Bush Opposes Tax Hike To Fix Bridges

President Also Discusses Pakistan, Iraq, Iran At News Conference

(CBS/AP)  President Bush, at a news conference Tuesday, spent 45 minutes answering questions on an unusually broad set of issues. They ranged from Iran's role in Iraq, last week's bridge collapse in Minnesota, the friendly fire death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman, a plunge in the home-mortgage market, the possible closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, tax policy and accountability in his administration.

A week after a deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Mr. Bush dismissed Thursday raising the federal gasoline tax to repair the nation's bridges at least until Congress changes the way it spends highway money.

"The way it seems to have worked is that each member on that (Transportation) committee gets to set his or her own priorities first," Mr. Bush said. "That's not the right way to prioritize the people's money. Before we raise taxes, which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities."

About $24 billion, or 8 percent of the last $286 billion highway bill, was devoted to highway and bridge projects singled out by lawmakers. The balance is sent in the form of grants to states, which then decide how it will be spent. Federal money accounts for about 45 percent of all infrastructure spending.

The Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee proposed a 5-cent increase in the 18.3 cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax to establish a new trust fund for repairing or replacing structurally deficient highway bridges.

Noting that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was in Iran Thursday, Mr. Bush said he hoped his message would be the same as the United States' that Tehran should halt the export of sophisticated explosive devices into Iraq or "there will be consequences."

He did not say what those consequences would be.

Mr. Bush had a clear message for Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about meddling in Iraq, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod.

"What my message to him is, is that when we catch you playing a non-constructive role, there will be a price to pay," said Mr. Bush.

Skeptics aren't so sure that Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, who received a warm, handshaking welcome from Iran's Ahmadinejad, delivered the same message. Like Iran's rulers, Maliki is a Shiite and lived in Iran for part of his exile, reports Axelrod.

Mr. Bush says he'll get a report from Maliki and no matter how warm the welcome, the Iraqi Prime Minister will see it his way.

"His message, I'm confident will be, stabilize, don't destabilize. — And the sending of weapons into Iraq is a destabilizing factor," said Mr. Bush.

Mr. Bush also said he is confident in the ability of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to crack down on militants at the Afghan border and cooperate with the U.S.

He said he expected Musharraf to take "swift action if there is actionable intelligence inside his country." Mr. Bush refused to address whether the U.S. troops would go into Pakistan without permission from leaders there.

"We spend a lot of time with the leadership in Pakistan talking about what we will do with actionable intelligence," he said. "Am I confident they (terrorists) will be brought to justice? My answer is, `Yes I am.' "

Musharraf, a key ally in Washington's fight against terrorism, is under growing U.S. pressure. But the Pakistani leader is under considerable pressure at home too.

He has seen dwindling popular support amid a failed bid to oust the country's chief justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry — an independent-minded judge likely to rule on expected legal challenges to Musharraf's bid for re-election to another five-year term. Musharraf also has been beset by rising violence in the country, particularly following an army raid to end the takeover of the Red Mosque in Islamabad, an operation that left more than 100 people dead.

Speculation that an emergency could be imminent grew after Musharraf on Wednesday abruptly pulled out of a meeting in Kabul with more than 600 Pakistani and Afghan tribal leaders, phoning Afghan President Hamid Karzai to say he couldn't attend because of "engagements" in Islamabad.

[twylacrat]

tbwebb: You have to expect opposition when you're completely WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING.

[j0hnwi11iams]

Bush's hell will be to eat every false word that ever came out of his mouth.

[j-whitman]

janem4,,,, Aren't you getting sick of Bush lying to your face ???? -- He does every time he speaks.. Start paying attention,, you want to know what our troops are facing every day ?? --- Don't listen to Bush ---- Only around 50 terrorist in Iraq are actual Al Queda & they are the financiers,, The rest are Iraqi's & Sunni's from Arab lands.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20206675/from/RS.4/

[j-whitman]

janem4,,,,, Dems have come a long way since January -- For the 1st time in the last 6 years we (both parties) are talking withdrawal from Iraq by '08 --- Bush didn't get what he wanted on either the defense budget or his wire tapping -- Bush lost on his "Fast Track" on trade,,,,, Thank You Democrats -------- But republicans central strategy is still obstruction of Congress.

[tawilliams01]

donnie900, I've read your posts/comments here on the CBS message boards for many articles ... and I'm really curious...Are you actually a *** ... or do you just play one on TV?
I'm now convinced that you couldn't write a coherent sentence if your life depended on it. Perhaps you should read more and post less.
Just a suggestion.
Posted by r_bayless

... a troubling pondering you've started me off on ... I'm convinced you're mimicking/mirroring the myriad thoughts and emotion/passion that you are bombarded with from every source and use the Comments Forum to reflect the state of confusion that we all should be really seeing/thinking about/put your money where your mouth is action/conduct/follow through.

There's "the way people write" .. and
there's "the way people talk".

And I'm "the way people vote".

Posted by donnie900 at 02:37 PM : Aug 09, 2007

Reader bennyblack1 and I am saying, convey what is so obvious to you. Your imput would/could tear/rip illusion from people's views if presented up-front rationally. We have a common goal: effective 'for the people' government and your knack for expression is a formidable wedge when used with acknowledged respect for everyone. It's a start to sane cohesive communication ... where individually, where we stand, work our mojo.

[djberson]

Of course he would veto taxes to alleviate the crumbling infrastructure. It would take money away from his war machine.

[infidel_us]

Since C-BS won't report it, I just want to note the current stock market crash happened on the Bu$h Watch...
Posted by BareEmperor at 09:12 AM : Aug 10, 2007

Thanks for the news flash, wanker! Were you just as quick to give him CREDIT when it was reaching record highs? I doubt it....'cause your a two faced lib.

[bareemperor]

Since C-BS won't report it, I just want to note the current stock market crash happened on the Bu$h Watch...
Like 9/11
Like the Iraq Oil Invasion
etc...

[meboard]

I'm sorry bbp9857..I have to reply to your comment. This administration has opened the Federal coffers with unaccountable glee when it comes to military operations in Afghanistan and especially Iraq...with no real tangible result. Yet when it comes to spending money to improve anything within the borders of the US, the chimp becomes a tight azz... And we still have 17 long months of this living nightmare!

[tbweb]

I know some U.S. Presidents had some tough times during America's history, but I wonder has any U.S. President ever had this much opposition before. Does anyone know?

[randalds]

On the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the president pointed the finger at other nations. The U.S. cannot close the controversial facility until other countries agree to take the more than 350 people still there, he said.

"A lot of people don't want killers in their midst," Mr. Bush said.

He should say that! I mean we allow his sorry, mass-murdering as*s to wander around, even in the same areas as normal people. He should be locked up at Gitmo until we can convince another country to take HIM off our hands! I mean he's at least as much of a terrorists as any al-Qaeda member is!

[bbp9857]

bush isn't against fixing bridges or the notion of redirecting more funding towards transportation projects. he's against giving the committee members free run without restructuring how they themselves handle the funding. in other words, the onus is on the committee to work with what they've got. if they truly need more funding after seriously considering and justifying their own priorities, i'm sure a tax hike wouldn't be shot down. but something tells me that after a little digging, the committee will be able to shave off quite a bit of bloat and redirect that to fixing bridges. the headline demonizes bush indirectly, but at least for once, bush is right on.

[brianbwb-2009]

"What happend to the nickel or more gas tax we're already paying to support infrastructure. What diversity study did that go to?
Posted by standlee5"

A not so subtle expression of ethnic intolerance that obfuscates the answer to the question posed. the real answer is that the tax money was swindled and embezzled by the politicians and the cronies that got the tenders, for example the Boston roadway projects, and the fact that the transportation and telecommunications infrastructure has been in critical shape since the 70s.

If you weren't so ignorant as to spend time worrying that "the darkies are comin' to get your daughters", you would see the real problem, then become part of the solution.

[harp1963]

Our Commander in Chief can't think straight because he's involved in so many lies the guy makes no sense what-so-ever. Our country is going bankrupt under him and there are still people who think he is on the right course.

Former Sec. of Treasury, Mr. Paul O'Neil, who served several other Republican Administrations, who was the former CEO of Alcoa Aluminum who took them to record profits and was beloved by his employees, who has a life long reputation for honesty and integrity, who went to Africa with Bono of U2 to try and help feed the starving people, who was shoved out by Bush for disagreeing on tax cuts for the top 1% (which he was a member of), SAID GEORGE BUSH PLANNED THE WAR IN IRAQ FROM THE FIRST CABINET MEETING OF THE FIRST TERM OF KING GEORGE'S REIGN OF CHAOS. THIS TIME FRAME WAS WAY BEFORE 9/11 EVER HAPPENED!


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml

[drummer94]

Our president is nuts. Didya hear some some of his stuff today? Didya see, watch? As nutty as srick can be, this guy is bonkers. (ok, not just donnie, or rick or lars, but real close to oak-person.) Sheesh.

[the74blaster]

"That's not the right way to prioritize the people's money. Before we raise taxes, which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities."

Really? Since when has president Bush become an expert in prioritizing spending? I mean Bush must be asking why should we raise the gas tax to pay for rebuilding bridges when we can borrow it from Communist China and spend it in Iraq?

I mean by the time we complete our mission in Iraq its probably going to cost us taxpayers several trillion. The only tangible return is we are delaying the civil war that will decide what faction is ultimately going to rule Iraq.

My question is would withdrawing from Iraq and spending the trillion or two for that operation on rebuilding our bridges make more sense? I mean in the end we will have safer highways that will benefit the taxpayers and we can show a tangible long term return on investment.

Does this make too much sense or am I in need of therapy?

[j-whitman]

Giuliani Talks About Ground Zero Risks ----
"There is a big risk getting caught without a camera someone to take my picture"..... "250 firmen didn't have radios, they had cell phones & not 1 of them took my picture."

[randalds]

We are now a debtor nation to a communist country

Posted by j-whitman at 11:24 PM : Aug 09, 2007

And Bush doesn't care, for a couple of different reasons. First of all it's not his money or the money of his rich friends that will have to be used to pay this debt off. It's the money of the average Joe-six-pack that will have to and his kids and grand kids. These are the same people Bush fooled into voting for him through lies and fear. Secondly he doesn't care that Americans have to pay the money back because he is not a real American. He is an internationalist and his first loyalty is to family money and the money and power of the other internationalists whose interests he serves. He does not give a sh*it about America or Americans because he has no loyalty to either. He is easily the most anti-American who has ever sat in the Oval Office.

[j-whitman]

stonebog,,,, Bush ran from active duty & abandoned our troops in Viet Nam ---- Then he sold out our nation's assets to the same communism we fought & died to prevent the spread of....... We are now a debtor nation to a communist country

[mh4cbs1]

standlee you fool.

You have bought into the propoganda lies.

Our government once belonged to the people. We built a tremendous interstate highway system in an incredibly short time. People used to be proud of their government because it DID do things well. Social Security was put in place before the computer age - it ran efficiently and saved millions of elderly from poverty. We put a man on the moon in a single decade, starting from nothing.

It is a sick sign of our times that our corporate-owned government now wants to privatize everything is sight. Our health system sucks our money right into HMO and Pharma profits. Haliburton makes BILLIONS of the War, whose truck drivers make 3 times as much as our soldiers facing death every day...

Bush Cheney and and the corporate-owned Democrats are driving our nation into the ground!