Bush says speech will 'elevate tone' in capital

Even as what promises to be a bitter battle for control of Capitol Hill in the 2006 elections begins to take shape, President Bush Monday signaled he will strike a conciliatory tone in Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Bush indicated he will use the speech to try to revive his effort to "change the tone" in Washington, which he launched early in his administration but addressed less and less as his presidency continued.

"One of the things I will do is call for Congress and the executive branch to have a good, honest dialogue, but to speak candidly with each other, but to do so in a way that brings credit to the process," said Bush, who spoke to reporters today following a meeting with his Cabinet called to discuss the speech. "I'll do my best to elevate the tone here in Washington, D.C., so we can work together to achieve big things for the American people," Bush said.

As part of his effort to promote initiatives in the speech, Bush will give what the White House describes as four major policy speeches -- one each week starting Thursday in Maplewood, Minn. Each speech will focus on a different issue or proposal outlined in Tuesday's address.

The topics remain officially under wraps, but White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan signaled that the subjects are themes Bush has emphasized in recent days, including the cost of health care and decreasing dependence on foreign sources of energy. Bush recently has also repeatedly called for Congress to make tax cuts passed earlier in his administration permanent.

The State of the Union speech stands at 36 minutes without applause, slightly less than White House officials were clocking the remarks at last year. McClellan said to expect "some bold initiatives."

Bush will travel to Nashville, Tenn., Wednesday and make appearances Friday in Albuquerque, N.M., and Dallas.