From: clarinews@clarinet.com (THOMAS FERRARO)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.usa,clari.news.politics,biz.clarinet.sample,clari.news.top
Followup-to: biz.clarinet.sample
Subject: Bush offers upbeat review
Keywords: usa federal, government, politics
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 92 14:02:35 PDT
ACategory: washington
Slugword: bush
Priority: major
Format: regular
ANPA: Wc: 492; Id: z5796; Sel: xxngw; Adate: 4-10-455ped; Ver: sked
Codes: yngwrxx., ynp.rxx.

	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- President Bush conducted an hour-long news
conference in the sunny Rose Garden Friday to offer a rosy review of his
``good week,'' and to deny gloomy reports of White House disarray.
	``I'm not unhappy,'' Bush insisted. ``If I were dissatisfied, you'd
know about it -- loud and clear.''
	Beaming, the president said, ``We've had a busy week, a good week.
Progress has been been made, I think, on both the domestic and foreign
fronts.''
	He cited numerous events, from the administration obtaining a drug
conviction against Panama's Manuel Noriega, to new procedures to
accelerate federal approval of drugs, to his backing new welfare reform.
	``I think the economy has been improving, too,'' Bush said.
	The news conference lasted about twice as long as most of Bush's
meetings with reporters, and followed numerous published reports of
gridlock and confusion within the White House.
	Bush described the reports as untrue, including one prominently
played in The New York Times Friday under the headline ``Bush's Son
Rides into Town to Review the Campaign.''
	The story quoted unnamed sources as saying Bush, in the latest sign
of political alarm, summoned his son, George W. Bush, to review White
House speech writing, policy and scheduling.
	``That's ridiculous,'' said Bush, appealing to reporters to identify
their sources so he could respond directly to them.
	At the end of the news conference, Bush said White House press
secretary Marlin Fitzwater, whom he described as having ``my full
confidence,'' would return Monday from a two-week vacation in Bermuda.
	Last week, The Washington Post reported that Fitzwater went on
vacation in a huff, fed up with what unidentified sources described as
White House gridlock. Fitzwater denied the report.
	Bush said although many on Capitol Hill have recently announced that
they are fed up with Washington and will retire, he wants to stay in
Washington for a second term and is ``very optimistic'' he will be
successful.
	The president, who recently began an election-year campaign to reform
government, said, ``I think people want change. ... I'm not discouraged.
''
	``I'm going to make my case to the American people,'' he said.
	Asked what his top priorities would be in a second term, Bush, who
has described himself as the ``education president,'' began by saying, 
``I think education reform would be right up at the top.''
	``I'd also like to be sure that this economy keeps moving,'' the
president said.
	He conceded he would be unlikely to win approval from Congress this
year of a comprehensive health plan, but would try again in a second
term. The president unveiled his proposal in January, but has yet to
recommend how to pay for it.
	Moments after completing the news conference, Bush climbed into an
awaiting helicopter and flew to Camp David, Md., for what he hoped would
be a restful weekend.
Xref: sparky clari.news.gov.international:280 clari.news.election:281 clari.news.religion:27 biz.clarinet.sample:1258