President 'for all' comes to town

WASHINGTON - Striding into Washington to become the new United States President, George W. Bush yesterday preached that he would be a leader for all Americans and promised to make an overall tax cut a cornerstone of his first few months in office.

Bush rallied party faithful at a Republican National Committee meeting with vows to unite the country.

But his promises to heal partisan wounds did not make much headway as Democrats and Republicans faced off over some of his more controversial Cabinet appointees.

Bush, who takes over from President Bill Clinton tomorrow, repeated many of his campaign promises during yesterday's speech - the first of many events packed into four days of inauguration festivities in Washington.

He said tax relief would be one of the focal points of his first months in office. He would abolish inheritance taxes and taxes penalising married couples over single people.

"It's the right thing for the people of America; it's the right thing for our country," Bush said to cheers from his supporters.

"It's the right thing to make sure that we have a second wind to an economy that may be lagging."

Bush, who won the presidency after a drawn-out election in which he did not win the popular vote, vowed to be the President of "everyone."

The President-elect, who takes over the White House after tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill, squeaked to victory in November's election over Democrat Al Gore, losing the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes but winning the decisive Electoral College vote when he took the state of Florida after legal challenges.

"I want everyone to hear loud and clear that I'm going to be the president of everybody, whether they voted for me or not," he said.

Displaying his message of inclusiveness, he slipped into Spanish to say: "The American dream is for everybody."

At a star-studded celebration at the Lincoln Memorial to kick off the inauguration festivities, Bush said: "I will treat the office with care, never take it for granted, and always remember to whom it really belongs.

"The presidency does not belong to any one person, but to all of us. It belongs to the American people.

"A new administration is an opportunity for change and a new direction. That is the promise I have made and a promise I will keep, to give America a fresh start."

He then handed over the stage to singer Ricky Martin.

In an interview, Bush said that immediately upon taking office he would work to assure America's friends and allies that his would be a reliable, steady hand at the tiller.

"I can imagine there's a lot of anxiety about a fellow coming out of Texas. They don't know me from Adam.

"Some of 'em know me. But a lot of the world leaders don't. And they've been hearing all kinds of things about potential decisions that I'll be making." he said

Bush arrived in Washington after an emotional farewell to Texas, where he described public service as a "noble calling" and vowed to end "all the partisan bickering and name-calling and anger" in Washington.

But the mood on Capitol Hill remained charged as the Senate held a third day of hearings on conservative former Missouri Senator John Ashcroft, Bush's designated Attorney-General.

A black judge, Ronnie White, testified that he felt Ashcroft had distorted his record when he blocked his 1999 nomination to the federal bench.

Bush has shrugged off the fierce rhetoric about Ashcroft, saying his appointee will do a "fine job."

Several other top Bush nominees are facing Senate scrutiny. They include his designated Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Tommy Thompson, his choice as Health and Human Services Secretary.

And Spencer Abraham, Bush's pick for Energy Secretary, will have to explain to senators why he should head the department he once tried to abolish.

- REUTERS

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