Congress Daily (subscription-only) reports today that Bush's State of the Union address will include "competitiveness" as one of its themes: White House aides declined to define the "competitiveness" component of the speech. But it appears the term may serve as kind of a catchall for various Bush initiatives that in his view help bolster the economy. These could include items as varied as increasing foreign trade and keeping tax rates low by making permanent tax cuts passed earlier in his administration. Regulatory "reforms" are often made under the dubious pretext that regulation harms competitiveness. So the theme could portend anti-regulatory efforts brewing in the coming year. Or it could be more empty rhetoric…. For more on how regulation does not harm competitiveness, read our issue brief: Competitiveness and Regulation.