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CNN Sunday Morning

Bush Back From Vacation

Aired August 31, 2003 - 08:02   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.


JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is back at the White House after a month-long working vacation at his Texas ranch and he's got a full plate of problems. CNN's John King is live at the White House this morning and he joins us now with more on that. Plenty ahead for the president, John?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Plenty ahead, John. Mr. Bush woke up here in the White House for the first time in nearly a month today. He is attending church services in Washington at this hour.

Those grim updates you just read, the situation in Gaza and the situation in Najaf and throughout Iraq, a reminder of the major challenge the president faces. Signature initiative at the moment, if you might say, is his effort to what he called a transformation in the Middle East. Both of those efforts facing serious challenges at the moment.

In terms of the Middle East, it has been 11 days now I think since that suicide bombing in Jerusalem. Israel has mounted a military response. U.S. officials are quite pessimistic that any time soon you will have any semblance at all of a peace process. They say they are simply appealing to both parties behind the scenes to not do overreact, to not do anything that would permanently set the road map to peace aside, but not much optimism here at the White House on that front.

When it comes to Iraq, the administration is proceeding on two fronts. Number one, it will ask the Congress in the weeks ahead for almost $3 billion in emergency spending. That is to try to accelerate some of the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Very important, the administration says, for the psychology of the Iraqi people.

And also, there is an effort to get more quickly Iraqi police and Iraqi militia out on the street. The commanding general on the ground in Iraq says one of the problems with the security situation is that all the Iraqi people see is Americans in uniform. He wants to diversify that force, especially with Iraqis on the front lines.

The administration acknowledges the setbacks but says it must just persevere and be resolute as it tries to push these efforts forward. But look when the Congress comes back this week for some tough questions for the president, especially the situation on the ground in Iraq. Many say he grossly underestimated the security challenge. Others say he should have acted much more quickly, much earlier, to try to get many other nations to help participate in the postwar security effort -- John.

VAUSE: And John, I guess there is a bright spot on the horizon. The economy seems to be bouncing back in some areas. But still, plenty of ammunition left for Democrats when it comes to the federal deficit and the unemployment rate.

KING: Exactly right. The growth rate of the economy has come back some. The stock market has had a pretty good run in recent weeks. The Bush administration is hoping that that convinces the American people that the economy is coming back. Most still believe the economy will be the defining issue in the president's reelection campaign.

That's one of the reasons the president is traveling so much. Part of it is to raise money for that campaign, but he will have a Labor Day picnic on Monday. He has a big speech in Kansas City, Missouri later this week.

The president is trying to convince the American people, if they look closely enough they'll see the economy is coming back. And a key part of his message is he thinks he should get some of the credit for his tax cut policies and other efforts. The Democrats, of course, paint a very different picture. That will be another of the big themes.

It's been a slow August in terms of domestic politics. Congress will come back this week with tough questions about Iraq and the Middle East, tough questions about the economy as well -- John.

VAUSE: CNN's John King reporting for us live this morning from the White House. Thank you, John.

KING: 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






Aired August 31, 2003 - 08:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is back at the White House after a month-long working vacation at his Texas ranch and he's got a full plate of problems. CNN's John King is live at the White House this morning and he joins us now with more on that. Plenty ahead for the president, John?
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Plenty ahead, John. Mr. Bush woke up here in the White House for the first time in nearly a month today. He is attending church services in Washington at this hour.

Those grim updates you just read, the situation in Gaza and the situation in Najaf and throughout Iraq, a reminder of the major challenge the president faces. Signature initiative at the moment, if you might say, is his effort to what he called a transformation in the Middle East. Both of those efforts facing serious challenges at the moment.

In terms of the Middle East, it has been 11 days now I think since that suicide bombing in Jerusalem. Israel has mounted a military response. U.S. officials are quite pessimistic that any time soon you will have any semblance at all of a peace process. They say they are simply appealing to both parties behind the scenes to not do overreact, to not do anything that would permanently set the road map to peace aside, but not much optimism here at the White House on that front.

When it comes to Iraq, the administration is proceeding on two fronts. Number one, it will ask the Congress in the weeks ahead for almost $3 billion in emergency spending. That is to try to accelerate some of the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Very important, the administration says, for the psychology of the Iraqi people.

And also, there is an effort to get more quickly Iraqi police and Iraqi militia out on the street. The commanding general on the ground in Iraq says one of the problems with the security situation is that all the Iraqi people see is Americans in uniform. He wants to diversify that force, especially with Iraqis on the front lines.

The administration acknowledges the setbacks but says it must just persevere and be resolute as it tries to push these efforts forward. But look when the Congress comes back this week for some tough questions for the president, especially the situation on the ground in Iraq. Many say he grossly underestimated the security challenge. Others say he should have acted much more quickly, much earlier, to try to get many other nations to help participate in the postwar security effort -- John.

VAUSE: And John, I guess there is a bright spot on the horizon. The economy seems to be bouncing back in some areas. But still, plenty of ammunition left for Democrats when it comes to the federal deficit and the unemployment rate.

KING: Exactly right. The growth rate of the economy has come back some. The stock market has had a pretty good run in recent weeks. The Bush administration is hoping that that convinces the American people that the economy is coming back. Most still believe the economy will be the defining issue in the president's reelection campaign.

That's one of the reasons the president is traveling so much. Part of it is to raise money for that campaign, but he will have a Labor Day picnic on Monday. He has a big speech in Kansas City, Missouri later this week.

The president is trying to convince the American people, if they look closely enough they'll see the economy is coming back. And a key part of his message is he thinks he should get some of the credit for his tax cut policies and other efforts. The Democrats, of course, paint a very different picture. That will be another of the big themes.

It's been a slow August in terms of domestic politics. Congress will come back this week with tough questions about Iraq and the Middle East, tough questions about the economy as well -- John.

VAUSE: CNN's John King reporting for us live this morning from the White House. Thank you, John.

KING: 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