National, state and local politicians’ reactions to President Bush’s State of the Union address focused largely on foreign policy and health care.

Eileen Dubin, Chair of the DeKalb County Democrats, was disappointed, yet not surprised, by the president’s speech. Her response to the president’s platform on the Iraq war was succinct: The president used the fear card to bolster support because it’s the only area where he polls well, she said.

Republican-70th District State Sen. Bob Pritchard stressed the importance of foreign policy for different reasons.

“The largest industry in Illinois is agriculture, which depends on the world market where there can be free trade,” Pritchard said. Thinking locally, Pritchard considered the economic implications of foreign policy to be preeminent.

Bush discussed American dependence on foreign oil, health care and said the country needs to be a foreign policy leader for stronger homeland security.

“America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world. The best way to break this addiction is through technology,” Bush said.

The president’s comments did not sit well with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

“[President Bush] identified America’s addiction to oil, but ignored his administration’s addiction to oil-industry giveaways that won’t free us from our dependence on fossil fuels,” Obama said in an e-mailed response.

Others mentioned moving away from foreign oil could bode well for Illinois, a large producer of ethanol.

“We have a competitive advantage in Illinois,” Pritchard said. “We use corn for ethanol production, and we can also use the by-product as livestock feed.”

Discussion then moved to the country’s health care system.

“Our government has a responsibility to help provide health care for the poor and the elderly, and we are meeting that responsibility,” Bush said.

Congressional democrats like Obama were frustrated with President Bush’s health care policies.

The President barely mentioned his health care plan for people who can already afford health care, ignoring bold, bipartisan proposals that can guarantee affordable and available health care for every American, Obama said.

Pritchard also expressed some disagreement with Bush’s confidence in the capability of America’s health care system.

A growing accessibility problem exists and the state’s fiscal policy of delaying payments is limiting providers, Pritchard said.

“Federal dollars are helping, but we are not fulfilling our commitments,” he said.

Confronting potential backfire, Bush attempted to demonstrate the need for domestic spying techniques with a detailed defense. Essentially, spying on Americans is needed to keep them safe, he said.

Dubin said the argument fails because domestic spying threatens civil liberties with no tangible outcomes.