Bush Touts U.S. Strengths Despite Worries
By NEDRA PICKLER , 02.01.2006, 01:47 PM
http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/02/01/ap2492354.html"Our economy is the envy of the world," the president said. "And yet people are changing jobs a lot and there is competition from India and China, which creates some uncertainty. My worry is that people see that uncertainty and decide to adopt isolated policies, or protectionist policies."
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"It just wasn't credible to hear him talk about making America more secure and honoring our troops or making America energy independent or making health care more affordable without hearing him explain why he's done just the opposite for the last five years," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
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Bush spoke Wednesday from the stage of the jam packed Grand Ole Opry House. Country music stars including Barbara Mandrell, Larry Gatlin, Lee Greenwood, Lorrie Morgan and the Oak Ridge Boys warmed up the crowd under a sign that said "Americans Win When America Leads."
Outside, more than 100 protesters held up their own signs that said "No Confidence" and "No warrant, no wiretap, no W." That was a reference to Bush's much-debated secret program of eavesdropping on phone calls and e-mails in an attempt to sniff out terrorist plots, which he vigorously defended in his State of the Union address.