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CNN Crossfire

What Will the Next 100 Days Bring for George W. Bush?

Aired April 30, 2001 - 19:30   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.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today marks our 100th day of working together for the American people. We've had some good debates, we've made some good process, and it looks like we're going to pass some good law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT NOVAK, CO-HOST: Tonight, with 100 days behind him, what will the next 100 days bring for George W. Bush? A big tax cut? A missile defense plan? An energy policy? How about more cooperation between Republicans and Democrats?

ANNOUNCER: Live from Washington, CROSSFIRE. On the left, Bill Press. On the right, Robert Novak. In the CROSSFIRE: Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota and Republican Senator George Allen from Virginia.

NOVAK: Good evening. Welcome to CROSSFIRE. It's day 101 for George W. Bush in the Oval Office, and the president began his second 100 days by trying to demonstrate that he is, too, bipartisan. He asked every member of Congress, all 535 of them, to lunch at the White House today, to eat southwestern chicken, angus beef and red chile onion rings. But only 193 showed up, less than 50 Democrats.

It might have been fear of heartburn or Monday phobia, that's congressional fear of the first day of the week. Environmental activists did show up to protest, but the Bush team moved on with its agenda. That old Texas oilman, Vice President Dick Cheney in his energy speech declared we must rely on oil and on coal. President Bush tomorrow delivers a missile defense speech, and Wednesday names members of his Social Security Reform Commission.

So, how does the second 100 days shape up? A Bush capitulation or sticking to his conservative guns -- Bill Press.

BILL PRESS, CO-HOST: Senator Allen, we are looking ahead tonight, but I first want to ask you just a little bit about this 100 days. And to celebrate the first 100 days, as Bob just pointed out, the president invited every member of the House, every member of the Senate to lunch today, 535.

Only 32 percent, 193 showed up, including some 50 Democrats, which means half of the Republicans, including yourself, Senator Allen, didn't show up to have lunch with the president. I mean, either you don't care or the guy hasn't made much impression, or -- I mean, what it is?

SEN. GEORGE ALLEN (R), VIRGINIA: Oh, a lot of members -- I don't know what their reasons for not being there today. Others had commitments. We had commitments back home in our states and our districts, and that's I -- obviously, came up and what will matter most to the president are -- where people will show up on votes that matter, on cutting taxes, on a variety of other things, missile defense, on standing strong for national defense, for more funding for scientific research and technology. That will matter.

And I will fess up. You know where I was? I was back home. I did have some important meetings. I had to eat lunch real early, and Susan made a grill cheese and ham sandwich, and I ate with it my daughter Brooke. And I think the president will appreciate that.

But I was very happy to be with the president a few weeks ago with my son Forrest who is 10 years old, for proclamation for Thomas Jefferson. I'm proud for my children to shake hands with this president.

SEN. PAUL WELLSTONE (D), MINNESOTA: And I want to stick up -- I want to stick up for George. If my children and six grandchildren were close by -- Minnesota is a little further away -- I probably would have been eating lunch with him too. Those are good priorities.

PRESS: Grilled cheese. Now, the president has certainly survived...

ALLEN: And ham.

PRESS: And ham. The president has certainly survived these 100 days, but when you look at what hasn't happened: I mean, the administration has abandoned its position on school vouchers, which I happen to approve of. They basically said now -- Christie Whitman said they aren't going to go after drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee. The president has dropped his insistence on the $1.6 trillion tax cut, and admitted he is going to compromise on that.

And today, they practically said dropping their demand that the Chinese give us our plane back. They said they're happy to go over there and just look at it. Hasn't he survived 100 days by basically abandoning everything he campaigned on?

ALLEN: I completely disagree with all your characterizations there, Bill, in all due respect.

(CROSSTALK)

ALLEN: Nevertheless, the president I think has made great progress on the tax cuts. Granted, he would like to see the tax cuts he agreed to, $1.6 trillion, and it's a little under 1.3 as far as the Senate is concerned. He realizes he doesn't have a 100-day term, he has a four-year term, and he realizes there's going to be other opportunities to reduce taxes. It's not just a compromise between the House and the Senate, but there will be other vehicles, education bills and others, where taxes can be reduced.

As far as education, I think he's -- obviously we're going to have a debate this week on education, and I think a lot of progress has been made there on education improvements. As far as drilling and becoming less energy-dependent on foreign sources of oil, the president has the exact same stand. If you read or listen to Vice President Cheney's address, he was talking about how we can procure that oil from the north slope of Alaska in a very environmentally sound way, as well as getting clean coal technology and improvements in technology, so that we do have a better source and more affordable energy and electricity in this country.

NOVAK: Senator Wellstone, your leaders have spent the whole weekend, the Democratic leaders, weeping and whining that they weren't consulted enough, and I want you to listen to what the majority leader of the Senate, you think you know him well, I'd like you to listen to what he has to say on this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: I think the administration made the right decision not try to just ram through a whole lot of issues, that focus on the big issues. I think the tone has changed in the city. I do believe that there is an effort to be bipartisan, and in the Senate, in particular, that has been the way we have proceeded this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOVAK: And isn't true that never has been such a case of a Republican president asking in Democrats? So my question to you is: how come you can make it here for CROSSFIRE tonight, and you rudely rejected the president's invitation for lunch?

WELLSTONE: Why did I think that question was coming? I have a twofold answer. The first is, actually, at the same time, believe it or not, I was taping a presentation tomorrow night in New York City -- I don't think I can be there because we may be voting. There is this gathering about suicide prevention, and actually Larry King is getting awarded. I'm lucky enough to get a public policy award. So, I had a taping at the same time, and I want to just thank people for the award -- exact same time as the luncheon.

But second thing is, you know, look, on the bipartisanship and the new climate, I'm probably the wrong person to ask, because I went from being "Pablo," you know, a couple of months ago, until I started disagreeing on the assault on the environment.

(CROSSTALK)

WELLSTONE: ... he called me "Pablo," now I am public enemy number one. Now, he's decided that I'm the most targeted senator in the United States. And I have made the mistake of saying, look, you are going to have -- George was talking about these tax cuts. Actually, you -- 1.5 trillion after you deal with the interest that you now have to pay on the debt that's not being paid off, and after you make it retroactive, and after you do a couple of other things.

Basically -- you know what has happened? President -- everybody talked about affordable prescription drug costs...

(CROSSTALK)

WELLSTONE: Wait a minute, Bob, let me finish! Excuse me -- excuse me. Talks about mandatory, a federal mandate that every school district, every child will be tested. George, I can't believe you support it. Every year, from age 8 through age 13, without -- guess what's lacking? The federal mandate that there should be equal opportunity for every child to have a good education.

He's trying to invest in children on a tin-cup budget, so you got Robin-Hood-in-reverse tax cuts, failure to follow through on commitment to prescription drugs, failure to follow through on commitment to education, assault on the environment, and I've spoken up, and I'm the number one target!

NOVAK: Senator Wellstone, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Alan Greenspan, said that we're reducing the debt just as fast as it can be done. But you know, I know what you are up to.

WELLSTONE: What am I up to?

NOVAK: Now, listen to the House majority leader, and listen to how he describes what you are up to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. RICHARD ARMEY (R-TX), HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER: The Democrats have a kind of a sort of a -- what should I say, an unusual idea of what is bipartisan. They come to the table and they expect 100 percent of what they want. Anytime they get less than that, they feel like it's not been a good partisan effort.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOVAK: I admire you, Paul Wellstone, you know that. I've been one of your greatest admirers, because you are not interested in compromise, you are not interested in the wishy middle, you are a far left-winger, and you want the left wing agenda! Am I correct?

PRESS: Badge of honor!

WELLSTONE: As much as I know you must mean that a compliment, you are not correct, no.

NOVAK: You're backing away from that?

WELLSTONE: That characterization -- I am not backing away. Listen, Bob, I came to D.C. -- what -- 10 1/2 years ago, I have not changed at all in terms of my commitment on children and education, on minimum wage jobs, on preservation of the environment. I believe these things. I think you focus on a good job, a good education, a good health care, and I see this agenda as being very harsh -- and you know what? People will decide.

The truth of the matter is, people will decide, because ultimately -- see, the big victory -- and here's where I think we might have some agreement -- where I'm very critical of my party is I think we should be standing up stronger to some of what's being attempted here, because after these tax cuts go through, you are going to have two things happen: Robin Hood in reverse, with 40 percent of the benefits going to the top 1 percent...

NOVAK: So you don't want compromise.

WELLSTONE: Wait a minute, wait a minute! And the second thing is, it's going to crowd out any investment in all of the priorities that we say are important to people. That has nothing to do with not wanting to compromise, but it has to do with standing up for what you believe in.

ALLEN: You know that's not true, Paul.

WELLSTONE: It is true!

ALLEN: Notice that even the -- approximately $1.3 trillion tax cut over 10 years that we passed, the Senate budget, there -- the increases in spending were over 7 percent. There was a large investment in education, also on research and development and basic scientific research. There was a lot of things...

WELLSTONE: But the large commitment came from the amendment that Tom Harkin and I introduced.

ALLEN: Well, fine, it passed.

WELLSTONE: We said -- yeah, but you know what the president proposed?

ALLEN: And so did...

WELLSTONE: Twenty-five billion over 10 years, and we proposed 225 billion.

ALLEN: But notice that the bottom line after all these amendments were voted on and were passed, there was a $1.3 trillion tax cut plus all of that spending. Now it seems to me that...

(CROSSTALK)

WELLSTONE: ... what happens.

ALLEN: ... priorities are national defense, education, scientific research, and so forth can be covered.

WELLSTONE: See, I don't think that'll happen.

ALLEN: The question of how much you want to give the taxpayers...

WELLSTONE: The people in the country will judge it.

(CROSSTALK)

PRESS: Senators, if I could...

WELLSTONE: Yeah, yeah.

PRESS: ... jump in here with a question, you and I did not have lunch today. We did have dinner together Saturday night at the White House Correspondents Dinner. The president was in fine form, I must say. He showed a Bush -- didn't give a speech -- he showed a Bush family album of some...

ALLEN: You're not going to show all of those photos.

PRESS: No, not all of them. But I want to show one that was particularly funny. It was a photo of former President Bush in the bathtub with his kids, and here's what now President Bush had to say about it for those who weren't there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Dad, Neil, Dorro, Marvin and Jed. In my family, with all those kids in the tub, it's not arsenic in the water I'd be worried about.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

PRESS: Not arsenic in the water, it was a good line, got a great laugh, deservedly, but this is an issue, senator, that just won't go away. Wouldn't you have to admit, just in all honestly, that it was a major screw-up on the part of this White House, the biggest screw-up in this 100 days, to put more arsenic in the water?

ALLEN: First of all, you're characterizing it completely wrong. Obviously, you don't think the Bush administration is saying let's put arsenic in the water, which is what you said.

PRESS: Essentially what they did.

ALLEN: No, they did not. What the Bush administration is trying to do is use sound science, find ways to reduce arsenic in water, so that some people will be able to at least have the technology or make sure there's the funding for some places where there is naturally occurring arsenic in there drinking water.

None of us want to have unacceptable levels of arsenic or any other toxic or mineral in drinking water. The reality is, is the Clinton administration's regulations came in at the last second. None of those were actually going to go into effect for several years anyway. And so what they're trying to do is find a logical, scientific-based way to make sure that arsenic is reduced, find the proper level, which may actually ought to be less than 10 parts per billion, and if they can do it, do so.

WELLSTONE: It's taken George a long time to explain weakening the standard.

ALLEN: Let me -- well, let me -- no, they did not weaken the standard. They have not developed the standard yet. I'll grant you this: It's a heck of a thing to try to explain.

(LAUGHTER)

But I will -- I will say that -- but just the demagoguery...

NOVAK: I like a little arsenic occasionally. I enjoy it.

ALLEN: It gets the worms out of the intestines.

NOVAK: Yeah! Clears the sinuses.

ALLEN: But the point is, is they are trying to come up with a logical, practical approach based on sound science.

WELLSTONE: Well, we're just seeing the beginning of this.

ALLEN: And please, please don't mischaracterize it as if they want to put arsenic in water. Obviously not.

PRESS: But you know, it was difficult, you did your best to defend arsenic. We're going to take a break right there on that point, and when we come back -- by the way, after the show, Senator Allen is good enough to stay around. He'll be jumping into our CROSSFIRE chatroom to take your questions right after the show. You know where to find him: cnn.com/crossfire. And when we come back, we're going to find out more about why Paul Wellstone is suddenly a marked man: at least the White House says he is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PRESS: Welcome back to CROSSFIRE. President Bush is happy with his job, he says. Only one thing could make him happier: a bigger margin for Republicans in the Senate and the House, and he's working hard to make that happen: recruiting candidates to run against incumbent Democrats like, well, like tonight's guest Paul Wellstone.

Will this make for rocky days ahead? Is this any way to build bipartisanship in Washington? Tonight's debate continues with Republican Senator George Allen of Virginia and Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota -- Bob.

NOVAK: Senator Wellstone, just so all the viewers know what we're talking about, you're up for re-election next year and the president is trying to get the nomination of the mayor of St. Paul, Norm Coleman, a very effective politician, interesting politician to run against you. But since you oppose the president on everything, you won't compromise, you won't give an inch, do you blame him for wanting to get rid of Paul Wellstone in the Senate?

WELLSTONE: I don't blame him.

NOVAK: Oh, good.

WELLSTONE: I don't blame him. But I think there are a couple of things to say. First of all, I don't disagree on everything. And I think, for example -- we haven't talked about it -- but I think that his handling of our plane, getting our military people back from China, I think he did it the right way. I think he kept the temperature down. You give credit where credit's due.

ALLEN: That's the first time I've heard him give him credit on any...

WELLSTONE: Well, of course, you do that all the time. And you know what? I mean, with George, my nature is to like people even if you disagree on the policy, and that's really what it's about.

Look, I think the real issue in Minnesota -- I feel like I know the state well -- I think the problem there is -- I've said it, I'll say it again on CNN on CROSSFIRE -- I think the president or the vice president can choose maybe for the Republicans who the candidate will be, but they don't get to choose for Minnesota who the senator will be. And we'll have a campaign, and you speak honestly on the issues and have a debate and people will decide.

But it is true -- it is absolutely true in terms of what I believe for this country, in terms of how strongly I feel, especially again on the education, health care, environment (UNINTELLIGIBLE), what I think is most important is absolutely true, that I am in opposition to some of the president's values and priorities. No question about it. And the difference is...

NOVAK: I can't -- I can't -- I can't blame the president for trying to get somebody to vote for him.

WELLSTONE: Yeah.

NOVAK: But let me -- let me just, for example...

WELLSTONE: Well, can I tell you this, Bob? One final thing, then you talk. The thing that's good about this, though, is that I love David versus Goliath battles. I don't mind having the whole...

NOVAK: Which one is David? I think Norm Coleman is, isn't he? You're the Goliath.

WELLSTONE: Oh my God, the president, the vice president, the whole business, that's the best way to do it. I have people -- I have people from Minnesota.

(CROSSTALK)

I have the Minnesotans. NOVAK: Senator Wellstone, the -- part of thing that -- one of the reasons the president would like to get rid of people like you from the Senate is you run this campaign on him on the environment...

WELLSTONE: Yeah.

NOVAK: ... with this ridiculous -- of course, Bill is wrong. They haven't abandoned the attempt to drill in the ANWR, the Arctic...

(CROSSTALK)

They're still trying to do it. And Vice President Cheney gave a very good speech today on the environment. He said we have to get more oil, and he explained something about the drilling in the ANWR yesterday. And let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The notions being peddled out there that we want to take 19 million acres of wilderness in Alaska and tear it up to develop oil and gas. The fact is to develop that 19 million acres you only need to disturb an area about the size of Dulles Airport out here, about 2,000 acres that would actually have to be required to develop that oil and gas resource in ANWR.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOVAK: ANWR is about the size of South Carolina and the area to drill is the size -- I think it's less than the size of Dulles Airport; how do you answer that?

WELLSTONE: Well, the way I answer it is, you don't go after pristine wilderness area for six-months worth of supply of oil. If we were serious about energy efficiency -- wait a minute -- if we were serious about energy efficiency, we would reduce our dependence upon Middle Eastern oil...

(CROSSTALK)

WELLSTONE: I just told you there's no reason -- you don't need to do this. The future for this country is biomass electricity, clean fuels like ethanol, saved energy...

NOVAK: And nuclear...

WELLSTONE: ...wind and solar -- wait a minute -- and the reason is that this is clean technology, small business, respectful of the environment, and guess what? Most of the people in the country want it. We've got oil boys that are in control here in Washington, but this is not a good policy for our country.

PRESS: Senator, you mentioned the vice president's speech before, so I want to ask you about that, too. Because the heart of the vice president's speech today was saying, here's -- this will come out when we get the report, but he sort of broadcasted it today -- here's what we're going to propose: building 1300 to 1900 new power plants, all of them coal fired -- most of them coal fired -- which equals 1 new power plant every week for the next 20 years. Now, you know that is not realistic at all.

(CROSSTALK)

PRESS: It's all production! No conservation!

ALLEN: More mercury in the air.

PRESS: I mean, it's crazy!

ALLEN: Look at the gas prices that people are paying out there. Look at what farmers are having to pay for fertilizer, because we haven't had an energy policy in this country for the last decade. Vice President Cheney and President Bush are coming up an energy policy that, yes, we do want to be less dependent on foreign oil.

We have been listening to these arguments, like Senator Wellstone's, for the last ten years, and that's why we have a greater dependence on foreign oil and paying higher oil prices. Natural gas is the only thing that is being utilized for any new power plants. We need to get plants up and going so there's a more reliable energy supply for production of electricity.

Clean coal technology is very important for our future. We are self-reliant in that and in my view, we need to have more power plants in this country. And as far as refineries, yes, we'll need refineries as well. And I don't know if that figure is an accurate figure.

(CROSSTALK)

ALLEN: Wait a second; but what is the alternative?

NOVAK: We're out of time.

ALLEN: Doing nothing? No. I think the people of America have...

WELLSTONE: The president has cut the renewable energy budget -- renewable energy by 50 percent; wants to barrel down the path of more oil, more coal, more mercury, and more greenhouse gasses, and more global warming. It's not surprising! These are the...

(CROSSTALK)

NOVAK: Time has expired! Thank you very much, Senator Wellstone; Senator Allen. And I will try to get Bill Press to agree to a solution to the energy problem when we come back with closing comments.

PRESS: Good luck.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PRESS: No. I would like to see him sign the McCain-Feingold bill. I would like to see him sign the patients bill of rights, Bob. I'd like to see him sign a reasonable tax cut that doesn't all go to the rich in this country.

But Bob, I'll tell you what, look at what he's got, first 100 days: no tax cut, no patients bill of rights, no Social Security...

NOVAK: You said that. I'm talking about...

PRESS: No Medicare. No nothing! I hope the next 100 days is as successful is as successful as the first 100.

NOVAK: What you want is a capitulation. Why don't you be honest? We want him to capitulate to my left-wing -- my Marxist agenda. Say it.

PRESS: That's not a bad idea.

NOVAK: I won!

PRESS: I'm Bill Press, good night for CROSSFIRE. See you later in "THE SPIN ROOM."

NOVAK: I'm Robert Novak, join us next time for another edition of CROSSFIRE.

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