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Bush: Tax Cut and Stimulus Package Will Result in Jobs

Aired June 17, 2003 - 15:01   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.


JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush White House is sounding hopeful today that the economy will continue to gather steam in the coming months. Of course, the president has a vested interest in that happening, knowing the state of the economy could make or break his re-election bid. Mr. Bush was out promoting his economic plan again today and defending his reasons for going to war against Iraq.
Let's go to our senior White House correspondent, John King. John, the economy, are they making that the major focus between now and the election?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, to hear Ari Fleischer and other officials here at the White House today, they say Mr. Bush is worried about being president and he's not worried at all yet about the coming reelection campaign. But, to put it politely, we know that to be at least a bit of an exaggeration. Of course they are worried about the coming political campaign, and they know full well the economy is likely to be the defining issue. That is why for two days in a row now the president has had events, one in New Jersey yesterday, here in the Washington area, out in Virginia today, focusing on the economy.

The White House is a bit more optimistic. Inflation numbers were flat today. The stock market has had a pretty good run of late. The White House believes and private forecasts seem to confirm that economic growth should pick up in the second half of this year. That's critical to this president. One thing Mr. Bush made clear in a speech today in Virginia is, if people start to feel a little bit better about the economy in the months ahead, he hopes that he gets some of the credit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We made it clear to the dictator of Iraq that he must disarm. We asked other nations to join us in seeing to that he would disarm. And he chose not to do so, so we disarmed him. And I know there is a lot of revisionist history now going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Judy, that was the president on Iraq. I think we can refit the tape here and get ready. This is the president trying to get credit if people start to feel a little bit better about the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: And the tax relief plan is going to have a positive effect on the outlook of the American investor and the American consumer. After all, starting in July, there will be checks sent to American families with children, reflecting the difference between the $600 child credit today and the $1,000 child credit that the Congress passed into law, which I signed. As we say in America, the check is in the mail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That a clear effort by the president there to get some credit. There is a reason the White House wants people to think the president deserves credit now. They know the history of his father's reelection campaign.

The economy did come out of a recession and started to bounce back in 1992, but the voters didn't feel it yet. The government numbers might have said the economy was coming back, but the voters didn't quite feel it yet. This president trying to create the psychology, if you will, that if you feel OK about the economy at the end of this year, heading into next year, remember him when it comes to Election Day next November.

WOODRUFF: John, back on Iraq and what the president said, what about the fact that there are still persistent questions out there about whether the pre-war intelligence was accurate. How concerned is the White House about that?

KING: They continue to insist they are not concerned at all. And they believe it was the view of U.N. weapons inspectors, it was the view of the Clinton administration, it was the view of the United States Congress when it adopted a policy of regime change in Iraq during the Clinton administration, that Saddam had biological weapons, had chemical weapons and was trying to develop even more weapons of mass destruction.

But they do know this inquiry is coming on Capitol Hill. They promised to cooperate here at the White House. They said they will give up any information the Senate and anyone else in Congress will asks for as they explore and compare the president's definitive statements to the intelligence reports.

But if you listen to the president over the past 48 hours, it is clear that, in his view, this is all a waste of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: We made it clear to the dictator of Iraq that he must disarm. We asked other nations to join us in seeing to it that he would disarm. And he chose not to do so, so we disarmed him. And I know there is a lot of revisionist history now going on, but one thing is certain. He is no long a threat to the free world, and the people of Iraq are free.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Revisionist history to the president, a legitimate inquiry say many in Congress, including some Republicans. Some Democrats saying the president exaggerated, hyped or shaded the intelligence. Here at the White House they say he did no such thing. And they say in the end any inquiry will find that out. We'll see how this one goes, Judy, over the next several weeks.

WOODRUFF: That we shall. All right. John King at the White House, thanks.

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 June 17, 2003 - 15:01   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush White House is sounding hopeful today that the economy will continue to gather steam in the coming months. Of course, the president has a vested interest in that happening, knowing the state of the economy could make or break his re-election bid. Mr. Bush was out promoting his economic plan again today and defending his reasons for going to war against Iraq.
Let's go to our senior White House correspondent, John King. John, the economy, are they making that the major focus between now and the election?

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, to hear Ari Fleischer and other officials here at the White House today, they say Mr. Bush is worried about being president and he's not worried at all yet about the coming reelection campaign. But, to put it politely, we know that to be at least a bit of an exaggeration. Of course they are worried about the coming political campaign, and they know full well the economy is likely to be the defining issue. That is why for two days in a row now the president has had events, one in New Jersey yesterday, here in the Washington area, out in Virginia today, focusing on the economy.

The White House is a bit more optimistic. Inflation numbers were flat today. The stock market has had a pretty good run of late. The White House believes and private forecasts seem to confirm that economic growth should pick up in the second half of this year. That's critical to this president. One thing Mr. Bush made clear in a speech today in Virginia is, if people start to feel a little bit better about the economy in the months ahead, he hopes that he gets some of the credit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We made it clear to the dictator of Iraq that he must disarm. We asked other nations to join us in seeing to that he would disarm. And he chose not to do so, so we disarmed him. And I know there is a lot of revisionist history now going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Judy, that was the president on Iraq. I think we can refit the tape here and get ready. This is the president trying to get credit if people start to feel a little bit better about the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: And the tax relief plan is going to have a positive effect on the outlook of the American investor and the American consumer. After all, starting in July, there will be checks sent to American families with children, reflecting the difference between the $600 child credit today and the $1,000 child credit that the Congress passed into law, which I signed. As we say in America, the check is in the mail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That a clear effort by the president there to get some credit. There is a reason the White House wants people to think the president deserves credit now. They know the history of his father's reelection campaign.

The economy did come out of a recession and started to bounce back in 1992, but the voters didn't feel it yet. The government numbers might have said the economy was coming back, but the voters didn't quite feel it yet. This president trying to create the psychology, if you will, that if you feel OK about the economy at the end of this year, heading into next year, remember him when it comes to Election Day next November.

WOODRUFF: John, back on Iraq and what the president said, what about the fact that there are still persistent questions out there about whether the pre-war intelligence was accurate. How concerned is the White House about that?

KING: They continue to insist they are not concerned at all. And they believe it was the view of U.N. weapons inspectors, it was the view of the Clinton administration, it was the view of the United States Congress when it adopted a policy of regime change in Iraq during the Clinton administration, that Saddam had biological weapons, had chemical weapons and was trying to develop even more weapons of mass destruction.

But they do know this inquiry is coming on Capitol Hill. They promised to cooperate here at the White House. They said they will give up any information the Senate and anyone else in Congress will asks for as they explore and compare the president's definitive statements to the intelligence reports.

But if you listen to the president over the past 48 hours, it is clear that, in his view, this is all a waste of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: We made it clear to the dictator of Iraq that he must disarm. We asked other nations to join us in seeing to it that he would disarm. And he chose not to do so, so we disarmed him. And I know there is a lot of revisionist history now going on, but one thing is certain. He is no long a threat to the free world, and the people of Iraq are free.

(END VIDEO CLIP) KING: Revisionist history to the president, a legitimate inquiry say many in Congress, including some Republicans. Some Democrats saying the president exaggerated, hyped or shaded the intelligence. Here at the White House they say he did no such thing. And they say in the end any inquiry will find that out. We'll see how this one goes, Judy, over the next several weeks.

WOODRUFF: That we shall. All right. John King at the White House, thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com