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George W. Bush: The Road Ahead
Aired January 20, 2005 - 13:59 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.
ARI FLEISCHER, FMR. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: These are longstanding trends, where the country is really moving center right. It's not moving right center, but it is moving center right. And the challenge for the Democrats is to pick the times where they will fight him, stand on principle, but not be seen as obstructionists against a president who has got the nation still, not all of it, but enough behind him that Republicans are getting elected.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Ari, I just have one quick question for you as you're leaving us. We keep mentioning George W. Bush in the tradition of Reagan. We did earlier with regard to at least the first part of the inaugural speech. But it strikes me that on some of the domestic issues, he is as well.
In particular, Social Security reform, which was something that Reagan mentioned as far back as the '50s and '60s. So I just wonder if you would comment, maybe, as a lay analyst here as to whether there's a fairly conscious emulation of Ronald Reagan, particularly in terms of the clarity of purpose, not only internationally, but domestically as well.
FLEISCHER: Absolutely. And I'll tell you a great story that shows it.
I remember 10 days after September 11 I was with the president and he went to the FBI to post a list of the 10 most wanted terrorists around the world. He gave a speech, and he talked about right versus wrong, black and white, good versus evil.
And I rode back to the White House with him in that limo. I said to him, "Mr. President, I think it's more subtle than that. I think there are a lot of shades of gray in this war on terror."
And he looked at me and he said, "If this isn't evil, what is? And then he said to me, "Ronald Reagan didn't go to Berlin and say, 'Mr. Gorbachev, put a gate in this wall, and Mr. Gorbachev, removed some bricks.' He said, 'Tear it all down.'"
And his point was, if you're president and you're seeking to do big things, you have to speak to the big vision and lead people to it. If you speak about the small vision and incremental things, if you hand-wring, you really won't lead anybody, and nobody will follow.
That's how he approaches his job. And whether Americans believe in it or don't believe in it, he was re-elected, and he's going to seek to carry it out. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: There's no doubt he's a very decisive man. He makes a decision, he lives by that decision, he sticks by that decision. To a certain degree -- and many have pointed this out -- he seems to be more along the lines of Ronald Reagan than his own father was when he was president.
FLEISCHER: I think that's right. And I think he will tell you that.
I think he was -- he's more conservative than his father. I think he's more willing to break eggs than his father was, particularly internationally and diplomatically. And he, again, sees that big picture, the way to achieve big things.
He didn't come to Washington to doodle in the margins. And we'll see if he's successful or not.
BLITZER: Have you been surprised by some of the, I guess, muted criticism, maybe not so muted criticism, of his Iraq policy? We've heard in recent days from Brent Scowcroft, who was his father's national security adviser, and even James Baker, who was his father's secretary of state.
FLEISCHER: No, I'm not surprised in some of those instances. I mean, I think Brent Scowcroft proposed the military option for Iraq even before it took place. You'll remember he had a very prominent op-ed in "The Wall Street Journal" in the summer of 2002 saying just that.
And I think there's division within the Pentagon itself. You have certain people who think that you need to have massive numbers of troops in order to accomplish a mission. General Tommy Franks and others believe you don't need that anymore in the current era of mobility and accuracy of weapons and joint task force operations and military operations.
So you've got change under way. And this is something Iraq is going to be terribly important in proving out who's right or wrong.
If Christiane is reporting right, and this is a debacle, turning into a disaster, then clearly the president is going to be remembered poorly by the American people after his term is over. But if the tide is turning, if Iraq becomes the first democracy in the Middle East, if the Arab world can have democracy -- and I don't see why it can't. The Muslim world already does in Turkey, in Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Why are the Arabs different? Maybe they're not. This is what we'll test in Iraq.
BLITZER: All right. The test is unfolding. In fact, in a week from Sunday, there will be a test in Iraq with the elections. We'll watch that very closely.
Ari's got to leave. Ari Fleischer, thanks very much for helping us better understand this president on this special day. Appreciate it. We'll have you back often. FLEISCHER: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Ari Fleischer is going to leave us, but we're going to stay, because we have so much more to report. The parade is about to get going from the Congress. This is the parade route.
You're looking at these live pictures. Those are demonstrators. They're in an authorized area. They don't like the president of the United States. And they're making their views known.
Presumably, it will get louder once that parade hits that specific area. We'll watch it together with you. Our special coverage of this inauguration will continue right after a brief message.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: This is the reviewing stand just outside the north side of the White House, the reviewing stand where the president and his delegation shortly will arrive to review the military parade that's going to get started very soon.
All the military units, all the other elements of this parade preparing to march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Thousands of people are on both sides of Pennsylvania, just under two miles from Capitol Hill. I think it's 1.7 miles specifically for the march from Capitol Hill to the White House.
Welcome back to our continuing coverage of this inauguration, "George W. Bush: The Road Ahead." I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Jeff Greenfield is here, Barbara Kellerman of Harvard University, our political scientist, is here as well.
We're watching this together with our analysts, our reporters who are gathered to assess what is unfolding. So far things have gone very, very smoothly.
Is there -- I guess if you look back on the day so far, Jeff, the biggest surprise was the tone of the president's speech, that it was, at least the first half of it, was pretty tough.
GREENFIELD: Yes. There's been nothing untoward. We're about to see a parade that is in a great inaugural tradition not only military, but high school bands, motorcycle precision drills, pompon units, the Kilgore Rangerettes. When you talk about the different levels of Americana, you're going to see them all passing in review.
But I think the president's speech is the key headline of the day. And really, the question is, what does it portend? What -- when he begins to flesh this out, whether in the state of the union or in actual policies, does this mean getting tough with countries economically? Does it mean trade sanctions? Are they contemplating the use in one way or another of military or paramilitary force? There's a report that we have reconnaissance units already in Iran.
There's a real sense to me from the first part of that speech of the curtain's about to come up on a second act that's going to be pretty consequential.
BLITZER: And they're wrapping up the luncheon right now in Statuary Hall. As they wrap up the luncheon, Barbara Kellerman, you focused not only so much on the first half of the speech, but the second half of the speech, which was very different.
KELLERMAN: Yes. I think it's worth pointing out that he doesn't omit allusions to domestic policy. That is, the president entirely, he particularly does refer to the ownership, the notion of an ownership society, which he reiterates here. But he also talks about the question of character.
And I don't know if it's an implicit or a reflection on his predecessor, but he talks about how character and policy are entwined. And he particularly exhorts us to noble ideals of integrity and decency and honesty, and so forth and so on. So, in the second half, or at least the last third of the speech, he really turns back from the world, talks to the American people, and says a little bit about policy, and asks us also to be our very best selves.
BLITZER: This luncheon is wrapping up at Statuary Hall right now. You're seeing the picture that we have now.
There's Chris Dodd, the Democrat from Connecticut, one of the co- chairmen, with Trent Lott, of the bipartisan joint committee on the inaugural activities. Let's listen in to Chris Dodd for a little bit.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: ... to honor and to present to the vice president of the United States a copy of the official inaugural photographs.
So Mr. Vice President, congratulations to you and Mrs. Cheney. And here we have this wonderful photograph. I want to see how I look in this as well as you.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LOTT: This podium is a little unusual, too. As you know, we keep things simple in the House and the Senate. We don't have any podiums like this. This is on loan for the first time ever, and probably the last time, from the donors of the American revolution.
It's 100 years old this month. And we thought it would be a special thing for this occasion.
The painting, also, I direct your attention to this. It's on loan from the Phil Anschutz collection. It is a scene, that Dick Cheney would tell you, in Wyoming. We have talked a lot through this inaugural about the Lewis & Clark expedition and the fact this is also the 100th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt being sworn in as president of the United States.
And so we looked for something fitting with that history. And as we look to the future, the vision of the past, and it gives us a clearer view for the future. And we thought this would be something appropriate for the occasion.
On behalf of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, I'd like to present President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President Cheney and Mrs. Cheney with these crystal hurricane shades that you see to your right, our left. The shades are the finest quality full lead crystal from Lenox China and Crystal.
The images of the United States Capitol are on the shades that the vice president will see -- receive, and the White House is etched into the crystal for the president and Mrs. Bush. The top and bottom of each shade features additional decorative borders taken directly from the wall panels of the United States Capitol.
The bases are sterling silver and are inscribed with "George W. Bush, January 20, 2005, the presidential inaugural." And "Richard B. Cheney, January 20, 2005, the vice presidential inaugural."
President Bush will receive a pair of hurricane shades. In the past, they've got one bowl. We thought it would be appropriate they get two depicting the White House. And the vice president and Ms. Cheney will receive a pair depicting the Capitol. The hurricanes were designed by Timothy Carter and hand cut by master glass cutter Peter O'Rourke (ph).
At this time, Tricia and I would be really pleased and delighted if the four of you, the president and first lady and Vice President and Ms. Cheney, would join us to take a look, just a moment at these special shades. Please come up.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: This is the traditional presentation of gifts from the legislative branch, in effect, of the U.S. government, of the executive branch. Trent Lott representing the U.S. Senate, representing the Congress right now. He and Chris Dodd, the Democrat, have been the co-chairmen of all these joint ceremonies that have been going on, the committee that has planned all of this.
And, Jeff Greenfield, as we watch this, this is meticulous. There is a lot of tradition. But they've worked this down -- worked this out to a science, to the minute.
GREENFIELD: Yes, and there's a certain -- there's a certain, I think, affection for this kind of ritual, which is what it is. Because -- because even though this is a country steeped in populous and we claim not to like tradition, there's a serious amount of envy in the United States, a country like Great Britain, that has been doing this for 800 years.
I should also note I was quite struck by the fact that they managed to present a photograph of the inaugural so soon. Because it proves that in Washington there are one-hour photo shops available for high-ranking officials.
BLITZER: What made you think there weren't? We live in the dark ages here? GREENFIELD: Just a -- just a New Yorker, Wolf. I just found that -- I guess it was a two-hour photo.
BLITZER: It's the elite New Yorker part of you beginning to take hold.
GREENFIELD: It must be. But this -- you're absolutely right. These traditions go back, and they are -- the people -- once you get to the Senate and the House, people love them.
BLITZER: Here's the speaker of the House.
DENNIS HASTERT, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Thank you, Senator Lott and Senator Dodd. And congratulations, of course, on this wonderful occasion. This day certainly goes down to the annals of history, and it was very, very finely done.
On behalf of the Congress, the House of Representatives and Senate, we'd like to present to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and president -- Vice President Cheney and Mrs. Cheney two flags that were flown over the Capitol today in your honor as you were being inaugurated. This place, this hall has seen many great men pass through these portals, go back and forth. This group of people, this contingent of folks that are here today, have added to that legacy of history. It's very fitting that we pass these flags on to you, with our great gratitude, for your service, and well wishes for the future.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
LOTT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
You know, the vice president and I have other roles now, but at heart, we'll always be House guys. You know that.
(APPLAUSE)
As your program indicates, a vision of America has been selected as this year's inaugural theme to commemorate the bicentennial of Lewis & Clark expedition reaching the Pacific and the 100th anniversary of President Roosevelt. After all, at the beginning of our new presidential term, it's altogether proper that we stop to appreciate and draw inspiration from that past.
As Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare, to do mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much or suffer much. For they live in the great twilight that knows not a victory, nor defeat."
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to join me, stand, and raise your glass to the man that will lead this country -- a man that will lead this country in accordance with the best traditions of bold American leadership, vision, courage and conviction. To the 43rd president of the United States of America, George W. Bush. AUDIENCE: Here here.
(APPLAUSE)
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
LOTT: I'm also pleased to present the official inaugural gift from the Joint Congressional Committees on Inaugural Ceremonies. Each luncheon guest will receive a cobalt crystal bowl rimmed with handcrafted pewter structures of the United States Capitol dome and the White House. I think they're truly beautiful.
They're inscribed "Inaugural luncheon, United States Capitol, January 20, 2005." As the president might suspect, a very talented Mississippi artisan, Maurice Miller, and Tricia, created this pewter design, but it really is a special memento. You'll also be receiving a historical portfolio commemorating the 55th inauguration and providing you with a historical vision of our precious presidential inaugurations and all that they mean to us.
And so, Mr. President, on behalf of the Congress, all of us, House, Senate, both parties, we're ready to go to work. And we're going to work with you. And together we're going to do good things for the people that we have the pleasure of representing.
And to conclude the program, I call on the chaplain of the House of Representatives, Father Daniel Coughlin, who will deliver the benediction. If you will, remain in your seats when he concludes his prayer so that the official party can leave the room.
Thank you very much.
FATHER DANIEL COUGHLIN, CHAPLAIN, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Let us pray. Lord, our god, we have been blessed and are celebrating freedom and honoring the service that George W. Bush as president and Richard B. Cheney as vice president of the United States of America. Endow them with your holy spirit.
We are blessed as a free nation where power is passed on generation after generation. For in a democracy, power is attributed by the people for the people. Bless us as we move forward now, realizing that all power given from above is safeguarded by you and accountable to you now and forever. Amen.
BLITZER: And so the luncheon at Statuary Hall winds up. The president and the first lady getting ready to leave.
There will be a military review on the east front of the Capitol. That's on the west front, where the oath of office took place about two and a half hours or so ago. But the president will be escorted, together with the first lady, to the other side, the east front of the Capitol for this military review. We'll watch that before the formal military parade gets under way.
There was a nice moment, the president kissing his mother, which every good son should do on an occasion like this. The president walking out with Trent Lott, followed by the first lady, shaking hands, obviously very, very pleased with the way things are unfolding so far.
Let's take a quick break. We'll watch all of this unfold. We'll continue to get ready for the military parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. But much more coverage of this inauguration right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're two-and-a-half hours into the second term of this president. President Bush getting ready to walk down those stairs. This is the east front of the U.S. Capitol. A military review, the Color Guard, that will set the stage for his getting into that motorcade to begin the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.
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Aired January 20, 2005 - 13:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ARI FLEISCHER, FMR. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECY.: These are longstanding trends, where the country is really moving center right. It's not moving right center, but it is moving center right. And the challenge for the Democrats is to pick the times where they will fight him, stand on principle, but not be seen as obstructionists against a president who has got the nation still, not all of it, but enough behind him that Republicans are getting elected.
BARBARA KELLERMAN: Ari, I just have one quick question for you as you're leaving us. We keep mentioning George W. Bush in the tradition of Reagan. We did earlier with regard to at least the first part of the inaugural speech. But it strikes me that on some of the domestic issues, he is as well.
In particular, Social Security reform, which was something that Reagan mentioned as far back as the '50s and '60s. So I just wonder if you would comment, maybe, as a lay analyst here as to whether there's a fairly conscious emulation of Ronald Reagan, particularly in terms of the clarity of purpose, not only internationally, but domestically as well.
FLEISCHER: Absolutely. And I'll tell you a great story that shows it.
I remember 10 days after September 11 I was with the president and he went to the FBI to post a list of the 10 most wanted terrorists around the world. He gave a speech, and he talked about right versus wrong, black and white, good versus evil.
And I rode back to the White House with him in that limo. I said to him, "Mr. President, I think it's more subtle than that. I think there are a lot of shades of gray in this war on terror."
And he looked at me and he said, "If this isn't evil, what is? And then he said to me, "Ronald Reagan didn't go to Berlin and say, 'Mr. Gorbachev, put a gate in this wall, and Mr. Gorbachev, removed some bricks.' He said, 'Tear it all down.'"
And his point was, if you're president and you're seeking to do big things, you have to speak to the big vision and lead people to it. If you speak about the small vision and incremental things, if you hand-wring, you really won't lead anybody, and nobody will follow.
That's how he approaches his job. And whether Americans believe in it or don't believe in it, he was re-elected, and he's going to seek to carry it out. WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: There's no doubt he's a very decisive man. He makes a decision, he lives by that decision, he sticks by that decision. To a certain degree -- and many have pointed this out -- he seems to be more along the lines of Ronald Reagan than his own father was when he was president.
FLEISCHER: I think that's right. And I think he will tell you that.
I think he was -- he's more conservative than his father. I think he's more willing to break eggs than his father was, particularly internationally and diplomatically. And he, again, sees that big picture, the way to achieve big things.
He didn't come to Washington to doodle in the margins. And we'll see if he's successful or not.
BLITZER: Have you been surprised by some of the, I guess, muted criticism, maybe not so muted criticism, of his Iraq policy? We've heard in recent days from Brent Scowcroft, who was his father's national security adviser, and even James Baker, who was his father's secretary of state.
FLEISCHER: No, I'm not surprised in some of those instances. I mean, I think Brent Scowcroft proposed the military option for Iraq even before it took place. You'll remember he had a very prominent op-ed in "The Wall Street Journal" in the summer of 2002 saying just that.
And I think there's division within the Pentagon itself. You have certain people who think that you need to have massive numbers of troops in order to accomplish a mission. General Tommy Franks and others believe you don't need that anymore in the current era of mobility and accuracy of weapons and joint task force operations and military operations.
So you've got change under way. And this is something Iraq is going to be terribly important in proving out who's right or wrong.
If Christiane is reporting right, and this is a debacle, turning into a disaster, then clearly the president is going to be remembered poorly by the American people after his term is over. But if the tide is turning, if Iraq becomes the first democracy in the Middle East, if the Arab world can have democracy -- and I don't see why it can't. The Muslim world already does in Turkey, in Afghanistan and Indonesia.
Why are the Arabs different? Maybe they're not. This is what we'll test in Iraq.
BLITZER: All right. The test is unfolding. In fact, in a week from Sunday, there will be a test in Iraq with the elections. We'll watch that very closely.
Ari's got to leave. Ari Fleischer, thanks very much for helping us better understand this president on this special day. Appreciate it. We'll have you back often. FLEISCHER: Thank you, Wolf.
BLITZER: Ari Fleischer is going to leave us, but we're going to stay, because we have so much more to report. The parade is about to get going from the Congress. This is the parade route.
You're looking at these live pictures. Those are demonstrators. They're in an authorized area. They don't like the president of the United States. And they're making their views known.
Presumably, it will get louder once that parade hits that specific area. We'll watch it together with you. Our special coverage of this inauguration will continue right after a brief message.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: This is the reviewing stand just outside the north side of the White House, the reviewing stand where the president and his delegation shortly will arrive to review the military parade that's going to get started very soon.
All the military units, all the other elements of this parade preparing to march down Pennsylvania Avenue. Thousands of people are on both sides of Pennsylvania, just under two miles from Capitol Hill. I think it's 1.7 miles specifically for the march from Capitol Hill to the White House.
Welcome back to our continuing coverage of this inauguration, "George W. Bush: The Road Ahead." I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. Jeff Greenfield is here, Barbara Kellerman of Harvard University, our political scientist, is here as well.
We're watching this together with our analysts, our reporters who are gathered to assess what is unfolding. So far things have gone very, very smoothly.
Is there -- I guess if you look back on the day so far, Jeff, the biggest surprise was the tone of the president's speech, that it was, at least the first half of it, was pretty tough.
GREENFIELD: Yes. There's been nothing untoward. We're about to see a parade that is in a great inaugural tradition not only military, but high school bands, motorcycle precision drills, pompon units, the Kilgore Rangerettes. When you talk about the different levels of Americana, you're going to see them all passing in review.
But I think the president's speech is the key headline of the day. And really, the question is, what does it portend? What -- when he begins to flesh this out, whether in the state of the union or in actual policies, does this mean getting tough with countries economically? Does it mean trade sanctions? Are they contemplating the use in one way or another of military or paramilitary force? There's a report that we have reconnaissance units already in Iran.
There's a real sense to me from the first part of that speech of the curtain's about to come up on a second act that's going to be pretty consequential.
BLITZER: And they're wrapping up the luncheon right now in Statuary Hall. As they wrap up the luncheon, Barbara Kellerman, you focused not only so much on the first half of the speech, but the second half of the speech, which was very different.
KELLERMAN: Yes. I think it's worth pointing out that he doesn't omit allusions to domestic policy. That is, the president entirely, he particularly does refer to the ownership, the notion of an ownership society, which he reiterates here. But he also talks about the question of character.
And I don't know if it's an implicit or a reflection on his predecessor, but he talks about how character and policy are entwined. And he particularly exhorts us to noble ideals of integrity and decency and honesty, and so forth and so on. So, in the second half, or at least the last third of the speech, he really turns back from the world, talks to the American people, and says a little bit about policy, and asks us also to be our very best selves.
BLITZER: This luncheon is wrapping up at Statuary Hall right now. You're seeing the picture that we have now.
There's Chris Dodd, the Democrat from Connecticut, one of the co- chairmen, with Trent Lott, of the bipartisan joint committee on the inaugural activities. Let's listen in to Chris Dodd for a little bit.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: ... to honor and to present to the vice president of the United States a copy of the official inaugural photographs.
So Mr. Vice President, congratulations to you and Mrs. Cheney. And here we have this wonderful photograph. I want to see how I look in this as well as you.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
LOTT: This podium is a little unusual, too. As you know, we keep things simple in the House and the Senate. We don't have any podiums like this. This is on loan for the first time ever, and probably the last time, from the donors of the American revolution.
It's 100 years old this month. And we thought it would be a special thing for this occasion.
The painting, also, I direct your attention to this. It's on loan from the Phil Anschutz collection. It is a scene, that Dick Cheney would tell you, in Wyoming. We have talked a lot through this inaugural about the Lewis & Clark expedition and the fact this is also the 100th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt being sworn in as president of the United States.
And so we looked for something fitting with that history. And as we look to the future, the vision of the past, and it gives us a clearer view for the future. And we thought this would be something appropriate for the occasion.
On behalf of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, I'd like to present President and Mrs. Bush and Vice President Cheney and Mrs. Cheney with these crystal hurricane shades that you see to your right, our left. The shades are the finest quality full lead crystal from Lenox China and Crystal.
The images of the United States Capitol are on the shades that the vice president will see -- receive, and the White House is etched into the crystal for the president and Mrs. Bush. The top and bottom of each shade features additional decorative borders taken directly from the wall panels of the United States Capitol.
The bases are sterling silver and are inscribed with "George W. Bush, January 20, 2005, the presidential inaugural." And "Richard B. Cheney, January 20, 2005, the vice presidential inaugural."
President Bush will receive a pair of hurricane shades. In the past, they've got one bowl. We thought it would be appropriate they get two depicting the White House. And the vice president and Ms. Cheney will receive a pair depicting the Capitol. The hurricanes were designed by Timothy Carter and hand cut by master glass cutter Peter O'Rourke (ph).
At this time, Tricia and I would be really pleased and delighted if the four of you, the president and first lady and Vice President and Ms. Cheney, would join us to take a look, just a moment at these special shades. Please come up.
(APPLAUSE)
BLITZER: This is the traditional presentation of gifts from the legislative branch, in effect, of the U.S. government, of the executive branch. Trent Lott representing the U.S. Senate, representing the Congress right now. He and Chris Dodd, the Democrat, have been the co-chairmen of all these joint ceremonies that have been going on, the committee that has planned all of this.
And, Jeff Greenfield, as we watch this, this is meticulous. There is a lot of tradition. But they've worked this down -- worked this out to a science, to the minute.
GREENFIELD: Yes, and there's a certain -- there's a certain, I think, affection for this kind of ritual, which is what it is. Because -- because even though this is a country steeped in populous and we claim not to like tradition, there's a serious amount of envy in the United States, a country like Great Britain, that has been doing this for 800 years.
I should also note I was quite struck by the fact that they managed to present a photograph of the inaugural so soon. Because it proves that in Washington there are one-hour photo shops available for high-ranking officials.
BLITZER: What made you think there weren't? We live in the dark ages here? GREENFIELD: Just a -- just a New Yorker, Wolf. I just found that -- I guess it was a two-hour photo.
BLITZER: It's the elite New Yorker part of you beginning to take hold.
GREENFIELD: It must be. But this -- you're absolutely right. These traditions go back, and they are -- the people -- once you get to the Senate and the House, people love them.
BLITZER: Here's the speaker of the House.
DENNIS HASTERT, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Thank you, Senator Lott and Senator Dodd. And congratulations, of course, on this wonderful occasion. This day certainly goes down to the annals of history, and it was very, very finely done.
On behalf of the Congress, the House of Representatives and Senate, we'd like to present to President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and president -- Vice President Cheney and Mrs. Cheney two flags that were flown over the Capitol today in your honor as you were being inaugurated. This place, this hall has seen many great men pass through these portals, go back and forth. This group of people, this contingent of folks that are here today, have added to that legacy of history. It's very fitting that we pass these flags on to you, with our great gratitude, for your service, and well wishes for the future.
Thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
LOTT: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
You know, the vice president and I have other roles now, but at heart, we'll always be House guys. You know that.
(APPLAUSE)
As your program indicates, a vision of America has been selected as this year's inaugural theme to commemorate the bicentennial of Lewis & Clark expedition reaching the Pacific and the 100th anniversary of President Roosevelt. After all, at the beginning of our new presidential term, it's altogether proper that we stop to appreciate and draw inspiration from that past.
As Teddy Roosevelt once said, "Far better it is to dare, to do mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much or suffer much. For they live in the great twilight that knows not a victory, nor defeat."
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to join me, stand, and raise your glass to the man that will lead this country -- a man that will lead this country in accordance with the best traditions of bold American leadership, vision, courage and conviction. To the 43rd president of the United States of America, George W. Bush. AUDIENCE: Here here.
(APPLAUSE)
(INTERRUPTED BY LIVE EVENT)
LOTT: I'm also pleased to present the official inaugural gift from the Joint Congressional Committees on Inaugural Ceremonies. Each luncheon guest will receive a cobalt crystal bowl rimmed with handcrafted pewter structures of the United States Capitol dome and the White House. I think they're truly beautiful.
They're inscribed "Inaugural luncheon, United States Capitol, January 20, 2005." As the president might suspect, a very talented Mississippi artisan, Maurice Miller, and Tricia, created this pewter design, but it really is a special memento. You'll also be receiving a historical portfolio commemorating the 55th inauguration and providing you with a historical vision of our precious presidential inaugurations and all that they mean to us.
And so, Mr. President, on behalf of the Congress, all of us, House, Senate, both parties, we're ready to go to work. And we're going to work with you. And together we're going to do good things for the people that we have the pleasure of representing.
And to conclude the program, I call on the chaplain of the House of Representatives, Father Daniel Coughlin, who will deliver the benediction. If you will, remain in your seats when he concludes his prayer so that the official party can leave the room.
Thank you very much.
FATHER DANIEL COUGHLIN, CHAPLAIN, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: Let us pray. Lord, our god, we have been blessed and are celebrating freedom and honoring the service that George W. Bush as president and Richard B. Cheney as vice president of the United States of America. Endow them with your holy spirit.
We are blessed as a free nation where power is passed on generation after generation. For in a democracy, power is attributed by the people for the people. Bless us as we move forward now, realizing that all power given from above is safeguarded by you and accountable to you now and forever. Amen.
BLITZER: And so the luncheon at Statuary Hall winds up. The president and the first lady getting ready to leave.
There will be a military review on the east front of the Capitol. That's on the west front, where the oath of office took place about two and a half hours or so ago. But the president will be escorted, together with the first lady, to the other side, the east front of the Capitol for this military review. We'll watch that before the formal military parade gets under way.
There was a nice moment, the president kissing his mother, which every good son should do on an occasion like this. The president walking out with Trent Lott, followed by the first lady, shaking hands, obviously very, very pleased with the way things are unfolding so far.
Let's take a quick break. We'll watch all of this unfold. We'll continue to get ready for the military parade on Pennsylvania Avenue. But much more coverage of this inauguration right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: We're two-and-a-half hours into the second term of this president. President Bush getting ready to walk down those stairs. This is the east front of the U.S. Capitol. A military review, the Color Guard, that will set the stage for his getting into that motorcade to begin the procession down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.
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