the lives of our soldiers and the lives of innocent civilians.”

He added: “In this new era of warfare, we can target a regime, not a nation.... Terrorists and tyrants have now been put on notice, they can no longer feel safe hiding behind innocent lives.

“Two weeks ago, the Iraqi regime operated a gulag for dissidents, and incredibly enough, a prison for young children. Now the gates to that prison have been thrown wide open.... One week ago, Baghdad was filled with statues and giant pictures of the dictator. They’re kind of hard to find today,” he added, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

The president’s visit was his 10th to Missouri, a key swing state in presidential elections that he narrowly carried in 2000. The only two states he has visited more often as president are Pennsylvania and Florida.

After his stop, Bush flew to Texas, where he is to spend a long weekend with family and friends at his ranch near Crawford. Except for a sunrise church service on Easter Sunday, the president has no scheduled public appearances. He plans to return to the White House on Monday.

Times staff writer Ronald Brownstein contributed to this report.