Washington debates Bush record after 100 days

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans credited President Bush for restoring civility to Washington and Democrats hammered his environmental policies as Bush marked his 100th day in office Sunday.

"We got a real strong start in the first 100 days," Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, told CNN.

"It's going to allow us to make a lot of progress in the days to come," he added.

Rove said the administration's priority for the next 100 days will be to get the top priorities of his administration -- including a tax cut, education reform and his proposal for allow government funding for "faith-based" social services -- through Congress.

IN-DEPTH George W. Bush: First 100 days    INTERACTIVE Video Calendar: Bush's first 100 days      VIDEO CNN's Mike Chinoy reports on increasing tensions from U.S. policies on Asia Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's John King reports on what George W. Bush has been concentrating on during his first 100 days in the Whiite House Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Bush talks about Taiwan and China in the first part of the interview (April 25) (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Part one Part two    INTERACTIVE Highlights of Bush's 2002 proposed budget    FULL TEXT President Bush's federal budget for fiscal year 2002 (PDF format) Documents in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader for viewing.    MESSAGE BOARDS Taxing and spending Education reform    ALSO Correspondents hear Bush, the humorist Bush says first 100 days a good start

Bush spent Sunday at the White House with his family. He will host a lunch for members of Congress on Monday.

Appearing on CBS' "Face the Nation," White House chief of staff Andrew Card said the most important thing Bush did in his first weeks in office was to lower the tone of political discourse.

"The president has changed the way Washington talks about its job." Card said. "Civility is back in Washington, and Democrats and Republicans can have a disagreement without being disagreeable, and that means that we can get work done for the American people."

But Democrats said that Bush's bipartisan rhetoric didn't match up to reality.

"I think by even President Bush's own standards, the themes that he used in the campaign and after, he hasn't measured up," House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, told CBS.

"He [Bush] said he wanted to be a compassionate conservative," Gephardt continued. "He said he wanted prosperity with a purpose. He said he wanted to leave no child behind. I think the theme that he has really acted out over these 100 days is to leave no special interest behind in almost everything that's been done."

Democrats have hammered Bush for decisions that favor business interests that supported him -- particularly his reversal of a Clinton administration rule sharply reducing the levels of arsenic in drinking water.

A CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll showed 62 percent of respondents said Bush was doing a good job as president, compared to 55 percent for former President Clinton at the same point in his presidency. But 63 percent said big business has too much influence over the administration.

The Democratic National Committee launched stinging television ad in the Washington area mocking the arsenic decision: In the ad, a little girl asks, "May I please have some more arsenic in my water, Mommy?"

Rove criticized the ad as "misleading," saying the administration would enact tougher arsenic standards by the end of the year -- but wants more time to study the issue. He rejected suggestions the Bush administration had fumbled on the environmental front, despite criticism for its support of oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the arsenic controversy.

A little girl asks, "May I please have some more arsenic in my water, Mommy?" in a controversial ad the DNC is running

"Look, what really matters is how people are going to see his policies over the long haul," Rove said. "Over the long haul, they are going to see this administration as one that is committed to using new technology and new innovative approaches to clean the air, clean the water and clean the land."

Democrats also have criticized Bush's centerpiece proposal for a $1.6 trillion, 10-year tax cut, saying the proposal was targeted to the wealthy. The measure is likely to be trimmed in the Senate, but is still expected to top $1 trillion.

"So far, I haven't seen the bipartisanship the president suggested he would be part of," Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, last year's Democratic vice presidential nominee, told NBC's "Meet the Press." "And if we don't see it, this administration is going to rapidly be in gridlock and we're not going to get much done for the American people."

Bush to deliver address on national missile defense
April 27, 2001
'Relaxed' Bush cites progress on tax, education plans
April 25, 2001
Bush vows 'whatever it takes' to defend Taiwan
April 25, 2001
Poll shows praise for Bush in most cases
April 24, 2001
Senate puts Bush education bill to the test
April 24, 2001
Media panel critical of 'low expectations' in Bush coverage
April 23, 2001

U.S. President George W. Bush

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.