Pick Your Bush

That's not the sort of question any self-respecting reporter would ask: "Mr. President, were you surprised at how well your policies turned out?" But also, it's based on the utterly delusional notion that Bush's tax cuts led to increased revenue.

The administration's own economists acknowledge that the tax cuts have not paid for themselves -- let alone led to increased revenue. The cuts have, in fact, turned federal budget surpluses into massive deficits.

Asman also encouraged Bush to claim credit for making the tax code more progressive, noting that the rich pay more taxes now than they used to. Bush jumped to the occasion, asserting that "the tax code is now more progressive than it was in the past, prior to the tax cuts." But the rich are in fact paying a considerably smaller proportion of their income in taxes than they used to. The only reason they're paying more in total is that they're so much richer.

Said Bush: "When people take an objective look, a stand-back look at whether or not, you know, we've handled the fiscal side of the equation, well, they're going to say, yes, we have."

Bush on the Dollar

I wrote in my Nov. 8 column about Bush's rote repetition of empty stock phrases when answering questions about the dollar. That strategy was on display in spades in yesterday's interview.

Asman: "A lot of folks are worried that it's fallen too far. Is there anything more that you can do, as president, to assure the world that the dollar should maintain its value and increase in value?"

Bush: "Well, we have a strong dollar policy, and it's important for the world to know that. We also believe it's important for the market to set the -- to set the value of the dollar relative to other currencies. And if people would look at the strength of our economy, they'd realize why, you know, I believe that the dollar will be stronger. And it is low inflation, low interest, 15 months of uninterrupted job growth, 3.9 percent GDP growth in the third quarter. I mean, the underpinnings are strong. Now, we in the U.S. government, my administration, believe the market ought to set the, you know, the relation of the dollar to other currencies."

Asman: "Even if the dollar is weak -- excuse me, if the economy is weak, shouldn't the dollar be strong?"

Bush: "Well, all I can tell you is, is that the policy of this government is a strong dollar, and that we believe that the marketplace is the best place to set the exchange rates."

Asman: "So you're satisfied with the exchange rates as they are now?"

Bush: "Well, I am satisfied with the fact that we have a strong dollar policy and know that the market ought to be setting the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and other currencies."

After the interview, Asman patted himself on the back for having prompted Bush into "making a little news about the dollar."