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Bush swears in intel chief, promotes health plan

President Bush swears in his new national intelligence chief today at Bolling Air Force base in Washington.
/ Source: The Associated Press

President Bush swears in his new national intelligence chief today at Bolling Air Force base in Washington.

Retired Vice Admiral Mike McConnell will head all 16 of the nation's spy agencies, succeeding John Negroponte, who's now deputy secretary of state.

McConnell's a veteran of nearly four decades in U.S. intelligence.

Bush also kicks off two days of promoting the health care tax deduction he proposed in his State of the Union address. He holds a meeting at the White House today, then heads to a hospital in Tennessee tomorrow to talk more about his plan.

Bush says his plan will help more Americans afford health coverage. But Democrats say it will encourage companies to drop employee coverage.