Bush banks on home initiatives to offset Iraq effect

US president George Bush is hoping to take the sting out of the impending criticism of his Iraq policy with a high-profile invitation to co-operate on vexing domestic problems when he delivers his first State of the Union address to a Democratic-controlled Congress.

In the speech before a joint session of Congress, early tomorrow morning Irish time, Bush plans to dangle ideas, some new, some recycled, on reducing the US' energy dependence and making healthcare more available.