State of the Union preview
By Wolf Blitzer
CNN
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President Bush prepares for Tuesday's State of the Union address in the Family Theater of the White House on Monday.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Bush will mince no words tonight in making clear his opposition to gay marriage.
It's an issue sure to win support among his conservative base.
A senior administration official says Mr. Bush will cite the 1996 Defense of Marriage Law passed during the Clinton administration, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
The official suggests Mr. Bush will warn that if "unelected judges" continue to chip away at that law, as recently done in Massachusetts, he will have to take a closer look at "the constitutional process" -- an implied threat of a constitutional amendment.
But the president's references Tuesday night to his recently announced immigration reform proposals are not likely to please that same conservative base.
According to a senior administration official, the president will defend his proposal to permit some of the eight to twelve million undocumented workers to receive work permits.
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The president will to explain in some detail why he believes the policy is compassionate, humane and good for the economy.
On foreign policy, the president is to strongly defend the war in Iraq and the broader war against terrorism. He will stress the United States remains at war right now but will insist progress is being made.
In citing the benefits from the Iraqi war, he is expected to welcome Libya's decision to destroy its weapons of mass destruction program -- a decision, he will suggest, influenced by the demise of Saddam Hussein's regime.
And he will also call on other nations, including Iran and North Korea, to follow the Libyan example.
The Democratic presidential candidates had their forum to attack President Bush Monday night in Iowa. Tuesday, the president will strike back, and defend his overall record, including his series of tax cuts.
The speech -- with applause -- is expected to last for about an hour, and aides say it roughly will be equally divided between domestic and national security issues.
