Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Today
President Bush, Australian Prime Minister Hold News Conference; Troops on Border, Battle Lines on Capitol Hill; Juggling Act; New England Flooding
Aired May 16, 2006 - 10:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you on this Tuesday morning. I'm Daryn Kagan.
Let's get to our next hour of CNN LIVE TODAY, starting with flooding in New England. Live to one Massachusetts town that is hoping that a dam holds.
President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard take questions at the White House. We'll have that for you.
Plus, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld delivers the commencement address at VMI.
Troops on the border, battle lines on Capitol Hill. The immigration debate shifts from President Bush's primetime speech to his most important audience, lawmakers. Right now the Senate is debating immigration reforms. One measure of support is already in.
A CNN poll of those who watched the president's speech shows an overwhelmingly positive response to Mr. Bush's proposals. Only 18 percent reacted negatively. It is worth noting the audience for presidential speeches is always more partisan than the general public.
The latest from Capitol Hill and our congressional correspondent, Andrea Koppel.
Andrea, any sign that Congress will be able to get things done, anything done beginning with the Senate this week?
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly both the majority leader, Bill Frist, and the Democratic leader, Harry Reid, have expressed optimism that they're going to be able to reach some kind of a compromise bill before the end of the month. But as you know, they failed about a month or so ago. So this is their second go-round.
So far, the reaction in the Senate, at least, has been mostly positive, both among Democrats and Republicans, to the president's proposal to send those guard troops to the border. But they've got, you know, a bunch of amendments, a couple dozen amendments that they have to make their way through right now.
The Senate has begun debate now for the second day on some of those amendments that would possibly water down this -- this comprehensive immigration bill that the Senate has been debating. Nevertheless, both Republicans and Democratic leaders are signaling that the problem isn't here in the Senate, it's going to be over in the House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), MAJORITY LEADER: Immigration is not a Republican issue, it's not a Democratic issue. It's a sensitive issue that touches upon our values as a nation.
We shouldn't have to choose between respect for history as a country of immigrants with the respect for our laws. I'm confident that we will be able to pass this comprehensive plan in the days to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: It's important that we move forward as quickly as possible with this very important legislation. I hope the president in the days to come will also acknowledge how wrong the Republican House approach is to this.
They're still talking the same way, Mr. President. They haven't backed down. They think their approach is the best.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOPPEL: Now, remember, the House passed that border security- only bill, a highly controversial bill, late last year. If the Senate is able to reach some kind of compromise deal, then they will have to meet, both the House and the Senate. And that is the message that's coming from leadership here in the Senate that President Bush is going to have to step up his pressure on House Republicans, Daryn, when they get to the bargaining table with the Senate to try to kind of move their position away from just border security, only into more of a comprehensive approach.
But we've seen already from House Republican leadership signs that they with not warming to the idea. In fact, they've been silent entirely in their public statements thus far on a guest worker program -- Daryn.
KAGAN: So this does indeed sound like this it is a collision course with perhaps politicians not just looking at what's happening but looking toward November elections and what they tell their constituents back home.
KOPPEL: Absolutely. And it's also just a fundamental -- listening to their constituents back home, especially those on the border states, but for that matter, all around the country. Americans who are just angry and fed up with the fact that there are 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in this country that they're helping to support through their taxes. So, it is a combination of looking ahead to November and trying to appeal to the conservative base, but it's also a fundamental issue of trying to kind of be reactive to what constituents are telling them.
KAGAN: Andrea Koppel on Capitol Hill.
Andrea, thank you.
Let's look at some of these poll numbers now and the high political stakes involved for President Bush. These are challenging times, indeed.
He's appealing to one group, but not abandoning another. Our Candy Crowley has a story that aired on "ANDERSON COOPER 360."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good evening.
CANDY CROWLEY, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: The politics were straightforward. The president wanted to give conservatives enough border security to prevent mutiny.
TERRY JEFFREY, HUMAN EVENTS: I think this is a make or break moment for the president with conservatives. If he doesn't demonstrate that he's serious about securing the border, I think there are some conservatives he's lost for good.
CROWLEY: This kind of thing was for them.
BUSH: The United States must secure its borders. This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign nation. It is also an urgent requirement of our national security.
CROWLEY: But tough can't be harsh, lest voters, particularly Latino voters, turn off to the Republican Party. This kind of thing was for them.
BUSH: Every human being has dignity and value. No matter what their citizenship papers say.
CROWLEY: This wasn't as much a nationally televised speech so much as a nationally televised juggling act.
BUSH: America can be a lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time.
CROWLEY: Six years into his presidency, George Bush is swimming upstream. Weighed down by low poll ratings and an oncoming election with the makings of a republican train wreck.
PATRICK TOOMEY, CLUB FOR GROWTH: We are involved in a lot of congressional races through our political arm, and we're discovering that a lot of Republicans are very disappointed with this republican Congress. It most likely will manifest itself with low turnout if something doesn't happen to turn this around.
CROWLEY: Not long ago, a group calling themselves the republican wing of the Republican Party met in Pennsylvania for a kind of grass- roots political therapy. Commiserating over shared frustrations.
HENRY JACKSON, REPUBLICAN ACTIVIST: I would say the biggest issue is spending and border security or the influx of illegals.
CROWLEY: The biggest threat to Republicans this year is not that angry Democrats will show up at the polls, but that angry Republicans will stay home. The president has little time left before the mutiny.
JEFFREY: Republicans are going to be coming back six weeks from now. And if there isn't real action on securing the border, they're going to be going after the president because not only do they believe in the policy, they think it's good politics for them.
CROWLEY: Can a president with poll numbers in the basement pull off a miracle on Pennsylvania avenue?
TONY BLANKLEY, "WASHINGTON TIMES": My hunch is that conservatives have not lost their skepticism.
CROWLEY: "It's a hail Mary," admitted one ally, but he has to be in the game.
Candy Crowley, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Candy Crowley, of course, is part of the best political team on television. You can see more of her stories on "ANDERSON COOPER 360," weeknights at 10:00 Eastern.
We continue our conversation about illegal immigration, talking to politicians across the political spectrum. We have talked to a couple Democrats. Coming up, Republican Congressman J.D. Hayworth from Arizona.
A Florida inferno. Luckily, nobody inside this building when -- was inside the building when the fire broke out a couple of hours ago. It's in a World War II era warehouse on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The building was being restored; it collapsed in the flames.
Well, they got him. A suspected killer has been caught in south Florida. Trappers caught a nearly eight-and-a-half-foot-long gator in Lake North (sic) of Miami -- actually, that would be in a lake north of Miami.
Wildlife workers are doing tests to confirm it's one of the gators that has been attacking people. There have been three fatal alligator attacks in Florida in the last week.
A flood of fear in New England, not knowing where you're going, not knowing when you're coming back, and not knowing what will be left. This is live pictures from Methuen, Massachusetts, keeping an eye on the Spicket River Dam. Evacuations tough on a lot of people, but they were moved out just in case this dam gave way.
Reporter Linda Ergas of Boston affiliate WHDH has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just keep your eye on the boat.
LINDA ERGAS, REPORTER, WHDH (voice over): As the water gets deeper, these horses become more resistant. At the deepest point, the water is practically reaching the animal's necks.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never actually had to take the horses and bring them through this amount of water.
ERGAS: Workers from the Animal Rescue League are ferried in by firefighters. Thunder Bridge Lane is now a river. And at the end is Mystic Pines, a horse farm where 16 horses are stranded, surround by endless water. Getting them to dry land, not an easy task.
The farm's owner, Nancy Hart, feeling emotionally tasked.
NANCY HART, HORSE FARM OWNER: We own six of our own, and then we have -- the rest are borders. So -- and they're my responsibility.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just keep moving forward slow.
ERGAS (on camera): These two horses here are giving the team the most trouble. No doubt, the animals are afraid of the water, but the cold temperature of the water is making things worse.
(voice over): No question, a tough day for everyone here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just was a little nervous about him getting through the water. He hates water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Walk up.
ERGAS (on camera): Now, throughout this entire ordeal, no tranquilizers were used on any of the horses. One of the animals did cut its leg and it needed stitches, but it should be just fine. For now, all of the horses will be boarded at other farms, and it will likely be some time before they're brought back here.
Reporting in Middleton, Linda Ergas, 7 News Night Team.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: We're going to hear more from the area. Our Dan Lothian is in Methuen, Massachusetts, and we'll hear more from him live in just a bit.
Also, a third Duke lacrosse player has been charged with rape. The latest from the courthouse and the lawyers next moves just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: The president's border security plan is getting attention on Capitol Hill this morning. Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth is weighing in. This is a topic that he has been passionate about for some time. He joins me from Washington.
Congressman, good morning.
REP. J.D. HAYWORTH (R), : Good morning, Daryn. Good to be with you.
KAGAN: Great to have you once again.
Now, a number of topics the president talked about within the umbrella of immigration. So I want to break them down. First, this idea of taking National Guard troops, about 6,000 of them, sending them to states, including yours, of Arizona, and using them as a support role for the border patrol.
What do you think?
HAYWORTH: The use of the Guard, indeed the use of our standing military, long overdue, albeit as a temporary measure, because in the wake of 9/11, a failure to secure our borders for a nation at war is simply unacceptable. Now the question becomes this supportive role. You may recall the last time you and I got together, Daryn, I was pointing out that the Arizona Governor Napolitano's plan was wholly inadequate because the...
KAGAN: But a plan very much like President Bush was supporting last night.
HAYWORTH: Well, the president talked about a supportive role, but he didn't talk about changing oil and border control vehicles or fixing computers. He talked about tangible methods and missions dealing with infrastructure and some enforcement.
I believe we have to acknowledge that, in fact, the National Guard should be shoulder to shoulder with the Border Patrol, supplementing the Border Patrol. And to the larger question, I think 6,000 agents is inadequate.
Indeed, if you take a look at what happens in my home state of Arizona nightly, between 6,000 and 6,500 illegals attempt to cross into the United States. And of that group, it's estimated that 4,000 to 4,500 make it. That's on a nightly basis. So I believe we have to have more people.
KAGAN: In the last hour -- in the last hour, I had a chance to talk to Governor Bill Richardson, of your neighbor state of New Mexico. He's saying, you know what? The National Guard is stretched, appreciates the help, but says, you know, we should pretty much just skip over this and go right to training more Border Patrol agents.
HAYWORTH: No, there should be more Border Patrol agents, but the fact is you cannot try to score points against -- against the deployment of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan and ignore what goes on at home here. The Guard serves a useful purpose. In fact, I'd take it a step further.
I would remind the viewers, Daryn, that President Woodrow Wilson dispatched our standing Army to the border with Mexico early in the 20th century. In fact, General Pershing's command prior to heading the allied expeditionary force in World War I was on our southern border. So I wouldn't rule out the use, in fact, of elements of our standing Army on the border.
KAGAN: A bonus history lesson. Didn't even know we were going to get that, Congressman.
HAYWORTH: Well, just to give some perspective now, Daryn. I hope you appreciate that.
KAGAN: I appreciate that. I do appreciate that.
HAYWORTH: Thanks.
KAGAN: Now, another topic President Bush was talking about, this idea of what he calls earned citizenship. You have 11 million to 12 illegal immigrants here. What do you do with them? Do you give them a pass to earn their citizenship?
HAYWORTH: Well, the sad fact about the current so-called Senate breakthrough is it offers a perverse incentive. The longer and the more flagrantly you have broken our immigration laws, the easier it will be to get on the so-called path to citizenship.
I don't believe the American people will -- will appreciate that, and I think they reject it. I respect the president, but I have a profound disagreement. And indeed, if you take a look at the studies offered by Robert Rechter (ph) yesterday by the Heritage Foundation, as we take a look at the proposals offered by senators Hagel and Martinez, Heritage estimates and Dr. Rechter (ph) estimates that between 103 million and perhaps as many as 200 million people will emigrate to the United States under the new so-called Senate compromise plan. And I don't think the American people want to see that type of chain migration.
So there are serious questions that have to be worked through. The numbers don't just make it.
KAGAN: President Bush used a term that I thought was interesting coming from him, you need to have a rational middle ground here to solve this immigration problem. In talking about earned citizenship, he's saying, look, there are people who have been here, they've established lives, they've made families. You have to be practical and reasonable. They're all not just going to pick up and move back to where they came from.
HAYWORTH: Well, respectfully, I have to say, when the president and others set up the argument saying, well, you can't have mass deportation, I have never advocated that. What I've talked about the fact that people respond to enforcement.
And again, as I pointed out in my recent book, "Whatever It Takes," in the wake of 9/11, Daryn, we actually dropped the ruse of political correctness when we were dealing with survival. We conducted a special registration program checking up on those who had come and perhaps overstayed their visas from nations in the Middle East, from Islamic nations. And it was very interesting.
Once word was out on the street that the feds were checking on visas, those who had visas that expired and those who failed to have any permission at all to come to the United States left the country. Nobody is suggesting mass deportation.
What we do suggest is, just as we didn't get into this problem overnight, we know it's not going to be solved overnight, but people respond to laws being enforced. And I believe the law should deal with illegal immigrants in a humane fashion, but you cannot excuse or dismiss the law with a nudge and a wink.
KAGAN: Congressman, one final question that I also posed to your colleague, Sheila Jackson-Lee. You know Washington. Is anything going to get done?
HAYWORTH: Well, here's what can get done -- and I respect this -- I respectfully suggest this to the White House -- if the one area where there is consensus, whether it's McCain-Kennedy or Cornyn-Kyl, or the new Senate bill offered by Hagel and Martinez, and what I've offered in the House, is the element of enforcement. If we accept the fact that in public policy we often answer questions in incremental fashion, let's start at the point where there is widespread agreement and consensus. And that is enforcement.
KAGAN: Yes, but not a -- not a "can," Congressman -- is. Is anything going to get done?
HAYWORTH: Well, if the Senate insists on passing guest work amnesty, if it returns to the House for a conference, the House leadership and I think the rank and file members have made it clear that a majority of the majority party is not going to entertain the notion of a guest worker amnesty plan.
KAGAN: All right. Congressman J.D. Hayworth, Republican from Arizona.
Always nice to have you on. Thank you.
HAYWORTH: Thanks, Daryn. Thank you, ma'am.
KAGAN: Thank you.
Well, one of the most popular Internet portals is getting a facelift. Susan Lisovicz at the New York Stock Exchange.
(BUSINESS REPORT)
KAGAN: Well, bet you always wondered about this. If Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, if she was stranded on a desert island, what would she have on her iPod? Rice laid out her top 10 music picks for a British newspaper, including, you guessed it, "Celebration" by Kool & the Gang.
And here Susan and I thought we were geeky. Also, though, she has Aretha Franklin's "Respect". I have that on my iPod. Get this, Rice says she's been an avid rock fan since college and works out to "Sunshine of Your Love" by Cream.
Elton John's "Rocket Man" reminds rice of her first boyfriend. And it shouldn't be any surprise that Rice listed pieces by Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven. She's played the piano since she was 3, and she once aspired to be a concert pianist.
She listed also anything by U2. Again, no surprise there because the interview was done by U2 front man Bono for a special edition of the paper "The Independent".
Fascinating insight into the secretary of state.
Coming up, it is water versus a wall. Will a weakened dam hold up in Massachusetts? A live picture -- actually, a live report coming up when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: A couple live events we expect in the next few minutes. In about 15 minutes, Australian Prime Minister John Howard joins President Bush for a dual news conference. You'll see that live.
And then about an hour from now, the new White House press secretary, Tony Snow, has his first White House briefing. How will he do as he answers a number of questions, as we imagine, especially on immigration? That's coming up.
A break in the weather, that is all that waterlogged New Englanders would really appreciate right now. The region has been hit with its worst flooding in decades. Residents are under water and overwhelmed.
Our Dan Lothian has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Torrential rain turned calm waters into roaring rivers. A force of nature swamped buildings, bridges, roads, and cars across northern New England. In Exeter, New Hampshire, a crew with sandbags races against the clock.
SCOTT LEBAUDE, NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGHWAY DEPT.: We're keeping the water out of the park so it doesn't take the park with it.
LOTHIAN: In Manchester, New Hampshire, Gerard Fredette grabs his video camera to capture what he says is history in the making.
GERARD FREDETTE, MANCHESTER RESIDENT: This is the worst since 1936.
LOTHIAN: Back then, Fredette was just 7 years old. The spring storm lasted 13 days.
FREDETTE: The whole area was a disaster.
LOTHIAN: History has not exactly repeated itself, but that's no conciliation for residents left pumping out flooded homes...
ASHLEY WOOD, STUDENT: A few of my other friends' houses have been flooded completely.
LOTHIAN: ... and counting the loss, like Kim Reynolds, a nurse from Salem, Massachusetts.
KIM REYNOLDS, SALEM RESIDENT: We had about five feet of water in the back yard, which in turn went into our basement, and it was over our heads in the basement.
LOTHIAN: She captured the damage on her picture cell phone.
REYNOLDS: Our furniture is underwater, our hot water tank is underwater. We have no heat, we have no hot water, we have no oil, and we're kind of like living by candlelight right now.
LOTHIAN: The National Guard has been activated in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Emergency supplies are being trucked in. And shelters are meeting the needs of hundreds of displaced residents. Some communities are overwhelmed.
LT. JOHN O'LEARY, SALEM FIRE AND HAZMAT DEPT.: It's big trouble right now for everyone, and we're trying to do the best we can to help everyone out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: Dan Lothian is live there in Massachusetts. What about the issue of raw sewage and drinking water there?
LOTHIAN: Well, that's the big concern now. No one knows how far the contamination has reached.
Millions and millions of raw sewage has spilled into various waterways. Part of the problem, obviously with so much force against some of the pipes, they have broken, spilling out the sewage. So that is being assessed, but certainly it is a problem in more than a couple of communities here.
KAGAN: Dan Lothian, toughing it out there in the soggy waterways of Massachusetts.
Thank you, Dan.
Let's see what the forecast looks like today.
Is that sunshine on the way for New England, Jacqui?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it is coming.
(WEATHER REPORT)
(INSERT 1100)
Let's focus a little bit more on Florida. When the smoke does clear, about 1,200 folks in Edgewater, Florida get to go home today after fire forced them to flee. The brush fire erupted in rural Volusia County. It quickly rushed across several hundred acres. In fact, a five-mile of I-95 between Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach is still closed. Authorities call the fire suspicious.
I want to give you a heads up. In the next hour, I'll have a change to talk with the head of the U.S. Border Patrol. We'll find out exactly what he thinks about this idea to use National Guard troops in a support role along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Also, scandal rocks another college sports team. Pictures surface online. This time we're talking female athletes finding themselves under investigation. Ahead on LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Live pictures, you'll recognize the face, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. He is the graduation speaker today, VMI, Virginia Military Institute.
A player in the Duke rape case waived a court appearance this morning, but David Evans still faces the public with his message. He says, quote, I am innocent.
CNN's Jason Carroll reports from Durham.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Just hours after becoming the third Duke lacrosse player indicted for raping a young woman, David Evans became the first accused player to publicly defend himself. Evans, a former team captain, faced the cameras, speaking for himself and his other two teammates also indicted for rape.
DAVID EVANS, ACCUSED LACROSSE PLAYER: I am innocent. Reade Seligmann is innocent. Collin Finnerty is innocent. Every member of the Duke University lacrosse team is innocent.
You have all been told some fantastic lies. And I look forward to watching them unravel in the weeks to come, as they already have in weeks past, and the truth will come out.
CARROLL: Evans says he has been cooperating with investigators from the very beginning. He also says he voluntarily took a polygraph test given by a retired FBI agent retained by the defense.
EVANS: And I passed that polygraph for the same reason that I will be acquitted of all these charges, because I have done nothing wrong and I am telling the truth, and I've told the truth from day one. CARROLL: Evans' attorney, Joe Cheshire, says he offered to have the district attorney, Michael Nifong, conduct his own polygraph on Evans, but Cheshire says the offer was refused. Nifong, who has not publicly revealed his case against the students, released a statement saying, "I do not anticipate that there will be any further indictments, and it's important to remove the cloud of suspicion from other team members."
Cheshire also says the D.A.'s case is severely flawed. The first set of DNA test results showed no match to any player. The second report released Friday shown to CNN concluded, "David Evans could not be excluded as a contributor to the DNA material recovered from the accuser's fake nail." The same conclusion was reached on a fourth player also named in the report, but not charged.
Cheshire says the alleged victim made a grave mistake when she identified Evans during a photo lineup. Evans was the fifth picture displayed during the procedure. CNN was shown a transcript.
The accuser says, "He looks like one of the guys who assaulted me."
Sergeant: "OK, how -- how sure of it are you on this image?"
Victim: "He looks just like him without the mustache."
Sergeant: "OK, so the person had a mustache?"
Victim: "Yes."
The young woman told the sergeant she was 90 percent sure.
JOE CHESHIRE, EVANS' ATTORNEY: Mr. Nifong knows that David Evans has never had a mustache.
CARROLL: Evans voluntarily turned himself into police immediately following his public statement. The 23-year-old former Duke senior from Bethesda, Maryland, was fingerprinted and posted bond. He made no attempt to avoid reporters as he left.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: And Jason Carroll is live there in Durham, North Carolina.
Jason, what is the next step here, the next legal step for the these three defendants?
CARROLL: Well, today there was a first appearance that was scheduled for David Evans. He was not required to show up, and in fact, he waived his right to show up.
On Thursday, defense attorneys in a separate court proceeding are hoping that at that point they'll be able to see some of the evidence that the district attorney, Michael Nifong, has collected -- Daryn. KAGAN: And there's been so much information that has been released by the defense team, things like this lie detector test. But is that something that could be admissible in court when this goes to trial?
CARROLL: The way we understand it, the polygraph tests and the results of such a test would not be admissible in court. Obviously that is a strategy, you know, with the defense to try to show that their client is innocent of the charges that he now faces. But the way we understand it, the results of polygraph tests, not admissible in court.
KAGAN: Jason Carroll, live in Durham, North Carolina. Thank you.
There is another college sports scandal to tell you about, and this one involves female athletes. The Northwestern University women's soccer team has now been suspended from athletic activities. Pictures showing alleged hazing surfaced on the Internet. The photos appear to show drinking. Some players are apparently blindfolded. Others have their hands tied. The university is investigating that incident.
And within the minute we expect to see President Bush appearing at the White House. He'll be there with Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Australia being a key ally in the war against terror. The two will come to the microphone and hold a joint news conference. We don't expect this to be very long. We only expect them to take a couple of questions each. And this, of course, following President Bush's speech last night on immigration reform and what he would like to see take place. Of course that would take the cooperation of Congress, and we've been watching efforts on that take place in the Senate today. President Bush proposing a number of items that we expect them perhaps to get a question on here, or a question or two, a question about this use of National Guard troops to supplement border security, border patrol agents along the border with Mexico and the United States. It looks like there's movement. There is the Australian prime minister on the right of your screen and President Bush.
Let's listen in.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all.
It's my honor to welcome the prime minister of Australia here to the East Room for a press briefing. I'm going to feed him tonight. Before I feed him tonight, I'm going to feed him to you.
(LAUGHTER)
We've just had a really interesting discussion about a lot of issues.
First, I admire John Howard's understanding that the war on terror still goes on and that we've got to be steadfast and firm if we intend to succeed in defeating the terrorists. Secondly, I appreciate very much his understanding in discussions about the way forward in Iraq. Spent quite a bit of time talking about the new government. I described to him as best as I could my feelings about the prime minister-designee, who I believe is a firm, decisive person that is going to make a difference in that country's future.
I thanked him very much for the commitment of Australian troops. We, of course, talked about the Iraqi security forces' capacity to defend themselves. I reported to him that we're pleased with the progress being made, but that the United States will make decisions about our troop levels based upon conditions on the ground.
We talked about Afghanistan. Again, I want to thank the prime minister for his support there for this fledgling democracy.
We talked about North Korea. We talked about Iran. We talked about a lot. And that's what you'd expect when you're talking to an ally and a friend and a good strategic thinker.
The prime minister is capable of not only seeing the problems for today; he's capable of looking down the road. And I appreciate his advice and his judgment on national security matters as well as in talking about issues like energy and trade.
We've got a good relationship with Australia, and we intend to keep it that way. I always reminded my friends who talked to me about countries around the world, I said: I can't think of a country -- a place -- more like Texas than Australia.
(LAUGHTER)
And that's a compliment.
(LAUGHTER)
Except for some of these people over here.
(LAUGHTER)
The people of Australia are independent-minded; they're smart; they're capable; they're hardworking. And I really enjoy my relationship with the prime minister.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.
Thanks for coming, and the floor is yours.
JOHN HOWARD, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President.
Again, can I thank you very warmly for the great hospitality that you have extended to me?
It was a real privilege to sit around the Cabinet table and talk to your Cabinet officers, which followed a very extensive discussion between the two of us about all of those issues of which you spoke.
We remain a steadfast ally of the United States in the war against terror. I've made that clear on every occasion I've spoken here in the United States.
The war against terror will go on for a long time. I think we have to accept that. Progress is being made. But the challenge remains very, very strong. And there needs to be a continued commitment.
And we admire and respect the leadership given by you and by the United States in that war, and it's a war that confronts us all. Those who imagine that somehow or other you can escape it by rolling yourself into a little ball and going over in the corner and hoping that you're not going to be noticed are doomed to be very, very uncomfortably disappointed.
We did have an opportunity to talk extensively about some of the challenges in our immediate region. I spoke about the situation in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and the importance of the role of Indonesia, the symbolism and also the tactical consequence of Indonesia being the largest Islamic country in the world.
And, therefore, the success and prosperity of moderate Islamic leadership in that country is itself a very important factor in the long term success of the fight against terrorism.
Because the fight against terrorism is not only a military and physical one; it is also an intellectual one. And it's a question of providing within the Islamic world a successful democratic model as an alternative to the fanaticism of those who would obscenely invoke the sanction of Islam to justify what they seek to do.
Can I finally say that of the many ties that bind Australia and the United States, as I said on the lawn earlier today, none are more important, of course, than the shared values and the belief that both of our countries have that the spread of democracy around the world is an important goal and an important responsibility?
It's been a privilege for our two peoples to enjoy democracy in an uninterrupted fashion for so long that we tend to take it for granted.
And we forget its liberating impact on those who taste it and experience it for the first time. And both of our societies have a responsibility in expanding the opportunities for democracy.
And that, of course, lies very much at the heart of much of what our two societies do, Mr. President.
Thank you very, very much for the honor you've done me and the courtesy and friendship that you've extended to me and all of the traveling party. We appreciate it very, very deeply, indeed.
Thank you.
BUSH: Two questions a side.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. President, you've said that the government is not trolling through the lives of innocent Americans, but why shouldn't ordinary people feel that their privacy is invaded by the NSA compiling a list of their telephone calls?
BUSH: What I've told the American people is we'll protect them against an Al Qaida attack. And we'll do so within the law. I've been very clear about the principles and guidelines of any program that has been designed to protect the American people.
I've also been clear about the fact that we do not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval and that this government will continue to guard the privacy of the American people.
But if Al Qaida is calling into the United States, we want to know, and we want to know why.
For the Australian press friends here, we got accused of not connecting dots prior to September the 11th, and we're going to connect dots to protect the American people within the law.
The program he's asking about is one that has been fully briefed to members of the United States Congress in both political parties. They're very aware of what is taking place.
The American people expect their government to protect them within the laws of this country, and I'm going to continue to do just that.
QUESTION: Your relationship with Mr. Howard is obviously very close personally. I was wondering, first, could you just expand a little on that chemistry? And secondly, sir, do you think you'll be able to work effectively with a future Australian leader, be it either a successor of Mr. Howard from his own party or from our opposition?
BUSH: Well, I suspect he's going to outlast me, so that is a moot point.
(LAUGHTER)
It's probably a question you ought to ask him.
Somebody said, "You and John Howard appear to be so close; don't you have any differences?"
And I said, "Yes, he doesn't have any hair."
(LAUGHTER)
Look, ours is a world in which sometimes people tell you something, and they don't mean it. It's -- in order to work together, to make difficult decisions, decisions of war and peace, decisions of security, decisions of trade, you've got to have an -- you know, somebody you talk to that tells you straight up what's on their mind.
You know, politics sometimes produces people that'll tell you one thing and don't mean it. It's really hard to be making rational decisions if somebody you're talking to just doesn't level with you.
And that's what I like about John Howard, you know? He may not be the prettiest person on the block...
(LAUGHTER)
... but when he tells you something, you can take it to the bank. He is -- he is a reliable partner. And we don't agree on 100 percent, of course.
But the interesting thing talking to John Howard is that you can trust the man. And that's what is a necessary ingredient to be working together for the common good.
And I also appreciate a person who is capable of standing by a decision.
I remember the campaign. As a matter of fact, your campaign was right before my campaign. And John Howard stood strong.
And I remember telling somebody -- and the polls didn't look all that good I guess at one point in time -- and I remember saying to somebody: This man is going to be rewarded at the ballot box because the people of Australia want somebody who is consistently strong, not somebody who tries to waffle around trying to figure out, you know, where to end up for political expediency.
You know, people may not agree with his position on every issue, but people have got to agree with the fact that he's a man of conviction. And that's the essence of leadership: courage and conviction.
And so we've got a relationship that is based upon, you know, respect, and I respect him. I've seen him in action. I've seen what it means to have, you know, him being pressured, probably by your newspaper...
(LAUGHTER)
... and I've seen him stand strong and that's what's needed in this world.
QUESTION: Thank you, sir. On immigration, some worry that the U.S. military is stretched too thin. How effective can these National Guard troops be if they're shuttling in and out of the border area every two or three weeks?
And how are you going to turn around these House members who seem to be unswayed by your argument on the guest worker program?
BUSH: The program to put Guard on the border is one that will enable the Border Patrol to do its job better. It's very important for the American people to know it's the Border Patrol that's going to be on the front line of apprehending people trying to sneak into our country. And the Guard will be doing a variety of functions, which I outlined last night.
Secondly, the Guard is -- the 6,000 -- up to 6,000 Guard in the first year of operation really is not going to put a strain on our capacity to fight and win the war on terror, as well as deal with natural disasters.
And, of course, we'll be working in conjunction with governors to make sure that that's not the case, that it doesn't put unnecessary strain on other functions of the Guard.
Now, thirdly, the Pentagon is briefing today how the program is going to work. There is -- there are Guard troops in Arizona and New Mexico and Texas that can be used by the governors down there to work with the Border Patrol that they'll be reimbursed for. And there's also training missions that can be used to help complement the Border Patrol.
We're going to have double the Border Patrol agents since 2001 by 2008. And what the Guard is doing: The Guard is providing an interim service until those Border Patrol agents get stood up.
I made it clear to the country last night that we're not going to militarize our border. Mexico is a friend. But what we are going to do is use assets necessary to make sure that we can assure the American people that the border is secure.
Now, in order to secure the border, it's important for people up here in Washington to understand that there's got to be a temporary worker program.
Border security and temporary worker programs are really important because -- let me say, a temporary worker program is really important to border security because we don't want people trying to sneak into the country.
It seems rational to me to say: If you're coming to work, come in to work in a legal way on a temporary basis so you're not trying to sneak across.
So the temporary worker program goes hand in hand with border security. In order for there to be -- in order for us to solve the problem of an immigration system that's not working, it's really important for Congress to understand that there needs -- the elements I described all go hand in hand.
And so I'll continue to work with them. Look, I understand -- this is a hard issue for many people.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)
BUSH: I said I want a comprehensive bill because I understand there needs to be a comprehensive bill in order for us to achieve the objective. And the objective is, on the one hand, protect our borders; and, on the other hand, never lose sight of the thing that makes America unique which is we're a land of immigrants and that we're not going to discriminate against people.
Now, we don't think there ought to be an automatic path to citizenship. That's called amnesty. Amnesty would be wrong. Amnesty would say that somebody who stood in line legally is mistreated, as far as I'm concerned. Amnesty would mean that more people will try to come and sneak into our country in the hopes that they would be granted automatic citizenship.
But there ought to be a way for somebody to pay a fine or learn English or prove that they've been here for a long time working, and be able to get in line -- not the head of the line, but the back of the line -- in order to become a citizen.
There are some in our country who say: Let's just deport everybody. It's unrealistic. It may sound attractive to some.
You can't deport people who have been in this country for a long period of time, millions of people that have been here. And so we've got to be rational about how we move forward.
And part of my appeal last night was to say to people: Let's don't get so emotional that we forget who we are. We're a land of immigrants. And when we welcome somebody to our country who is here legally, willing to work and willing to realize a dream, it helps restore our soul.
So this is a difficult debate for members. I'm going to continue working with them. Part of my job is to lead, and I did last night.
I said: Here's how we get to where we need to be.
QUESTION: Mr. President, American wheat growers are angry that hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes were paid to Saddam's Iraq to protect Australia's wheat market. Do you share their anger? And do you sympathize with the push on Capitol Hill to investigate this further in America?
And, Mr. Prime Minister, I'd be interested in your comments on a possible Capitol Hill inquiry into this.
BUSH: My own judgment is that the Howard administration is plenty capable of investigating what took place. And I look forward to seeing the results of the investigation.
HOWARD: For my part, you are aware of what the Australian government has done. Australia is the only country in the world that has responded to the bulk of findings with a public inquiry with the powers of a royal commission. And you are aware that the commission has probably completed its public hearings and we're likely to have a report by the 30th of June.
What the United States Congress does in relation to this is a matter for the United States Congress. And, clearly, if it decides to do something, then we will respond in the appropriate fashion.
But for our part, in Australia, we have been open, transparent, that we do not approve in any way, shape or form of the payment of bribes.
And if a finding is to that effect, then the full processes of Australian law should be brought to bear. And you can't be more transparent than that.
I think that is understood in the United States. But, obviously, just as we have responsibilities within Australia, the legislators of this country, where I'm a guest, has responsibilities in this country. And if it discharges those in a particular fashion in the way it thinks fit, well, that's its right, and we will respond in what is also the appropriate fashion.
I don't think I can add anything more to that. And we have been patently transparent and open.
And let me just repeat again: Australia is the only country in the world that has established a public inquiry with the powers of a royal commission.
BUSH: Thank you, sir. Enjoyed it.
HOWARD: 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
