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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Plots Strategy at Camp David

Aired September 22, 2001 - 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 KING, CNN ANCHOR: Another very busy day for the president, Mr. Bush up at Camp David plotting strategy for the war on terrorism. He plans to speak with his top national security advisers, also to speak with his economic team in the days ahead.

Our Kelly Wallace is in Hagerstown, Maryland near Camp David and joins us now with the latest -- good morning, Kelly.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John.

Exactly, President Bush to begin his day meeting and talking with his National Security Council staff. Using modern technology, though, it will be a video conferencing meeting up at Camp David with the president, we understand, Chief of Staff Andy Card, National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Commerce Secretary Don Evans, other members of the national security team obviously joining the president via video conferencing to talk about the latest on military planning

Also, the diplomatic, diplomacy continuing. The president already has spoken to some 24 world leaders. He'll have meetings this week with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Cretien and also the prime minister of Japan.

We know also on Friday that he spoke with the leaders of Nigeria, Oman and Turkish President Sezer and we are learning today that Turkey is pledging some public support for the United States, allowing the U.S. to use its air space and bases to transport any aircraft to respond to those deadly terrorist attacks now just about 11 days ago.

Also, the president, John, focusing on the economic front. His radio address today, the president expected to talk about concern about the economy, the impact the attacks have had on the economy. But to show, John, this sort of new bipartisanship in Washington, the president's speechwriters as well as House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt's speechwriters have been talking. Dick Gephardt will be doing the Democratic radio response. Both the president and Congressman Gephardt will be focusing in their radio addresses about how members of Congress working together to try to give the economy a boost in the weeks ahead -- John.

KING: Well, Kelly, as they promised to work together to help give the economy a boost, any sense of the specifics and any sense at all of the timetable? One thing we learned in recent days with the Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, he urged lawmakers, including the president, wait a couple of weeks. But obviously a very rocky week on Wall Street. Any sense of superficially what we will see and when we will see it?

WALLACE: Yes, no specifics. Really it appears the word coming down from Federal Reserve Board Chairman Greenspan to sort of hold back a little bit has law makers and the administration holding back. But publicly they're definitely trying to sort of get out the message that A, the economy is certainly hurting, but that the president and the law makers are working on it.

So you're likely to see continued discussions, increased government spending, as you noted, $5 billion of that $40 billion emergency aid package already on the way to start helping people in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Also, continued talk about additional tax cuts, a capital gains tax cut, maybe some type of payroll tax cut. So things seem to be in the discussion stage but you're certainly seeing law makers and the president, John, trying to sort of use sort of the public arena to calm people down, get people confident again about the economy, let them know that work is being done behind-the-scenes -- John.

KING: All right, Kelly Wallace keeping track of the president near Camp David, Maryland. We'll check in with you a bit later.

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