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TODAY'S HEADLINES
The New York Times on the Web Saturday, May 12, 2001 ------------------------------------------------------------ For news updated throughout the day, visit www.nytimes.com QUOTE OF THE DAY ========================= "WASHINGTON, May 11 President Bush said today that the surest and swiftest way to help Americans cope with rising gas and oil prices was to enact a sweeping tax cut, which he said would give them more money to pay for the increases. "If I had my way, I'd have it in place tomorrow, so that people would have money in their pockets to deal with high energy prices," Mr. Bush said at news conference in the White House. "The Congress needs to act." Mr. Bush's comments came a day after the Senate, like the House, approved a budget plan that calls for $1.35 trillion in tax cuts over the next 11 years, and Mr. Bush sought to seize that momentum, urging both chambers of Congress to pass the tax cut itself before their Memorial Day recess. Mr. Bush also sought to link his push for a tax cut to the nation's energy woes more strongly than ever before. He cited those woes as a rationale for a reduction in taxes, and he cited a tax cut as an answer to those woes. After several weeks in which administration officials had cautioned Americans that there was little if anything that their energy policy, to be unveiled on Thursday, could do to help consumers in the short term, Mr. Bush today pitched his tax cut as, in fact, a ready-made remedy. And he did so at a time of growing worry among Republicans that rising gas and oil prices could seriously damage his presidency. "Let me say it again, see if I can be more clear," the president said in response to one of many questions about other approaches to dealing with energy problems. "To the Congress, who is interested in helping consumers pay high gas prices: `Pass the tax relief as quickly as possible.' "We've set aside $100 billion to help consumers with high energy prices," Mr. Bush continued, referring to a part of the suggested tax cut that would be distributed among taxpayers this year. "That's the quickest way to help consumers. I am deeply concerned about consumers. I'm deeply concerned about high gas prices. To anybody who wants to figure out how to help the consumers, pass the tax relief package as quickly as possible." Many low-income people, who are least able to afford a steep escalation in the cost of cooling their homes or filling their cars, would receive only modest amounts of money from the tax cut Mr. Bush has proposed. Beyond that, the poorest of these people, who pay no taxes, may not receive any financial relief at all from a tax cut. But Mr. Bush and his advisers clearly craved an opportunity for the president to appear empathetic and in charge of the situation amid predictions by some analysts that the price of a gallon of gas could reach $3 this summer. Today's news conference, which was almost 30 minutes long, was the third in the White House the president had held since his inauguration nearly four months ago. Mr. Bush also wanted to claim victory for the Congressional passage of a budget plan with a tax cut only slightly smaller than the one he initially proposed. And he expressed support for Attorney General John Ashcroft's decision, announced shortly before Mr. Bush spoke, to delay until June 11 the planned execution of Timothy J. McVeigh. "He is lucky to be an American," Mr. Bush said of Mr. McVeigh. "This is a country that will bend over backwards to make sure that his constitutional rights are guaranteed, as opposed to rushing his fate." The president added that the failure of F.B.I. officials to turn over documents to which Mr. McVeigh's defense lawyers were entitled had neither persuaded him that Mr. McVeigh was unjustly convicted nor shaken his faith in the fairness with which the death penalty is meted out. As the governor of Texas, Mr. Bush presided over more than 150 executions in six years. Asked about the recent expulsion of the United States from the United Nations Human Rights Commission, Mr. Bush grew more animated than usual, his anger evident. "The decision was an outrageous decision," he said. "To me it undermines the whole credibility of this commission." Like Mr. Bush's two previous White House news conferences, this one was announced only shortly before it began, and Mr. Bush for a third time eschewed the formal trappings of the East Room for the less formal press briefing room. He seemed determined to maintain a jocular demeanor even about grave subjects, smiling and laughing for a moment before answering a question about a 4-month-old Palestinian baby killed by Israeli fire this week. The issue he discussed most was energy, as he set the stage for his administration's announcement of its policy, one that will call for the construction of power plants and more oil and gas exploration on federal lands. Many voters are concerned about the environmental repercussions of such measures, and Mr. Bush sought both to address those concerns and to assert that energy problems were long in the making and would be long in the solving. "This is a situation that's been developing over the years, and it's going to take a while to correct," Mr. Bush said, presenting himself as the blunt bearer of mixed tidings and later adding, "I'm going to tell the truth when it comes to energy: that we have a serious problem, that we need to do a couple of things." "We need to be more conservation- minded in America," he said. "But I'm also going to say, as plainly as I can, we won't conserve our way to energy independence. We must also increase supply." Mr. Bush's discussion of the nation's energy problems in some ways mirrored his evaluations of the economy, in which he has gone out of his way to document that he inherited a troubling situation. He said today that he hoped an economic recovery would be imminent, but that "there's no question that the minute I got elected, the storm clouds on the horizon were getting nearly directly overhead."" - , Full Story: NATIONAL ========================= Ashcroft Delays Death of McVeigh Over F.B.I.'s Lapse http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/national/12EXEC.html The West Is Culling Forests That Fueled Fires of the Past http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/national/12FIRE.html Dartmouth Expels Fraternity Over Articles http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/national/12DART.html Texas Governor Signs Hate Crimes Bill http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/national/12TEXA.html /--------------------- ADVERTISEMENT ---------------------\ 50% Off New York Times Home Delivery Enjoy the award winning journalism of The New York Times with the added benefit of convenient home delivery. Now you have another chance to get 50% off for the first 8 weeks. Pay by credit card and you'll also receive 4 additional weeks at this low introductory rate. That's 12 weeks in all! Subscribe today at: http://www.nytimes.com/ads/email/nytcirc/indexmay.html \---------------------------------------------------------/ POLITICS ========================= Bush Says Tax Cut Would Help Consumers With Energy Costs http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/politics/12BUSH.html Bush Picks Industry Insiders to Fill Environmental Posts http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/politics/12NOMI.html Two Leaders of Tax Panel Agree on a Bill http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/politics/12TAX.html Gambling Industry Battles McCain Ban on College Bets http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/politics/12GAMB.html INTERNATIONAL ========================= TV Tycoon and Career Politician Wrap Up Campaign to Lead Italy http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/world/12ITAL.html Talks Don't Calm Foes of Antimissile Plan http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/world/12MISS.html Despite European Unity Efforts, There's No Country Like Home http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/world/12EURO.html Death to Blasphemers: Islam's Grip on Pakistan http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/world/12PAK.html BUSINESS ========================= Consumers Still Spending With Gusto http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/business/12ECON.html Panel Says 3 Allergy Drugs Should Be Sold Over the Counter http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/business/12FDA.html How a Rabbi's Foray Into Online Dating Ended Up in Court http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/technology/12MATC.html Top Executive Stepping Down at Audit Firm http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/business/12ACCO.html TECHNOLOGY ========================= How a Rabbi's Foray Into Online Dating Ended Up in Court http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/technology/12MATC.html Two Executives Leaving Nortel Networks http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/technology/12NORT.html Bloomberg Buys Web Addresses That Critics Might Fancy http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/nyregion/12BLOO.html The Peculiar Ruins of the New Economy http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/13/magazine/13SERVERFARM.html NEW YORK REGION ========================= A Fading Actress, a Pile of Drugs and 3 Slayings http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/nyregion/12SHOO.html Pursuit of Cash and Influence Linked Torricelli and a Donor http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/politics/12INQU.html Big Store, Seen as Interloper, Wins Over a Neighborhood http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/nyregion/12SPRI.html Bloomberg Buys Web Addresses That Critics Might Fancy http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/nyregion/12BLOO.html SPORTS ========================= Yankees Move Into First Despite Struggles http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/sports/12YANK.html Giants Hand Mets Fourth Straight Loss http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBN-Mets-Giants.html Carter's Answer for Iverson Is 50 Points http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/sports/12RAPT.html Kings Come Home to Find Lakers Still Unbeatable http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/sports/12LAKE.html ARTS ========================= Mankind Takes a Fall in New Museum Displays http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/arts/12NATU.html A Professor Who Can Rap the Rap http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/arts/12TANK.html Showing the Flag in Paris http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/arts/12CENT.html New York City Ballet: Promises of a Shining Sun and Love in Bloom http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/arts/12WHEE.html OP-ED COLUMNISTS ========================= By FRANK RICH: Springtime for Adolf and Tony The popularity of "The Producers" and "The Sopranos" indicates that Americans can tell the difference between a show created by real writers and one assembled by a Hollywood committee. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/opinion/12RICH.html By ANTHONY LEWIS: Danger to Israel The national policy of building Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza are a crucial obstacle to a resumption of meaningful peace talks. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/12/opinion/12LEWI.html HOW TO CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------ You received these headlines because you requested The New York Times Direct e-mail service. 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