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News Defense Secretary Takes Trip to Iraq; Iraq Troop Levels Debated; Wild Winter Weather Hits Denver; FDA Wants Stronger Warnings On Aspirin

Aired December 20, 2006 - 11:00   ET

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

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: So the president needs to convince the American people, heading into his final two years, that the new plan he is working on, and will announce in the coming week or two, will get to that victory.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Good stuff John, thanks

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well Tony, all this taking place on what is the third day for the new defense secretary, Robert Gates, who is right now on the ground in Iraq, and just moments ago he had this to say about troop levels in that country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, the answer is we're just beginning that process. I have had a concern from outside the government that with all of the missions that the Army and the Marine Corps have had in recent years, not just Iraq and Afghanistan, but the challenges that we potentially face in Iran and North Korea and elsewhere, not to mention other things like rescue missions related to Hurricane Katrina that, frankly, the question arose whether the Army is, in fact, large enough to carry out all the missions its been assigned. We're looking at that.

One of the things that I think people have not fully appreciated has been the Army's success and their plan in creating more combat capability out of the existing military force. There is this temporary authorization that the Congress has provided of 30,000 additional troops over the 482,000, and that's really a bridge toward this modularization of the Army and creating more combat brigades, and there's been significant progress in that, and so the question is -- in a way it goes back to the same basic question of the surge itself, and they're not related, but the question is what's the mission? What's the purpose? Can we do this? How big should an increase be? And then there's always the question of how big an increase can we afford, given the modernization programs that are under way?

So all of those are questions that have to be looked at in this context, and the reason I say it's not related to the surge is that a decision to increase the size of the Army today really won't show up in troops, if you will, trained troops, for some period of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: New Defense Secretary Bob Gates in Iraq. His assessment perhaps vital. Our Barbara Starr is at the Pentagon. Barbara, we heard the president say that among those that he is consulting on this plan of U.S. troop involvement in Iraq is Secretary Gates. So is it Gates who is essentially setting the new tone for this administration on how to move forward in Iraq?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, I think that the president was making it very clear in his press conference that Secretary Gates is one voice, but that he will also listen to the Joint Chiefs. But on that, perhaps what's most interesting is what's not really being said here, which is, of course, officially all options are on the table, of course. Perhaps a surge of 30,000 troops to Iraq in the short-term, but what's very clear is the chiefs are very reluctant to do that, they say, unless there's a clear mission for those troops.

Now, the chiefs, of course, won't directly oppose the president. They will give him their, quote, best military advice on that question, but, of course, their best military advice hasn't worked out all that well during this past year, as we've seen the sectarian violence rise. So here's what's not being said -- will the president overrule the chiefs if they're against a surge, if they're against an increase? Will the president say, huh, it's not worked out so well this year, I want to try an increase. The president would not say today whether he would overrule the chiefs on that question. Here is what he did say though.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Let me wait and gather all the recommendations from Bob Gates, from our military, from diplomats on the ground, the Iraqi's point of view, and then I'll report back to you as to whether or not I support a surge or not, nice try. The opinion of my commanders is very important. They are bright, capable, smart people, whose opinion matters to me a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: But, Fred, what the commanders are telling Secretary Gates in Baghdad, what they have told the president, is that they only support a surge if there is a defined mission for these additional troops in Baghdad. And right now the mission that is the most critical, of course, is security in Baghdad, trying to get a hold of that sectarian violence, and the question that's looming out there is, if you put 30,000 troops on the ground to deal with that, and the violence does not ease up, then what options are left? It's a very tough problem, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Barbara Starr, thanks so much, from the Pentagon.

HARRIS: OK, let's get to some poll numbers now. The Iraq war, at the cross roads, public support at an all-time low. Here is the latest CNN poll, conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation. Now according to the survey, fewer than one in three Americans favor the U.S. war in Iraq. Two thirds oppose it. The poll also asked American adults what is needed for U.S. strategy and tactics in the war? One in four called for a complete overhaul of the policies. Almost half called for major changes. One in four say only minor changes or no changes at all are need.

We want to take you back to the briefing that we played just a couple of moments ago. You heard sound from Bob Gates, the new defense secretary. Also at that briefing, the two generals, Casey and Abizaid, and here is our Jamie McIntyre, talking first, to General George Casey and then he follows up with a question to General Abizaid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Both of you have said over the past year that you don't think more U.S. troops are the answer to what's going on in Iraq, and I'm wondering now, with all this discussion about the possibility of surging additional forces in for some period of time, if you can tell us if -- if you can just put in context for us, around Washington the news is swirling about your plans to retire in the Spring, and some people have characterized it as you resigning, and some people have said it's precipitous. Maybe you could just put in context for us your future plans.

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, US COMMANDER IN IRAQ: Sure, I wouldn't characterize what I have said about not necessarily thinking more American troops are the answers. What I have consistently said is I will ask for what I need to get the job done, and I have consistently done that, and I think I've probably three or four times asked for additional troops, but they've been for a purpose. They've been for an election or to take advantage of an opportunity that was presented as a result of the operations in Fallujah. So, I'm not necessarily opposed to the idea, but what I want to see happen is when -- if we do bring more American troops here, they help us progress toward our strategic objectives, and that's what I'll be interested in.

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, US CENTCOM COMMANDER: As far as the surge, I think it's safe to say that absolutely all options are on the table. We're looking at every possible thing that might influence the situation to make Baghdad, in particular, more secure.

As far as retirement rumors, et cetera, are concerned, I don't think it's much news to many of you sitting around that Spring of 2007 is the target date for when I would retire. It's not considered precipitous by the Abizaid family. After 50 months out here, I think it's OK to think about retiring, but again I serve at the pleasure of the president and the secretary.

MCINTYRE: Well some people are wondering why perhaps you haven't been given another assignment, or did you feel like this was the time to end your Army career. Is it totally your decision?

ABIZAID: No decision that anybody makes in a position like this is ever totally their decision, but I think the time is right and it has nothing to do with dissatisfaction.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: All right, the generals in Iraq. In the meantime, let's view some of the developments, militarily that is, through the eyes of a career military man. General George Joulwan is a retired U.S. Army general. He also served as Supreme Allied Commander for the NATO military alliance. Good to see you general.

GEN. GEORGE JOULWAN, U.S. ARMY (RET): Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: Well we heard from Barbara Starr at the Pentagon earlier, talking about a clear mission if, indeed, there were more U.S. troops to be devoted to Iraq from the Army or Marines. A clear mission has to be defined. If trying to control or end sectarian violence is one of those missions, is that enough to expect that a greater U.S. troop build-up will help curtail sectarian violence?

JOULWAN: I think we have to hear more about what the mission is, if, indeed, it is ending sectarian violence. But, again, I think the commanders on the ground, you heard two of them, I have served with these generals, they will give clear military advice, but I really think you have to look much beyond just sectarian violence and who will be involved in that, and I think what we really want to see here, to reach the end state the president and everybody else wants, is more Iraqis out in front. Not just an Iraqi face, but an Iraqi heart in all of this, to regain their sovereignty and protect their democracy, and that's what I think the generals are trying to say.

WHITFIELD: And the president even said in his press conference that more would be asked of the Iraqis, but everyone knows and everyone acknowledges that the sectarian violence is so out of hand, and we've heard this administration say that it would be a mistake for the U.S. military to get in the middle of sectarian violence. So if the proposal would be now that U.S. troops would be involved in the sectarian violence, or helping curtail it, wouldn't that be an about face?

JOULWAN: I think so. Let's be clear, I think putting more American troops inside of Baghdad would also put more targets inside of Baghdad that are in harm's way. I don't think that is where we are. If we would have done this three or four years ago, when you needed the great stabilization and a secure environment, I would agree more troops, but right now the emphasis needs to shift to the Iraqis, and I don't think putting more troops in Baghdad is going to help that.

WHITFIELD: And so when you say more attention on the Iraqis, you mean politically. If this is not a more stable politically-involved entity in Iraq, then having more U.S. forces would not necessarily do the job or help.

JOULWAN: Well, politically, yes, but let's be clear again. We need to give the Iraqi military the equipment. They have not been properly equipped. We're trying to get them the proper training now with ten-man teams from Fort Riley being trained to go over there and be embedded with the Iraqi units. We have just started this in a real way, and I think that's part of the overall strategy, to reach, Fredricka, an end state, not just an end date, or an exit strategy, but an end state, which may take five or ten years to accomplish, but I think part of that is going to be standing up Iraqi security forces that can defend their country and their sovereignty.

WHITFIELD: But five to ten years, then in the meantime what?

JOULWAN: Well, let's again look at what we're talking about, not 140,000 U.S. troops for five or ten years, but the strategy that requires equipping, training, it's going to take a long period of time, and you just can't do it in one year or even two years, but you can draw down American forces in a way that puts the emphasis on training Iraqis and training Iraqi companies and battalions, and I believe that's the sort of military clarity and guidance that's going to be given by our leaders to our political masters.

WHITFIELD: But when you hear the president and this administration saying not draw down, but instead beef up, increase U.S. military presence, as a plan that they want to now assess. When you here Colin Powell say over the weekend that this military is broken, that it's stretched to the limits, both in the Marines and the Army, are you in agreement that the U.S. military is broken? That it really cannot handle anymore commitments?

JOULWAN: The United States army soldiers will fight with one leg, one arm to defend our country and our way of life, but you must marry strategy and resources. We have a strategy/resource mismatch right now. We had over 900,000 active Army troops in the first Gulf War when we went into a small country called Kuwait. It is half that size now, and numbers do matter. So if we're going to have a global strategy, we need to have a military that matches it, and it's much more than just Iraq. It's Afghanistan. It's Hezbollah. It's Hamas. It's what's happening throughout the world that we need an Army large enough to be able to carry out those commitments.

WHITFIELD: General George Joulwan, thanks so much for your time.

JOULWAN: Thank you.

HARRIS: And our senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre is on the phone with us right now. And Jamie, we played just a bit of your interview just a few moments ago with the two generals, Casey and Abizaid. Give us a sense of what that session was like, and a bit more of what you talked to the generals about today.

MCINTYRE: Well, you know, it's really interesting because, of course, there's what the generals say, versus what they don't say and then there's well, you can almost read between the lines. And the between the lines reads, on what you heard from generals today, is very serious consideration going on about this proposal, this concept of surging additional troops into Baghdad to establish security and give the Maliki government time to perhaps give them some power agreements going. You heard General Abizaid, who of course has always said that all options are on the table, but has been an adamant opponent to sending additional US troops. He saying that that is not the answer. (INAUDIBLE)

You heard General Casey, who again has said that he will ask for more troops anytime he wants them, hasn't asked for them. He also said he would be open to the idea as long as the troops had a mission that advances the strategic goals. And then of course you heard the new Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on the job just three days, when asked (INAUDIBLE) -- discussions now about increasing the size of the U.S. military. You really get a sense that that's where the match-up is going --

HARRIS: Jamie, if I could, before we lose you, I have to ask you this question. I understand this idea that's being kicked around of a surge, this temporary surge, but the generals are saying, the president is saying, that there needs to be an accompanying mission. Isn't it the job of those generals to come up with that mission?

MCINTYRE: Well again, that is a very good a question. And the question is what will that mission be? We have heard a couple of ideas about it. One of them, suggested by retired General Keen, who is the former Army Chief of Staff, he says what the mission ought to be stop worrying so much about training the Iraqis. They've done a lot of that. And just protect the people there, so that they can start to have some sort of reconciliation process. Essentially change the mission from training Iraqi troops to providing security in Baghdad for short periods of time. So that's one possible mission.

The concern of the Joint Chiefs and the commanders is that they not just surge troops for the sake of surging. That's not going to do any good. If you're going to put additional troops in there, they have got to have something that you need to accomplish, that they can accomplish, that's going to help you with your goal, and that's where you're seeing all the concern from the military.

HARRIS: All right, our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre, the only network correspondent traveling with Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Jamie, thank you. Man, I have more questions, but we were about to lose him.

Other big news to cover in the CNN NEWSROOM today, the weather. We have been talking about this morning.

WHITFIELD: Big, bad weather.

HARRIS: Yes, how about a blizzard in Denver, snow set to pile up quickly today.

WHITFIELD: Which ordinarily doesn't seem like a strange thing, an anomaly for Denver, but this --

HARRIS: Look at this. We've got to check in Chad Myers.

WHITFIELD: I think Chad promises something like 30 inches of snow?

HARRIS: It's a real mess, isn't it?

WHITFIELD: Folks, you have got to stay put.

And life's little aches and pains, a couple of these usually help, but don't overdo it. New warnings labels in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: And Montgomery Bus Boycott 50 years later. Reverend Joseph Lowry talks about its lasting impact. The civil rights dean this morning in THE NEWSROOM.

And CNN tonight, the challenges, struggles, and revolution that became Christianity. "CNN PRESENTS" After Jesus, the First Christians. Don't miss this premier tonight 7:00 Eastern. Plus, get more on the special at CNN.com. View behind the scenes video and pictures, track the Christianity timeline and see how researchers say Jesus actually looked.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Let's get back to our top story right now, the president's final news conference of the year. Let's get a view of everything that was discussed this morning from Baghdad and Our Baghdad -- In Baghdad is Ryan Tealco (ph) for us. Ryan, I'm wondering, there is a whole lot of discussion going on in Washington and around the country about a surge, a temporary surge, of troops into Baghdad to quell some of the violence there. What is the view among Iraqi politicians of that idea? And we just lost Ryan. So we will try to get Ryan back up as soon as possible and get his insightful answer to that question.

WHITFIELD: All right. We look forward to that. All right, you get a headache, what do you do?

HARRIS: You pop a couple pills.

WHITFIELD: Yes, a little over the counter, pretty benign, no problem. Well, apparently it has become a problem for some folks, doing a little too much of it.

HARRIS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: So now new warning labels. We are going to tell you all about it in THE NEWSROOM.

HARRIS: Montgomery Bus Boycott 50 years later. Reverend Joseph Lowry talks about its lasting impact. The civil rights dean this morning in THE NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: Always love him.

HARRIS: Yes, we do. We really do. And CNN tonight, the challenges struggles and revolution that became Christianity. "CNN PRESENTS" After Jesus, the First Christian. Don't miss the premiere tonight at 7. Plus get more on the special at CNN.com, view behind the scenes video and pictures, track the Christianity timeline, and see how researchers say Jesus actually looked.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: So our Daily Dose this morning, you have a headache, you reach for that Tylenol or Advil, but going overboard with over the counter pain relievers can be dangerous. Now the government wants tougher warning labels on these popular drugs.

I talked with CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen earlier this morning in THE NEWSROOM.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Let's start first with Acetaminophen. That's what's in Tylenol and many other drugs. It's also in cough and cold medicines, which a lot of people don't know, and what the FDA is proposing is that it would carry warning labels, talking about possible liver problems, liver toxicity, if you take high doses, if you drink three or more alcoholic beverages a day, or if you double up on products. And what we mean by that is some people will take a Tylenol and will take a cold medicine. What they don't realize is they're getting Acetaminophen twice and they're getting a very high dose.

WHITFIELD: Too much.

COHEN: Now also proposed labelling changes for Advil, or Aspirin, generic names up there, Aleve, a warning about possible stomach bleeding if you're 60 years or older, if you have a history of stomach bleeds, if you take blood thinners, if you take multiple drugs containing these products, which we already explained, and if you are drinking three or more alcoholic beverages a day. Again, the concern with these drugs, a little bit different. Here they're talking about stomach bleeding.

WHITFIELD: All right, so now everyone is getting the public or verbal warning, but when might these warning labels be attached to these items?

COHEN: Right now it's just a proposal, and the FDA is hoping that these companies will put these on these products voluntarily and they won't have to go through the regulatory rigmarole to make it regulation. But if they do have to go through that, it could take about a year for them to be on the labels.

WHITFIELD:: All right. So a lot of folks who are taking this stuff regularly, are there certainly patients or certain conditions that need to stay away from it all together? Wait until these warning labels come out or what?

COHEN: What people need to do is they need to talk to their doctors. They need to think about what category they might be in and talk to their doctors. For many people this really isn't a problem. But let's say you're over 60, you should talk to your doctor about aspirin or Aleve or Advil and stomach bleeding.

Let's say you drink moderately, you should talk to your doctor about acetaminophen and alcohol. It really depends who you are, your age, what conditions you already have. But, no one needs to stop taking them immediately necessarily. Talk to your doctor. WHITFIELD: And we can't be overly cautious. I think a lot of folks think over the counter, you know what, it's safe, it's fairly harmless, we can take them at liberty.

COHEN: Right, these are drugs, and what they found is that actually people were sometimes taking lots and lots of them for that reason as Fred just said -- it's over the counter. They say take one, gee, two must be better. Not the case.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Well, get your daily dose of health news online as well. Log on to our website and you will find the latest medical news, a health library, and information on diet and fitness. The address: CNN.com/health.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Well, perhaps some stormy days in Washington. Now that we heard the president is promising a greater troop buildup in Iraq, will it be a hard sell.

Our Elaine Quijano was at that press conference and now in front of the White House. That is the burning question. This just might be a hard sell in Washington and beyond?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly what we've heard from the president today echoing what he has said in recent days, and that is he is listening to opinions from a variety of different sources as he goes about determining what next to do about Iraq.

And this is coming, of course, at a time when there is intense political pressure on this president to change course when it comes to Iraq. Democrats are poised to take control of Congress, of course, next year.

Now, the president did emphasize he has not made a final decision yet when it comes to a U.S. temporary troop surge to help stabilize Baghdad. The president was also asked about a comment that he made yesterday to the "Washington Post" when asked whether or not he believed the United States was winning in Iraq, the president pointed to some comments by General Peter Pace, the chairman of the joint chiefs, saying essentially that we're not winning and we're not losing. Here now is how President Bush explained that comment today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My comments -- the first comment was done in this spirit. I believe that we're going to win. I believe that -- by the way, if I didn't think that, I wouldn't have our troops there. That's what you got to know.

We're going to succeed. My comments yesterday reflected the fact that we're not succeeding nearly as fast as I wanted when I said at the time and that conditions are tough in Iraq. (END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, the president was also asked whether or not he might overrule possibly his commanders on the ground. This is a president who, of course, has said many times before that when it comes to U.S. troop levels in Iraq, he does listen to his generals and his commanders on the ground.

The president said he had not made a decision yet and said it was a dangerous hypothetical to answer, but also added that the information and the input that he gets certainly from those commanders is important -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Elaine Quijano, thanks so much at the White House.

HARRIS: All right. Let's get you to the Pentagon now and Barbara Starr. Barbara, I asked to bring you back because I just have a question that I can't get off my head and I want you to answer it for me.

First of all, it seems to me we've heard the president now saying that he listens to the advice and will continue to listen to the advice of the generals on the ground. There is all this talk about a surge of additional troops to sort of quell the violence in Baghdad and a couple other areas.

But you have to ask you, the president says they shouldn't go without a plan, he agrees with that assessment, and then General Casey talking to Jamie McIntyre a few moments ago, says well there needs to be a plan. My question to you is, General Casey, General Abizaid, aren't they the generals who have the job of devising the plan?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes. And here's how you answer that question, Tony. It's a combination of politics and military strategy. You know, several days ago the White House let it float around town, here's the politics, that they were thinking of a surge of up to 30,000.

Then it seemed to be an idea in search of a strategy to find a reason to do those 30,000 troops because there's no question, these generals have let it be known that they're not in favor of that kind of surge unless there is a military reason to do it, so that's the military reason.

A chicken and egg. What's really happening here? What came first, the idea of a surge and then a reason, a military reason to do it? It's really difficult to figure out at this point.

What we are hearing from our senior military sources that we are speaking to is that President Bush has floated the notion of a surge, that he wants to know if that's a good idea, and now folks are going back looking at it and trying to determine if there's a good reason to do it because that's what the joint chiefs are saying. It doesn't do any good to put boots on the ground unless there's a reason to put boots on the ground. Otherwise, as we've talked about so many times, you just have more military targets. What do you do if you have more boots? The violence doesn't ease up. What options do you have next? There are other generals who are weighing in very heavily and saying it's not just a military problem at this point. Unless you have political progress, economic progress -- that means jobs and investment-- these additional troops really won't make a difference. But here is one of the key military issues that Bob Gates is going to have to grapple with, commanders say.

If you put more troops on the ground, what will that mission be? The stated mission will be security in Baghdad. That means putting U.S. troops between Shia and Sunni on the streets. That means putting U.S. troops in the middle of a sectarian war, and that means there has to be a decision that that's a good idea, and it's a long way from all of that by all accounts, Tony.

HARRIS: Man, I'm glad we were able to get you back. Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. Barbara, thank you.

STARR: Thank you.

HARRIS: Still to come, President Bush says he wants more troops in the Army. One man has to make sure there are enough feet to fill the boots. At 2:00 p.m. Eastern, General Richard Cody, the Army vice chief of staff, will be in the NEWSROOM. We will certainly ask him if there are enough trained fighting forces to complete the mission in Iraq and elsewhere and what he has to do to get them ready. Join us at 2:00 eastern right here in the NEWSROOM.

WHITFIELD: And, Tony, we're watching this situation out of Nashville, Tennessee. Apparently there's been an underground utility explosion there in downtown Nashville, and reportedly three people have been transported to the hospital. We don't know how significant their injuries are, but we continue to watch this situation. They've sealed off an area. You can see there it's downtown Nashville along the river. We'll try to find out exactly what else might be near this underground explosion that is being linked to some sort of utility problem. When we get more information on that we will be able to bring that to you.

HARRIS: OK, Fred, a very, very busy morning obviously for the president. The news conference first off for the president this morning that wrapped up just inside the last 45 minutes or so. The president is back, back in that same treaty room right now for a bill signing. He's about to sign the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006.

Let's listen in.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRES. OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all. Please be seated. Thanks for coming. Welcome to the White House.

In a few moments, I'm going to sign a bill that will extend tax relief to millions of American families and small businesses and add momentum to a growing economy. The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 will maintain key tax reforms, expand our commitment to renewable energy resources, make it easier for Americans to afford health insurance, and open markets overseas for our farmers and small-business owners.

This is a good piece of pro-growth legislation, and I'm looking forward to signing it into law.

And I appreciate members of my Cabinet who have joined me in thanking the Congress for their good work here at the end of this session.

I want to thank Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, and Ambassador Sue Swab for joining us today.

Thanks for your service.

(APPLAUSE)

I appreciate the speaker for being here.

Mr. Speaker, good piece of work. I thank you for your hard work at the end of the session. You deserve a lot of credit for this fine piece of legislation, as does Senator Bill Frist, Senate majority leader.

(APPLAUSE)

And I appreciate key members of the Senate and the House who got this legislation passed for joining us today. I want to thank Pete Domenici and Mike DeWine and Rick Santorum from the Senate. I'm going to save the Louisianians here for a minute.

And I want to thank the chairman, Bill Thomas, for not only this bill but a lot of other good pieces of legislation we were able to work together on.

I want to say something about these Louisianians. I appreciate them coming. This is a really important piece of legislation for Louisiana and for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is it will help provide money so that we can help restore the wetlands in Louisiana.

It's an issue that has united the people of Louisiana. The people are rightly concerned about the evaporation of wetlands. And this bill's going to help deal with that important issue. And I want to Mary and David Vitter for good work on this important bill.

Congratulations to you.

(APPLAUSE)

Texas people kind of like Louisianans.

(LAUGHTER) A lot of us spent some of our youth in Louisiana.

(LAUGHTER)

As we approach the end of 2006, our economy is strong, it's productive and it's prosperous.

The most recent jobs report shows that our economy created 132,000 new jobs in November. That's good. We have added more than 7 million new jobs since August of 2003, more than Japan and the European Union combined.

The unemployment rate has remained low, at 4.5 percent. More Americans are finding work, and more American workers are taking home bigger paychecks. The latest figures show that real hourly wages increased 2.3 percent in the last year. For the typical family of four, with both parents working, that means an extra $1,350 for this year.

As we look forward, our goal is to maintain pro-growth economic policies that strengthen our economy and help raise the standard of living for all our citizens.

The bill I signed today will continue important progress in four key ways.

First, the bill will extend key tax relief measures that are critical to expanding opportunity, continuing economic growth and revitalizing our communities.

To keep America competitive in the world economy, we must make sure people have the skills they need for the jobs of the 21st century. Many of those jobs are going to require college. So we're extending the deductibility of tuition and higher education expenses to help more Americans go to college so we can compete.

And to keep our nation leading the world in technology and innovation, we're extending and modernizing the research and development tax credit. By allowing businesses to deduct part of their R&D investments from their taxes, this bill will continue to encourage American companies to pursue innovative products, medicines and technologies.

The bill will also extend vital provisions of the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act that I signed last year. The bill will keep in place key tax credits that we passed to help rebuild Gulf Coast communities that were devastated by the hurricanes that hit the region in 2005.

HARRIS: And there you have the president just moments away from signing the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. I think of it as a bill that basically reinstates a number of tax benefits, 20, 20 in all, retroactively to the beginning of 2006. Among them the bill renews a deduction of up to $4,000 for higher education. The president signing that bill in just a couple moments. WHITFIELD: And this, an important milestone today, half century ago, just 50 years ago, so it's still very fresh in a lot of people's minds, people, a protest galvanizing the civil rights movement. One of the movements' leaders, we're honored today to be joined by the Reverend Joseph Lowery, coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: So 50 years ago today a defining moment in the civil rights movement, the year-long Montgomery Bus Boycott ended when a Supreme Court decision forced them to integrate their bus service. The boycott sparked by single act of defiance. Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus to a white man.

With me now, longtime civil rights reverend the Reverend Joseph Lowery.

Good to see you.

REV. JOSEPH LOWERY, CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER: Good to see you, and Miss Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Good to see you as well.

HARRIS: I want to read something to you and get your thoughts on this. "The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a political and social protest intended to take on the city's policy of racial segregation on its public transit system." How daunting a task did that appear at the time, 50 years ago?

LOWERY: Well, it appeared unapproachable. Montgomery -- I'm convinced, not just because I'm a preacher, that God chose Montgomery and Martin in a marriage that was made in Heaven, because Montgomery was the perfect place both by geography and demographical factors. Martin was the perfect man to lead it, both by training and temperament. Montgomery -- every person in Montgomery who had ridden the bus had a personal beef in the system, because everybody has been abused, everybody had been mistreated. And even if you hadn't been on the bus, your grandmother had or your uncle had.

It was so bad that when it was raining and the bus was crowded, African-Americans could get on the front of the bus, put their money in the box, get back off the bus in the rain and go around and go in the back door.

And Miss Parks' situation was if blacks filled up the bus and one white person got on, then blacks had to begin the terrible retreat from the front to accommodate white patrons who got on later.

And when Martin called me and when that came in the paper, I was in Mobile, pastor in Mobile, Alabama, he called and said we're asking that blacks can start at the back and fill up but not have to get up. Whites start at the front and fill up and don't have to get up when a black gets on. I said, wait, Martin, we've already got that in mobile. Let's do first come first serve. He said that's what we should do, but that wouldn't get anywhere, but they're not going to get anywhere and they're not going to agree with that proposal, and it will show how recalcitrant they are and it will help us, and he was right.

HARRIS: So how did one day -- this was originally scheduled to be a one-day protest. How did one day become a little over a year, a couple weeks longer than a year? And how was that movement, that campaign supported by the black institutions at the time?

LOWERY: Well, you know, that's one of the strange and providential things, is that never before had a black community come together so unanimously on an issue. That's because everybody was affected.

The second thing was they had splendid leadership, and third, God was in the plan. The movement -- the media played an important role. When the black community distributed handbills saying stay off the buses, the Montgomery newspaper picked up a handbill, put it on the front page. And when black saw it and said this has an authenticity that even the handbill didn't get it, and they stayed off the buses. It became immediately effective, so effective that they took the buses off the streets and so that nobody could ride the bus.

HARRIS: So a final question -- we ran a little long with the news conference and everything else -- but what is the lasting -- 50 years later, what is the lasting message, lesson of...

LOWERY: I think there's two, Tony. One is Mrs. Parks act proved that one person can make a difference. And secondly, the bus boycott introduced a new era in the civil rights struggle, the era of self- determination. Prior to the Montgomery bus boycott we waited on the courts, the legislature. Now we took our destiny in our own hands. No matter what the courts say, no matter what the legislature, or the city council, or the mayor or even the president, we ain't going to ride on the back of the bus.

HARRIS: Reverend, great to see you as always. Good to see you, my friend.

LOWERY: Nice to see you. Thank you for having me.

HARRIS: Be well, be well. Merry Christmas to you. Happy Kwanzaa.

LOWERY: Same to you. Christmas gift?

HARRIS: OK.

LOWERY: That means you can give me a gift.

HARRIS: It's coming, don't worry.

LOWERY: With that fabulous income you have.

HARRIS: Fred? WHITFIELD: Well, speaking of incomes, perhaps, Tony, you know, since tis the season for bonuses, maybe you've got a bonus for the Reverend Lowery?

HARRIS: Well, I think I do now.

(CROSSTALK)

LOWERY: ... $800,000.

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