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American Morning

Bush Making Shift to Domestic Politics

Aired September 16, 2002 - 09:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is making a sharp turn from the subject of Iraq this morning. He will shift to domestic politics. Mr. Bush left the White House for Iowa just a few minutes ago.
John King is standing by with more on the president's trip.

Good morning, John.

Good morning to you, Paula.

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Off to Davenport, Iowa for President Bush. As you noted, he left the White House aboard Marine One, just a short time ago.

Mr. Bush will be focused on the domestic front. He will be raising money for Republican Congressman Jim Nussle. The president also will be delivering remarks out in Iowa, saying one way to keep the economy rebounding for Congress to be as tight as possible when it comes to spending federal money. But of course the president keeping track of the ongoing deliberations about Iraq.

The lead man on that front obviously the Secretary of State Colin Powell. His job this week, try to get the United Nations Security Council to announce a tough new resolution over the weekend. Some rumblings from Iraq, Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz saying he wants some negotiation about how weapons inspectors might go back in. Secretary Powell said this is not the time for negotiations for Iraq, this is time, the secretary says, for the United Nations to adopt a very tough new resolution.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, SECY. OF STATE: They know what they have to do. It is an all of the resolutions. I think we have do now is within the security council, put down a strong resolution, that first says these are violations, they are material breach. This is what they have to do, not what we're going to discuss with them about what they should or should not do. This is what they have to do, and then I believe a third element of any such resolution, or resolutions, if it turns out to be plural, should be, this is what the U.N. is prepared to do if Iraq does not respond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It that last part which is expected to be the biggest fight. What exactly is the United Nations prepared to do if Iraq does not respond. The United States expects the toughest sledding in the Security Council, to be trying to get very clear language that makes it clear to Saddam Hussein, any interference with any new weapons inspection regime will result in military strikes -- Paula.

ZAHN: John, a lot of focus in the newspapers today about some Democrats sniping, that there is a clear political calculation and timing of this debate over Iraq. What does the White House have to say about charges this is sort of a "Wag the Dog" scenario at work here?

KING: Well, the White House understands the midterm election climate. The White House also flatly denies any political motivation here. They say the president made his case to the United Nations, because it was the General Assembly meeting, and that that scheduling is done by the United Nations, not by the White House.

But certainly as this debate goes on, and as president pushes for a resolution from the Congress within the next several weeks, Democrats trying to protect themselves, if you will, politically, questioning why the president wants to talk about war on terrorism now when they believe he should be focusing on the first front, Al Qaeda, not yet on Iraq.

ZAHN: Final question, one of the president's top economic advisers saying that if there is a war, it can cost anywhere from $100 billion to $200 billion. What's with the timing of that announcement?

KING: Well, the White House trying to prepare the Congress. If the president needs to ask for emergency spending, one of the reasons the president will ask Congress today, spend as little as possible now, is that the president still expects unforeseen costs when it comes to the first part of the war, troops in Afghanistan, hunting down Al Qaeda around the world, and as already making preparations. We know Vice President Cheney has had some conversation about Capitol Hill, about the possibility of coming up with hundreds, or tens of billions more for a war on Iraq.

So the administration trying to put the Congress on notice, that if this comes to the military option, even though they say the president hasn't decided that yet, the president will be back on Capitol Hill asking for even more money.

ZAHN: All right, thanks, John. Appreciate it.

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