Washington Week Show - WW 4247
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Show Open"
Show host Gwen Ifill, with guests Doyle McManus, Michael Duffy, Jeffrey Birnbaum, Elisabeth Bumiller. Composite footage (unclean) with Washington Week title and text: United Nations members voting; two United States soldiers walking down street; U.N. vehicle passes American soldier; Al Queda leader Osama Bin Laden and lieutenant in a recorded video; helicopter flying over city; FBI agents on crackdown. Capitol Building; U.S. President George W. Bush walking with Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Majority Leader Bill Frist and Vice President Dick Cheney; President Bush waving from Marine One helicopter; White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, EPA Administrator, the Budget Director, and the Deputy Chief of Staff shaking hands with President Bush; President Bush walking in front of Fleischer and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Iraqi Sanctions Lifted"
Show host Gwen Ifill introduces segment economic sanctions meant to punish Saddam Hussein having been lifted by the United Nations. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Negroponte says, "The lifting of sanctions marks a momentous event for the people of Iraq. It is the turning of a historical page that should brighten the future of a people and a region." Ifill reports the U.N. also approved U.S. and British run occupation that will oversea the Iraq’s oil industry. She turns to Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times, asks if everyone’s “kissed and made up.” McManus believes they’ve “air kissed” and not really “made up," referring to allies like France, Russia, and Germany being on speaking terms again with the United States. For the current agreement to be agreed upon, the U.S. had to agree to minor concessions. The U.N. gets to put in a special representative within the body of power in Iraq and they get a seat on the committee that oversees funding in Iraq, allowing the occupation to be legal, U.S. and Britain to control the flow of Iraqi oil, and put the money into a development fund overseen by the U.S. Jeffrey Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine wants to know if money was involved in this transaction. McManus admits economic interests did have to be served.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "France v. U.S."
Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times asks why the French rolled over on the vote after being so vociferously against the entire Iraq campaign. Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times believes the Bush administration was playing a game of chicken with the French where the U.S. would continue their occupation of Iraq, finding legal ways to do so. The French also were told to get onboard if the United Nations Security Council wanted any role in Iraq, and that U.S.-French relations can be repaired after they voted in favor of the occupation. Michael Duffy of Time Magazine describes the situation in Iraq as two steps forward and one step back-- there is still too much violence and not enough policing. The U.S. has abolished the armed forces and the Information Ministry, opting to start over.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan"
Show host Gwen Ifill asks Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times for his opinion on news that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon seems receptive to the Israeli-Palestinian road map to peace. McManus clarifies that Prime Minister Sharon has been receptive to the principles and ideas within the peace plan, not to everything within it, but that’s enough for the Bush administration for now.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Code Orange Alert"
Show host Gwen Ifill introduces segment on the war on terror and news of heightened Code Orange alert status. Michael Duffy of Time Magazine states this has been third time this year the alert has been raised, each time under different circumstances, the last time based on intercept emails, this time on intercepted phone calls. He notes the conversation expressed remorse that overseas terror attacks have too much collateral damage with not enough Westerners dying. Ifill remarks it does not feel like an orange alert around Washington D.C., but then she is not in an airport or airplane. Duffy points out areas where you would see heightened security, but acknowledges the possibility that American people may be getting used to this kind of drill. Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times wonders if it really appears as though Al-Qaeda’s influence and strength is diminishing. Duffy doubts that, cites attacks occurring outside the United States as evidence that this will be a long fight in a war on terror.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "War on Terror"
Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times asks Michael Duffy of Time Magazine how tough the Bush administration is being on the Saudi government to crack down on terror cells. Duffy states the U.S. has been tough on the Saudis, but with attack in Riyadh, the Saudis has been awakened to issues within its borders and is taking a more aggressive stance. Jeffrey Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine asks how long U.S. citizens can expect to be under the orange alert. Duffy thinks the threat will be reassessed next week and be taken down. Host Gwen Ifill wants to know if there is any concern over Iran’s role is in this. Duffy says Iran is a concern-- being home to terror cells-- and that after the recent attacks in Riyadh, messages were intercepted that originated in Iran and hailed the attack, bringing more evidence of Al-Qaeda activity within Iran. Iran has made arrests to combat suspicion of propping up terror cells, but it is unclear whether the terror cells actually have been shut down.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Tax Cut Deal"
Show host Gwen Ifill introduces segment on new tax cut. Predictably, Democrats and Republicans had different views on what the tax cuts would accomplish. Minority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) says, "The gimmickry in this bill has enough slight of hand, budget tricks to make an Enron accountant blush." Majority Leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) says, "And you can say this to every single American: you will have more money and will pay less in taxes." Back in studio, Ifill notes it took a tie-breaking vote from U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney to pass the bill, asks Jeffrey Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine how the deal got to this point. Birnbaum says Republican Congressmen were invited to the White House by the President where they were scolded for feuding with one another. The Congressmen got their act together and came up with deal but the deal was rejected by an important moderate Republican in the Senate, George Voinovich (R-OH), displeasing the head of the House Ways and Means Committee. It took separate private conversations with VP Cheney to calm both sides, further trim the deal, make it amenable to all Republicans.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Tax Cut Deal"
Michael Duffy of Time Magazine asks if the current dollar amount in the tax cut bill is accurate. Jeffrey Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine says it's not, that it's a gimmicky bill that is anything but straightforward; he delves into the shady mathematical gymnastics in the bill. Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times wonders why this pared-down tax cut, much smaller than U.S. President George W. Bush’s original request, is being declared a victory by the President. Birnbaum says it does not take much for any politician to declare a victory whenever possible and President Bush should be given credit for getting this done at a time where not all Republicans were on board. Host Gwen Ifill says the panel will likely be re-visiting the issue down the line to see how much of the bill is real and how much of it is not.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "White House Staff Turnover"
Show host Gwen Ifill introduces segment about the rash of White House resignations. Ifill asks Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times what is going on. She says this is one of those instance where what you see is what you get-- for those looking to leave the White House, this was their window of opportunity to do so. The departure of Press Secretary Ari Fleischer does not mean the White House’s press policy will change, which is set by the President himself and the new Press Secretary will follow those guidelines. Jeffery Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine wants to know if any of these departures signal a change in policy anywhere in the White House. Bumiller believes the departure of Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels and his replacement, Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Bolton, signals a subtle change in that office policy will no longer be dictated from the White House. Michael Duffy of Time Magazine wants to know what it’s like working in the White House, why people would want to leave. Bumiller believes people like working there, but the hours are brutal and put a serious strain on people and their relationships outside the White House.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "White House Image"
Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times asks if the spate of White House staff resignations is part of the Bush administration's way of getting ready for the upcoming election. Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times notes that the White House is currently transitioning toward that, especially after the passage of the tax cut bill. Show host Gwen Ifill asks Bumiller if she can talk about how that image comes together and works even as people are leaving, presumably on good terms. Bumiller describes the Bush administration taking lessons first used by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and bringing it to whole new level in terms of professional press presentation. McManus wonders if footage of President Bush landing on U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln in a Harrier jet will find its way into the re-election campaign. Bumiller is not certain, could not find Republican National Committee film crews there, but that does not rule it out. Whatever is used for re-election footage will undoubtedly be tested first by a focus group, although the NYT took a poll on that question and 59% of respondents thought it was appropriate for the President to use the image, did not see it as political stunt. Ifill jokes that the press will be the judges of that.
Washington Week Show - WW 4247 - "Show End"
Show host Gwen Ifill welcomes Elisabeth Bumiller of the New York Times on her first show, conclude program. End credits.