On the eve of his inauguration, President Bush on Wednesday called for unity and pledged to represent all Americans during his second term which he begins with an aggressive domestic agenda amid deep partisan divide over his Iraq policy.

“An inauguration is a time of unity for our country,” Bush told an event called “A Celebration of Freedom” on the Ellipse just south of the White House on a cold wintry night. Bush’s inaugural address, expected to last 17 minutes, reached its 21st draft as the president and his speech writers prepared it for delivery at midday on Thursday before thousands gathered in the capital.

“With the campaign behind us, Americans lift up our sights to the years ahead and to the great goals we will achieve for our country. I am eager and ready for the work ahead,” he said on Wednesday evening. “And I know that this office carries a duty to the entire nation. After all, we are one America, and every day that I am your president I will serve all Americans,” he said.

Bush, who frequently clashed with Democrats in his first term, will need the support of some Democrats to succeed with ambitious plans to change the Social Security retirement system, the legal system and the tax code. So far Democrats have been skeptical about such overtures.

A coating of snow combined with a blast of wintry air to turn the country’s quadrennial exercise into a bone-chilling affair. The weather forced a delay in the start of Wednesday’s event. The program on the Ellipse offered eclectic fare aimed at inspiring Americans, from Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the second man on the moon, to NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., from county music star Kenny Chesney to Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli.

<B>A future of peace</B>

The conflict in Iraq, which is struggling to hold its own Jan. 30 elections in the face of a deadly insurgency, will provide a touchstone for Bush’s second inaugural address. The White House said Bush will emphasize that peace is secured by advancing freedom.

“I will speak about freedom,” Bush said. “This is the cause that unites our country and gives hope to the world and will lead us to a future of peace. We have a calling from beyond the stars to stand for freedom and America will always be faithful to that cause.” Later Bush was to attend three private candlelight dinners and drop by the “Black Tie and Boots” inaugural ball featuring many supporters from his home state of Texas.

Bush started his day with a look at history. He and his wife, Laura, toured the National Archives and saw two pages from George Washington’s handwritten 1789 inaugural address, the Bible the country’s first president put his hand on when he took the oath of office, and the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. “Absolutely,” Bush said when asked if he felt the moment of history in looking at the documents. Police were jittery after an incident on Tuesday in which a man who said he wanted his child back threatened to blow up 15 gallons of gasoline a block away from the White House. The four-and-a-half hour standoff ended when the man surrendered.

<B>Steve HOLLAND</B>

FIERY SPEECH

<B>Venezuela says it will not tolerate US meddling</B>

■ The US government must respect Venezuela’s sovereignty and stop meddling if it wants to improve ties with its fourth-largest oil supplier, Foreign Minister Ali Rodriguez said on Wednesday. Rodriguez was responding to comments by Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice who on Tuesday at her Senate confirmation hearing criticized President Hugo Chavez for what she called his autocratic measures at home and his negative influence in the region.

The exchange is the latest between the Bush administration and Chavez, a left-wing former army officer and fierce critic of the United States whose close ties to Cuban leader Fidel Castro have irritated Washington.“We can not tolerate that they try to put on pressure and try to provoke problems within the country,” Rodriguez told reporters. “The North American people can be sure Venezuela wants better relations ... but for this to happen there must be respect for our sovereignty.” The minister’s response was more low-key than previous broadsides between Caracas and Washington before Chavez won an August referendum. Since then, the two countries have appeared to try to set aside antagonistic rhetoric and have pledged to work to improve relations.

Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, often accuses the United States of financing opponents seeking to overthrow him and says his “Bolivarian” revolution provides a regional alternative to US market-orientated policies. In a typical fiery speech Wednesday, the president did not directly respond to Rice’s comments but once again charged that Washington had conceived and backed a short-lived 2002 coup that briefly toppled him.“In Washington, they export everything, including coups,” he said. The United States has denied this. ”What is it they don’t like about President Chavez?...We invite Ms Rice to visit the poor barrios of Venezuela... to see the answers we bring to the needy masses,” Rodriguez said.