KELLEY: We're going to Detroit where we're telling you the president is on this Labor Day. Let's listen in.</s>GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First of all, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you for being so nice to my wife. Yes, I brought my wife.</s>KELLEY: Labor Day 2001. The president there in Detroit. Labor Day was started by a labor union leader, back with the Central Labor of New York, years ago. The president said he was there to celebrate the American worker in Detroit with the Teamsters to -- as they set an example of working hard. He said his focus will be on the economy, education, the children, defense and faith based initiatives. In talking about the economy, he said the economy has been bumping along for 12 months way too slow, and he knew people were hurting, and he thought that the tax rebates and a lid on spending in Congress would help that get along. As you probably know, the unions typically support Democrats, and the president did say, some might think that those folks took a risk inviting a Republican. But he said, first and foremost, I'm an American. The unions -- the two unions that he visited today were the Carpenter's Training Center in Greenbay, Wisconsin, and then the Teamsters here in Detroit. They did not support the president in the election, but they did support him on his energy plan where they saw an opportunity for jobs. So then you can see there's an opportunity, politically then, to make some in-roads. But he was very complimentary of Jimmy Hoffa and the union, and celebrating this Labor Day there in Detroit. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
The President Celebrates Labor Day With the Unions