The Viagra Solution--Bush to Keep Economy Hard for Another Year

President Considers A Boost to Economy State of Union Speech May Detail Proposal

By Peter Baker Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, January 4, 2008; A03

With the price of oil hovering near $100 a barrel and overall economic anxiety on the rise, President Bush said yesterday that he may use his upcoming State of the Union address to propose a stimulus package intended to promote growth and shore up weak parts of the economy.

Forecasting his priorities as he enters his final full year in office, Bush said he is soliciting ideas from advisers about ways to address particular economic troubles. However, he did not commit to taking new action amid an internal administration debate about whether and how the government could influence the situation.

"In terms of any stimulus package, we're considering all options, and I probably won't make up my mind as to whether or not I lay one out until the State of the Union," Bush told the Reuters news agency in an interview. He added: "We are listening t…