United States President, Mr. George Bush, is billed to visit Nigeria as part of a weeklong tour of the three major regions of Africa.
Administration officials said the trip, billed for late January, is part of Bush’s plan to keep Africa on priority list of the next American president as he begins the last year of his administration. He is also expected to push for more funding and continuation of his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, one of the few fruits of his campaign promise of compassionate conservatism.
A White House official said Bush�s message during the trip will be: �I may not be here next year, but what we�re doing here needs to keep going.�
Critics have accused the Bush administration of abandoning Africa and doing little to assist the continent in both economic and health issues. In response, Washington had set up the controversial military command, known as AFRICOM, which has drawn further criticism that the administration only want to protect its oil interests.
Top administration officials are already counting down to the exit of President Bush. A big part of next year is already blocked out, in part, because of the three or more international summits that Bush needs to attend, as well as a jaunt to the summer Olympics in Beijing. Subtract two weeks for the national party conventions and time already looks short.
Aides said Bush�s political fundraising travel will be concentrated in the first quarter of the year, with much of his time spent going to party functions, including national campaign committee events out in the country. They said Bush is not welcome in every state and district but that they received a steady stream of invitation to fire up the base around the nation.
With Democrats planning to focus extensively on the economy for the remaining part of the year, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said a deal to freeze mortgage interest rates for many people in danger of defaulting was close to completion.
White House officials are considering additional relief for cash-strapped homeowners for debate early next year. In many ways, White House officials have already turned their attention to the final year of the Bush presidency.
Still bedeviled by the Democratic majority in Congress and saddled with the unpopular war in Iraq, even given the apparent security gains earned through Bush�s surge policy, presidential aides are realistic. They anticipate stalemates over Iraq funding, education, domestic spending and tax cuts.
Humbled by decisive defeats on immigration and Social Security earlier in the second term, the Bush team instead is looking for other areas of possible agreement, such as incremental changes to health care and new incentives for energy production.
�Our hope is that if we are proactive in pushing for good policy initiatives that are based on past successes, people will be reminded of earlier successes and any �legacy� implications will be a by-product,� one of the officials said.
�We are looking forward, not back,� he added.
Bush, however, still leaves no one in doubt that he is in charge as he called on Congress �to support our troops and to protect our citizens, prevent harmful tax increases and responsibly fund our government. They have just two weeks to go before they leave town again.
�That�s not really a lot of time to squeeze in nearly a year�s worth of unfinished business,� he said.