CNN Today

Listen Up: Making the Presidential Grand Entrance

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: We've been talking about George W. Bush's big speech tonight to a joint session of Congress and to a nationwide audience of viewers, listeners and Web surfers. And afterward, of course, we will all hear lots of opinions as to how he did. But the true measure of success will be the fate of the president's budget bill.

And, as we hear now from CNN's Bruce Morton, we won't know that for months.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It is the grandest entrance, the biggest moment in American politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1993)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Speaker, the president of the United States!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORTON: The House, the Senate, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court all on their feet, applauding. This was Bill Clinton's big tax speech to a joint session in 1993. George W. Bush can probably use some of this drama right now. He hasn't exactly been dominating the headlines lately.

SUSAN PAGE, "USA TODAY": I think it's a big moment for him. You know, he -- the election was disputed. And, along with the inauguration speech, this is a moment when he seems to be president, when he can make his case, where he can make his arguments for the programs that he ran on for president.

(APPLAUSE)

MORTON: All the cheering can be deceiving. Bill Clinton, elected with less than 50 percent of the vote -- Ross Perot was a third-party candidate, remember -- proposed tax increases, mainly on the wealthy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1993) WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I ask you all who are listening tonight to support a raise in the top rate for federal income taxes from 31 percent to 36 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORTON: Republicans jeered.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1993)

SEN. TRENT LOTT (R), MISSISSIPPI: This is baked-over stuff I have been seeing for 21 years: Raise taxes, raise spending and cut defense.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORTON: Clinton's plan did pass without a single Republican vote in the House or the Senate, where it squeaked through, with Vice President Gore casting the tie-breaking vote. It took until August to work its way through Congress.

Ronald Reagan, who rode into office with a solid mandate -- he beat Jimmy Carter handily -- got substantial Democratic support for his income-tax-cut proposal, but it was July before he signed that bill into law at his ranch.

This time?

PAGE: Things are about to get tougher, because he's going to put together a plan, put forward a plan that has some details in it that people can attack. And they will attack it -- on both sides.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 1993)

REP. TOM FOLEY (D-WA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MORTON: Cheers, at least two standing ovations guaranteed -- and then the fun starts.

Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALLEN: CNN.com will offer live streams of the president's speech and the Democratic response. Or you can access transcripts and video- on-demand of both speeches. In addition, you can chat with CNN's Wolf Blitzer during the address. And you can always sit around and watch old-fashioned television as well. And our coverage begins at 7:30 Eastern, 4:30 Pacific, with Judy Woodruff and Bernard Shaw. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com