Bush Meets With Greenspan

Monday, December 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) â€” President-elect Bush met with Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and congressional leaders on Monday for the first time since he wrapped up the election. ``I'm excited about what we can do together,'' Bush said after his meeting on Capitol Hill.

Leaders of both parties promised to reach out to meet the Republican at least half way as he takes the reins over a deeply divided government.

Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota called it ``an opportunity for us to wipe the slate clean, to begin anew.''

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., said, ``We will be there, coming 50 percent of the way, sometimes even a little further, to the middle to get things done for the people that sent us here and hired us.''

Both Daschle and Gephardt asserted that they feel that Bush's presidency will be legitimate, despite lingering concerns over the closeness of the vote.

``I believe that on Jan. 20, he's going to be sworn in as the next president of the United States. I don't know how to get more legitimate than that,'' Gephardt said. Gephardt has previously declined to say that Bush was the ``legitimate'' president.

Bush said again that he would stand by his $1.3 trillion tax-cut plan. During a brief question-and-answer session, Bush indicated he was not ready to compromise on the 10-year package, while saying he and the leaders had a ``good discussion'' over it.

``I campaigned on a clear view of tax relief, and that's what I'm going to bring to the House and Senate,'' he said. ``There's going to be a lot of discussion, a lot of head-knocking ... and arm twisting. I might twist a few myself.''

``I campaigned on issues that people heard,'' he added for emphasis. ``One of those issues is tax relief.''

Earlier, Bush met for breakfast at his hotel with the Federal Reserve Board chairman. ``I talked with a good man right here,'' Bush said, placing a hand on Greenspan's shoulder after a breakfast meeting of almost an hour. ``We had a very strong discussion about my confidence in his abilities.''

Neither responded to questions about Bush's tax-cut plan. Greenspan talked privately with Bush for about 15 minutes and the two also met with vice president-elect Dick Cheney, Larry Lindsey, an economic adviser likely to join the new administration, and other advisers.

Then Bush went to Capitol Hill for his meetings with House and Senate leaders of both parties. He hoped to overcome resistance to his tax package, saying there is more justification than ever for big tax cuts with the economy slowing.

Republican leaders welcomed Bush, with House Speaker Dennis Hastert saying, ``We look forward to this relationship'' and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott adding, ``I know that we can come together on an agenda early that will have bipartisan support.''

Bush said he made it clear to the four top congressional leaders ``that I come to Washington with the intention of doing the people's business.''

``We can come together to heal whatever wounds may exist, whatever residuals there may be,'' he added. He cited ``a sense of optimism ... and enthusiasm about the job.''

``I told all four that there are going to be some times where we don't agree with each other, but that's OK.''

``If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator,'' Bush joked.

Bush will pay courtesy calls Tuesday on President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore, his campaign rival. Bush also will interview prospective Cabinet members before returning to Austin, Texas, that evening.

Condoleezza Rice, named by Bush on Sunday to run his National Security Council, was also in town â€” to ``find an NSC staff,'' she said.

Although Bush believes the U.S. military is overextended and wants to review military commitments, he will keep the nation's promises to its allies, she said. ``No one is going to cut and run,'' Rice told ABC's ``Good Morning America.''

Bush has said he's standing by his proposed tax cut, even though Democrats strongly oppose the plan as too costly â€” and even though some top members of his own party have suggested it is too unwieldy.

But Bush suggested the plan might be just the prescription for a slowing economy.

Bush and Cheney have hinted that the economy may be headed for a recession.

Asked in advance of the Greenspan meeting if he thought the Fed chairman shared those views, Bush said:

``I'll let him speak for himself. One of the things I'm certain that I should not do as president-elect is to try to put words in the mouth of Alan Greenspan.''

Greenspan last summer was critical of the size of Bush's tax cut, and some members of Bush's father's administration have suggested his tight-money policies in 1990-91 contributed to the elder Bush's defeat.

Before leaving for Washington on Sunday, Bush named Rice his national security adviser and Texas Supreme Court Justice Alberto Gonzales as White House counsel.

He also announced that his longtime communications director, Karen Hughes, would become counselor to the president and help oversee ``strategic planning.''

The appointments came a day after he named retired Gen. Colin Powell his nominee as secretary of state.

Both Powell and Rice are black. Asked whether he was trying to send a message by including among his first appointments two blacks, two women and a Hispanic, Bush said: ``You bet, that people that work hard and make the right decisions in life can achieve anything they want in America.''

Rice told CBS' ``Early Show'' that Bush has ``believed in inclusiveness all his career. ... I think you'll see a reaching out to the African-American community.''

Incoming first lady Laura Bush got a jump on her husband in visiting the White House, accepting an invitation from Hillary Rodham Clinton to have tea together in the residence Monday morning.

Powell, meanwhile, visited with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for more than three hours Sunday at her Washington home to discuss foreign affairs. He was at the State Department Monday for more meetings.