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CNN Live At Daybreak
Bush Focuses on War on Terror, Economy in Address
Aired January 30, 2002 - 06:34 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 COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is putting nations that harbor terrorists on alert. In his State of the Union address, Mr. Bush says the U.S. will remain vigilant and strike if necessary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And all nations should know America will do what is necessary to ensure our nation's security. We'll be deliberate, yet time is not on our side. I will not wait on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Says naming North Korea, Iran, and Iraq is part of a - quote - "axis of evil". The president targeted three groups in the Middle East and one in Asia as being part of a - quote - "terrorist underworld". And now with a morning after look at the State of the Union address, we go to CNN's Elaine Quijano who is live in Washington. Good morning Elaine.
ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Carol. Well this is a speech really designed to rally both the country and members of Congress behind President Bush's goal. As you mentioned, fighting terrorism, improving homeland security, and boosting the economy.
Now, on the war on terror, President Bush, again, taking a very stern and resolute, very determined tone saying to countries that continue to harbor terrorists that if they do not act, that America will. On the domestic front, President Bush focused on several issues - bioterrorism, research, emergency response, airport and border security, and improved intelligence.
And in terms of the economy, the president saying that jobs are really the key. The president interested in sparking the economy through corporate tax cuts and also speeding up tax relief, hoping to boost consumer spending. But again, the three great goals the president outlined, fighting terrorism, improving security on the homefront, and also boosting the economy - Carol.
COSTELLO: What are Democrats saying about the president's speech this morning Elaine? QUIJANO: Well it's interesting because in the response yesterday, it was a very agreeable kind of tone, although the Democrats also are pointing out some specifics that they differ on in terms of the domestic policy. Mainly we're talking about Social Security, Medicare, the Democrats very much to see some sort of prescription, some relief there for patients - a bill of rights continues to be a main focus of the Democrats.
But all in all, there was very much this tone of bipartisanship. They echoed the president's message of working together, of being willing to - quote - "roll up their sleeves", to get together and boost this economy, to revive this lagging economy. So it was interesting. Democrats very wise knowing that with these soaring approval ratings on some polls, as high as 84 percent for the president, they're very careful not to nick pick and not to look like they are taking any kind of unnecessary swipes at the president - Carol.
COSTELLO: I was just going to ask you about that Elaine. You have to wonder how sincere that spirit of bipartisanship is because they couldn't say many negative things about a very popular president, could they?
QUIJANO: That's exactly right, and these are the kind of ratings that we certainly could never have anticipated, but these ratings continue to soar for President Bush. As I mentioned, many polls now showing him well about the 80 percent market, and Democrats very cognizance of that. Any kind of movement in the public eye there, that is perceived as an unnecessary attack against him is not going to play well in the arena, so they're very conscious of that. As they make their criticisms of the president's domestic policies, they're going to have to do it very carefully - Carol.
COSTELLO: Elaine, did you catch any of the late night shows last night, like David Letterman and Conan O'Brien?
QUIJANO: I didn't get to stay up that late ...
COSTELLO: Oh then you're going to have a ...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: ... you're going to have ...
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Stick around, OK?
(CROSSTALK)
QUIJANO: I'm looking forward to it.
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Don't leave your monitor.
QUIJANO: OK, I'm looking forward to it. Sounds good.
COSTELLO: We have that now. Thank you Elaine. We'll let you go.
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