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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

President Bush's Iraq Policy Has Taken a Hit

Aired October 13, 2003 - 05:01   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the latest bombing in Iraq, President Bush's Iraq policy has taken a hit.
CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash reports the criticism comes at a crucial time for the president's program.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The president, after a week long P.R. campaign about the good news in Iraq, did not take reporters' questions about the bad news -- another deadly attack in Baghdad. At the State Department, a spokeswoman called it a "vicious attack" and a senior administration official argued the bombing was aimed at spoiling the very progress Bush officials have been touting.

Republican law makers both visiting Iraq and back at home were on message.

REP. JIM SAXTON (R), NEW JERSEY: They obviously are affronted, if you will, by the fact that this progress is going forward.

SEN. JON KYL (R), ARIZONA: When you lead the news with a bombing that occurred and there's no evidence whatsoever of all of the good things that are happening...

BASH: Democrats said it's not about the media coverage.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN (D-DW), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Until there's security, you will never be able to sell and make the case that there's genuine progress being made.

BASH: A Democratic presidential candidate offered criticism common on the campaign trail -- the Bush approach was flawed.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They were unwilling to build the kind of international coalition we needed. This is haphazard, shotgun, shoot from the hip diplomacy.

BASH: It is that kind of attack that helped spur this last week.

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Some claim we should not have acted because the threat from Saddam Hussein was not imminent.

BASH: The Republican Senate Foreign Relations chairman called the vice president's speech strident, saying it differed in theme from three other speeches, including the president's, suggesting an internal tug of war.

SEN. RICHARD LUGAR (R-IA), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: These are different views, even if they were presented all as an attempt at one campaign. The president has to be the president. That means the president over the vice president and over these secretaries.

BASH: A senior Bush official responded the president's softer tone compared to sharper words from Mr. Cheney were "well thought out and planned."

(on camera): The campaign continues this week. The president's scheduled for local media interviews and the commerce secretary heads to Iraq to help unveil its new currency. But perhaps the most important sales pitch will be to skeptical members of Congress as debate starts on an $87 billion package to help pay for it all.

Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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