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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Drums Up Support for Homeland Security Measures

Aired August 25, 2002 - 11:12   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President George W. Bush heads back to his ranch in Crawford, Texas this evening after a three-day campaign tour. He's been rallying behind Western GOP candidates and his homeland security measure. CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace joins us with more on that. Hi there, Kelly.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Fredricka.

Well, the main debate over the president's homeland security proposal to create this new Cabinet-level agency is not over the makeup of the agency, but over personnel matters. The president wants the government to have the ability to hire, fire and move employees around, but Democrats object. They say the employees in this agency should have the same labor rights as other federal workers.

Well, you could say the president is trying to increase the pressure on lawmakers before everyone returns to Washington next weekend. We saw him on Saturday in New Mexico, doing some campaigning for Republicans. He was there with New Mexico senator, Pete Domenici, a Republican. The president was pounding the podium there, though. He was making it clear he will not negotiate over his proposal. He says this agency should have extra powers because it will be charged with protecting the country from future acts of terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But let me tell you something, what I'm not going to do is accept a bill that tries to macromanage the process, tell us who to hire, where to move them and how to do it. I warn the Senate -- and Pete -- I'm not warning Pete, because he understands what I'm talking about. He knows who I'm talking about. There are senators who are more worried about the special interests in Washington than they are about protecting the people. They're more interested in their turf than they are about homeland security, and they need to give me a good bill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Meantime, the subject of Iraq keeps coming up. The president continuing to get advice from some people who served closely with his father in the former Bush administration.

The latest advice coming from James Baker, the former secretary of state, who is warning that this administration should not go it alone, that it should get the support of an international coalition to deal with Saddam Hussein, that it should go to the United Nations, to get support for an inspections regime, and to get the authority to use whatever force is necessary to enforce those inspections.

In an opinion piece in today's "New York Times," Mr. Baker writes, quote: "If we are to change the regime in Iraq, we will have to occupy the country militarily. The cost of doing so politically, economically and in terms of casualties could be great. They will be lessened if the president brings together an international coalition behind the effort. Doing so would also help in achieving the continuing support of American people, a necessary prerequisite for any successful foreign policy."

And you can say the president is likely to get an earful about Iraq on Tuesday. That is when he sits down at his ranch with Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the United States. And Fredricka, as you know, the Saudis have made it clear they are very much against any U.S. military attack against Iraq -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly, thank you very much. I'm sure we'll be talking a lot more about that this week. Thanks.

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