Transcript: President Bush Interview, Part 3

Dec. 16 -- Following are further excerpts from Diane Sawyer's Dec. 16 interview with President Bush.

Following the News

DIANE SAWYER: First of all, I just want to ask about reading. Mr. President, you know that there was a great deal of reporting about the fact that you said, first of all, that you let Condoleezza Rice and Andrew Card give you a flavor of what's in the news.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.

DIANE SAWYER: That you don't read the stories yourself.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes. I get my news from people who don't editorialize. They give me the actual news, and it makes it easier to digest, on a daily basis, the facts.

DIANE SAWYER: Is it just harder to read constant criticism or to read —

PRESIDENT BUSH: Why even put up with it when you can get the facts elsewhere? I'm a lucky man. I've got, it's not just Condi and Andy, it's all kinds of people in my administration who are charged with different responsibilities, and they come in and say this is what's happening, this isn't what's happening.

The Economy

DIANE SAWYER: One of the worrying sectors is still jobs. Treasury Secretary John Snow said that we needed to create 200,000 more jobs a month in order, at the end of this, for you not to be the first president, as everyone has said, since Herbert Hoover, who had a net job loss in his term. How are you going to create 200,000 new jobs a month?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, first, let's make sure the record, so I can distinguish myself from Herbert. I inherited the recession. I didn't create one. When we showed up in office, the country was beginning to go into decline, and we responded with some tax relief, strong tax relief to stimulate the economy, and it's working. It is also important that people keep — at least remember that the attacks happened just as the economy was coming around. We had corporate scandals, which we've acted strongly, "we" being the Congress and the executive branch. You know, it didn't help that we were marching to war, in all due respect for the TV stations and networks, there was at least — I know one had "March to War" every day on TV, which is not conducive to capital investment when you think you're marching to war. Anyway, we've overcome those obstacles, and the country's — the economy's growing. And I'm pleased and won't rest until people can — who are looking for a job can find work. But I am pleased with the progress we have made. ...