Hawai'i residents' most vocal reactions to President Bush's speech centered on the war in Iraq and energy policy.

Bob Hampton, a beach concessionaire from Hawai'i Kai, said he was pleased that Bush called for reducing dependency on foreign oil.

"Probably one of the most powerful things he can do on the international scene, as far as terrorism is concerned, is to cut off the petro-dollars," Hampton said.

He said he was hopeful that Bush's call for bipartisan cooperation would improve his approval ratings and show other nations that the U.S. is unified.

"I thought it was a good speech," he said. "Like the rest of the nation, I've been extremely unhappy about the sectarian violence in Iraq. But I agree with the president, that we'd rather have the war there than here."

David Ushio, a Hawai'i Kai economic development consultant, said Bush failed to adequately take responsibility for mistakes surrounding the Iraq war, and seems to ignore those who disagree. "I think the American people deserve better than what they got tonight," he said.

"He's going into the last two years of his presidency and he should be listening to the people. But he's not, he's just going full-on ahead, especially on Iraq. What we need right now is leadership, and we're not getting it."

Meheroo Jussawalla, a retired telecommunications researcher from Kahala, said she was glad to hear Bush call for a bipartisan terrorism advisory council, but was troubled by his call for more troops in Iraq.

"I doubt if increasing the number of troops is going to make a difference," she said. "But I think the committee is a good way to get the Democrats involved."

She said she was pleased to hear Bush call for more support to combat AIDS in Africa and for early childhood health.

John Agsalud, a Halawa information technology consultant, said he was disappointed that Bush did not make clear distinctions between the 9/11 terrorists and the fighting in Iraq.

"It sure seemed to me like he was trying to blur the line between the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq," Agsalud said. "It's almost like he's still trying to convince us that Iraq had something to do with 9/11."

Bush also seemed to suggest that Americans who support U.S. troops in Iraq must also support his war strategy, Agsalud said.

"Everybody wants to support the troops, especially in Hawai'i," he said. "They're our neighbors, our friends and our relatives. We all support them and want them to come home safe and to do a good job. That's way different than supporting the war."

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com.