Bush's Final Year

"Those plans, however, face significant challenges, not the least of which are Bush's approval ratings and his ability to take national attention away from those campaigning to replace him. . . .

"Bush and his aides appear to be making a concerted effort to keep the president's agenda before the public, scheduling a trip for Monday, when Bush will lay out his plans personally."

But as Gardner notes, "the trip is likely to run up against coverage of the Iowa caucuses tomorrow and the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday."

John D. McKinnon writes in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that Gillespie described a new push for congressional action to shore up the troubled housing market.

"Gillespie told reporters that the president wants Congress to do more to 'help make the market more stable.' The administration sees 'an opportunity for bipartisan consensus' on a housing initiative, despite the feuding that erupted last year between the Republican White House and the Democratic House and Senate over issues including the Iraq war, health care, and spending for parks and museums."

McKinnon explains: "Shoring up public sentiment on the economy -- especially the battered housing sector -- could be vital to staving off a recession as Mr. Bush enters his last year in office. Pollsters say many people who aren't directly affected by rising defaults on subprime-mortgage loans are feeling the effects anyway, as they see the values of their homes drift downward. Even if Mr. Bush fails to get much more action out of lawmakers, White House pressure could help Republicans' political fortunes by reinforcing negative public perceptions of inaction in the Democratic-led Congress."

Gillespie "suggested that Mr. Bush also will make a push for energy-policy changes. . . . A possible focus this time is opening controversial new supply sources such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the outer continental shelf. . . .

"'I think we've reached a way of working with Congress that does get results for the American people,' Mr. Gillespie said, reflecting on the spate of legislation that Congress passed in December. 'It's not always pretty, but it does get results that I think are beneficial.'"

For more on Bush's way of working with Congress, see my Dec. 13 column, Congress Goes Belly Up.

And budget expert Stan Collender blogs his predictions for the coming year: "As they did this past year, the Bush administration and congressional Republicans won't allow congressional Democrats to do much of anything so that the Dems can't get credit for making it happen. Democrats will have a majority but won't have either the 60 votes to stop a filibuster in the Senate or the 2/3 vote need to overcome a veto. The White House, meanwhile, will continue to insist that the economy is fine because the president's policies have made it so.

"Unless there's a clear economic crisis that everyone agrees is happening which provides the political cover elected officials need to move away from their established positions, the only thing we're likely to see from the White House, House, and Senate this year as far as the economy is concerned are pious statements and lots of hearings that place the blame elsewhere and don't lead to anything actually happening."

Rovelessness Watch

Jon Ward writes in The Washington Times: "President Bush is benefiting from a Karl Rove-free White House and the lower-profile approach of his successor, who high-ranking Republican Party activists and operatives say helped the administration to key victories at the end of last year.