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CNN Live Saturday
Bush Starts Easter Break at Crawford Ranch
Aired April 19, 2003 - 16:09 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.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is starting his Easter break at Crawford ranch -- at his Crawford, Texas ranch, and tomorrow he'll spend part of Easter at Fort Hood, where five of those returning POWs are based. Mr. Bush plans to attend a church service there. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us from Crawford with more on the president's holiday plans -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, President Bush spending the long Easter weekend, holiday weekend at windy, Crawford, Texas, at his 1,600-acre ranch. He's going to be spending some time with his family as well as key staffers for rest and relaxation. Tomorrow, he's going to be visiting to Fort Hood, Texas. He's going to be attending a church service with soldiers there to wish them well. The last time he was in Fort Hood was January 3, when he had lunch with the soldiers, and also this was before, of course, the war with Iraq, a totally different time.
But as you know, Fort Hood is significant. It's got 42,000 soldiers there, troops there. Half of those now in Iraq, serving duty. So the president really sending them warm wishes during the holiday weekend.
And of course, the Bush administration is focusing on two areas, securing the economic as well as the national security of the country. It was on his way to Crawford at St. Louis when he attended an event at a Boeing factory. He's really pushing forward on his growth and jobs package. This is a tax cut plan. Initially, the president wanted $726 billion in a tax cut. The Congress only allowing $550 billion of that. We're told in the weeks to come to expect kind of a campaign-like blitz for him to be traveling across the country, as well as aides to try to move that tax plan forward.
Also, the president, of course, focusing on the future of Iraq, the national security of the country. And really, a lot of challenges ahead. Most notably, dealing with the United Nations on the agenda. The U.N. has to pass a resolution recognizing the new Iraqi government, has to certify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction, also and only then that the U.N. can lift economic sanctions against Iraq, as well as unfreeze the Iraqi assets. So, Fred, a lot that is on the president's plate, but over the next 24, 48 hours, just a little bit of relaxation until he tends to the nation's business -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well, Suzanne, let me ask you about the president's agenda. While he plans to go to Fort Hood to attend a church service there, why is it that he's not making it in his plans to actually have any kind of face-to-face meetings with any of those former POWs?
MALVEAUX: We actually don't know whether or not he's going to be meeting with the POWs. We have told at this time that he doesn't have the plans. It certainly doesn't mean that it is not flexible. As you know, though, the president usually has private meetings. He doesn't necessarily advertise them all the time. Usually, he goes and will meet with family members and those who are directly impacted by their experience, those who have lost their loved ones, those who have returned home. It's not atypical for the president not to make a dramatic announcement about it. So we'll just have to wait and see.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux from Crawford, Texas, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired April 19, 2003 - 16:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is starting his Easter break at Crawford ranch -- at his Crawford, Texas ranch, and tomorrow he'll spend part of Easter at Fort Hood, where five of those returning POWs are based. Mr. Bush plans to attend a church service there. CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us from Crawford with more on the president's holiday plans -- Suzanne.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, President Bush spending the long Easter weekend, holiday weekend at windy, Crawford, Texas, at his 1,600-acre ranch. He's going to be spending some time with his family as well as key staffers for rest and relaxation. Tomorrow, he's going to be visiting to Fort Hood, Texas. He's going to be attending a church service with soldiers there to wish them well. The last time he was in Fort Hood was January 3, when he had lunch with the soldiers, and also this was before, of course, the war with Iraq, a totally different time.
But as you know, Fort Hood is significant. It's got 42,000 soldiers there, troops there. Half of those now in Iraq, serving duty. So the president really sending them warm wishes during the holiday weekend.
And of course, the Bush administration is focusing on two areas, securing the economic as well as the national security of the country. It was on his way to Crawford at St. Louis when he attended an event at a Boeing factory. He's really pushing forward on his growth and jobs package. This is a tax cut plan. Initially, the president wanted $726 billion in a tax cut. The Congress only allowing $550 billion of that. We're told in the weeks to come to expect kind of a campaign-like blitz for him to be traveling across the country, as well as aides to try to move that tax plan forward.
Also, the president, of course, focusing on the future of Iraq, the national security of the country. And really, a lot of challenges ahead. Most notably, dealing with the United Nations on the agenda. The U.N. has to pass a resolution recognizing the new Iraqi government, has to certify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction, also and only then that the U.N. can lift economic sanctions against Iraq, as well as unfreeze the Iraqi assets. So, Fred, a lot that is on the president's plate, but over the next 24, 48 hours, just a little bit of relaxation until he tends to the nation's business -- Fred.
WHITFIELD: Well, Suzanne, let me ask you about the president's agenda. While he plans to go to Fort Hood to attend a church service there, why is it that he's not making it in his plans to actually have any kind of face-to-face meetings with any of those former POWs?
MALVEAUX: We actually don't know whether or not he's going to be meeting with the POWs. We have told at this time that he doesn't have the plans. It certainly doesn't mean that it is not flexible. As you know, though, the president usually has private meetings. He doesn't necessarily advertise them all the time. Usually, he goes and will meet with family members and those who are directly impacted by their experience, those who have lost their loved ones, those who have returned home. It's not atypical for the president not to make a dramatic announcement about it. So we'll just have to wait and see.
WHITFIELD: All right, Suzanne Malveaux from Crawford, Texas, thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
