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President Scolds Democrats' Inaction

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By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG, The New York Times

Published: October 18, 2007

WASHINGTON - A year after he pledged to find 'common ground' with the Democrats who now control Congress, President Bush on Wednesday delivered a scathing assessment of their performance, accusing lawmakers of dragging their feet on legislation ranging from trade deals and domestic surveillance to federal spending and children's health.

'We're now more than halfway through October, and the new leaders in Congress have had more than nine months to get things done for the American people,' Bush said in his opening remarks at a White House news conference. 'Unfortunately, they haven't managed to pass many important bills. Now the clock is winding down, and in some key areas Congress is just getting started.'

The news conference was timed to coincide with a showdown between Bush and congressional Democrats over federal spending and a children's health measure he has vetoed. At one point, the president complained bitterly that Democrats had failed to negotiate with him over the health bill, a different version of which had been advanced by the administration in its budget.

'We weren't dialed in,' he said, adding that he was using his veto pen because 'that's one way to ensure that I am relevant.'

When pressed about whether he felt he was losing leverage on Capitol Hill, the president quickly disagreed. 'Quite the contrary,' he said. 'I've never felt more engaged.'

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