President Assesses 6-State Tour : He ‘Learned a Lot’ on Trip Marking 100 Days in Office

President Bush said today he “learned a lot” from his just-completed six-state tour, designed to enhance his activist image 100 days into his tenure, and took a slap at unflattering reporting of the trip.

“In terms of problem-solving, Washington . . . does not automatically know best,” Bush told a gathering of the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council, a business-oriented group of state legislators.

Apparently referring to news accounts that described his trip as themeless, disoriented and jumbled, Bush said:

“It’s a very important thing for a President to get outside the White House and move around this country. Some of the friends that we were traveling with didn’t seem to understand that. But I can tell you that I learned a lot from it. And it was a very good thing to do and I’m going to keep doing it.”

Portraying Bush as Active

The trip was timed to project Bush as an active problem-solver just as the media assess the first 100 days of his presidency, a White House aide said.

Although Bush has said he is indifferent to the milestone, “he’s making these appearances even before some of these 100-day stories are getting out,” the official said.

Other White House aides called the trip a success, despite an aura of confusion caused by scheduling foul-ups and unfocused presidential speeches.

Marlin Fitzwater, White House press secretary, denied that Bush’s trip lacked any overriding theme the nation could focus on, saying that “the theme is building a better America.”

Bush began the trip Monday by attending a memorial service in Norfolk, Va., for the 47 victims of the battleship Iowa explosion. This was added to an already-heavy schedule Monday that had Bush declaring himself off to “a good start” in a speech to newspaper publishers in Chicago.

The trip took Bush to Illinois, North Dakota, California, Texas and Florida.

Major Issues

Bush wanted to go to California to talk about such major issues as research and development for high technology and a reduction in the capital gains tax, aides said. But Bush dropped plans to talk about offshore oil drilling because of the Valdez oil spill, aides said.

Chief of Staff John H. Sununu said Bush had been especially determined to hit hard on the Administration’s campaign to attack drug abuse.

“Most Americans feel it’s a critical issue,” Sununu said, “and he wants to make sure he can do what he can to help coordinate.”