Bush Warns Against Merely Political Bills

President Bush, facing a Democratic-controlled Congress for the first time, is urging lawmakers to work with his administration and warning that "political statements" in the form of legislation would result in a stalemate.

"Together, we have a chance to serve the American people by solving the complex problems that many don't expect us to tackle, let alone solve, in the partisan environment of today's Washington," Bush wrote in a guest column for today's Wall Street Journal. "To do that, however, we can't play politics as usual. Democrats will control the House and Senate, and therefore we share the responsibility for what we achieve."

Bush, while sounding a tone of bipartisanship on the eve of the new session of Congress that begins Thursday, repeated long-held positions on the war in Iraq, tax cuts and other issues often criticized by Democrats. He has vetoed only one bill, but he reminded readers that the Constitution calls on the president to use his judgment in deciding which bills to sign into law.

"If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate," Bush wrote. "If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation. We can show the American people that Republicans and Democrats can come together to find ways to help make America a more secure, prosperous and hopeful society."

Bush planned to meet with his Cabinet today to discuss domestic priorities and to court about a dozen members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, at a social reception tonight. The schedule represents Bush's official return to work after a Christmas vacation at his Texas ranch.