In Economic Chats, Bush Finds People Eager to Pony Up Praise [View All]

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In Economic Chats, Bush Finds People Eager to Pony Up Praise

By Edwin Chen Times Staff Writer

TAMPA, Fla. — In his initial public appearances of this campaign year, President Bush has settled on a favorite format as he travels around the country pitching his economic policies. The White House calls it a "conversation," although Bush speaks far more than he listens during the nearly hourlong sessions that amount to an economics seminar for Everyman.

At these events, like the one held here Monday, the president shares a stage with as many as half a dozen carefully screened participants, each perched on a stool and armed with a wireless microphone.

Bush makes some opening remarks and then turns the floor over to an emcee and the other guests, typically a couple of small-business owners and two or three workers. Without fail, they relate upbeat stories that reinforce the president's economic program, especially his across-the-board tax cuts.

Their experiences supply Bush with testimonials to the effects of the tax cuts, which, the business owners say, have stimulated the purchase of new equipment and the employment of additional workers.

Such give-and-take allows Bush to burnish the image of a leader with an affable, common touch, in part by leavening his tutorials with a stream of quips, including some at his own expense.
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