State's senators, representatives give qualified praise

MIKE MADDEN, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE

Originally published Wednesday, January 30, 2002

WASHINGTON -- No matter what members of the Senate thought of President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night, the real highlight of the night might have been the salmon.

Washington state Democrats Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell teamed up with Secretary of the Senate Jeri Thompson, a Wenatchee native, to engineer an Evergreen State-themed dinner for senators and their spouses before the address, featuring everything from poached Chinook to Mount Rainier cherries to Starbucks coffee.

"Traditionally, the secretary of the Senate provides the State of the Union dinner," Murray said. "This year, Washington state is providing the secretary of the Senate."

As for Bush's speech, in which he touted the accomplishments of the war in Afghanistan, promised to bolster security on the home front -- including border security -- and pressed his economic agenda, the state's lawmakers said they stood firmly behind him on the conduct of the war.

"President Bush was resolute in conveying the conviction of the American people to remain united in the war against terrorism," Cantwell said. "I was pleased to the hear details of the president's homeland security initiative, particularly his plans to strengthen border security. A strong northern border is critical both for our security and our economy."

But she and other Democratic lawmakers warned that they would watch his economic policies to make sure they help lift the country out of recession.

"Families are struggling with job loss, with health care needs and with their retirement savings," Murray said. "In fact, 37,000 men and women in Washington state have lost their jobs since President Bush gave his last State of the Union address. ... We need an economic stimulus that will provide immediate help to the men and women who have been laid off."

Most of the speech, though, won bipartisan approval. Bush spoke of a national resurgence of responsibility and duty and called on Americans to join a new USA Freedom Corps, sort of a domestic version of the Peace Corps.

One of first lady Laura Bush's guests for the speech was Puyallup resident Renae Chapman, widow of Sgt. Nathan Chapman, the first U.S. soldier killed by hostile fire in Afghanistan. Nathan Chapman, a Green Beret based at Fort Lewis, was killed in an ambush Jan. 4 near the town of Khost.

Rep. Brian Baird, a Democrat whose district includes Olympia, praised many of Bush's initiatives and ideas, but said he is worried about how much the new programs would cost.

"This is going to be very expensive, and we need to be honest with the American people about how much it's going to cost and where that money will come from," Baird said.

Trent Matson, a building industry lobbyist from Olympia who is challenging Baird, said: "I was very encouraged; I was encouraged by the bipartisan spirit that President Bush showed, his commitment to bringing finality to the war and being very clear that it will take time."

The prospect of deficit spending also worried Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat whose district stretches from north of Olympia through Tacoma.

"Is it really sacrificing to put it all on the credit card for future generations?" Smith said. "We've done that before."

On the Web:

- White House

- Text of President Bush's State of the Union address

- Sound Off at TheOlympian.com: State of the Union topics

- Give officials your opinion. Click here for contact information.

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