ENVIRONMENT'S ABSENCE FROM BUSH SPEECH SPARKS '04 STRATEGY QUERIES

President Bush's avoidance of environmental issues during his Jan. 20 State of the Union address may reflect a White House calculation that stressing environmental initiatives will yield few election year gains while detracting from the president's focus on security and other priorities, political analysts say. The president steered clear of the issue other than briefly calling for passage of energy legislation that encourages conservation. While analysts' views vary, some say highlighting White House environmental plans in the speech would have...