Bush Tour to Swing West

WASHINGTON —  Officially, the Iraq war isn’t over, and President Bush’s campaign for reelection hasn’t begun. But neither detail is deterring Bush from making two California appearances next week that look suspiciously like a victory lap in San Diego and a campaign-style speech in Santa Clara.

The president is scheduled to land in San Diego on Thursday and then fly by helicopter out to sea to address troops aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, which is returning after nearly nine months in the Persian Gulf region.

Bush plans to spend the night aboard the carrier and then depart the next morning for Silicon Valley -- before the vessel reaches the port of San Diego, because he does not want to be a distraction from the happy family reunions when the ship docks.

“That way the families can be reunited as quickly as possible without delay,” White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said.

Depending on the situation in Iraq, Bush could use his address aboard the Lincoln to declare a cessation of hostilities with that country, White House officials said Friday.

The president has said he would declare victory only on the advice of Gen. Tommy Franks of the U.S. Central Command. Fleischer told reporters Friday that Bush “has not received that final report from Gen. Franks yet.”

When that time comes, though, Fleischer said, Bush would share his thoughts with Americans “about the mission, what was accomplished in the mission, that the combat phase of the operation has come to a conclusion, and that a new phase, the reconstruction of freedom, is beginning.”

In Santa Clara, Bush will deliver an address on the war and the economy -- the two issues he spotlighted during appearances in Ohio on Thursday, at a ball-bearing plant and at a tank factory.

As the president heads into what the White House expects to be a hotly contested reelection bid, Bush is likely to continue focusing on the economy and the war on terrorism.

“He is building a bridge from the war in Iraq to the 2004 presidential election,” said Stuart Rothenberg, an independent political analyst.

Rothenberg added: “And he’s looking for points of overlap -- so when he goes to Ohio to talk about the tax cut, he does it at an Abrams tank factory.

“He’s looking for opportunities to link the two, whether explicitly or in people’s minds. The underlying message is: This is a hands-on president who has succeeded in one area and can succeed in another -- if we just stick with him.”

Before heading to California -- for his first visit to the state since late August -- Bush plans to make a day trip to Dearborn, Mich., on Monday to meet with Arab Americans, including Iraqi Americans.

In a round-table discussion as well as in a public speech, the president intends to articulate “an optimistic vision of a liberated Iraq, and how Iraq can live in peace with its neighbors and become representative of an Islamic democracy,” Fleischer said.

Bush also will encourage his audience “to do everything they can to make the future of Iraq a strong and free and prosperous and democratic future.”

From Santa Clara next Friday, Bush will head for his ranch near Crawford, Texas, for the weekend. There, he will play host to Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

On Saturday, the two leaders are scheduled to meet with reporters.