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Presidential Agenda: Bush Speaks on Economy
Aired February 09, 2004 - 15:03 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush sounding a lot like a candidate. He took his economic message to America's heartland today, while yesterday he went on national television to defend his reasons for going to war in Iraq.
Kathleen Koch covering the president in Springfield, Missouri today -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the president came here to this auto remanufacturing company to do a little repair work on his record. It was just six days ago that the full field of Democratic contenders were here pummeling President Bush and his policies. So this marks the second time this year that the president has come just days after a Democratic primary to the site of the primary to do what the White House describes as setting the record straight.
Now, this occurs as today in Washington, the annual economic report of the president has been released. And it presents a considerably more economic -- a more upbeat picture on the economy than a year ago, saying that the economic recovery is well under way, predicting that some 2.8 million New jobs will be created this year. And it also makes the case that the recession that the country's been suffering through began in 2000 during Bill Clinton's presidency. A point that President Bush today was very happy to elaborate on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In March of 2000, the stock market started to decline. And that matters if you own stocks. A lot of you do. You own them through your retirement accounts, for example.
It's an indication of the rough times ahead. See, the stock market sometimes indicates -- is a predictor of the future. And sure enough, in the first quarter of 2001, the country was in a recession.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And President Bush, as he left here today, was in full election mode, stopping to shake hands. Also stopping to do a little shopping, and a little fishing for votes at a local pro shop. Apparently the president checking out the fishing lures. We're not sure if he actually purchased any.
Missouri, of course, a very key battleground state this election year. A state President Bush barely won in 2000. So he has been very heavily courting voters here. This is the 15th visit to the Show-Me State to show that he wants its support -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kathleen Koch, thank you.
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 February 9, 2004 - 15:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush sounding a lot like a candidate. He took his economic message to America's heartland today, while yesterday he went on national television to defend his reasons for going to war in Iraq.
Kathleen Koch covering the president in Springfield, Missouri today -- Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, the president came here to this auto remanufacturing company to do a little repair work on his record. It was just six days ago that the full field of Democratic contenders were here pummeling President Bush and his policies. So this marks the second time this year that the president has come just days after a Democratic primary to the site of the primary to do what the White House describes as setting the record straight.
Now, this occurs as today in Washington, the annual economic report of the president has been released. And it presents a considerably more economic -- a more upbeat picture on the economy than a year ago, saying that the economic recovery is well under way, predicting that some 2.8 million New jobs will be created this year. And it also makes the case that the recession that the country's been suffering through began in 2000 during Bill Clinton's presidency. A point that President Bush today was very happy to elaborate on.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In March of 2000, the stock market started to decline. And that matters if you own stocks. A lot of you do. You own them through your retirement accounts, for example.
It's an indication of the rough times ahead. See, the stock market sometimes indicates -- is a predictor of the future. And sure enough, in the first quarter of 2001, the country was in a recession.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: And President Bush, as he left here today, was in full election mode, stopping to shake hands. Also stopping to do a little shopping, and a little fishing for votes at a local pro shop. Apparently the president checking out the fishing lures. We're not sure if he actually purchased any.
Missouri, of course, a very key battleground state this election year. A state President Bush barely won in 2000. So he has been very heavily courting voters here. This is the 15th visit to the Show-Me State to show that he wants its support -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Kathleen Koch, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
