Results matter more. Bush has gotten the result of another round of puppy love from the shill media, and he may get a small, temporary, but ballyhooed bounce in the polls. But this is in no way guaranteed. But any expectation of more than that is just more fantasy as government. These words were to shore up the base and stimulate the press, the likelihood of much of any reality actually following the outline of Bush's speech is much more dependent on outside factors than the efforts of Bush.
I just saw Timmeh Russert on NBC say that the NSA wiretap issue is going to the courts. Of course. This country needs the news media to quit focusing on what Bush says, or even what Congress says, about the end around FISA, and get them to focus on the legal issue. Period. Bush can hang as many scare tactic names on the program as he wants, but the courts will determine whether he and his administration broke the law. Let's get to it.
Will Republicans run with Bush, or try to focus on their differences, in 2006? The next couple of months are critical for Bush, because if he doesn't show considerable polling progress, Republican candidates for office are going to have to make a very tough decision on that. Nothing will bring Bush down further and faster politically faster than to have members of his own party taking apart his administration.
Bush hit a home run with his base with the Alito confirmation. He's now had his biggest scheduled prime time bully pulpit opportunity of the year. He was in bad enough shape that he needed to have them on the same day to buck up his party. But now what? How's he going to cheer his party up when the next secret door of major fuckups is opened?