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American Morning

Bush Wants More Agency Accountability, Is Wary of Domestic Issues

Aired June 12, 2002 - 08:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush says he wants government agencies to be accountable, and he expects the American people to ultimately hold him accountable for homeland security. He talked about that yesterday at a high school in Missouri. The president has been trying to build support for the proposed Homeland Security Agency, which as you know, must be approved by Congress.

Let's talk more about the political side with Jeff Greenfield, our senior analyst here. Good morning to you. You've been watching and listening to the speeches. We've heard a lot. What did you hear yesterday?

JEFF GREENFIELD, CNN SENIOR ANALYST: I think it tells us there are two kinds of speeches that the president makes. The first kind, the one he made September 20 to Congress, in his State of the Union, at West Point, particularly on June 1, those speeches have steel in them. They're filled with very tough warnings about what the United States must do to win this war on terrorism. We have a brief clip from the West Point speech. You'll see what I mean, I think.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And our security will require all Americans to be forward-looking and resolute, to be ready for preemptive action when necessary to defend our liberty and to defend our lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GREENFIELD: OK, now, that's pretty tough language. But then, if you look at the speech he gave, for instance, on television on June 1 and the speech he gave yesterday in Missouri, it's a much different tone. It's softer. The president even kind of joked about his political accountability issue here in this clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: I'm a person that believes in accountability. One reason I believe in accountability is because I understand who the American people are going to hold accountable if something happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GREENFIELD: And, Bill, in that speech he kind of reverted back to the campaign 2000 theme. If you want to defeat evil, love your neighbor, mentor a child. It's a much different tone.

HEMMER: But the sense of humor there not necessarily poking fun at the issue.

GREENFIELD: No.

HEMMER: Perhaps a lighter moment on the political stage.

GREENFIELD: Right.

HEMMER: What do you think accounts for the difference here?

GREENFIELD: I think in this most recent incarnation, the president is talking about reorganizing the government, and that just doesn't have, I think, ever have the kind of potency of a war.

I mean, look, Americans by nature are taught to be very suspicious about bureaucracy. It's the favorite buzzword of people in any party, let's go after the bureaucracy. And so, when you're trying to spend a major political initiative on reorganizing the government, it just doesn't lend itself to very tough, focused rhetoric.

HEMMER: Politically speaking, what's the prevailing wisdom here? If you look at some of the poll numbers, well over 70 percent, at least, last week anyway, when this deal was announced to the country, 70 percent of the people said they like it, they support it.

GREENFIELD: Yes, I am so distrustful of all kinds of polls at this -- to be blunt, 70 percent of the people say they favor the reorganized plan of the president. They will always stay with what the president says until there is overwhelming evidence not to.

If you ask people, fine, what's in the plan, I don't think most of us would get a passing grade. What I do think politically is, that as long as the focus is on this kind of subject, the Republicans do benefit.

When I watched the president's speech the other day, in the lower left-hand corner of the CNN screen was the Dow, down 128 points. Democrats have been kind of hoping that by the fall, the focus of voters would turn toward domestic issues, where they think they hold some high cards. As long as the focus is on terrorism, what do we do to combat it, I think whether the president says it is bipartisan or not, there is a benefit to the Republicans.

HEMMER: And I wonder if there is a sense at the White House that tells the leading advisers there, listen, we have to do something...

GREENFIELD: Always.

HEMMER: ... so let's get on our horse.

GREENFIELD: I believe every important public official remembers things when they were young that had a profound political impact. This president remembers vividly what happened to his dad, when he was seen as not acting strongly enough about the economy, and I think above all else, they are determined to be out in front on whatever issue they have to. I'm pretty sure, without being too cynical, that's why he went on television June 1 just as those hearings were going on about FBI missed steps.

HEMMER: We shall see very soon if proactiveness indeed is insurance in the political sense, and certainly insurance for the American people when it comes to security. Thank you, Jeff. Interesting thoughts.

GREENFIELD: OK, Bill. Thank you.

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