WASHINGTON -- Facing a hostile Congress and a nation that views him as a failed leader, President Bush held firm Tuesday proclaiming in the State of the Union address that the country is on the right course in Iraq and secure and prosperous at home.

"This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in," Bush said during the nationally televised address, his first State of the Union since Democrats took over control of Congress.

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	President Bush greets House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as he arrives to deliver his annual State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress and the nation Tuesday night. The new Democratic majority gave the president a polite response.

"On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. So let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory."

But while Bush did not directly acknowledge mistakes in Iraq, he noted the changing nature of the battle by referring to the sectarian fighting that has destabilized the country, imperiled Iraq's elected government and placed U.S. soldiers in the middle of a civil war.

"Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned and our own security at risk," he said.

The 49-minute speech was the sixth edition of his annual address to the nation and this time it was delivered in the most difficult environment of Bush's political career. His approval ratings are at historic lows, with fresh polls released this week showing that less than a third of the nation approves of his performance.

With public approval ranging from 28 percent to 36 percent depending on the poll, only two presidents have been less popular as they delivered a State of the Union -- Richard Nixon in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal and Harry Truman in 1952 during the Korean War.

Bush congratulated Democrats for regaining the majority in both the House and Senate, a change triggered by the deep unpopularity of the war in Iraq.

"Some in this chamber are new to the House and Senate -- and I congratulate the Democrat majority. Congress has changed, but our responsibilities have not," Bush said.

If Bush's goal was to soften opposition and foster a new and better relationship with Democrats, reactions after the speech suggest he failed.

"I was kind of stunned," Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., said. "It was a long speech but it was page seven or eight before he even mentioned Iraq. He didn't address the real issue: the Iraq war and how we'll get out of it. This guy didn't learn anything from the election."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., echoed those views, saying Bush's failure to change left him "even more isolated. He really didn't reach out to Democrats at all."

Republicans, meanwhile locked arms with the president or chose to focus on other parts of the speech.

Neither GOP Reps. Dave Reichert nor Cathy McMorris mentioned Iraq in post-speech comments. McMorris highlighted Bush's comments on energy independence and health. Reichert noted Bush's pledge to increase the military by 92,000 soldiers and his commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS.

Reichert and Murray both criticized Bush for not mentioning veterans once in a speech that ran 15 pages. "I'd like to see a greater emphasis on meeting their needs, particularly in light of the ever-increasing number of young veterans," Reichert said.

With such low popularity, Bush used the first half of his speech outlining an assortment of domestic priorities. In one of the few bipartisan touches, he noted that Nancy Pelosi of California made history by becoming the first female speaker of the House.

Bush sought to divert attention from Iraq by outlining a long list of initiatives ranging from combating malaria to lowering health care costs to improving education and tackling immigration. One issue he didn't mention was the devastation of New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina 17 months ago.

Bush staked out new -- and more detailed -- ground for lessening the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

Bush said he wants to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent over the next 10 years. The goal would be achieved by increasing automobile fuel economy, increasing the production of alternative fuels to 35 billion gallons by 2017 and pursuing "innovative ideas" to reduce traffic congestion.

The goal is a reversal for Bush. Last year, the White House opposed an initiative led by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., calling for a 40 percent reduction in gasoline consumption by 2020. That goal was supported by 42 other senators.

Yet as popular as energy conservation is, Bush also called for increasing domestic production, which is certain to reopen the bitter fight over the future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

Bush also called on Congress to renew the No Child Left Behind Act, his signature attempt to strengthen public education.

From there, he ticked off a basketful of initiatives designed to restore his popularity.

They included tax code changes to encourage more people not covered by medical insurance to buy a plan and to discourage others from keeping the most costly health care plans.

The plan would consider employer-financed health care to be a taxable benefit. But it also calls for a $7,500 tax deduction per individual and $15,000 per family. The White House said 80 percent of workers with health insurance through their jobs would see a tax cut. But about 20 percent -- or 30 million workers -- would see a tax increase because those workers' health insurance costs more than the standard deduction.

His proposal for sending 21,500 troops to Iraq to quell rampant violence has drawn sharp opposition.

Sensing the opposition and his isolation, Bush, the once resolute president who seldom sought advice from Congress, pleaded with lawmakers to reserve judgment on his Iraq plan.

"I ask you to give it a chance to work," he said.

Bush's hopes aren't likely to be realized. Various members of Congress -- Democratic and Republican -- have already prepared resolutions denouncing the troop buildup.

"Every decision they've made (about the war) was wrong and this seems like more of the same," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., referring to Bush and his advisers.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., an influential moderate, said: "He didn't say anything he hadn't said before. He did not address our concerns."

And in the Democrats' response to the State of the Union, the party showed little willingness to back off its criticism.

"The president took us into this war recklessly," James Webb, a newly elected Democratic senator from Virginia, said.

A former Republican and Navy secretary under Ronald Reagan, Webb insisted that the administration be held accountable. Bush, he said, disregarded many warnings about Iraq.

"We need a new direction," he said.

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