Virginia Sen. James Webb, in the Democratic response to the State of the Union address, said President Bush must restore the nation’s income equality while changing course in Iraq.
Webb said Bush has to improve the economic prospects for middle-class Americans and bring U.S. combat forces home from Iraq without leaving behind chaos. “If he does, we will join him,” Webb said. “If he does not, we will be showing him the way.”
Bush laid out new plans to expand health-insurance coverage for the uninsured, overhaul immigration laws and encourage energy independence.
Webb said Democrats are hopeful Bush is serious about his domestic initiatives, while noting that Bush has pressed for energy independence before. He said the country needs “affirmative solutions” to end dependence on foreign oil.
His response, however, primarily focused on the economy and the war in Iraq. He said the nation must return to measuring economic progress “not with the numbers that come out of Wall Street, but with the living conditions that exist on Main Street.”
Webb called the war’s costs “staggering” and called for changes to war policy, including more regional diplomacy and an eventual withdrawal from the country.
