What to look for in Bush's speech

President Bush delivers his sixth State of the Union message tonight facing the toughest time of his presidency, with low poll numbers, an increasingly bloody and unpopular war, and a Congress controlled by Democrats. The 6 p.m. PST speech will be shown on the major networks and cable-news channels. Some things to look for:

A first

Bush will undoubtedly begin his address by mentioning, among other assembled dignitaries, "Madam Speaker" — the first female speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Fewer words

Aides say the speech will be shorter than in the past and with a tighter "laundry list" of policy initiatives — energy, health-care reform, immigration, education — that the president thinks Democrats might support. His first six addresses averaged about 54 minutes.

Iraq

Bush will likely try to counteract negative reaction to his Iraq plan, delivered in a nationally televised speech Jan. 10, by reiterating that it's part of a war on terror that will make Americans safer. That contention will come during a foreign-policy passage in which Bush will also tout U.S. humanitarian efforts abroad.

Possible successors

No fewer than 17 politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, have publicly staked a claim to succeed Bush in two years. TV cameras will no doubt pan to several in the audience tonight, most prominently Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.