The Factor Rundown
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Bush begins his second term
"George Bush seemed to be in good humor as he took the oath of office and celebrated the start of four more years. His persona is resolute, and seemingly unaffected by criticism. His vision lies in two areas that he spelled out in his address--first, that the US will be safer if freedom takes root abroad. And second, that Americans should control their lives as much as possible. It's hard to argue against freedom; all the nations causing trouble in the world are totalitarian regimes. And as far as your own life is concerned, I've always felt you should rely on yourself. So I agree with President Bush on allowing individuals more control over their health expenditures and pensions. That being said, Mr. Bush is a controversial president--most Americans either love him or hate him. And so on his second inaugural, some of us were happy. And some of us were not."
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Analyzing Pres. Bush's vision
Guest: Fox News contributor Dick Morris
According to Fox News analyst Dick Morris, President Bush led off his second term by hitting a home run. "That was the greatest inaugural address since John F. Kennedy," Morris claimed. "It was beautiful, it was poetic." Morris added that the speech wasn't just eloquent--it was substantive and revolutionary. "What Bush is saying is a departure from previous policy. He's saying we want every government in the world to be run according to the will of the people it governs. It's based on the fact that no democracy ever starts a war."
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Snow's take on the inauguration
Guest: Fox News analyst Tony Snow
Fox News analyst Tony Snow predicted the mainstream media will be critical of President Bush and his activist vision. "People are going to ask whether he's going to invade each and every country," Snow said. "You'll see experts questioning whether America has the resources or the capital to engage in wars. And I guarantee you people will also criticize him for not mentioning Iraq." Snow agreed that President Bush laid out a bold agenda for his second term. "This is a manifesto for an organizing idea--freedom. It is an idealistic and ambitious program to reshape government here at home and promote democracy abroad."
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Inaugural parties
Guests: Fox News correspondents Megyn Kendall, Brian Wilson & Greg Kelly
The various balls and parties cost an estimated $40-million, most of it coming from private donors. Fox News correspondents reported from three of the gala events. "Only two states get their own ball," Megyn Kendall said from her spot at the Liberty Ball. "And you can guess which they are--Florida and Ohio." Brian Wilson weighed in from the Patriot Ball, where he declared, "Dick Cheney is a great dancer." But Greg Kelly, reporting from the Stars and Stripes Ball, countered that Wilson had wildly over-estimated the Vice President's performance on the dance floor.
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The evolution of Bush
Guests: Richard Norton Smith, presidential historian & Lanny Davis, former special counsel to Clinton
Has George W Bush changed since his first inaugural four years ago? Former Clinton aide Lanny Davis met President Bush when they were undergraduates at Yale. "I still see the same George Bush I saw forty years ago," Davis said, "It's the same friendly and down-to-earth guy that made him so popular in college. The personal kindness and warmth of the man will never change." Presidential historian Richard Norton Smith said the President has come to understand the magnitude of his office. "George Bush has learned to measure his words a bit... every word that comes out of a President's mouth has consequences. But this is not a man who entertains many doubts." The Factor contended President Bush uses his resolve and confidence to reassure the American people. "I think Bush is in a situation like Churchill during the dark days of World War II, when Churchill couldn't show any doubt."
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Secret Service agent tells all
Guest: Author & former Secret Service agent Joseph Petro
Former Secret Service agent Joseph Petro, who protected the first President Bush during his 1989 inauguration, has written a book about that. "Protecting the President," Petro told The Factor, "is not as easy as it looks. The Service has to adapt to the style of the President, and to the political atmosphere of the time." Petro lamented the fact that inaugurals and other major ceremonies require so much security. "It's kind of sad that we have to put this blanket of security over an American tradition. It changes the whole complexion of the event."
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Check out the books mentioned during this show.
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Standing Next to History: An Agent's Life inside the Secret Service
by Joseph Petro
Read more...
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