Politics

Bush Rates Himself

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

April 25, 2001 / 11:22 AM EDT / CBS

President Bush says his biggest achievement in his first hundred days in the White House has been "changing the tone in Washington – and that's very important because Washington can be a very acrimonious and bitter place, where people are here to further their own political agendas as opposed to doing what's right for the people."

In a wide-ranging interview with CBS News Early Show Co-Anchor Jane Clayson, Mr. Bush said that in its early days, his administration has "laid the groundwork for tax relief, we've laid the groundwork for a good education plan, we've laid the groundwork for faith-based initiatives that will help change people's lives."

In particular, he said "the fact that we've got two significant tax relief bills out of the House and the Senate … is a pretty good accomplishment."

Defending his record on the environment, which has included reversals of several Clinton administration regulatory safeguards, the president said the only problem was one of perception.

For a closer look at President Bush's first hundred days in
the White House, click here.

"We care deeply about the environment and we have taken steps necessary to make that clear," he said. "We're laying out a string of initiatives that will make the environment more clean."

The president vowed to go forward with controversial oil drilling in Alaska wilderness areas. "I think we ought to be drilling in a place like Alaska, and I know we can do so in an environmentally friendly way."

But he appeared to back down on plans to approve new drilling sites off the coast of Florida, which his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has opposed.

"I think you're going to find that we won't be drilling down there, nor off the coast of California," he said.

On other issues, Mr. Bush:

said eliminating abortion is not a priority in his administration. "I think the policy priorities would be policies that could actually pass the Congress, such as banning partial-birth abortion…. I think it is unrealistic to assume that America is going to ban abortions at this point in our history."
On education, he said more than just money was needed to improve the nation's schools. "We've got to have structural reform, and it starts with good accountability, local control of schools and providing options, if schools fail, to parents."
The president defended himself against charges that he wasn't really in control of policy-making at the White House and that he delegated too much authority to his advisers. "I have assembled a great staff," he said. "I delegate, I align authority and responsibility, but I set the goals for the administration…. This job is bigger than one person. This is not a one-person job."

Finally, Mr. Bush said he best part of being president was "traveling the country like I have done and seeing the hundreds of Americans who love their country come out and wave and say hello the president, because it reminds me that America's great strength is our people."

The interview with Clayson was one of several Mr. Bush gave in advance of the 100-day mark of his presidency, a traditional point for evaluating a new administration.

The White House corrected a statement the president made in an appearance on ABC on Tuesday in which he denied consulting his father on the China spy plane standoff.

"No. I think that, actually, the first time I ever discussed China with him is after we'd resolved the issue," Mr. Bush said.

But not long after the interview was taped, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer acknowledged for the first time that the president had, in fact, asked his father to weigh in during the incident.

"The president called his father toward the end of the [incident] and talked about a number of issues including China," Fleischer said.