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CNN Saturday Morning News

Bush Begins Weekend at Camp David

Aired October 27, 2001 - 09:15   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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush is spending the weekend at Camp David. Before leaving the White House, he signed new anti-terrorism legislation into law.

Our White House correspondent, Kelly Wallace, is near the presidential retreat. Kelly, good morning.

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

Well, it's becoming really a weekly ritual for President Bush on this day. He will begin his day chairing another video teleconference from the presidential retreat at Camp David with his National Security Council, the president focusing on what he calls the two fronts in this war, of course, the military campaign in Afghanistan and also continued concerns about cases of anthrax in the United States.

Now, Mr. Bush left the White House yesterday afternoon for the presidential retreat at Camp David, this after a very difficult week for the White House, lots of questions about whether the federal government responded fast enough to, again, cases of anthrax, cases that led to the deaths of two D.C. postal workers who died of inhalation anthrax.

Also continued questions about the progress when it comes to the military campaign in Afghanistan with the ruling Taliban militia proving to be perhaps more of a formidable enemy than the administration had anticipated.

During a speech yesterday, the president talking to business and agricultural leaders. But the president also using it as opportunity to send a message to the American people. His message, that this campaign will be a long struggle and that it will take lots of time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The American people are going to be have to be patient, just like we are. They're going to have to be determined, just like our military is. And with that patience and with that determination, we will eventually smoke them out of their holes and get them and bring them to justice. And that's exactly what the world demands, and that's what the United States will deliver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Now, the president yesterday also focusing on the domestic front, Marty, as you mentioned, signing into law a bill giving really sweeping new police powers to law enforcement officials to try and track down suspected terrorists. He also tried to put pressure on Congress to move on other legislation, including an economic package to give a boost to the economy following the September 11 attacks.

And Marty, he'll keep up the pressure a bit today in his weekly radio address his focus will be on a bill to beef up and enhance airport security, president calling on Congress to finish its work. The big sticking point, really, continues to be how much of a role should the federal government play when it comes to baggage screeners? Democrats want them to be federal employees. President Bush says the government should decide if they should be federal or private workers.

Marty, back to you.

SAVIDGE: Speaking of focus, Kelly, how well and how are they doing as far as focusing on the two fronts here? You've got one, obviously, the war front in Afghanistan. You have the domestic front back here in the U.S.

WALLACE: It is a difficult balancing act for this White House. Certainly trying to divide and their time and efforts focusing on the two fronts. And White House officials definitely are saying that they are learning a bit as they go along, particularly when it comes to cases of anthrax. Many officials saying obviously this is something the federal government has not dealt with, so they have learned as they go along. They've obviously had some mistakes, some different agencies saying different things.

They didn't also have the infrastructure in place, really. The homeland security chief, Tom Ridge, started early in October. He's just been on the job a couple of weeks. He's obviously getting up to speed. In fact, the president on Monday will chair the first meeting of his Homeland Security Council.

So there has been lots of attention about this, what it's doing on the domestic front. You had a late-night meeting at the White House this week where Tom Ridge and others getting together to try and have better coordination between federal agencies when it comes to cases of anthrax.

So officials admitting they're learning as they go along, but it's something they never have had to dealt with before -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: No, they have not. Kelly Wallace joining us live from near Camp David, thank you very much.

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