I can see clearly now

From the New York Times for December 26, in an article on Republican strategy for 2004:

But Mr. Bush, some of his own strategists and advisers said, has a long way to go if he wants to avoid being portrayed as a divisive figure who motivates Democrats to vote against him. As a result, the White House is considering using the State of the Union address to propose a big new national goal that would not be partisan or ideological and would help rally the country behind Mr. Bush's leadership, an outside adviser to the administration said. The possibilities floated by the White House include a major initiative for the space program or an ambitious health care goal like increasing life expectancies.

"They want to have the president talk about an important national goal that is big and a unifying theme," the adviser said.

Back on December 8, I commented on a Washington Post article touching on the same idea. That article lead me to conclude that

these notions are being tossed around not because anyone there thinks they're good ideas or even, it appears, that they have any intention of pursuing them, but just because they will look good.

What was implicit then is explicit now. As I said at the time, "the utter scumminess of this crew continues to boggle."