Reid: Bush speech overlooked global warming, crime, Katrina

RENO (AP) - President Bush is good at identifying problems, but not solving them, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday.

The Senate majority leader said he was especially disappointed that Bush's state of the union speech Tuesday night failed to address global warming, victims of hurricane Katrina or soaring crime rates.

"The world is caving in around us. The Antarctic is melting, glaciers in the Andes are melting," Reid said in a telephone interview with reporters.

"Crime is for the first time in a long time on the move upward. He should have talked about crime," the senator said. "It is long past time to stop talking about our problems and start working to solve them."

"Energy independence is a national security issue and an economic security issue. President Bush's goals for energy independence are commendable, but we now must get straight to work on a real national energy policy."

Reid said Bush spent much of his address justifying the war in Iraq, but barely mentioned the hurricane catastrophe on New Orleans.

"Katrina victims have been forgotten," he said. "We should be very careful about shipping a couple of billion dollars to Iraq and not taking care of our people here."

Reid also said Bush was ignoring the 70 percent of the American people who oppose the war in Iraq and the opinions of the generals on the ground who believe an increase in the number of troops will not work.

"Congress will not ignore this President's failed policy. His plan will receive an up-or-down vote in both the House and the Senate, and we will continue to hold him accountable for changing course in Iraq," he said.

In Nevada, Reid said he was optimistic about efforts to quash the radioactive waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

"I think we really are in pretty good shape, but our fight isn't over," he said. He said he does not oppose development of nuclear power, but said the question of radioactive waste needs to be resolved first.

On other topics, Reid said he was pleased that funding for Walker Lake remains in the agriculture bill pending in Congress.

"We're going to save Walker Lake," he said. "I feel better about Walker Lake than I ever have."

Reid said he was looking forward to returning to Nevada and Walker Lake next month.

"I miss coming home as much as I used to," he said.