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Social Security Hearing on the Hill; President of the United States Meets With President of Romania

Aired March 09, 2005 - 11:30   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.


RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And scientists hope to get a look inside Mount St. Helens's crater today. The volcano spit up a seven mile high cloud of ash and steam Tuesday. You can actually see it from some 50 miles away. We'll be following this one for you. Keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The debate over Social Security reform is the focus of a hearing going on right now on Capitol Hill. The hearing is before the House Ways and Means Committee. Lawmakers are focusing on Social Security's ability to pay future benefits rather than the president's plan for private accounts. Two economists who serve on the Social Security trust fund are among the witnesses. Reforming Social Security is a top priority for President Bush. Polls showing how the public is skeptical about some of his plans and even some how fellow Republicans have raised concerns. The president, though, is getting some help from some unexpected places.

Our political analyst Carlos Watson joining us from Mountain View, California, to talk more about that. Carlos, good morning.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, good morning.

KAGAN: So some unexpected help from the president is how the political cycle is working.

WATSON: You bet. You know, obviously, the polls show the president's having a tougher time than he had hoped rallying public support, and often -- that's generally in the public, and often presidents get a tough time in their second term from Congress, a rebellious Congress. But this time around the president may be getting help from the presidential aspirations of several U.S. senators.

For example, you've got those like Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Both who seem to want to run for president in 2008. And both of who cared about Social Security for a long time, but who are offering new ideas. So they're maybe advancing Social Security debate forward, in part because they want to be seen as big thinkers and in part because they care about it. You also got those like George Allen of Virginia and John McCain, who normally are pretty outspoken people who have kept quiet. Maybe in part they want to be seen as loyalists to Republican primary voters down the road.

And then last but not least, you've got those like Bill Frist of Tennessee, who's the majority leader, who's thinking about running for president, who certainly wants to prove to Republicans that he's a good leader, wants to deepen his leadership credentials and so has probably his redoubled efforts on this fight. So in a strange way, the president's getting maybe a little extra boost from the presidential aspirations of some of these senators as he takes on a very sensitive issue.

KAGAN: And yet there are a lot of lawmakers out there nervous, who are up for re-election, who perhaps don't feel that same kind of support back home in their district.

WATSON: Not yet. But it's interesting that these guys are holding still. Maybe it at least gives the president a chance of getting something passed this year.

KAGAN: All right. Let's head south to my hometown, Los Angeles, California. A mayor's race. Who knew? Apparently not a lot of people in Los Angeles, because it's not really exciting people in that town.

WATSON: Turnout's down a little bit. Last time around, about a third of voters showed up. This time probably closer to 30 percent of voters, still counting the numbers. But the L.A. mayor's race is a big race for a number of reasons. One is because it's the second largest city in the country. Whoever wins there could certainly become a national political figure or deepen their credentials if the incumbent wins re-election.

Two interesting things to watch there, Daryn. One, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's got a number of big ideas on the table on redistricting and other things. Maybe put some of his credibility on the line in this race, offering an unofficial endorsement for one candidate. If that candidate wins, that will certainly help Arnold. If that candidate loses, that could be tougher for Arnold to, in effect, intimidate some of the other Democratic legislators who say his coattails aren't as strong or as long.

The other interesting thing we're seeing here are the absentee ballot effort. North of a quarter of the votes ultimately will probably come from absentee ballots and it reminds us that what we saw in 2004, the presidential election, an increase in early voting, may continue as a trend. And therefore, if you're an underdog, if you plan early and you focus on absentee ballots in some of these big races in New York and Detroit this year, we might see an upset. So keep your eye on that.

KAGAN: We will be watching it. Carlos Watson from Mountain View in NoCal as we -- those in SoCal like to call it.

WATSON: NoCal's a good place.

KAGAN: There it is. So is SoCal. Thank you, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: There's another story we're following on this day. A surge in violence and a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) discovery topping the news in the fight for Iraq. Iraqi police finding 26 bodies in a village near the Syrian border, all shot execution style.

In Ramadi, a suicide car bomb explodes near a military checkpoint. Another suicide bomber struck in central Baghdad. The attacker drove a garbage truck into a courtyard near the hotel. Two people killed, 22 others wounded. Police say security forces opened fire on the truck as it approached the hotel, causing it to suddenly detonate.

Other news now from overseas. Pope John Paul II made a brief appearance this morning. Pope waved to crowds, blessing them from his hospital window in Rome. It's his first appearance in three days, in fact. And here's another large pro-Syrian demonstration in the capital of Damascus this morning. Thousands took to the streets as a show of support for their president, Bashar Assad and their troops in Lebanon. The Assad government has been under pressure to pull its troops out of Lebanon.

In Britain now, a stamp of approval for Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. The engaged couple are getting their own stamps. Two different commemorative stamps will mark the royal wedding. The stamps go on sale April 8th. That's the couple's wedding day.

Meanwhile, a ballet based on the life of Princess Diana is debuting in Britain. Choreographer says it's a tribute to the beloved people's princess, who died in a car accident in 1997. The ballet is playing in Manchester and is said to cast the royals in an unfavorable light. That's unfavorable.

KAGAN: Imagine they won't be invited to the upcoming nuptials for Charles and Camilla.

SANCHEZ: Nor the ballet premiere.

KAGAN: Perhaps not.

Another warning against secondhand smoke. This time, how it could possibly lead to yet another kind of cancer.

SANCHEZ: And a look at it how easy it is for terrorists to get their hands on firearms. We're going to hear from a senator who's trying to look into this. We'll tell you what he's doing -- he'll tell you what he's doing just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: To health news now. Scientists in the California agency have concluded that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer. That's according to a report in "USA Today." The paper says that California's air resources board analyze new data along with more than 1,000 older studies on secondhand smoke. The agency took a different approach to analyzing the data on then the surgeon general and previous studies. Tobacco companies argued that the report gives little weight to studies that found no link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer. Survey says Americans understand and are willing to accept some risks associated with drugs like Vioxx and other painkillers. But the polls says consumers want the FDA to do a better job of scrutinizing jobs and communicating the risks and benefits. The Associated Press says that drugmakers must also respond quickly to safety concerns or risk losing consumer confidence. You can get your daily dose of health news online. Log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

SANCHEZ: How is it possible that 40 people who are on a terror watch list were able to buy firearms here in the United States? That's what one U.S. senator wants to know, and we hope to talk to him when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: He is Traian Basescu. He is the president of Romania, and he is about to meet with the president of the United States. In fact, President Bush is hosting the leader of Romania, who comes here with several messages, known for being a staunch anti-communist, and in fact is leading a government who doesn't have any. Here now are the two men from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... brief opening statements. The president and I will take two questions per side.

Mr. President, welcome.

TRAIAN BASESCU, PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA: Thank you very much.

BUSH: I am impressed by your leadership. I am grateful for your friendship.

Romania has been a steadfast ally of freedom. And, Mr. President, I can't thank you enough for coming to discuss a wide range of subjects.

We discussed the neighborhood, and he gave me very good advice about Moldova. We discussed the Black Sea, and the president has got a clear vision as to how to make sure the world is more peaceful.

We discussed the fact that freedom is spreading throughout the Middle East. We discussed our bilateral relations.

I told the president I'm most impressed by his campaign to rid the government of corruption in Romania: a steadfast, strong commitment. He believes in transparency and rule of law, and that is very important for American companies looking for a place to invest to hear from the leader of the country. But the think about this president, he's more than words, he's action.

And so, Mr. President, I welcome you to the Oval Office, I thank you for your friendship, and I'm proud to call you friend.

BASESCU: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I'm happy being here in my first visit over the ocean from when I was elected as president of Romania. I'm happy to discuss with our ally, with President Bush, with the United States.

I'm happy to pass our message regarding democracy, regarding freedom, regarding development of our strategic partnership, regarding the problems which the Black Sea have in this moment, and regarding the solutions which we can find together in order to make a peaceful and secure area on the Black Sea.

In same time, I was happy to discuss with Mr. President the future evolution of our access on the United States. Romania consider that we can be included on the program of allowing Romanians to circulate without a visa on the United States.

And I thank you very much to President Bush for the open approach regarding this subject.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

BUSH: Welcome.

A couple of questions.

Terry?

QUESTION: Mr. President, how credible do you think U.S. intelligence is about Iran's nuclear programs? Do you think it's solid enough to make judgments about whether Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons?

BUSH: I think it's very important for the United States to continue to work with our friends and allies which believe that the Iranians want a nuclear weapon and which know that Iran possessing a nuclear weapon would be very destabilizing.

In my trip to Europe, I discovered common ground with a lot of European nations which believe and are worried about Iranian intention.

BUSH: One reason there needs to be worry about Iran is that this is a nontransparent society. There's no openness.

And so I think it's very wise for the free world to be concerned about the Iranians' desire to develop a weapon and it's very easy for them to solve the problem, and that is to not only give assurances about any nuclear weapons program, but to allow full IAEA inspection processes in a transparent way.

Anybody from the Romanian press?

Mr. President, you call on somebody.

BASESCU: Romanian television, please?

QUESTION: One question: As Romania becomes part of a springboard for democracy and freedom in the area of the Black Sea, how will this project affect the well-being of the Romanian people?

BUSH: Well, I think one thing -- I'll never forget my trip to Bucharest, and it was the rainbow speech. It was a mystical experience for me. It was one of the most amazing moments of my presidency, to be speaking in the square -- the very square where Ceausescu gave his last speech.

And the rainbow that I saw in the midst of the rainstorm ended right behind the balcony from my point of view.

It was a clear signal that, as far as I was concerned, that freedom is powerful.

BASESCU: (INAUDIBLE).

BUSH: Well, we'll see.

But my point to you is that I was there to assure the Romanian people that we were an ally and that the Romanian people need not worry about their security; that the United States, through NATO and through bilateral relations, was committed to the security of our friend.

So the people of Romania need to know that the days are past, you know, when outside forces could threaten them without help. And that's important for a society to recognize there are strong enough allies to allow the society to develop, to have gone from a day of dictatorial regime to one of a free society.

And that's not an easy transition, but it certainly makes the transition easier knowing full well that there is security available through the bilateral relations, as well as through NATO.

QUESTION: You have made (OFF-MIKE) calls on Syria to fully withdraw from Lebanon and warned that they will feel isolated. But what are the consequences if they don't pull out? Do they face international sanctions?

BUSH: Well, we are working with our friends and allies on this very important issue.

I'd like to reiterate my call, and that is, in order for those elections to be free in Lebanon, the Syrians must remove their troops as well as their intelligence services.

One of the things a lot of people don't understand is that Syrian influence is heavy-handed through the involvement of intelligence services throughout the government.

And they must remove both in order for the election to be free.

And we're working with friends and allies about steps forward, what to do.

Right now, President Assad has said he's removing to the Bekaa Valley, That is a half measure. It is a measure, but it's a half measure. And 1559 is very clear.

BUSH: We worked with France and the Security Council to pass 1559, which said complete removal; not half measures but total removal. And so we'll continue to work with our allies to make our demands known to the world.

The world is speaking now, that's what the President Assad must understand. It's not just the Western world that speaks. I was most impressed by Crown Prince Abdullah's statement that said to the Syrian president, "You must adhere to 1559."

QUESTION: President Bush, (inaudible) keeps on saying that he favors a special partnership with, between Washington, London and Bucharest. Would you confirm that role of special alliance of Southeastern Europe, what you mean?

BUSH: Well, I view Romania as a special ally because Romania shares the same values that we share: human rights, human dignity, rule of law, transparency in government, anti-corruption. And this president, I think, is a special leader because he has made a commitment to those values.

We want to work with our friends in the region to bring stability and peace. And I value his advice and judgment. I mean, he's -- no better person to listen to on an issue such as Moldova than the neighbor of Moldova.

And so he came to the Oval Office. I asked him what I can do to help, what can we do to move democracy forward, because the president understands that a democratic neighbor is one that'll be a peaceful neighbor.

Listen, we all long for peace and we understand the world will be more peaceful as freedom spreads. Free societies don't attack their neighbors. Free societies work for ways to live in peace.

And so this is a special relationship because of the shared values. And I am honored to call the president my friend. And I'm honored to call Romania a strong ally.

And I want to thank you all for coming.

Thank you, sir.

BASESCU: Thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: OK. I'll take that. President Bush meeting with the president of Romania, making a number of comments to reporters there as well. Now, we have breaking news that took place while we were watching that tape that was shot minutes ago in the White House. And this one comes from the ongoing drama between Syria and Lebanon. You might remember about nine days ago the current prime minister of Lebanon, a Syrian-backed prime minister, resigned in light of public pressure to pull the Syrian influence out of Lebanon.

Well, now it appears that same man, Omar Karami, has been nominated to replace himself. Works a little complicated in Lebanon, it's not official, but it is expected that by tomorrow that will be approved. So we continue to monitor those movements out of Beirut, as well as reaction from the Lebanese street.

SANCHEZ: From our "How does this happen?" file, let's bring you this story. Forty terror suspects on a watch list in the United States have been able to buy firearms in the United States. There's a senator from New Jersey, Frank Lautenberg, who's not at all happy about this, and he's trying to introduce some legislation and asking the, at least, the GAO to look into it.

Senator Lautenberg, thanks so much for being with us, sir.

FRANK LAUTENBERG, NEW JERSEY SENATOR: ...our heads to understand why it is we're so concerned about the rights of those on the terror list when we're -- and be less concerned about the rights of the American citizens to live without terrorist attack.

SANCHEZ: Tell us -- because we missed -- I think we may have clipped you at the very beginning. What do you want the GAO to do?

LAUTENBERG: Well, the GAO has given us a report that I requested, and it confirms the fact that the number of people who applied for guns was around 58, and those that were denied were eight. So the other 46 were given gun permits and then the records have to be destroyed within 24 hours. What is this? To try to cover tracks for someone who there may be information about, to take such good care of people on the terror list. This is an outrage.

SANCHEZ: You're saying, senator, that law needs to be changed. But you know, Wayne LaPierre with the National Rifle Association is saying this. He's says the law is fine. He says, "Really, it's just about enforcement."

LAUTENBERG: Well, how could he be right there? If he's unwilling to preserve the records for FBI files, for law enforcement people altogether, doesn't make sense. He's concerned, apparently, about the rights of those who might be on the list, and as I just said, I'm more concerned about the rights of our citizens to travel freely, to live without fear of terrorist attack.

So this event to the NRA, who is responsible for this policy altogether, to destroy the records in 24 hours, is an outrage committed on the public of the United States, and we're not going to stand for it. We've asked the attorney general for his view on it. We asked director Mueller from the FBI who made a comment yesterday that that ought to be looked at. SANCHEZ: Frank Lautenberg, from the Garden State, New Jersey. We thank you for joining us. Sorry we had to cut you just a little bit short because of that event with the President of Romania and President Bush. We thank you, again.

LAUTENBERG: OK.

SANCHEZ: Mr. Senator.

LAUTENBERG: Glad to see you.

SANCHEZ: All right. CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Wolf Blitzer is going to be coming up in just a little bit with a lot of news on this day.

KAGAN: We'll see you tomorrow morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired March 9, 2005 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And scientists hope to get a look inside Mount St. Helens's crater today. The volcano spit up a seven mile high cloud of ash and steam Tuesday. You can actually see it from some 50 miles away. We'll be following this one for you. Keeping you informed. CNN, the most trusted name in news.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The debate over Social Security reform is the focus of a hearing going on right now on Capitol Hill. The hearing is before the House Ways and Means Committee. Lawmakers are focusing on Social Security's ability to pay future benefits rather than the president's plan for private accounts. Two economists who serve on the Social Security trust fund are among the witnesses. Reforming Social Security is a top priority for President Bush. Polls showing how the public is skeptical about some of his plans and even some how fellow Republicans have raised concerns. The president, though, is getting some help from some unexpected places.

Our political analyst Carlos Watson joining us from Mountain View, California, to talk more about that. Carlos, good morning.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Daryn Kagan, good morning.

KAGAN: So some unexpected help from the president is how the political cycle is working.

WATSON: You bet. You know, obviously, the polls show the president's having a tougher time than he had hoped rallying public support, and often -- that's generally in the public, and often presidents get a tough time in their second term from Congress, a rebellious Congress. But this time around the president may be getting help from the presidential aspirations of several U.S. senators.

For example, you've got those like Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Both who seem to want to run for president in 2008. And both of who cared about Social Security for a long time, but who are offering new ideas. So they're maybe advancing Social Security debate forward, in part because they want to be seen as big thinkers and in part because they care about it. You also got those like George Allen of Virginia and John McCain, who normally are pretty outspoken people who have kept quiet. Maybe in part they want to be seen as loyalists to Republican primary voters down the road.

And then last but not least, you've got those like Bill Frist of Tennessee, who's the majority leader, who's thinking about running for president, who certainly wants to prove to Republicans that he's a good leader, wants to deepen his leadership credentials and so has probably his redoubled efforts on this fight. So in a strange way, the president's getting maybe a little extra boost from the presidential aspirations of some of these senators as he takes on a very sensitive issue.

KAGAN: And yet there are a lot of lawmakers out there nervous, who are up for re-election, who perhaps don't feel that same kind of support back home in their district.

WATSON: Not yet. But it's interesting that these guys are holding still. Maybe it at least gives the president a chance of getting something passed this year.

KAGAN: All right. Let's head south to my hometown, Los Angeles, California. A mayor's race. Who knew? Apparently not a lot of people in Los Angeles, because it's not really exciting people in that town.

WATSON: Turnout's down a little bit. Last time around, about a third of voters showed up. This time probably closer to 30 percent of voters, still counting the numbers. But the L.A. mayor's race is a big race for a number of reasons. One is because it's the second largest city in the country. Whoever wins there could certainly become a national political figure or deepen their credentials if the incumbent wins re-election.

Two interesting things to watch there, Daryn. One, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's got a number of big ideas on the table on redistricting and other things. Maybe put some of his credibility on the line in this race, offering an unofficial endorsement for one candidate. If that candidate wins, that will certainly help Arnold. If that candidate loses, that could be tougher for Arnold to, in effect, intimidate some of the other Democratic legislators who say his coattails aren't as strong or as long.

The other interesting thing we're seeing here are the absentee ballot effort. North of a quarter of the votes ultimately will probably come from absentee ballots and it reminds us that what we saw in 2004, the presidential election, an increase in early voting, may continue as a trend. And therefore, if you're an underdog, if you plan early and you focus on absentee ballots in some of these big races in New York and Detroit this year, we might see an upset. So keep your eye on that.

KAGAN: We will be watching it. Carlos Watson from Mountain View in NoCal as we -- those in SoCal like to call it.

WATSON: NoCal's a good place.

KAGAN: There it is. So is SoCal. Thank you, Carlos.

WATSON: Good to see you.

SANCHEZ: There's another story we're following on this day. A surge in violence and a (UNINTELLIGIBLE) discovery topping the news in the fight for Iraq. Iraqi police finding 26 bodies in a village near the Syrian border, all shot execution style.

In Ramadi, a suicide car bomb explodes near a military checkpoint. Another suicide bomber struck in central Baghdad. The attacker drove a garbage truck into a courtyard near the hotel. Two people killed, 22 others wounded. Police say security forces opened fire on the truck as it approached the hotel, causing it to suddenly detonate.

Other news now from overseas. Pope John Paul II made a brief appearance this morning. Pope waved to crowds, blessing them from his hospital window in Rome. It's his first appearance in three days, in fact. And here's another large pro-Syrian demonstration in the capital of Damascus this morning. Thousands took to the streets as a show of support for their president, Bashar Assad and their troops in Lebanon. The Assad government has been under pressure to pull its troops out of Lebanon.

In Britain now, a stamp of approval for Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. The engaged couple are getting their own stamps. Two different commemorative stamps will mark the royal wedding. The stamps go on sale April 8th. That's the couple's wedding day.

Meanwhile, a ballet based on the life of Princess Diana is debuting in Britain. Choreographer says it's a tribute to the beloved people's princess, who died in a car accident in 1997. The ballet is playing in Manchester and is said to cast the royals in an unfavorable light. That's unfavorable.

KAGAN: Imagine they won't be invited to the upcoming nuptials for Charles and Camilla.

SANCHEZ: Nor the ballet premiere.

KAGAN: Perhaps not.

Another warning against secondhand smoke. This time, how it could possibly lead to yet another kind of cancer.

SANCHEZ: And a look at it how easy it is for terrorists to get their hands on firearms. We're going to hear from a senator who's trying to look into this. We'll tell you what he's doing -- he'll tell you what he's doing just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: To health news now. Scientists in the California agency have concluded that secondhand smoke causes breast cancer. That's according to a report in "USA Today." The paper says that California's air resources board analyze new data along with more than 1,000 older studies on secondhand smoke. The agency took a different approach to analyzing the data on then the surgeon general and previous studies. Tobacco companies argued that the report gives little weight to studies that found no link between secondhand smoke and breast cancer. Survey says Americans understand and are willing to accept some risks associated with drugs like Vioxx and other painkillers. But the polls says consumers want the FDA to do a better job of scrutinizing jobs and communicating the risks and benefits. The Associated Press says that drugmakers must also respond quickly to safety concerns or risk losing consumer confidence. You can get your daily dose of health news online. Log on to our Web site. You'll find the latest medical news, a health library and information on diet and fitness. The address is CNN.com/health.

SANCHEZ: How is it possible that 40 people who are on a terror watch list were able to buy firearms here in the United States? That's what one U.S. senator wants to know, and we hope to talk to him when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: He is Traian Basescu. He is the president of Romania, and he is about to meet with the president of the United States. In fact, President Bush is hosting the leader of Romania, who comes here with several messages, known for being a staunch anti-communist, and in fact is leading a government who doesn't have any. Here now are the two men from the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... brief opening statements. The president and I will take two questions per side.

Mr. President, welcome.

TRAIAN BASESCU, PRESIDENT OF ROMANIA: Thank you very much.

BUSH: I am impressed by your leadership. I am grateful for your friendship.

Romania has been a steadfast ally of freedom. And, Mr. President, I can't thank you enough for coming to discuss a wide range of subjects.

We discussed the neighborhood, and he gave me very good advice about Moldova. We discussed the Black Sea, and the president has got a clear vision as to how to make sure the world is more peaceful.

We discussed the fact that freedom is spreading throughout the Middle East. We discussed our bilateral relations.

I told the president I'm most impressed by his campaign to rid the government of corruption in Romania: a steadfast, strong commitment. He believes in transparency and rule of law, and that is very important for American companies looking for a place to invest to hear from the leader of the country. But the think about this president, he's more than words, he's action.

And so, Mr. President, I welcome you to the Oval Office, I thank you for your friendship, and I'm proud to call you friend.

BASESCU: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

I'm happy being here in my first visit over the ocean from when I was elected as president of Romania. I'm happy to discuss with our ally, with President Bush, with the United States.

I'm happy to pass our message regarding democracy, regarding freedom, regarding development of our strategic partnership, regarding the problems which the Black Sea have in this moment, and regarding the solutions which we can find together in order to make a peaceful and secure area on the Black Sea.

In same time, I was happy to discuss with Mr. President the future evolution of our access on the United States. Romania consider that we can be included on the program of allowing Romanians to circulate without a visa on the United States.

And I thank you very much to President Bush for the open approach regarding this subject.

Thank you very much, Mr. President.

BUSH: Welcome.

A couple of questions.

Terry?

QUESTION: Mr. President, how credible do you think U.S. intelligence is about Iran's nuclear programs? Do you think it's solid enough to make judgments about whether Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons?

BUSH: I think it's very important for the United States to continue to work with our friends and allies which believe that the Iranians want a nuclear weapon and which know that Iran possessing a nuclear weapon would be very destabilizing.

In my trip to Europe, I discovered common ground with a lot of European nations which believe and are worried about Iranian intention.

BUSH: One reason there needs to be worry about Iran is that this is a nontransparent society. There's no openness.

And so I think it's very wise for the free world to be concerned about the Iranians' desire to develop a weapon and it's very easy for them to solve the problem, and that is to not only give assurances about any nuclear weapons program, but to allow full IAEA inspection processes in a transparent way.

Anybody from the Romanian press?

Mr. President, you call on somebody.

BASESCU: Romanian television, please?

QUESTION: One question: As Romania becomes part of a springboard for democracy and freedom in the area of the Black Sea, how will this project affect the well-being of the Romanian people?

BUSH: Well, I think one thing -- I'll never forget my trip to Bucharest, and it was the rainbow speech. It was a mystical experience for me. It was one of the most amazing moments of my presidency, to be speaking in the square -- the very square where Ceausescu gave his last speech.

And the rainbow that I saw in the midst of the rainstorm ended right behind the balcony from my point of view.

It was a clear signal that, as far as I was concerned, that freedom is powerful.

BASESCU: (INAUDIBLE).

BUSH: Well, we'll see.

But my point to you is that I was there to assure the Romanian people that we were an ally and that the Romanian people need not worry about their security; that the United States, through NATO and through bilateral relations, was committed to the security of our friend.

So the people of Romania need to know that the days are past, you know, when outside forces could threaten them without help. And that's important for a society to recognize there are strong enough allies to allow the society to develop, to have gone from a day of dictatorial regime to one of a free society.

And that's not an easy transition, but it certainly makes the transition easier knowing full well that there is security available through the bilateral relations, as well as through NATO.

QUESTION: You have made (OFF-MIKE) calls on Syria to fully withdraw from Lebanon and warned that they will feel isolated. But what are the consequences if they don't pull out? Do they face international sanctions?

BUSH: Well, we are working with our friends and allies on this very important issue.

I'd like to reiterate my call, and that is, in order for those elections to be free in Lebanon, the Syrians must remove their troops as well as their intelligence services.

One of the things a lot of people don't understand is that Syrian influence is heavy-handed through the involvement of intelligence services throughout the government.

And they must remove both in order for the election to be free.

And we're working with friends and allies about steps forward, what to do.

Right now, President Assad has said he's removing to the Bekaa Valley, That is a half measure. It is a measure, but it's a half measure. And 1559 is very clear.

BUSH: We worked with France and the Security Council to pass 1559, which said complete removal; not half measures but total removal. And so we'll continue to work with our allies to make our demands known to the world.

The world is speaking now, that's what the President Assad must understand. It's not just the Western world that speaks. I was most impressed by Crown Prince Abdullah's statement that said to the Syrian president, "You must adhere to 1559."

QUESTION: President Bush, (inaudible) keeps on saying that he favors a special partnership with, between Washington, London and Bucharest. Would you confirm that role of special alliance of Southeastern Europe, what you mean?

BUSH: Well, I view Romania as a special ally because Romania shares the same values that we share: human rights, human dignity, rule of law, transparency in government, anti-corruption. And this president, I think, is a special leader because he has made a commitment to those values.

We want to work with our friends in the region to bring stability and peace. And I value his advice and judgment. I mean, he's -- no better person to listen to on an issue such as Moldova than the neighbor of Moldova.

And so he came to the Oval Office. I asked him what I can do to help, what can we do to move democracy forward, because the president understands that a democratic neighbor is one that'll be a peaceful neighbor.

Listen, we all long for peace and we understand the world will be more peaceful as freedom spreads. Free societies don't attack their neighbors. Free societies work for ways to live in peace.

And so this is a special relationship because of the shared values. And I am honored to call the president my friend. And I'm honored to call Romania a strong ally.

And I want to thank you all for coming.

Thank you, sir.

BASESCU: Thank you very much.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: OK. I'll take that. President Bush meeting with the president of Romania, making a number of comments to reporters there as well. Now, we have breaking news that took place while we were watching that tape that was shot minutes ago in the White House. And this one comes from the ongoing drama between Syria and Lebanon. You might remember about nine days ago the current prime minister of Lebanon, a Syrian-backed prime minister, resigned in light of public pressure to pull the Syrian influence out of Lebanon.

Well, now it appears that same man, Omar Karami, has been nominated to replace himself. Works a little complicated in Lebanon, it's not official, but it is expected that by tomorrow that will be approved. So we continue to monitor those movements out of Beirut, as well as reaction from the Lebanese street.

SANCHEZ: From our "How does this happen?" file, let's bring you this story. Forty terror suspects on a watch list in the United States have been able to buy firearms in the United States. There's a senator from New Jersey, Frank Lautenberg, who's not at all happy about this, and he's trying to introduce some legislation and asking the, at least, the GAO to look into it.

Senator Lautenberg, thanks so much for being with us, sir.

FRANK LAUTENBERG, NEW JERSEY SENATOR: ...our heads to understand why it is we're so concerned about the rights of those on the terror list when we're -- and be less concerned about the rights of the American citizens to live without terrorist attack.

SANCHEZ: Tell us -- because we missed -- I think we may have clipped you at the very beginning. What do you want the GAO to do?

LAUTENBERG: Well, the GAO has given us a report that I requested, and it confirms the fact that the number of people who applied for guns was around 58, and those that were denied were eight. So the other 46 were given gun permits and then the records have to be destroyed within 24 hours. What is this? To try to cover tracks for someone who there may be information about, to take such good care of people on the terror list. This is an outrage.

SANCHEZ: You're saying, senator, that law needs to be changed. But you know, Wayne LaPierre with the National Rifle Association is saying this. He's says the law is fine. He says, "Really, it's just about enforcement."

LAUTENBERG: Well, how could he be right there? If he's unwilling to preserve the records for FBI files, for law enforcement people altogether, doesn't make sense. He's concerned, apparently, about the rights of those who might be on the list, and as I just said, I'm more concerned about the rights of our citizens to travel freely, to live without fear of terrorist attack.

So this event to the NRA, who is responsible for this policy altogether, to destroy the records in 24 hours, is an outrage committed on the public of the United States, and we're not going to stand for it. We've asked the attorney general for his view on it. We asked director Mueller from the FBI who made a comment yesterday that that ought to be looked at. SANCHEZ: Frank Lautenberg, from the Garden State, New Jersey. We thank you for joining us. Sorry we had to cut you just a little bit short because of that event with the President of Romania and President Bush. We thank you, again.

LAUTENBERG: OK.

SANCHEZ: Mr. Senator.

LAUTENBERG: Glad to see you.

SANCHEZ: All right. CNN "Security Watch" keeps you up to date on safety. Stay tuned day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

KAGAN: And that's going to do it for us. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Wolf Blitzer is going to be coming up in just a little bit with a lot of news on this day.

KAGAN: We'll see you tomorrow morning.

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