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Will President Bush Get $87 Billion For Iraq?

Aired October 14, 2003 - 15:00   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 administration is promising to keep going after the killers in Iraq after the second suicide bombing there in three days. Today's happened near the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad. Only the bomber was killed. At least two other people were wounded.
The attack came a week after Turkey's parliament approved sending troops to Iraq. Back here in Washington, the U.S. Senate is considering the president's $87 billion funding request for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle says that Democrats are trying to put their imprint on the final spending measure, which he expects will be approved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: I think there are a lot of people that are planning to support the money after we have made our best effort to do all that we can to ensure that we do this right, that we have the assurance that no company is going to profiteer, that we have the assurance that there's greater transparency, that we point out the domestic priorities and the shortfalls that this administration has failed to address, that the president doesn't have a plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Let's bring in our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne, are they optimistic at the White House that they're going to get this $87 billion the way they want it?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, they're fairly confident, but they are certainly not taking any chances.

As a matter of fact, this afternoon, about 4:15, there's going to be a meeting here at the White House specifically to address the supplemental issue. We're told that Secretary Powell, as well as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Josh Bolten, will be here. We're even told that the president may stop by to lend his weight to this argument in this afternoon meeting.

Now, the main point here of course, the debate, is whether or not it will be in the form of all grants, as the White House would like, or in a combined form of grants and loans, as some Democrats and Republicans have called for. But, Judy, you can imagine, in the next couple of hours, there is going to be quite a bit of arm-twisting on the matter.

WOODRUFF: Suzanne, it was noticed yesterday that there were several interviews that the president gave to local or regional media, news media around the country, but not to the national media. Is the White House -- how are they reacting to all this criticism about this today?

MALVEAUX: Well, Judy, it's very interesting, because now the White House is really on the offensive about its P.R. offensive, answering a lot of questions this afternoon. There's a very active debate, after President Bush yesterday gave those interviews to the five regional television outlets.

And he was quite frank about why he did it, to bypass what he calls the national media filter, the president yesterday saying that he does not believe the American people are getting the truth, that they're not getting the full story. Of course, this is an active debate that is taking place. And, really, the big question is, is whether or not this blame-the-media strategy is going to be effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's a lot of important progress being made. And it's important for the American people to hear that story. There is a part of the story that is not getting the attention that we believe that it should receive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Judy, the argument that the White House is making is that, yes, it is the same message, different crowd, different reporters, sometimes a friendlier crowd. But the White House believes that the president performs very well, that the American people trust him when he brings his message out on the road that it is something that is very effective and it's something that they plan to do in the weeks to come -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, they're not the first White House to try it. So we'll have to see.

All right, Suzanne, 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 October 14, 2003 - 15:00   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 administration is promising to keep going after the killers in Iraq after the second suicide bombing there in three days. Today's happened near the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad. Only the bomber was killed. At least two other people were wounded.
The attack came a week after Turkey's parliament approved sending troops to Iraq. Back here in Washington, the U.S. Senate is considering the president's $87 billion funding request for the missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle says that Democrats are trying to put their imprint on the final spending measure, which he expects will be approved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: I think there are a lot of people that are planning to support the money after we have made our best effort to do all that we can to ensure that we do this right, that we have the assurance that no company is going to profiteer, that we have the assurance that there's greater transparency, that we point out the domestic priorities and the shortfalls that this administration has failed to address, that the president doesn't have a plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WOODRUFF: Let's bring in our White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Suzanne, are they optimistic at the White House that they're going to get this $87 billion the way they want it?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Judy, they're fairly confident, but they are certainly not taking any chances.

As a matter of fact, this afternoon, about 4:15, there's going to be a meeting here at the White House specifically to address the supplemental issue. We're told that Secretary Powell, as well as the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Josh Bolten, will be here. We're even told that the president may stop by to lend his weight to this argument in this afternoon meeting.

Now, the main point here of course, the debate, is whether or not it will be in the form of all grants, as the White House would like, or in a combined form of grants and loans, as some Democrats and Republicans have called for. But, Judy, you can imagine, in the next couple of hours, there is going to be quite a bit of arm-twisting on the matter.

WOODRUFF: Suzanne, it was noticed yesterday that there were several interviews that the president gave to local or regional media, news media around the country, but not to the national media. Is the White House -- how are they reacting to all this criticism about this today?

MALVEAUX: Well, Judy, it's very interesting, because now the White House is really on the offensive about its P.R. offensive, answering a lot of questions this afternoon. There's a very active debate, after President Bush yesterday gave those interviews to the five regional television outlets.

And he was quite frank about why he did it, to bypass what he calls the national media filter, the president yesterday saying that he does not believe the American people are getting the truth, that they're not getting the full story. Of course, this is an active debate that is taking place. And, really, the big question is, is whether or not this blame-the-media strategy is going to be effective.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There's a lot of important progress being made. And it's important for the American people to hear that story. There is a part of the story that is not getting the attention that we believe that it should receive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Judy, the argument that the White House is making is that, yes, it is the same message, different crowd, different reporters, sometimes a friendlier crowd. But the White House believes that the president performs very well, that the American people trust him when he brings his message out on the road that it is something that is very effective and it's something that they plan to do in the weeks to come -- Judy.

WOODRUFF: Well, they're not the first White House to try it. So we'll have to see.

All right, Suzanne, 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