Politics

Bush Honors New York Cardinal

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

July 10, 2001 / 9:34 AM EDT / CBS

On his first official visit to New York City, President Bush Tuesday honored the memory of the late John Cardinal O'Connor as a gallant defender of children and what he calls "the right to be born."

The remark alluded to the cardinal's staunch opposition to abortion and drew lengthy applause at the ceremony at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral.

The president also praised the cardinal as a defender of the faith who left a mark on his time, and presented the Congressional Gold Medal to O'Connor's family and to his successor, Cardinal Edward Egan.

The medal is the highest honor awarded by Congress to individuals, institutions or events. Lawmakers and then-President Clinton approved the recognition for O'Connor last year.

It was O'Connor to whom Mr. Bush apologized last year when as a candidate he offended Roman Catholics by campaigning at Bob Jones University, a South Carolina school whose leader once called the Catholic Church a "Satanic cult." O'Connor died in May 2000.

Mr. Bush has assiduously courted Catholics, a vital bloc in his electoral win last year, ever since taking office, meeting with top church leaders in Philadelphia, Miami, St. Louis and Washington.

Earlier, Mr. Bush welcomed 29 newly sworn-in citizens to America, looking on as they took the oath on Ellis Island. He pledged to accelerate the immigration process and promised a welcoming spirit for all new arrivals.

"Immigration is not a problem to be solved, it is a sign of a confident and successful nation," Mr. Bush said at the ceremony. "New arrivals should be greeted not with suspicion and resentment, but with openness and courtesy."

Mr. Bush then led the immigrants from 18 countries in their first pledge of allegiance to the flag.

Reuters

The administration announced it would dedicate $500 million over five years to speed up processing of all immigrant applications to within a six-month timetable. Applications sometimes take more than four years.

The swearing-in took place at the museum on Ellis Island, where 12 million immigrants arrived. A haunting rendition of the national anthem echoed through the cavernous hall as the faces of immigrants stained on glass windows looked down on the proceedings and the new citizens clutched tiny flags.

CBS News Correspondent Howard Arenstein reports between 1892 and 1954 approximately 12 million immigrants first set foot on U.S. soil at the Port of New York.

Both Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki said all their grandparents had come through Ellis Island. Mr. Bush noted that New York Sen. Charles Schumer's middle name was Ellis, also honoring his roots.

It was Mr. Bush's first trip to New York stte since taking office nearly six months ago. Asked by a reporter how he felt on his debut here, Mr. Bush followed New York's longtime tourism slogan and declared, "I love New York!"

Mr. Bush has visited 34 states since he took the oath of office in January, but until Tuesday stayed clear of the third-largest.

Democrat Al Gore buried then Gov. Bush in the presidential race in New York last November, 59 percent to 34.5 percent, and the state has a 5-3 Democratic voter registration advantage.

"This is just another one of the foreign countries he has to visit," quipped Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.

"President Bush has neglected New York completely," complained Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.