Pitt Faculty Available to Comment on Whether President Bush's State of the Union Address Can Fill Political and Policy Gaps

PITTSBURGH-Five University of Pittsburgh faculty members are available to comment on the likely political and policy highlights of President Bush's State of the Union address prior to its delivery tomorrow and then on the delivered speech's effectiveness. The Pitt faculty members can discuss both what the president needs to say to meet his political goals-from reaching out to Democrats in Congress to dealing with Middle East challenges-and whether the speech, once given, has lived up to expectations.

Rhetorical Effectiveness of the Speech

David C. Barker, associate professor and director of graduate studies in Pitt's Department of Political Science, says, "It will be interesting to see the degree to which the speech successfully wins anyone over, since President Bush's approval rating is so low, or whether he will be able to work together successfully with the new Congress." Barker has expertise in American politics, political psychology, and methodology. His book "Rushed to Judgment? Talk Radio, Persuasion and American Political Behavior" (Columbia University Press, 2002), part of the "Power, Conflict, and Democracy Series" edited by Robert Shapiro, has been cited in many popular media outlets, including "The Atlantic," "The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer," "The New York Times," "The Washington Post," "The Al Franken Show" (Air America radio), and "The Rush Limbaugh Show." Barker may be reached directly at 412-648-7275 (office), 412-508-6278 (cell), or dbarker@pitt.edu; or through Pitt Department of News contact Trish White, above.

Susan Hansen, professor of political science with joint appointments in Pitt's Program in Women's Studies and Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, says, "The big question is, can Bush do what Clinton did in 1997, seizing control of the agenda and public opinion despite facing a hostile Congress?" Hansen has expertise in American politics, economic policy, taxation, state and local politics, and women and politics, including state policies affecting women and the impact of women in public office. She has written numerous articles in academic journals, among them "State and Local Government Review," "Journal of Politics," and "Journal of Peace and Change." A forthcoming book, "The Low-Wage Strategy for State Economic Development" (Georgetown University Press), analyzes the impact of economic policy choices and labor regulations on adaptation to globalization in the 50 states since 1970. Hansen may be reached directly at 412-648-7272 (office), 412-661-5666 (home), or sbhansen@pitt.edu; or through Pitt Department of News contact Trish White, above.

Gerald R. Shuster, a professor of communication in Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences, is available to comment on the "style, impact, rhetoric, and effect" of President Bush's speech. Shuster has taught at the University of Pittsburgh for more than 20 years. He teaches courses in political communication and presidential rhetoric. He is a regular contributor to the media on political issues, elections, and candidates. Shuster may be reached at 412-624-5199 (office), 724-664-3258 (cell), 724-543-2246 (home), or ges3@pitt.edu; or through Pitt Department of News contact Trish White, above.

The Address and Middle East Policy

Michael Brenner, professor of international affairs in Pitt's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, says, "President Bush's Iraq quandary is only one part of a larger Middle East challenge with profound implications for American interests." The areas of concern include: Iraq's nuclear ambitions, a sharpening Sunni-Shiite split across the region, a deadlocked Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Lebanon's descent into disorder, and the strengthening of bitter anti-American sentiment. "Bush's grand strategy saw success in Iraq as a way to cut the Gordian knot-paving the way for resolution of all these issues at one fell swoop," Brenner says. "Therefore, our setback in Iraq (a condition that is irretrievable under any reasonable scenario) jeopardizes our stake in all those other conflicts," he adds. "Now, the President must explain how the United States can remedy the damage, since our all-or-nothing bet on Iraq has been lost." Brenner's areas of research include American foreign policy, international relations theory, international political economy, and national security; he is affiliated with the Center for Transatlantic Relations in Washington, D.C. Brenner may be reached directly at 412-648-7624 (office), 412-244-8212 (home), 512-407-9542 (cell), and mbren@pitt.edu; or through Pitt Department of News contact Amanda Leff, above.

The Address and Environmental Issues

Michael Rosenmeier, an assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Planetary Sciences in Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences, studies the interaction of humans and climate throughout history. His research includes the possible role of climate change in the fall of the Mayan Empire and its impact on the local environment. Climate change since the dawn of the Industrial Age is noticeable, Rosenmeier says. Yet political debate and policy overlook the time and effort it would take to counteract the effects of carbon dioxide, an element with a long life span. "It has to be a big shift," he says. "If we cut carbon dioxide emissions tomorrow, the warming is going to continue for a century or longer. The problem is that you have administrations with a life expectancy of eight years. How do you get people with an eight-year window to think about things 150 years down the road?" Rosenmeier may be reached directly at 412-624-8775 (office) or mrosenme@pitt.edu; or through Pitt Department of News contact Morgan Kelly, above.

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