In a WSJ op-ed article, President Bush waxed eloquent about how the 110th Congress could/should best serve Americans in a piece titled What Congress Can Do For America.

Basically, he calls on them to support his list of “greatest hits” agenda items. You know, all those things he couldn’t get passed when the Republicans were in control.

Such old favorites like making tax cuts permanent, Social Security reform, and the line-item veto get the remix treatment: Permanent tax cuts are presented as a means to balancing the budget, Social Security is once again a vital entitlement that must be saved and the line-item veto is now the answer to all of those pesky earmarks.

For good measure, he also tosses out some work-in-progress items as a “see, they weren’t totally useless” shout-out to departing Republicans:

The strength of our economy also requires us to address some of the biggest issues facing the American people–greater energy security, comprehensive immigration reform, and affordable health care. While progress has been made in each of these areas, we must do more. I look forward to working with Congress on these difficult issues.

Like any “let’s work together on this” statement from the GOP, President Bush lays the groundwork for placing later blame by warning Dems of the bitch-slap to come:

Democrats will control the House and Senate, and therefore we share the responsibility for what we achieve.

Finally, he reminds everyone that if they don’t want to play ball, he still has that veto pen – somewhere.

The most remarkable thing he writes, though, amounts to a rather scathing assessment of the outgoing, Republican-controlled Congress. He discusses how the tendency to “play politics as usual” prevented them from solving complex problems, to the point that most Americans don’t even expect them to try anymore.

He also encourages the 110th to take a different tack than the one that gave us such huge time-wasters like gay marriage, flag burning and Terry Schiavo:

If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate. If a different approach is taken, the next two years can be fruitful ones for our nation.

One might almost forget that the President was the one that tried to shove all of those issues down everyone’s throat. But, why dredge up the past, right?

So, now that they know what they can do for us, here’s what we can do for them: Remind them that we are in charge. We elected them to do a job – and it’s their job – not the last guy’s.

President Bush had his chance to pass his legislative agenda - and with the GOP in charge of everything, it should have been a no-brainer – but he blew it. If the GOP can all agree on one thing, it’s the policy of Look Out For Number One. Too bad the President thought that Number One meant him.

Now it’s the other team’s turn, and as one of their hall-of-famers said “Ask what you can do for your country.” Well, this is it:

Write your congressional representatives, call their offices, fax and email them, and stop by their offices when they’re in town. Let them know that you and everyone else that voted for them stands behind them.

If we do, the President will be able to leave office having finally made one accurate prediction: “Let them say of these next two years: We used our time well.”