Bush Says, Bring It On; the Critics Will

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That's a theme Americans will hear again and again leading up to the State of the Union address, which officials say will position Bush as a "strong and decisive leader," prosecuting the war on terrorism as he reins in spending at home and spreads democracy around the world. "It's Bush as Churchill, Bush as Reagan and Goldwater and Bush as Woodrow Wilson," says a presidential adviser. But when civil liberties are involved, inviting historic comparisons can be a dangerous business. "This is an Administration," says Leahy, "that has tried to bypass courts and the legal procedures more than any since Richard Nixon."