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The first two words of the evening on Tuesday were evidence of how much has changed here: 8220;Madam Speaker,8221; boomed Congressional escorts: 8220;the President of the United States.8221;...

The first two words of the evening on Tuesday were evidence of how much has changed here: 8220;Madam Speaker,8221; boomed Congressional escorts: 8220;the President of the United States.8221;

Even Bush acknowledged the transformation, setting off a wave of applause. 8220;Tonight, I have the high privilege and distinct honour to begin a speech with the words 8216;Madam Speaker,8217;8221; he said in a nod to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the House.

The boxes on either end of the chamber 8212; Ms Pelosi8217;s on one, the first lady8217;s on the other 8212; were a tableau of the change.

But all the courtesies and flourishes of the evening could not paper over reminders of how power has flowed away from the president.

Not just because for the first time Bush delivered his address with a Democrat staring down his back. Not just because his poll numbers are dismal. Not just because the mayor of the nation8217;s capital rejected the White House invitation to sit with First Lady Laura Bush and came as Pelosi8217;s guest. Even Republicans, while noting it was 8220;the president8217;s day,8221; as Senator John W Warner of Virginia described it, yielded only a share of the spotlight.

Pelosi had been coached by her staff to keep a neutral face. They warned that any raised eyebrow or pursed lip would be captured by the cameras trained on the president.

While Pelosi emphasised she would be 8220;respectful,8221; her very choice of words earlier in the day signaled the new dynamic. 8220;We always give the president a warm welcome as our guest in the chamber,8221; she said, the operative word being guest.8221;

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Democrats were advised to take their cues on when to stand, sit down and applaud from Pelosi. She sat on the dais next to Cheney, her junior by several months, but an emblem of a generation of white male politicians. At some points during the speech, Pelosi beat Cheney in jumping to an ovation.

Appearances are obviously important to Pelosi, who changed from the brown suit she had worn to a soft green one, which offered more contrast to her dark leather speaker8217;s chair.

8211;KATE ZERNIKE