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American Morning

President Bush Undergoes Annual Physical This Morning

Aired August 06, 2002 - 09:17   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush undergoes his annual physical this morning. He departed earlier for Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, and declared himself in "tip-top shape."

For more on the commander in chief's health, Kelly Wallace is live from the White House. All well and good for the president to feel so good. We're glad about that. But the doctors get a say in this one as well.

Kelly, good morning.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Daryn. The doctors will have a say, but he's expected to get a clean bill of health after his physical last year. In fact, doctors declared him in "outstanding health." He is a man who exercises regularly. He runs under a seven-minute mile, lifts weights. He doesn't smoke. He doesn't drink. He gets a lot of sleep. He really does all the things we all, of course, should do.

So the president's expected to get a very good bill of health. He has had a few problems throughout the year. He had some growths lesions removed from his face, which were determined not to be cancerous, and then, of course, Daryn, he had that incident with the pretzel. Yes, yes, you will remember, when the pretzel didn't go down the right way, the president fainted, but of course he was declared OK -- Daryn.

KAGAN: And it wasn't that long ago that he had that colonscopy. Why didn't they just wait for this annual physical for that?

WALLACE: Exactly. That was last month. Well, it seemed to be that the doctors had determined, they had looked -- in the past found some polyps in the past, decided it would be a good time to do it. And then of course you had sort of the transfer of power at that time. While the president was having the procedure, he wanted to transfer power to Vice President Cheney, so it was a several hour procedure, so they just decided to do it then, and have his routine physical today.

KAGAN: We can only expect and hope that today's results and information will be just as positive as it was from that colonscopy.

WALLACE: We certainly can. And all indications are, Daryn, that it will be, and then of course, he will come back here to the White House. He is going to do a bill signing, signing a bill, which allows him. This is a big priority, allows him allows him to negotiate trade agreements without Congress being able to amend them down the road, and then it's off to that getaway outside Washington to Crawford, Texas. Aides don't like to use the word vacation. They're saying he'll be working, traveling, talking about a lot of issues and raising money for Republicans.

KAGAN: But basically it is a month-long vacation, Kelly, and they have to try to spin out so that the American people don't think it's a time that is difficult for so many Americans, with people out of work, And the economy in a difficult situation and the terrorism situation, that the president isn't just taking off.

WALLACE: Exactly. They're very sensitive to any suggestion that the president will be sort off loafing off, while people are concerned about the economy and concerned about the war on terror. And that is why they're saying he will be traveling around the country. Also they're saying, look, the White House will simply be moving to Crawford, Texas for the month of August, that he will be on the road, talking about issues of concern. They are very sensitive to suggestions that, you know, the president is taking this time off. He will be working on these issue, but also of course helping Republicans before November.

KAGAN: That means that this is about the time of year you pack your duds for the ranch as well. We'll see you from out there as well.

WALLACE: You will, later on this month.

KAGAN: Kate Wallace, safe travels to Crawford, Texas.

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