Bush addresses full range of issues in first online news interview

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By Ian Christopher McCaleb/CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republican presidential hopeful George W. Bush fielded questions Wednesday covering some of his most treasured topics -- as well as some queries on subjects he has addressed infrequently in his stump speeches -- during an online/on-air interview hosted by CNN.com.

The session was Bush's first such interview with a news organization.

Bush

The Republican nominee for the White House answered numerous questions about his policy positions on key issues close to his heart -- namely tax relief and his planned overhaul of the public education system -- and said he would strive to rebuild the U.S. military while cutting back on its international commitments. He also promised to appoint judges to the nation's highest courts who would not engage in so-called judicial activism.

Asked directly by a CNN.com online user if he would seek out new Supreme Court justices who would strive to overturn the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion, Bush insisted -- as he did through the primary season -- that he would not subject his judicial appointees to a "litmus test."

"If elected, I will support Supreme Court judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution," the Texas governor replied, adding that his first priority would be to create a legal system that eschewed any chances to direct social engineering projects.

A strict stance on abortion, he indicated, would not rest at the top of his list of requirements for an appointee, though Bush has voiced strong personal opposition to most forms of the procedure.

"I will not have a litmus test for my judges, except for: Will the judge strictly interpret the Constitution, and not use the bench to write social policy?" Bush said.

The medium of the future

Wednesday's half-hour campaign discussion was moderated by CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley during the Texas governor's appearance at Winnacunnet Cooperative High School in Hampton, New Hampshire.

The live event was beamed around the globe on CNN's U.S. television network and on CNN International, while viewers on the World Wide Web watched a live version of the interview and participated online at CNN.com.

Questions for Bush were taken directly from online participants, some of whom had submitted their queries via e-mail the previous day. The questions were not filtered, though Crowley and CNN producers retained editorial control.

Asked at the beginning of the interview if he himself was a user and proponent of the Internet, Bush said he e-mailed his twin daughters regularly, and credited his Web site for boosting the visibility of his campaign.

"I use it personally at my home in the governor's mansion in Austin," Bush said of the Internet. "Generally I am an e-mail person," he added, saying his campaign's Web site received thousands of hits every day.

"The Internet has been great for me both personally and politically," he said. "(This is) just the beginning of changing politics in the long term. The Internet is going to be a useful tool."

Bush then switched gears and promoted his five-year, $483 billion tax relief plan in response to a user question.

"My plan not only makes the system more fair, but it says if you're a family of four making $50,000, you get a 50 percent cut in income taxes," he said.

Tax relief, Bush continued, would promote further economic growth nationwide, resulting, he insisted, on a renewed federal government ability to pay down the national debt.

"My economic plan pays down short-term debt," he said. "I intend to work with Congress to pay down debt after tax relief, and after we have met spending priorities."

"I have no specific time in mind," Bush said in response to a question about a timetable for retirement of the debt.

"Enhancing economic growth is the first priority," he said. "A tax relief package will encourage economic growth."

VIDEO Watch the interview (part 1) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the interview (part 2) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Judy Woodruff shows the Bush family's extraordinary story and how it all began Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

On that same line of questioning, Bush credited Federal reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan for much of the nation's economic good fortune, but while he congratulated President Clinton for reappointing Greenspan, he said he would have to give another term for Greenspan careful consideration.

Addressing a query on education reform, Bush repeated his assertions that parents should be allowed to move their children from public schools -- with public financial assistance -- if those schools do not meet certain requirements for student learning.

"The way I am going to talk about school choice is to say if you receive federal money, you must show us whether or not students are learning," Bush warned local school administrators. "There must be locally derived accountability measures."

"If we're spending money on schools that will not teach children, and standards are not being met ... instead of continuing to fund mediocrity, the federal money attributable to (a) particular child should go to parents," Bush argued. He cited past comments by the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, to bolster his assertions.

"Parents could say 'I am tired of this, I want my child to go to private school.' To me, that is how we should introduce competition at the federal level. It is based on a measurable standard, and it is based upon accountability systems," Bush said.

School curricula, Bush said later in the interview, should include "character education" devised to "teach children right from wrong." Such a regimen, backed by faith-based and after-school activities, Bush predicted, would go a long way toward curbing violent crime. Teachers need not be held liable, he added, for enforcing order in their classrooms.

"People need to understand that live is precious, that life is to be valued," he said.

Asked about "common sense" gun laws, Bush said he backed calls for background checks at weekend gun shows, but stated firmly that he believed gun registration will not work as intended.

He also spoke for a few moments about the addition of a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. Bush's Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, has hammered the Republicans on this issue during a week-long tour to promote his health policies.

Bush has promised to reveal the specifics of his own plan next week.

"I am for changing the Medicare system to allow seniors to have more options from which to chose," Bus said Wednesday "The Medicare system is so antiquated, and there is no prescription drug benefit in the plan today.

"I think we ought to have prescription drug benefits available for seniors in basic health care plans from which they get to get to choose," he said.

Cutting back on military commitments, boosting pay

Bush pledged to come to the aid of America's servicemen and women, saying in response to several viewer questions that the international role of the United States military must be curtailed, while spending on increased salaries and weapons upgrades should be made a top priority.

Asked how he would rebuild military morale, Bush responded: "Better pay ... and research and development to begin the process of refashioning our military."

"A way to boost morale and to rebuild the spirit of our country is to stop endless deployments," he added, in passing reference to the Clinton administration's placement of troops in the Balkans and other global trouble spots.

Bush cited the U.S. commitment of military advisors last year to back Australian and New Zealand peacekeeping forces in East Timor as a more suitable model. "We did not put troops on the ground."

"We can't be all things to all people. I want to have exit strategies when we commit our troops," he said.

Bush was the 12th presidential candidate from this year's once-crowded field of hopefuls to conduct on online interview with CNN.com. Others to conduct first-time online interviews with the news organization included Arizona Sen. John McCain, former New Jersey Sen Bill Bradley, and former Vice President Dan Quayle.

In February, CNN.com also conducted the first online news interview with a sitting U.S. president, Bill Clinton. That interview attracted more than 10,000 people in its first 25 minutes.

Transcripts for all CNN online news interviews are available at http://www.cnn.com/chat/transcripts/. The Bush transcript will be posted as soon as it is available.