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American Morning

Bush Ready to Dive Head First into Some Murky Political Waters

Aired January 08, 2004 - 08:03   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.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush ready to dive head first into some murky political waters today. This hour, he'll leave for a trip to Tennessee and then Florida. That Florida stop will take him to Palm Beach County for the first time since the election of 2000. That's where the infamous hanging chad led to the Supreme Court decision effectively leading to an outcome in that race.
John King from the White House.

What are they saying there about this trip today?

John -- good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Well, I'm sure it makes you quite nostalgic for all those days in Tallahassee waiting for the final count...

HEMMER: Butterfly ballot.

KING: ... the final count to come in. If you like nostalgia, this a good day to look back at Campaign 2000, as we think about Campaign 2004. You mentioned the president on his way to Florida today. He'll also stop first in Tennessee, focusing on education first. No surprise there. The second education event in just a few days by this president early in the election year.

Then he'll raise money in Tennessee and then raise money in Palm Beach County. The president on his way to past the $140 million mark quite soon, on his way to $170 million or $200 million, as he amasses his campaign war chest for the coming campaign. Tennessee and Florida, of course, critical. Al Gore's home state. Had President Bush not won it, he would not be the president. And Florida, of course, the state that decided it all, Bill.

So, the president going to the key battlegrounds very early in this campaign. One of the advantages of incumbency, as the Democrats fight it out in Iowa and New Hampshire, the president's thinking about November.

HEMMER: John, I thought we had a sound bite cued up there. We're not going to get to it.

Nonetheless, to talk about immigration, getting hammered from both sides, on the right and the left.

What's the White House saying right now about how this strategy may or may not play into election year politics?

KING: Well, Florida is another test of that, the politics of immigration, as well, of course, not only a Latino population there, but also the hotel industry, the construction industry, the very business community that is asking the president to allow more immigration into this country. So the president's in the middle right now.

You mentioned criticism from the Democrats, also criticism from the Republicans. The most controversial part is the president says the eight to 10 million illegal immigrants in this country can come forward and get at least temporary legal status under his plan if they have a job and if they are willing to pay a fee. Many Democrats say that's not enough, that the president should offer permanent residency status to those illegal immigrants in the United States.

But Republicans are speaking out against that, including a very key conservative voice, the House majority leader, Tom DeLay.

He said this last night about the president's proposal. "I applaud the president for addressing this difficult and complex issue, but have heartfelt reservations about allowing illegal immigrants into a U.S. guest worker program that seems to reward illegal behavior. I remain skeptical it constitutes sound public policy."

If you are the Bush White House, that is the criticism you are most worried about this morning. Tom DeLay has a great deal of sway of what gets through the Republican Congress.

HEMMER: Thanks, John.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Waters>


Aired January 8, 2004 - 08:03   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush ready to dive head first into some murky political waters today. This hour, he'll leave for a trip to Tennessee and then Florida. That Florida stop will take him to Palm Beach County for the first time since the election of 2000. That's where the infamous hanging chad led to the Supreme Court decision effectively leading to an outcome in that race.
John King from the White House.

What are they saying there about this trip today?

John -- good morning.

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

Well, I'm sure it makes you quite nostalgic for all those days in Tallahassee waiting for the final count...

HEMMER: Butterfly ballot.

KING: ... the final count to come in. If you like nostalgia, this a good day to look back at Campaign 2000, as we think about Campaign 2004. You mentioned the president on his way to Florida today. He'll also stop first in Tennessee, focusing on education first. No surprise there. The second education event in just a few days by this president early in the election year.

Then he'll raise money in Tennessee and then raise money in Palm Beach County. The president on his way to past the $140 million mark quite soon, on his way to $170 million or $200 million, as he amasses his campaign war chest for the coming campaign. Tennessee and Florida, of course, critical. Al Gore's home state. Had President Bush not won it, he would not be the president. And Florida, of course, the state that decided it all, Bill.

So, the president going to the key battlegrounds very early in this campaign. One of the advantages of incumbency, as the Democrats fight it out in Iowa and New Hampshire, the president's thinking about November.

HEMMER: John, I thought we had a sound bite cued up there. We're not going to get to it.

Nonetheless, to talk about immigration, getting hammered from both sides, on the right and the left.

What's the White House saying right now about how this strategy may or may not play into election year politics?

KING: Well, Florida is another test of that, the politics of immigration, as well, of course, not only a Latino population there, but also the hotel industry, the construction industry, the very business community that is asking the president to allow more immigration into this country. So the president's in the middle right now.

You mentioned criticism from the Democrats, also criticism from the Republicans. The most controversial part is the president says the eight to 10 million illegal immigrants in this country can come forward and get at least temporary legal status under his plan if they have a job and if they are willing to pay a fee. Many Democrats say that's not enough, that the president should offer permanent residency status to those illegal immigrants in the United States.

But Republicans are speaking out against that, including a very key conservative voice, the House majority leader, Tom DeLay.

He said this last night about the president's proposal. "I applaud the president for addressing this difficult and complex issue, but have heartfelt reservations about allowing illegal immigrants into a U.S. guest worker program that seems to reward illegal behavior. I remain skeptical it constitutes sound public policy."

If you are the Bush White House, that is the criticism you are most worried about this morning. Tom DeLay has a great deal of sway of what gets through the Republican Congress.

HEMMER: Thanks, John.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Waters>