FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Dec. 17, 2007
Bush: Economy Sound Despite "Storm Clouds"
Also Says Military Air Lanes Will Be Open To Commercial Flights Over Christmas
-
President Bush speaks about the economy, Monday, Dec. 17, 2007, in Fredericksburg, Va. (AP)
-
Play CBS Video Video Bush: Steroids Sullied MLB "CBS News RAW": President Bush, who once owned the Texas Rangers, weighed in on Major League Baseball's steroid scandal, saying that players and owners alike must take the Mitchell Report seriously.
-
Video Bush And Barney's Holiday Film President Bush and his pet dog Barney star in a holiday film about the importance of the U.S.'s National Parks. Drew Levinson reports.
-
Video Bush Proposes Freeze In Interest Rates President Bush has come up with his own solution to the subprime interest crisis: freeze interest rates. Stephanie AuWerter, Editor of SmartMoney.com, discusses the plan and who it will affect the most.
-
Photos Presidency In Photos Images from President George W. Bush's many trips, functions and ceremonial events.
-
Interactive Eye On The Economy In-depth features on U.S. markets, taxes, employment and the Federal Reserve.
"But the underpinning is good," Mr. Bush told business and community leaders at a gathering of Rotary Club members.
"We've had a pretty good economic run," the president said in a speech intended to show he is aware of the public's edgy mood these days. Consumer confidence has eroded as turmoil in the housing and credit market have battered the economy.
Mr. Bush tried to position himself as an advocate for working families by taking aim at his favorite target: the Democratic Congress.
"The Congress cannot take economic vitality for granted," Bush said.
"The most negative thing Congress can do in the face of economic uncertainty is to raise taxes on the American people," Mr. Bush said.
During the appearance, Mr. Bush also confirmed the government will again use military air lanes for some commercial flights over Christmas. The Transportation Department is expected to formally announce a repeat of the strategy that was used over Thanksgiving, reports CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer.
The Transportation and Defense departments are working on a final plan for the days and times when some East Coast air space, normally reserved for the military, will be cleared for commercial flights.
Officials say an estimated 100 commercial flights used the military space during the busiest times in late November. That is a small fraction of the total number of flights in the air but the administration contends the strategy helped ease congestion.
Meanwhile, the audience of roughly 80 people listened to Mr. Bush with respectful silence. Yet a line that normally gets him applause - "I'll veto any tax increase" - drew no reaction at all.
Mr. Bush chose to highlight positive economic news, such as job growth.
"People are working; productivity is high," Mr. Bush said.
He acknowledged the nation's major economic woes - mainly the housing and credit crunch - in the context of explaining what his administration is doing to help.
"We can mitigate some of the issues," Mr. Bush said.
"I just want to let you know we've got a strategy. And Congress can help," the president said, citing a list of bills he's proposed to lawmakers.
Mr. Bush spoke at the Yak-A-Doo's restaurant inside a Holiday Inn.
The White House wanted to keep the flavor of the local Rotary meeting, so there was no banner or backdrop. Mr. Bush was not even introduced; he just showed up, drawing a round of applause. The Christmas music being piped was not cut off until someone pointed that out.
The president watched silently as club members offered a truncated version of their normal business routine, offering the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer.
After months of bickering with Congress, Mr. Bush pronounced himself pleased with the shape of spending levels that Congress is expected to approve this week. He said any measure must include money for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We're making some pretty good progress toward coming up with a fiscally sound budget," Mr. Bush said. He said that the next couple of days "will be interesting to watch."
©MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More From Politics
Add a Comment See all 66 Comments
- Yada yada yada...yada yada yada...of course Bush is going to doublespeak about the economy. The Republicans want some chance of winning next year.
Yada yada yada...tell the people without a job that went to India or China how good the economy is right now...Yada yada yada...$700 billion for war...no money for domestic needs...yada yada yada...doublspeak doublespeak doublespeak - Reply to this comment
- The economy is good, we found WMDs, we are the morality party, and I have it on good work that Jesus himself just officially became a republican in heaven.
Trust me.
Have I ever lied to you before?
Well, have I ever lied to you in the last five minutes? - Reply to this comment
- The Economy is sound for all of Bush''s oil buddies so he is telling the truth! There are no other people in the country that matters! If you are not rich - then you are not considered in the benchmarks of the Bushit Administration.
So, back off - the Economy is Great! - Reply to this comment
- Yes I have high ground in Fl. things are OK...
- Reply to this comment
- Bush is doing his best to destroy this country and then give his DEER-IN-THE-HEADLIGHT gaze into the cameras and speak his BUSHISM stutter and these stupid 20% Republicans believe his rants and propaganda........
Only problem with your Hitler analogy is that Hitler was smarter and a better orator........but the analogy is fitting - all Bush needs is a small black mustache! Seig Heil Bush! - Reply to this comment
- This Prez. definition of poor.
The poor guy GB is so poor that he his car driver is also poor, so are his butler, gardener, and his servant maid. He cannot afford a Bentley so he has to compromise on a Lexus suv. He cannot afford to shop in Tiffany so he has to go to Zales.
- Reply to this comment
- How ironic that not one repugnant presidential candidate has refuted their presidents proganda on the economy, as for the 20% ers I say tax the hell out of them to pay for their support of this nazi admin, an apology to the American people is no longer sufficent!
- Reply to this comment
- inflation is worse than what they are saying. And we know it.
Posted by ttinsly
No kidding. It would be nice to know how much more paper money is being printed.
Oh but wait - Bush&Co have made that a secret too. - Reply to this comment
- TRANSLATION: Convert ALL of your dollars into anything SHINEY, NOW.
The economy is going to become another Bush "cakewalk".
Posted by JohnShaft4
It''d just be nice to have a dollar left on the 10th of the month to convert to, say groceries or gasolice! - Reply to this comment
- 1. 12 million illegals in the USA
2. Complete dependency on foreign oil from nations that violate human rights.
3. 19% of GDP goes for health care
4. New US Automobiles that get 8 mpg.
5. $9.2 Trillion US debt
6. $500 Billion annual interest on debt
7. $700 Billion annual defense budget
8. War on Drugs
9. War on Terror
10. Dissinformation regarding global warming
11. Housing bubble, government bailouts
12. Unregulated cigarettes
13. Corrupt corporations
14. Merging of church and state
15. Anarchy, chaos, a license to steal
Posted by neoconism at 04:18 PM : Dec 17, 2007
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, well! you did find something for the Lame Duck''s legacy after all. - Reply to this comment
- Common, ya''ll want to tell me what is in the koolaid he''s been drinking?
- Reply to this comment
Fornicario,
The poster "RowdyTexan" appears to have been merely underlining the many clear and unmistakable similarities between the WWII era Nazis and the Bush regime.- Reply to this comment
- He''s only talking to the rich. He doesnt even realize that his rich buddies arent the ones flipping the bill for his insane agenda.
- Reply to this comment
- No offense RowdyTexan, although now we can point out where he got his education, since he believes in the works of Goering, Goebbels, and the Prince of Darkness himself, young Adolf H.
- Reply to this comment
- There are more intelligent things to talk about.
Posted by mcharlton4 at 06:10 PM : Dec 17, 2007
I agree..
But it''s hard to talk about intelligent things when you have a president who is so devoid of it. - Reply to this comment
- Posted by mcharlton4 at 06:10 PM : Dec 17, 2007
Well, c''mon, bring ''em on...put it out here! - Reply to this comment
- Bush only speaks for his economy and the economy of his brothers, i.e skull and bones. He has NO knowledge of money, much less the nation''s economy, his many failures in business speaks volumes on that subject. Speaking of skull and bones, how''s the heart Oz gave you Dickey boy Cheney? Now if only Bush could get a brain.
- Reply to this comment
- Posted by Fornicario at 04:52 PM : Dec 17, 2007
Oh, sorry for the misquote, yes it was Goering... - Reply to this comment
- It would be nice if we could have an intelligible comment. I get tired of hearing these stupid anti-Bush comments. There are more intelligent things to talk about.
- Reply to this comment
- Yet another lie from the black Bu$h-hole of the idiot universe...
- Reply to this comment
