Bush's Third Term
The president hopes to put 2005 behind him--starting with the State of the Union
On a personal level, Bush is described by aides as upbeat and eager to get started on the 2006 agenda. He got to spend a week relaxing with his family at the Texas ranch over the holidays and hosted close friends such as former Commerce Secretary Don Evans and other old pals from Midland, Dallas, and Austin. The president continues to draw strength from his wife and his daughters, all of whom he wants to travel with him as often as possible from now on--a wish that might start with his scheduled trip to India and Pakistan in early March.
"He feels very good about where we are and where we're heading," says a senior White House adviser. "He is sure of what we're doing in Iraq and with the war on terror and with the economy." Ever the optimist, George W. Bush believes that if he sticks to his guns and demonstrates Lincolnesque resolve, everything will turn out just fine.
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