White House Briefing – Thursday, January 15

President Bush’s farewell address to the nation tonight – his final public event until Inauguration Day – is being billed as a look back at his tenure and a look ahead at the challenges he says the United States will face.

The speech — scheduled for 8:00 pm Eastern time — will run 10 to 15 minutes and be delivered not from the Oval Office, but the East Room of the Executive Mansion. Bush has invited a small audience to join him, comprised, the White House says, of people chosen for their stories of personal courage.

Bush leaves office with one of the lowest approval ratings on record, and the president is now clearly focused on shaping his legacy. His farewell press conference Tuesday was a spirited defense of his handling of Hurricane Katrina, Iraq and the economy; tonight’s address will undoubtedly feature more of the same.

Meantime, Republican strategist Ed Gillespie says Bush is in a good mood as the clock winds down.

“He’s got a ton of energy, he’s gotten winsome, I think, looking back at the last eight years,” Gillespie said. “I wouldn’t say he’s emotional, but everyone here has gone through a lot together, and there’s a great sense of appreciation for what everyone has done.”

Like presidents before him, Bush plans to leave a private note in his Oval Office desk for Barack Obama. What will it say? Perino said Bush would probably write it Tuesday morning — perhaps one of the last things he’ll do as the 43d President of the United States.