Bush focusing on final 18 months in office

Energy legislation, education and health coverage on the agenda

With over a year and a half still left in his second term, President Bush must shrug off some recent losses and move forward.

WASHINGTON - President Bush likes big ideas. Yet his second term shows the risk - big collapses.

He lost his bid Thursday to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws, just as he had to shelve his attempt to reshape Social Security earlier. Bush had begun his second term talking boldly of ending tyranny in the world, but the bloodshed in Iraq has narrowed his focus and turned much of the country against him.

So what’s left? Plenty, his advisers say, even though this latest loss clearly hurt.
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Expect Bush to spend his time pushing energy legislation to promote alternative fuels, an education law that stands firm on standardized testing and health coverage for the uninsured.

“I think there are a lot of opportunities left this year, and next year, to get some important things done,” said the president’s counselor, Ed Gillespie. Both he and Sullivan and are among the new additions to Bush’s staff, key advisers who will be counted on to infuse ideas and energy where the administration might otherwise be slumping toward the finish.
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Meanwhile, the clear theme coming from the White House on Thursday was a message to Congress: Don’t spend long gloating over Bush’s immigration loss, because voters want results.

“Congress really needs to prove to the American people that it can come together on hard issues,” Bush admonished.