Bush does interview on Good Morning America

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http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA010425Bush_100days.html

W A S H I N G T O N, April 25 — Reflecting back on his first 100 days as President, George W. Bush says that the United States should do everything it can to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack, and that he is not worried about Vice President Dick Cheney's health.

In an interview with ABCNEWS' Charles Gibson Tuesday, Bush touched on everything from U.S.-Chinese policy to what he considers his biggest mistake: letting others define his positions on the environment.

During the interview, the president told Gibson that he did not talk to his father while U.S. soldiers were being detained by China after their surveillance plane collided with one of Beijing's fighter jets.

However, shortly after the interview ended, the White House called Gibson with a clarification. Spokesman Ari Fleischer said the president had thought about the interview and recalled that he did talk to his father at the very end of the China crisis, before the crew was released.

The following is a transcript of the interview that aired on Good Morning America Wednesday:

ABCNEWS' CHARLES GIBSON: Mr. President, I'm not sure a 100 days is an important milestone, or a psychological one, but what would you give yourself as a grade for the first 100 days?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: Doing pretty darn good. I think we've laid a foundation for some serious change in Washington — first of all, a change of attitude. And, you know, Washington'd be a better place, a place where people spend more time trying to figure out how to bolster a political party, as opposed to an agenda for the people, and one way to describe… it's a zero sum attitude where you win and I lose, or I win and you lose. And I think we're beginning to change that attitude, and that's important.

GIBSON: So how does that translate into a grade?

BUSH: I'm not gonna give myself a numerical grade, only because people might think I was a little haughty if I did so. But, I appreciate what's going on here.

GIBSON: Biggest surprise that you've had so far, didn't expect, about being President?

BUSH: I guess how much I really enjoy the job. I find it to be a fascinating job.

It's a job for a decision maker. I make a lot of decisions, some of them significant; some of them may never make it to anybody's radar screen, but, but nevertheless a decision.

GIBSON: The thing you're most pleased about in the first 100 days.

BUSH: My team, and how well the team is working together. How there's a, a clear sense of all of us being here in Washington, working for something bigger than ourselves

GIBSON: Biggest mistake made so far.

BUSH: Probably wearing a red tie too many times. I don't know.

GIBSON: None of us gets through a 100 days, whether we're President, or not, without something.

BUSH: Well, I think maybe, perhaps, for example, allowing people to define me as somebody who's not friendly toward the environment, when in fact my administration has made positive strides toward, toward cleaning up the environment. We're going to reduce arsenic in drinking water; and yet, somehow, I get tagged for not wanting to reduce arsenic in drinking water. Lead regulation: I signed a treaty to… I mean, there's a lot of things that we're doing, that, are very positive for the environment.

GIBSON: If you raise that one, every one of the Clinton regulations that you reviewed in February and March, you reversed, then got…

BUSH: Oh, I don't…

GIBSON: A bad name for it. April, all of a sudden, you're affirming…

BUSH: Well, let's… no, let's take, let's take the arsenic reduction, for example. It was to take effect. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) said, "No, we're not gonna let it come to, into effect. We're going to review it." We're gonna reduce arsenic in… water. We just haven't decided how much. And, somehow, that's, that's to mean I'm against the environment?

GIBSON: Did you think, though, in that February, March period, when you were making those decisions, that you were getting a bad name on it? And therefore you had to do something to turn that around?

BUSH: No. We had a strategy all along to bring a common sense, science-based approach to the environment, and I will continue to do so.

GIBSON: An ABC-Washington Post poll — the most recent one — very high approval rating, up at 63 percent. A little lower than your dad had in his first 100 days, but a good approval rating; and yet less than half the people in the poll say that they approve of policies or feel that you understand their needs, which could be interpreted as saying, "Nice guy, but we don't like his politics or his policies."

BUSH: Well, you know, for example… the signature piece legislation's going be the tax relief plan. I think when it's all said and done, most Americans will appreciate tax relief, and…

GIBSON: Yet the poll would indicate only a third of them would prefer that. Two-thirds say they'd rather be spending the money to meet people's needs.

BUSH: Well, that's the point, that's the problem with polls. You see, it's a poorly worded poll, and all due respect to your pollster, because it's not a zero-sum attitude.

We can meet needs. We set aside all the Social Security money, we doubled the Medicare budget, we provide a significant increase for education spending, we pay down debt, we set aside a trillion dollars for contingency, and we articulate a $1.6 trillion tax relief plan.

But it's a philosophical statement: Once we meet our needs in Washington, who do you want to spend the people's money? There are some up here that would rather the Federal Government spend the money. Not me and my administration. We want the people to have their own money so they can spend it themselves.

GIBSON: Some policy questions… China: When are you going to resume the flights?

BUSH: I'm not going to tell you.

GIBSON: Have they started again?

BUSH: No they haven't.

GIBSON: Will there be those kinds…

BUSH: The point is they will start again. And they, they need to start again for the good of the country. It's important for us to be gathering information and to do so though, over international airspace. We're not violating anybody's airspace. We're conducting surveillance.

GIBSON: The plane we lost: Lost cause?

BUSH: No. I mean, that was… Will we get that equipment back? I think we will. There's gonna be some equipment on board we'll never get back since it was destroyed by our own crew.

GIBSON: I'm curious… During all of that period of time, your dad knows China very well…

BUSH: Uh-huh.

GIBSON: …Were you consulting with him about what was going on with the Chinese?

BUSH: No. I think that, actually, the first time I ever discussed China with him is after we'd resolved the issue. I'm pretty confident of that.

GIBSON: Have you ever, just occurred to me, have you ever, in the first 100 days consulted or called former President Clinton?

BUSH: No. I haven't.

GIBSON: Do you talk to him?

BUSH: No. I have not.

GIBSON: Don't feel the need?

BUSH: No. If I need it I would, and I know he'd return my call. But I have not.

GIBSON: You made the decision on arms sales to Taiwan.

BUSH: Yes.

GIBSON: I'm curious if you, in your own mind, feel that if Taiwan were attacked by China, do we have an obligation to defend the Taiwanese?

BUSH: Yes, we do…

GIBSON: And…

BUSH: …and the Chinese must understand that. Yes, I would.

GIBSON: With the full force of American military?

BUSH: Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend their self.

GIBSON: You would. All right. Let me talk to you a little bit about the sense of the presidency that you have. Your predecessor would use the presidency as a bully pulpit a lot, on a number of issues, to make what points he wanted to do… In things like the school shootings that we've had since you are president…

BUSH: Uh-huh.

GIBSON: …and things like the unfortunate situations in Cincinnati.

BUSH: Uh-huh.

GIBSON: Your statements were relatively short or perfunctory. Doesn't the president have an obligation to speak out on, particularly school shootings, racial situations, because that defines who we are as a society?

BUSH: Of course the president does. And there are some times when the president's presence can make an enormous difference, and sometimes where it might make the situation worse; and I'll pick and choose when that occurs. I get involved in issues where I think I can make a difference, and I'm, you know, certainly not camera-shy. But if I think my presence is gonna complicate a situation, or try to hog the limelight from somebody who deserves credit, you won't find me there.

GIBSON: Is that why you didn't go to Whidbey Island? Your predecessor would have been there. I suspect President Reagan, I suspect even your dad, would have been there.

BUSH: I chose not to go because I wanted the, the moment to be between the troops and their families.

GIBSON: Some columnists, columnists have talked to you about that as a sort of return to modesty in the presidency. Some have talked about it as, well, he just doesn't "get it" on some issues.

BUSH: You know, if I tried to please all the people all the time, I'd be an ineffective President.

GIBSON: Mr. President, do we know how sick is the heart of Dick Cheney?

BUSH: Well, we know he's going to… We know that any time his, his body says you may be having a problem, he's going to get it checked out. And we know that he is — at least I know that he is — an incredibly important contribution to my administration and he seems healthy as can be. I see him every single morning and he's, as they say out West, "He's strong as all get-out."

GIBSON: Well, the first incident, December, I believe, there was some reluctance on the part — indeed you made some comments to the press, did not talk about the fact he'd had a heart attack. Later, his doctors said he had. The March incident, the White House was calling it "precautionary." Doctors said it was "urgent." There seem to be an effort to downplay the seriousness of his condition.

BUSH: Oh, I don't think so. I mean, I think that if, if they're trying to downplay the seriousness, any time he had any indication whatsoever, he'd try to sneak into a hospital unnoticed, or he wouldn't even go. He takes his health very seriously and I do as well.

But he told me, first of all, when I picked him; I knew he was, I knew that he had had a, a history. And, secondly, he told me, "If you pick me, you understand I may end up back in the hospital, be checked out. And at the slightest indication of anything wrong with my heart, I'm going in," he said. And I said, "You got my support."

But I'm not the least bit concerned about my friend. He's eating right, he's sleeping well, he's exercising, and he's making a huge contribution to this administration.

GIBSON: Is there a plan in place, should he be incapacitated?

BUSH: I don't intend for him to become incapacitated.

GIBSON: Not gonna happen.

One final question: In your heart of hearts — you've now had the job for a 100 days — if you could pick one or the other, rather be president or baseball commissioner?

BUSH: President. Because this is a job where a president can affect the attitude of the country. The president can, can make an enormous difference in the lives of people. The president can set an example. The president can encourage people. And it's got, it's got enormous impact on the life of our country, and I'm so honored to hold the position. It's, it's an unbelievable experience.

GIBSON: Mr. President, good to talk to you.

BUSH: Thank you, sir.

GIBSON: Thank you.



-- (one@for.the files), April 25, 2001

Answers

Makes me glad I don't watch tv.

-- Miserable SOB (misery@misery.com), April 25, 2001.

Damn. I dont much care for him screwin w/the chinese, that could spell serious trouble for us. IMHO.

As or Cheney, guess he quit eating that fake butter and went for the real shit, eh?

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), April 25, 2001.


GIBSON: Is there a plan in place, should he be incapacitated?

BUSH: I don't intend for him to become incapacitated.

I guess he believes being president is equal to being God-If he says Cheney will not become incapacitated, then it will not happen. What an ego.......

-- Cherri (jessam5@home.com), April 25, 2001.


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