Posted on 08/14/2002 6:22:33 AM PDT by McLynnan
President Bush listened first and talked later Tuesday as he moved from one friendly audience to the next at the Baylor law school.
Bush made 20-minute cameos in four of the eight discussions that kicked off his economic forum. Vice President Dick Cheney visited the other four. Each of the sessions, which ran concurrently, lasted 90 minutes.
Bush was the focus of every room he entered, but others did most of the talking. After opening remarks from two administration officials and investment executive Charles Schwab, Bush told investing and retirement panelists he was looking out for his McLennan County neighbors.
"I think about how people in Crawford look at Wall Street and the numbers," said Bush, whose ranch is about 25 miles west of Waco. "And one of the things I hope that comes out of this discussion is how do we simplify the numbers so that people can understand what they're looking at."
Panelists gave Bush first-hand accounts of the economy's health. Larry Johnston, chairman of the Albertson's grocery store chain, said he sees weakening consumer confidence when customers buy hamburger instead of steak.
Other stories were more encouraging. Dick Holthaus, president of the National Association of Investors Corporations, said the small investment clubs that make up his group received eight requests to sell for every two to buy in recent months. But he said investors have in recent weeks been buying only, which Holthaus chalked up to market factors and an emphasis on corporate responsibility.
Cabinet secretaries and other administration officials moderated the groups. They mostly called on business and civic leaders when Bush was in the room, ignoring professors from schools like Harvard, Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania.
Corporate accounting scandals were fresh in the minds of several panelists. Harry Alford, chairman of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, told Bush he was tired of seeing embattled executives plead the Fifth Amendment before Congress "as if they're Bugsy Siegel or Al Capone."
Bush told Alford that law-breakers will be held accountable. He also said business schools need to teach students the difference between right and wrong.
"They're afraid of taking a position, evidently," Bush said.
Bush walked swiftly into each room he entered, sometimes catching panelists off-guard. He got a delayed standing ovation when he entered the corporate responsibility session. In the discussion session on jobs and recovery, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill gave panelists advance warning to stand when Bush entered.
The president took a few notes while participants talked, but he mostly looked directly at them, nodding frequently. He also worked in a few laughs.
At the session on jobs and recovery, North Carolina restaurant owner Van Eure sat between Bush and O'Neill, who has sometimes found few champions in Washington. After talking about estate taxes, Eure said it was an honor to sit next to one of her heroes, presumably meaning Bush.
"Who, O'Neill?" Bush quipped in amazement. "We found one, O'Neill."
George Luck, principal of the Waco ISD Alternative Campus and owner of Temple's Bluebonnet Cafe, sat on the health-care panel. A friend who works for Scott & White Memorial Hospital suggested Luck when White House officials asked for participants.
"I think people were very genuine throughout the entire forum," Luck said. "I don't think there was any difference when the president was there."
Luck said panelists were advised to keep comments short so everybody could speak. Salado nurse Lucinda Harman, also part of the health-care session, said the key instructions were to wear business dress and turn cell phones off.
After a wrap-up session at Baylor's Jones Concert Hall, Bush went to a participants' lunch in the Bill Daniel Student Center. They ate Southwest chicken salad and key lime pie, and Bush worked the room for handshakes and photos.
A Marine helicopter transported Bush from his Crawford ranch to Waco that morning, landing on the new intramural fields across La Salle Avenue from the Ferrell Center. He flew back to the ranch after five hours in Waco.
Even before the event began, Democrats complained the Bush forum was little more than a photo-op. In his closing-session remarks, Bush acknowledged at least some of the pageantry.
"Thanks for having us all," he told Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. "And I want you to thank all the good folks here at Baylor University for putting on a great show."
I have listened to and read articles by a number of economists who believe that the stock market has most likely bottomed out, is not as dire as the average investor might feel like it is, and that there has never been a better time to buy. I have also heard a number of economists state that, though the recovery has slowed, most things are still moving in the right direction.
I'll stick with the experts' opinions rather than yours, Tuco. Sorry if that hurts your feelings.
It really doesn't matter if you are so sure that it's nothing but PR, because you don't know what will be done with the information and opinions gleaned, and until you do, your assumptions are only that.......assumptions.
Oh, yeah, and please cite your source. I wouldn't want to think your evidence came from the NY Times or anyplace unfriendly like that.
Panelists gave Bush first-hand accounts of the economy's health. Larry Johnston, chairman of the Albertson's grocery store chain, said he sees weakening consumer confidence when customers buy hamburger instead of steakIt's always nice to see the President feeling our pain, isn't it?
From polls that have been published.
I have listened to and read articles by a number of economists who believe that the stock market has most likely bottomed out, is not as dire as the average investor might feel like it is, and that there has never been a better time to buy. I have also heard a number of economists state that, though the recovery has slowed, most things are still moving in the right direction.
I have listened to and read articles by a number of economists who believe that the stock market has NOT likely bottomed out, is worst than the average investor might feel like it is, and that there has never been a WORSE time to buy. I have also heard a number of economists state that, though the recovery has slowed, most things are still moving in the WRONG direction.
I'll stick with the experts' opinions rather than yours, Tuco. Sorry if that hurts your feelings.
I'll stick with the experts' opinions rather than yours, ohiofan. Sorry if that hurts your feelings.
Oh how I hate 'Rats!
You are totally irrelevant......but, hey......thanks for your concern. :o)
It seems that there are mindless complainers on both ends of the political spectrum......not just on the Rat side.
This is a bit off-topic, but the engulfing irony does not leave me, of President Bush owning a new home only 25 miles from the scene of his predecesor's mass murder of our fellow citizens. Of all the places in Texas Bush could have settled, this one always gives me pause, and I am sure it affects a few bias-peddlers posing as reproters who stay in the same hotels now as they did when the inhabitants of Mt. Carmel were being intimidated and watched while hillary grew impatient for their demise, eventuating in their brutal incineration. And let us not forget that there were babies, some still in utero, and toddlers, killed for their parents' "crimes" by the administration that claimed to do everything for the children. This is justice, clinton-style.
I will never forget this barbarism.
Now my hubby and I are off to have lunch with our oldest daughter.....hm, steak sounds nice about now. This thread is making me hungry! ;-)
Wrong. This is a figure of speech in our part of the country. It's a display of good manners indicating he appreciated all the hard work that went into making the forum come off smoothly. It's common knowledge in the Waco community that many, many people at the university put in a lot of overtime and effort and worked cooperatively with the White House and Secret Service. Ditto for the Chamber of Commerce, local law enforcement, merchants, etc. who donated man hours and goods and services. This was a special event for the city and university and I think they did a darned good job. Apparently the President agrees, and many people also agree many good ideas and exchanges of information came out of the forum.
Absolutely, and this President does not waste time with dog and pony shows. Ideas gleaned from the forum will be taken back to Washington, and I believe we will see a renewed push for a permanent tax cut, death tax legislation, streamlined government paperwork, etc. Of course, Daschle's obstructionism must be overcome.
does this mean, McLynnan - that the book signing didn't pan out?
Mr. Mc got the date wrong, and the signing is this coming Sunday. We plan to go and I will report back!
Exactly. Some people have to parse every little statement because they can find nothing substantive to object to.
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