Bush Signals Cautious Campaign

Vice President George Bush wrapped up six days of meetings with policy advisers and political aides on Wednesday, signaling that he remains committed to a cautious campaign strategy relying on generalities more than detailed programs.

In briefings Tuesday and Wednesday, the vice president, his aides and policy experts suggested that specific campaign proposals will be announced slowly over the coming months--at a pace chosen by Bush himself.

For example, fiscal advisers said Wednesday that programs that Bush might target for budget cuts under his 3-month-old budget plan may not be identified before the election.

“There’ll be some increases and there may be some offsets in other areas,” said New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu, a senior adviser and a participant in the six days of sessions. “That is part of what I think the vice president should hold as his trump card.”

In another refinement that could be controversial, Bush economic adviser Martin Feldstein suggested Wednesday that Bush’s plan to balance the budget rested partly on the presumption that deficit-cutting efforts would themselves lead to lowered interest rates.

Feldstein said a 2-percentage-point decline in real interest rates would cause a savings of $55 billion each year in interest payments on the national debt. “So it really is do-able,” he said.

Bush has come under fire from some Republicans because of a perception that he has been too slow to define himself to voters. But, meeting with reporters Tuesday, Bush declared himself unmoved by the public pressure.