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CNN Live At Daybreak

Bush Travels to Iowa, to Drum up Excitement for Tax Relief

Aired June 08, 2001 - 07:43   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.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Live to White House now. That is the president of the United States, though his back is turned to you at the moment. He's just saying goodbye to some people over at the White House. He's about to leave to talk to some people in Iowa about his tax relief plan.

Let's quickly bring in Major Garrett, who is standing by there at the White House.

Major, what is left to say about the plan?

MAJOR GARRETT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the president is looking for another way -- the third way, since the Congress passed the tax cut -- to bring attention of the American public to the fact the tax relief is on the way. The White House and many of its allies on Capitol Hill, Republican allies, have come to the conclusion that though the tax relief bill is passed and the president has signed it, the country still isn't that excited about it.

One of the reasons of this trip is to go to Iowa, where, when he was a candidate, the president first announced his intention to cut taxes across the board, and tell the people in Iowa, and elsewhere, Yes, tax relief is coming, I promised it during the campaign, I've delivered it as a president -- come on, let's get happy. You're going to get some of your money back from the government.

Amid all of the news in Washington in the last couple of weeks -- Jim Jeffords defecting the Republican Party, shifting control of power to the Senate -- and news outside of Washington -- for example, the Timothy McVeigh execution on Monday -- the White House really feels its lost its voice and hasn't dominated the news, even though one of the president's number one domestic priorities has actually been achieved. So this trip, and others that will be planned after he returns from his week-long trip to Europe, which begins Monday, is designed to drive home the message that the president has delivered, that the country should be happy that he's delivered, and that tax relief is, indeed, on the way -- Carol.

LIN: Thank you very much, Major.

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